From God to Us: A Guide to How We Got Our Bible - Cameron Jungles - 5-8-2013

(Eastside Baptist/Wed PM/May 8, 2013)

From God to Us: A Guide to How We Got Our Bible

Where are we going?

Ø Composition

Ø Canonization

Ø Transmission

Ø Translation

Psalm 19:7

The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

Psalm 19:8

The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

Psalm 19:9

The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the LORD are firm, and all of them are righteous.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Key Question:

Ø How do we know the Bible is God’s Word?

Ø The Bible shows itself to be God’s Word by the heavenliness of its doctrine, the unity of its parts, and its power to convert sinners and to edify saints.

Ø But only the Spirit of God can make us willing to agree and submit to the Bible as the Word of God.

1 Corinthians 2:13

This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.

1 Corinthians 2:14

The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.

Key Question:

Ø How did God reveal or communicate his message to the human authors?

Ø Through the superintendence of the Holy Spirit.

John 16:13

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

2 Peter 1:20

Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things.

2 Peter 1:21

For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Composition

Ø Revelation

Ø Inspiration/Inscripturation

Ø Inerrancy

Ø Authority

Revelation

God’s Truth

Human Beings

General Revelation

Ø General Audience

o Creation

o Providence/Acts of God

o Conscience

Ø General Content

o Sufficient for general knowledge

o Insufficient for salvation

Romans 1:18

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness,

Romans 1:19

since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.

Romans 1:20

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

Romans 10:13

for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Romans 10:14

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

Romans 10:15

And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

Romans 10:16

But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?"

Romans 10:17

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

Special Revelation

Ø Specific Audience & Content

o Various means:

ü Lots, Urim & Thummim, miracles, direct speech, visions, dreams, angels, Theophanies, prophets

o Incarnation of Christ

o Scripture

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Composition

Ø Revelation

Ø Inspiration/Inscripturation

Ø Inerrancy

Ø Authority

Inspiration

Ø Definition

o 2 Timothy 3:16 – “given by inspiration of God”

o Comes from Latin inspirō, meaning “breathe in/into”

o Greek word = God’s breath or God’s Spirit (“God-breathed”)

Matthew 4:4

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' "

Inspiration

Ø Warfield: “a supernatural influence exerted on the sacred writers by the Spirit of God, by virtue of which their writings are given divine trustworthiness.”

Inspiration

Ø God’s superintendence of the writers of Scripture by the Holy Spirit so that what they wrote is the very Word of God.

o 2 Peter 1:20-21

o 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Inspiration

Ø God is the ultimate cause of the Scriptures.

Ø God used human agents in the recording of the Scriptures.

o Not mechanical dictation

o Divine-human confluence

o Author of the words and writers

Jeremiah 1:5

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

Galatians 1:15-16

But when God, who set me apart from my mother's womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles…

Inspiration

Ø Verbal and Plenary

Ø Applies directly to the original manuscripts

Ø Applies indirectly to copies and translations as they faithfully represent original writings.

Composition

Ø Revelation

Ø Inspiration/Inscripturation

Ø Inerrancy

Ø Authority

Inerrancy

Ø Scriptures are completely true in all that they affirm.

Ø Exempt from liability to mistake, incapable of error.

Ø Rooted in the character of God, who does not lie.

John 17:17

Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

Composition

Ø Revelation

Ø Inspiration/Inscripturation

Ø Inerrancy

Ø Authority

Authority

Ø God’s Word is fully authoritative.

Ø If Bible is God’s Word, then it bears his full authority.

Ø “Thus saith the LORD…”

Ø Jesus appealed to Scriptures

Ø Authority of Prophets/Apostles

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Cameron Jungels Eastside Baptist Church May 8, 2013 Wed PM Unless otherwise noted, the verses are in NIV.