How We Got the Bible The Bible What

How We Got the Bible The Bible: What is it? Part 1

What is the Bible? • • Collection of myths? Compilation of philosophical treatises? Handbook of ancient proverbs? Testimony of the religious sensibility of its day? Part 1 2

The Claims of the Bible • Were these men honest, yet deceived? • Were they dishonest in the claims they made? • Or, were they writing the actual word of God for mankind? Part 1 3

Bible: The Divine Library • 66 books • 2. 4 billion (1816 -1975) • 40 writers • 1500 years • Translated into 242 lang. • 3 languages • 1157 partial Part 1 4 4

Impact upon Mankind • Literature • Archaeology • Science • Morality • Art • Government • Culture • Laws Part 1 5 5

Impact upon Mankind “In fact, nearly half of all the famous paintings in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D. C. are based on the Bible. Take away from the libraries of the world all the books which deal directly or indirectly with the Bible and you would destroy our very best reading materials. ” (Simple Studies in Christian Evidences, Rubel Shelly, p. 42) Part 1 6 6

Its Survival is Remarkable • Antiochus Epiphanes, 175 BC • Diocletian, 303 AD • Voltaire, 18 th century “And only 50 years after his death, the Geneva Bible Society used his press and house to produce stacks of Bible. ” (Geisler & Nix) Part 1 7 7

The Bible’s Claims • Originated from God – Scripture (writings) – 2 Tim. 3: 16 • Old Testament – 2 Tim. 3: 15; Acts 7: 38; Rom. 3: 2 • New Testament – 1 Tim. 5: 18; 2 Pet. 3: 15 -16; 1 Cor. 14: 37 Part 1 8

The Bible’s Claims • Inspired by God (“God-breathed”) - 2 Tim. 3: 16; 2 Pet. 1: 20 -21 “What it says of Scripture is, not that it is ‘breathed into by God’ or the product of the Divine ‘inbreathing’ into its human authors, but that it is breathed out by God, ‘Godbreathed, ’ the product of the creative breath of God. ” (B. B. Warfield) Part 1 9

The Bible’s Claims • Verbally inspired word of God - 1 Ths. 2: 13 – “Thus says the Lord” – >2, 000 times – Spirit of God spoke in men – Matt. 22: 43; 2 Sam. 23: 1 -2; Jer. 1: 9; 10: 1 -2 Part 1 10

The Bible’s Claims “Verbal Inspiration is the work of God through the Holy Spirit so directing men in their choice of the subject matter and in their choice of words that their writings contain, written accurately, exactly what God desired, and all that He desired, them to contain. It is the doctrine of the superintendence, or guidance; that is, God so guided in the writing of the books of the Bible that the words are His words in the style of the writers. Verbal Inspiration is the opposite of Inspired Concepts. ” (H. S. Miller, General Biblical Introduction, p. 24) Part 1 11

“In 1967, Jeffry Haddon sent a questionnaire to 10, 000 Protestant ministers. He received 7, 444 replies & compiled the results. (Christianity Today, October 13, 1967). * Do you believe that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a historical fact? * Do you believe in the virgin birth of Jesus Christ as a biological miracle? * Do you believe in the existence of Satan & of demonic powers? * Do you believe the Bible is the inspired word of God, literally? ” Part 1 12

Bible is Satan totally is real accurate all adults 41% Adventist 64% Asmb of God 77% Baptist 66% Catholics 26% Ch of Christ 57% Episcopal 22% Lutheran 34% Methodist 38% Pentecostal/ 81% Foursquare Presbyterian 40% Christ is sinless God: allpowerful Creator 27% 37% 56% 34% 17% 36% 20% 21% 18% 47% 40% 45% 70% 55% 33% 54% 28% 33% 73% 69% 76% 96% 85% 70% 80% 59% 72% 73% 90% 22%Part 1 45% 76% 13 (Barna Research Group, Ltd. , Ventura, CA, www. barna. org)

The Bible’s Claims • Verbally inspired word of God - 1 Ths. 2: 13 – “Thus says the Lord” – 2, 000+ times in OT – Spirit of God spoke in men – Matt. 22: 43; 2 Sam. 23: 1 -2; Jer. 1: 9; 10: 1 -2 Zechariah 7: 12; 1 Corinthians 2: 10 -13 Part 1 14

The Bible’s Claims • Meet Man’s Needs – 2 Tim. 3: 16 – Salvation from sin – Profitable, beneficial, thoroughly furnished unto every good work • Relevant and Powerful – Heb. 4: 12 – Living words, not dead letters Part 1 15

Our Respect for the Scriptures • Authority of Scripture – John 10: 30 -38 – Cannot be deprived of its binding authority over us! – Letter perfect! - Matt. 5: 17 -18 • Confidence in the accuracy of Scripture – All, even to the tense of verbs! - Luke 24: 25, 27, 44; Matt. 22: 31 -32 – “It is written” – Luke 10: 25 -26 Part 1 16

What is the Bible? • The very word of God • Greatest book ever written • How we use it affects our salvation (2 Peter 3: 16 -18) Part 1 17 15