CCS Sys Theo Bibliology ALL ANSWERS What is

CCS Sys. Theo Bibliology

ALL ANSWERS What is the Bible?

The Bible says… 2 Timothy 3: 16 -17 16 �All Scripture* inspired is �� by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for ��training in righteousness; 17 so that ��the man of God may be adequate, �equipped for every good work. NAU

2 Timothy 3: 16 -17 All Scripture Old Testament 1 Tim 5: 18 2 Peter 3: 14 -16 Inspired Theopneustos – breathed of God Profitable Di. Re. CT

Inspiration? Autographa: God possessed and made them write like a puppet? Dictation: God said “write this down. . . “ and they did. The Finger of God – God wrote the text and gave it to them Men’s words, guided by God – Men who walked with God wrote, the Spirit with them - content true

Which is it? SMALL AMOUNT: The Finger of God – God wrote the text and gave it to them – (The 10 Commandments) A SMALL, BUT SIGNIFICANT PORTION: Dictation: God said “write this down. . . “ and they did. (Several Times in the Prophets and Revelation) MAIN APPROACH TO A PROPER UNDERSTANDING OF INSPIRATION: Men’s words, guided by God – Men who walked with God wrote, the Spirit with them - content true

The Bible says… 2 Peter 1: 20 -21 20 But ��know this first of all, tha prophecy* of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 for ��no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from � God. NAU

2 Peter 1: 20 -21 Prophecy Does this just refer to prophecy – foretelling? Context of verses 16 -19 What does this do for the veracity of the Biblical account? Moved Present passive participle – “constantly being moved along” Luke 27: 15 & 17

The Bible Says… Psalm 119: 160 John 17: 17

Do you agree? Some disagree Some attack Is this valid? Does the Bible have veracity?

Some false assumptions… We are more advanced in all ways today Literarily Logically Forensically/Ethically – trustworthiness of report We can use the logic of today to understand the Biblical text

The Fact is… The Gospel accounts are eyewitness and researched accounts that circulated within the communities in which the original events occurred in the same and adjacent generations during which the events occurred. To imagine that these accounts could circulate freely, without significant challenge is imagination, indeed!

Not enough motivation to lie The disciples had no money and no practical gain The Jewish people had no Messiah Suffering and persecution Jewish and Roman government conspiracy Yet, they grew and flourished The accounts were spread in copious copies His word is truth

The witness of the texts NT Greek Manuscripts – 5300+ Within 100 years Homer’s Illiad – less than 650 After 1000 years Tacticus’ Annuls of Imperial Rome – 1 After 700+ years Josephus’ The Jewish War – 9 400 -1100 years after

Originals, copies and variants No Originals in possession (Picture slideshow) Copies span several regions, several languages – tremendous agreement 200, 000 variants Misspellings – if a word is misspelled and then appears in 3000 copies, that is considered 3000 variants Numbers Order Nothing doctrinally crucial

Originals, copies and variants Different families of copies (Alexandrian, Byzantine, Western) The King James Bible Textus Receptus 1 John 5: 8 Those footnotes in your English Bibles A better translation is. . Brackets John 8 Mark 16

Unmatched agreement, veracity and doctrinalconsistancy The point is…

The ultimate burden of proof is not on you, but the Spirit The reality is…

Reasons to believe Proofs, archeological evidences, etc. Church Authority Experience of self and others Internal Testimony of the Holy Spirit

Terms for discussion Inerrancy Infallibility Inspiration Canon Illumination Preservation

Inerrancy The idea that Scripture is completely free from error. It is generally agreed by all theologians who use the term that inerrancy at least refers to the trustworthy and authoritative nature of Scripture as God’s Word, which informs humankind of the need for and the way to salvation. Some theologians, however, affirm that the Bible is also completely accurate in whatever it teaches about other subjects, such as science and history. Stanley Grenz, David Guretzki and Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (Downers Grove, Ill. : Inter. Varsity Press, 1999), 66.

Infallibilty The characteristic of being incapable of failing to accomplish a predetermined purpose. In Protestant theology infallibility is usually associated with Scripture. The Bible will not fail in its ultimate purpose of revealing God and the way of salvation to humans. In Roman Catholic theology infallibility is also extended to the teaching of the church (“magisterium” or “dogma”) under the authority of the pope as the chief teacher and earthly head of the body of Christ. Stanley Grenz, David Guretzki and Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (Downers Grove, Ill. : Inter. Varsity Press, 1999), 66.

Inspiration A term used by many theologians to designate the work of the Holy Spirit in enabling the human authors of the Bible to record what God desired to have written in the Scriptures. Theories explaining how God “superintended” the process of Scripture formation vary from dictation (the human authors wrote as secretaries, recording word for word what God said) to ecstatic writing (the human authors wrote at the peak of their human creativity). Most evangelical theories of inspiration maintain that the Holy Spirit divinely guided the writing of Scripture, while at the same time allowing elements of the authors’ culture and historical context to come through, at least in matters of style, grammar and choice of words. Stanley Grenz, David Guretzki and Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (Downers Grove, Ill. : Inter. Varsity Press, 1999), 66.

Canon canon. Literally meaning “standard” or “rule, ” the term is most closely associated with the collection of books that the church has recognized as the written Word of God (Scripture) and that functions as the rule or standard of faith and practice in the church. Although the various Christian traditions are not in full agreement as to which books should comprise the collection of Scripture, at the very least all agree that the sixty-six books of the Protestant Bible are canonical and therefore authoritative.

Illumination The ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in the Christian person and community in assisting believers to interpret, understand obey the Scriptures. Illumination is a matter of faith as well as intellectual assent—the Spirit’s goal in illumination moves beyond mere intellectual assent to propositions of Scripture to the moving of the human will to trust Christ and obey him. Stanley Grenz, David Guretzki and Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (Downers Grove, Ill. : Inter. Varsity Press, 1999), 62.

Preservation The standard belief that along with God divinely inspiring the text of Scripture, He has been involved in preserving that text for us today.

Canonization Why these Books? How did these books get canonized? Are there any other writings? Good source: Norman Geisler’s. From God to Us

Some Up-Front Points Regarding the Canon – God’s Word: Man doesn’t canonize, man recognizes. Man doesn’t determine, man discovers. Man does not scrutinize, man is scrutinized. (Chappel) Man does not make the canon, God does – It is not the Church that canonizes, it is inspiration. “There were criteria employed for the determining of the canonical books, all of which had to do with the nature of the texts rather than the authority of the church. ” (Horton) “THE AUTHORITY OF THE SCRIPTURES IS NOT FOUNDED THEN UPON THE AUTHORITY OF THE CHURCH, RATHER THE AUTHORITY OF THE CHURCH IS FOUNDED UPON THE SCRIPTURES. ” (Gaussen)

Just as Sir Isaac Newton did not give us gravity – he observed a force that God had already given, so too the Church did not give us the Canon, God did.

The flow of the issue OT Canon (Ta. Na. K) in singular form, different arrangements – yet unchallenged because is was an intra-community Text. Officially formulated with full canon NT Canon recognized and used widely, but formally defined after Marcion Heresy toward Canon, appearing in many personal forms, almost complete in the Muratorian Fragment of the 2 nd century (170180) and finalized with the statement of Athanasius in 367.

Criteria for Canonical Books Is the book…? 1. Authoritative - did it come with the authority of God, i. e. “thus saith the Lord”? 2. Prophetic - was it written by a man of God, i. e. God’s mouthpiece? 3. Authentic - did it teach the truth about God, i. e. His character and will? 4. Dynamic - did it have life-changing power, i. e. “living and active”? 5. Received - was it accepted by God’s people, i. e. true believers?

Some charts

From God to us Revelation Inspiration Transmission Writing Canonization Preservation Translation

Challenge for you Psalm 119

CCS Sys. Theo Bibliology