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Unit One Truth, Truth, Who's Got the Truth?
1.2.1 Some Truth Claims
1.3.1 Who Says?
1.4.1 The Truth Is Within
Unit Two The Bible: Why Does It Matter?
2.1.1 Agree or Disagree? Why or Why Not?
2.2.1 Did It Really Happen?
Unit Three Is the Bible True?
3.2.1 The Importance of Scripture
Unit Four How the Bible Came to Be
4.1.1 Man-on-the-Street Interview
4.1.2 The Bible and the Tabloids
4.1.3 The Bibliology Chart
4.3.1 Revelation Picture
4.4.1 Questions for the Questioner
Unit Five God Prepares His People
5.1.1 Preparation Picture
5.1.2 Written Word and Living Word
5.2.1 For Such a Time as This
Unit Six Prophecy, Inspiration, and Doctrine
6.1.1 What Only God Can Do
6.2.1 Inspiration Picture
6.3.1 Comment on a Famous Heretic
6.3.2 Heresy and Truth
Unit Seven The Living Word
7.1.1 Questions to Ask
7.1.2 The Four Possibilities
7.2.1 Saying What He Said
7.3.1 What Jesus Said Matters
Unit Eight Canonization
8.1.1 To Tell the Truth
8.2.1 Trusting the Truth-Tellers
8.3.1 Canonization Picture
8.3.2 Quotation on Canonization
8.3.3 More Quotations on Canonization
Unit Nine Preservation and Transmission of the Bible
9.1.1 What’s at Stake?
9.2.1 Preservation Picture
9.2.2 Show Me What You’ve Got
9.2.3 Here’s What I’ve Got
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Unit Ten Two Great Translators
Unit Eleven Language and Bible Translation
11.2.1 Biblical Languages
11.2.2 Let Us Guard the Languages
11.3.1 Where Did THAT Come From?
11.3.2 Language, Literature, and Theology
11.4.1 Translation Picture
11.4.2 Translation Quotations
Unit Twelve In Other Words
12.1.1 Some Steps for Bible Translators
Unit Thirteen Illumination and Interpretation
13.1.1 Illumination Picture
13.1.2 Hymns and the Bible
13.3.1 Sherlock Holmes and Bible Study
13.3.2 Principles of Bible Study
13.3.3 Interpretation Picture
13.4.1 Quotations on Interpretation
Unit Fourteen Interpretation
14.1.1 Pride and Prejudice
14.1.2 That’s YOUR Interpretation!
14.1.3 Translations and Denominations
14.3.1 Paul and the Gospel
Unit Fifteen Interpretation and Culture
15.1.1 Cultural Preferences
15.1.2 Reading, Not Reading Into, Culture
15.2.1 The Ideal and the Real
15.3.1 Walk like an Egyptian
Unit Sixteen Who Says?
16.2.1 Words Without Meaning
16.2.2 Words With Meaning
16.2.3 Are We Christian Relativists?
16.4.1 How to Communicate Truth to a Relativist
16.4.2 What’s True for You …
Unit Seventeen Mythology and Genesis
17.1.1 Mythology Assignment
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What your consciousness
doesn’t accept simply
doesn’t exist for you. With
father-mother-God
operating in you, only
beings of light can come
into you. If you don’t
believe in evil, you won’t
attract it. The devil,
heaven, and hell are all
only as real as you make
them. You are a co-
creator with God.
The Rev. Dennis Huston, Good WillSpiritualist Church, Toledo, Ohio
Spiritualistsstill bringmessages‘across theveil.’Rebekah Scott,
, August 10, 1996Toledo
Blade
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A
T
I
T
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�����The only thinking that isn’t negotiable is capital ‘T.’Truth. In an age of “whatever,” young people seeksomething beyond themselves. Since different folkshave different truths, Gen X and Y aren’t interested inarguing over who’s right or wrong. If truth is the bottomline, then tolerance is the penultimate good. ‘The onlything I know is that God is really big,’ said one Gen Xminister. ‘The rest is up for grabs.’
It’s a nice idea, but when it comes to capital letters, I,for one, urge caution. Believing truth is out there maymake one forget that truth is in here, too—inside eachof us, and such forgetfulness is fertile ground fordemagoguery. Likewise, fighting evil, embodied bysupernatural or extraterrestrial beings, may be deeplysatisfying, but it doesn’t do much for the poverty,ignorance, and injustice all around us.
Diane Winston, “TV’s ‘Buffy,’ ‘X-Files’ Raise Spiritual Questions forTeens,” , January 13, 1999, p.15AUSA Today
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�����This search for answers, whether through religion, science, orphilosophy, is ultimately the search for our context, for our placein the universe. In the end, we don’t want to stand alone.
Adam Rogers, “Come in Mars,” , August 19, 1996, p. 58.Newsweek
So long as man remains free, he strives for nothing soincessantly and so painfully as to find someone to worship.
Fyodor Dostoyevski, The Brothers Karamazov
Spirituality is not something you get from the outside; it isinherently who you are. . . . Getting in touch with the artist withinis the deep work of the spiritual process.
New Woman
“Faith” unites all the world’s religions, philosophies, and beliefsystems.
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�����Is the event historical? Did it happen in history?
When you question a document’s
(did it happen in time?),
then you begin to question its
(is it truthful?)
and ultimately its
(is it trustworthy?).
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�����Read the letter below. Then put it away and write your own letter explaining tosomeone why he or she should consider Christianity.
Dear Friend,
You’ve expressed an interest in learning about the Christian belief system. You
know I’m a Christian, so I’ll try to answer. What is Christianity anyway, and why is
it important?
We Christians base our ideas about life on the eternal, personal God of the
universe. To know this God, we must read what He has disclosed about Himself
and His creation. If the God of all creation has told us about Himself, there must
be a reason. If He did not care for humanity, He wouldn’t have seen a need to tell
us anything at all. But He has communicated with us, and in this way He has
shown us His concern.
Think about it. How do we know that anyone cares for us? Some verbal
information or physical contact is necessary, isn’t it? The God of the Christians
has given us both.
God spoke through writings to ancient Israel, and later through believers in
Jesus as the promised Messiah in the time of the Roman Empire. He told not
only about Himself but about us, our human condition, and our need to right the
world’s wrongs. In the Bible (literally, the Book) this personal, eternal God
answers the questions that all people in every era have asked Him.
But there is a problem. We are separated from God. We can’t see Him. How do
we know He’s there? What good is a God who’s invisible and far above us?
We identify with those people who have gone through what we go through.
They have walked in our shoes. They know. They have experienced. And so this
God became a real man of flesh and blood, who lived here in time and space.
The writings of the early church identify Him as Jesus. He, the God-man,
provided the bridge between God and us. He also provided the necessary means
by which the wrongs of the world could be righted. Because of what He did, God
can forgive the sins of those who believe and begin an internal reform of their
relationships and activities.
Right and wrong—what are they? And who decides? Humans, equal but
biased, cannot provide the standard. There must be one above us who has
identified with us, who can set the standard, judge according to that standard,
and provide a way to repair broken lives.
This is the Christian God. As you see, the reason He chose to visit us, and
speak to us, is important. The only question left is for you to answer. Will you
consider this God and His message?
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�����Man-on-the-Street Interview Questions
1. How do we know the Bible really came from God?
2. Didn’t the authors just say whatever they wanted to say?
3. Did God inspire every word or just the ideas?
4. How do we know that we have all of God’s truth in the Bible?
5. How do we know we have all the inspired writings? Were some lost?
6. Were the Bible writers stenographers who wrote down what God told
them?
7. With so many translations, how do we know what the Bible really says?
8. Can I get help in understanding what the Bible says?
9. Is everyone’s individual interpretation of the Bible equally true, or
reliable?
10. If we are going to rely on God’s Word as the authority in our lives, should
we have answers to questions like these?
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Manna Falls on Island of Crete:
Villagers Become Converts!
Local Nursing Home Residents UnveilHoly Grail in Harrison Ford’s Birthplace!
Manna Falls on Island of Crete:
Villagers Become Converts!
Local Nursing Home Residents UnveilHoly Grail in Harrison Ford’s Birthplace!
Unicorns Accidentally Left on Ark
Bones Found by Turkish Government
Lost Prayers of the Bible Found!Lost Prayers of the Bible Found!
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GODREVELATION
PREPARATION
Spirit-led and
Spirit-breathed
writings were
accurate in
their original
form.
God communicated
truth to humans that
was not known before.
God shaped the
characters and
circumstances of
the Bible writers.
CANONIZATION PRESERVATIONThe 66 inspired books
that are acknowledged
to make up the Bible
are known as the canon.
CULTURE
EXPERIENCE
BACKGROUND
PERSONALITY
AUTHOR
To translate
the Bible is to
communicate
the original
writings into the
language
of any people
group.
TRANSLATION
The Holy Spirit
causes believers
to understand
the Scriptures.
ILLUMINATION
Believers allow the
Scriptures to explain
what God meant for
people then and people
now.
INTERPRETATION
AUTHORIZATION
The Scriptures are
the final, absolute
rule in every area
of a Christian’s life.
INSPIRATION
God, through human
copiers, kept the
Scriptures intact.
BELIEVER
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�����For Those Who Are Looking for a Fight
What did you say?
Hit me with your best shot!
You’re not so tough!
Oh yeah? Where’d ya’ get that?
And what if you’re wrong?
Who ya’ beaten lately?
What are ya’ tryin’ to prove?
(Define terms. Get on the same wavelength.)
(How do you know it’s true?)
(Everyone makes assumptions they can’t prove.)
(Show me your sources.)
(What’s the worst-case scenario if you’re wrong?)
(Who disagrees with you, and why?)
(What’s the real, underlying reason you’re skeptical?)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
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�����GOD
Guided byHoly Spirit
The Living Word (Jesus)
Without sin
Written Word (Bible)
Without error
GOD
Guided byHoly Spirit
Uses humanmother
Uses humanauthor
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�����MY TIME LINE
PARAGRAPH #1
PARAGRAPH #2
PARAGRAPH #3
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�����According to this passage, the litmus test of real deity is
the ability to demonstrate knowledge of history before itoccurs. The ability to foretell events would require one oftwo things: the power to cause history to unfold a certainway, or the ability to step outside the limits of time. Eitherof these would indicate an omnipotent, eternal being.
Of course, not all predictions of the future would indicatedeity. If the predictions were general (something bad isgoing to happen tomorrow) or commonplace (my wife willdie someday), they would prove nothing. On the otherhand, predicting the future course of history in a detailedway, spanning scores or hundreds of years, is somethingonly God can do . . . the verifying act cannot be done byanyone other than God.
In order to guarantee authenticity, it would be importantthat the predictions be set down in writing and that thewritten material be reliably dated before the eventsdescribed. Also, the predictions should be detailedenough to make coincidence implausible.
Dennis McCallum, , pages 53–56.Christianity: The Faith That Makes Sense
Notice God’s statements through Isaiah in 44:6–8,45:20–22, 46:9–10, 48:3–7, and 48:12, 14.
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�����While discussing Ralph Waldo Emerson and hisfollowers, Richard Mouw comments on visiting theirgravesites:
I have visited Authors Ridge a half-dozen times.Some of my favorite heretics are buried there. I thinkit is a good thing for a Christian to have some favoriteheretics. Not that I am convinced that the world is abetter place, all things considered, because hereticshave existed. . . . But heresy is a fact of life, and giventhat there are plenty of heretics to choose from, onemight as well have a few favorites. . . .
I disagree with the thoughts they set forth, but I findit profitable to keep thinking about why I so stronglyoppose what they have written. When I walk amongtheir graves, I find myself experiencing both awe andsadness.
Richard J. Mouw, “The Women at the Concord Tombs,” ,Jan/Feb 1999, p. 34.
Books and Culture
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�����There are then a great number of truths, both of faith and ofmorality, which seem contradictory, and which all hold . . .together in a wonderful system. The source of all heresies isthe exclusion of some of these truths; and the source of allthe objections which the heretics make against us is theignorance of some of our truths. And it generally happensthat, unable to conceive the connection of two oppositetruths, and believing that the admission of one involves theexclusion of the other, they adhere to the one, exclude theother, and think of us as opposed to them. Now exclusion isthe cause of their heresy; and ignorance that we hold theother truth causes their objections.
First example: Jesus Christ is God and man. The Arians,unable to reconcile these things, which they believeincompatible, say that He is man; in this they are Catholics.But they deny that He is God; in this they are heretics. Theyallege that we deny His humanity; in this they are ignorant.
The shortest way, therefore, to prevent heresies is to instructin all truths; and the surest way to refute them is to declarethem all. For what will the heretics say?
Blaise Pascal, , no. 862Pensees
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ON WHAT BASIS DOES A PERSONDECIDE WHAT IS TRUE?
CAN A PERSON TAKE ONLY PART OFSCRIPTURE AS TRUE?
WHO DID JESUS SAY HE WAS ANDWHY DOES THAT ANSWER MATTER?
��
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CAN A PERSON SEPARATE THEMIRACULOUS FROM THE MORALWHEN INVESTIGATING SCRIPTURE?
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�� ��REVELATION
RULES
ALONE
ExtremeChristian View
REVELATION
RULES
REASON
ChristianWorldview
REASON
RULES
ALONE
SecularHumanists
REASON
RULES
REVELATION
JesusSeminar
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�����He Said THAT!
He Didn’t Say THAT!
“Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.”(John 5:24)
“I tell you the truth . . . before Abraham was born, I am.”(John 8:58)
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Fatherexcept through me.” (John 14:6)
“I am in the Father, and . . . the Father is in me”
“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you . . .”(Matthew 5:44)
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”(Matthew 5:3)
“If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”(Matthew 5:39)
“Do not worry about your life . . . See how the lilies of the field grow.They do not labor or spin.” (Matthew 6:25, 28)
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�����The authority of
Is based upon the authority of a
Without which there is no
WORDS
PERSON
AUTHORITY
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�����To hunt after truth is properly our business,
and we are inexcusable if we carry on the
chase impertinently and ill; to fail of
catching it is another thing; for we are born
to inquire after truth; it belongs to a greater
power to possess it; it is not, as
Democritus said, hid in the bottom of the
deeps, but rather elevated to an infinite
height in the divine knowledge.
Montaigne, “Of the Art of Conversation”
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No matter at all . . . for the point is notwho said the words, but whether they aretrue or not.
Plato, Dialogues
Law can no longer be enacted with an appeal to transcendent principles ofultimate truth, but law merely reflects at any given moment the tastes andpreferences of the current society.Oliver Wendell Holmes
THE WAYFARER
The Wayfarer,
perceiving the pathway to truth,
was struck with astonishment.
It was thickly grown with weeds.
“Ha,” he said,
“I see that none has passed here
In a long time.”
Later he saw that each weed was
a singular knife.
“Well,” he mumbled at last,
“Doubtless there are other roads.”
—Stephen Crane
It is the doctrine of objective value, the belief that
certain attitudes are really true, and others really
false, to the kind of thing the universe is and the
kind of things we are.C. S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man
The Bible does not contain a
complete understanding of the
human person, and any theologian
or biblical scholar who thinks he
can ignore psychology, biology,
anthropology, and more is not
doing education and will not
discover the whole truth.
W. David Beck, ™What Is a Christian
University?™
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�����Trusting the Truth-Tellers
Find the truth within yourself.
There are many truths; none are exclusive.
Truth is not limited by words but is better discovered and
People need to gain a new perspective, uncovering the divine
Oneness through the interconnectedness and harmony of all
things.
Science and technology lead us to truth.
Purification of our senses places us on the journey toward
Ritual brings truth from the past to our present.
The more lives I live through reincarnation, the more truth I
Something is true if it works.
To escape suffering and attain enlightenment, one must
eliminate desire and follow the Eightfold Path of Buddha
expressed through feelings.
truth.
gain.
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�����We have not an innumerable multitude of books among us disagreeingand contradicting one another, but only twenty-two books which contain therecords of all the past times, which are justly believed to be divine. And ofthem, five belong to Moses, which contain his laws, and the traditions of theorigin of mankind till his death. This interval of time was little short of threethousand years. But as to the time from the death of Moses till the reign ofArtaxerxes, king of Persia who reigned after Xerxes, the prophets, who wereafter Moses, wrote down what was done in their times in thirteen books. Theremaining four books contain hymns to God and precepts for the conductof human life. It is true our history hath been written since Artaxerxes veryparticularly, but hath not been esteemed of a like authority with the formerby our forefathers, because there hath not been an exact succession ofprophets since that time, and how firmly we have given credit to thesebooks of our nation, is evident by what we do; for during so many ages ashave already passed, no one hath been so bold as either to add anything tothem, to take anything from them, or to make any change in them; but it hasbecome natural to all Jews, immediately and from their very birth, to esteemthese books to contain divine doctrines, and to persist in them, and, ifoccasion be, willingly to die for them.
Josephus, Jewish and Roman historian (ca. 90)A.D Against Apion
Notice that the Jewish people:
· believed in verbal inspiration· received books as canonical because they were written by prophets· knew the Apocrypha was not written by prophets· included twenty-two Old Testament books (the same as in the current thirty-nine)
and no others in a division similar to that of Jesus, who spoke of “the law, theprophets, and the Psalms” (Luke 24:44)
· listed the Old Testament books by time period and then closed the canon
Adapted from observations of R. Laird Harris in Your Bible: An Introduction to the Word
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�����I do not, as Paul and Peter, issue commandments unto you. They were
apostles; I am but a condemned man.
We address a testimony from books, though not canonical, yet published for
the edification of the Church.
And the learned Cardinal Ximenes, in the preface to his
, ‘dedicated to Pope Leo X and approved by him,’ states that the
Apocryphal books printed therein were not in the Canon but [were] used for
edification.
The early churches, in short, received, as we receive, into their New
Testament all the books historically evinced to them as given by the apostles
to the churches as their code of law; and we must not mistake the historical
evidences of the slow circulation and authentication of these books over the
widely-extended church, for evidence of slowness of “canonization” of books
by the authority or the taste of the church itself.
Complutensian
Polyglot
Ignatius, an Apostolic Father (d. 117)
The Eight Letters of Ignatius
Pope Gregory the Great
R. Laird Harris, Inspiration and Canonicity of The Bible
B. B. Warfield, The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible
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�����1. Internal evidence
2. External evidence
The Gospels today are the same as when they were written because:
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The style of writing is simple, not complex.The writings show an intimate knowledge of cultural details.Prophecies of Jerusalem’s fall (A.D. 70) point to an early date of writing.Jesus’ physical weakness and the disciples’ human failings show accuracy.The Gospels do not suppress any apparent discrepancies and do not attempt theharmonization that might be expected from forgeries.The Gospels do not contain anachronisms; the authors appear to be first-century Jews whoknew details about people and events.
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If the apostles were giving lessons far removed fromthe recipients, why couldn’t these writings be theirs?Published writings against heresy would need to be written and preserved.Eyewitnesses during the time of writing could establishwhether or not these were writings of the apostles.Enemies of Christianity (i.e., Celsus, Prophyry, Julian) attributed the Gospels to the apostles.
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The need to recopy the Gospel accounts for instruction would have increased the chances ofpreserving the original text.No other ancient work is available in so many languages and copies that consistentlyagree in content.The quotations of New Testament books in the Apostolic Fathers’ writings coincide.Corruption of the Gospels could not have happened without a great outcry from allorthodox Christians.No one could have corrupted all the manuscripts.Falsification of the Gospels would have been repudiated by the apostles or by the churchfathers; there was no separation of time between them when errors could have been made.The text of the New Testament is every bit as good as that of other ancient writings thathave fewer copies and less substantiation from outside sources. To judge the NewTestament by a harder standard is to repudiate the rules of historical and literary criticism.Many historical events are considered accurate even though they have, compared with thoseof Scripture, much less documentary evidence; much older sources, far fewer copies, and/ormuch later copies than for any event outside biblical history.If the Bible did not record supernatural intervention in the natural world, it would beconsidered the most firmly established historical record.
Adapted from William Lane Craig’s and Richard Purtill’s, quoted in Kreeft and Tacelli’s (IVP, 1994), pages 193–195.
Knowing the Truth About the Resurrection ThinkingAbout Religion Handbook of Christian Apologetics
We know that eyewitnesses wrote the Gospels because:
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�����The following chart compares other ancient histories with the biblical account.
Adapted from Josh McDowell’s , p. 45A Ready Defense
Num
ber
ofcopie
s
20
7
20
7
8
8
8
100
3
9
200
5
Auth
or
Wri
tten
Earl
iest
copy
Span
Pliny the Younger(History)
Thucydides(History)
Suetonius(De Vita Caesarun)
Herodotus(History)
Sophocles
Catullus
Euripides
Demosthenes
Aristotle
Aristophanes
Tacitus(Annals)
Plato(Tetralogies)
Livy
Caesar 100–44
59 B.C. – 17
427–347
100
61–113
460–425
75–160
480–425
496–406
54
480–406
383–322
384–322
450–385
B.C.
A.D.
B.C.
A.D.
A.D.
B.C.
A.D.
B.C.
B.C.
B.C.
B.C.
B.C.
B.C.
B.C.
A.D
A.D.
A.D.
A.D.
A.D.
A.D.
A.D.
A.D.
A.D.
A.D.
A.D.
A.D
. 900
900
1100
850
900
950
900
1000
1550
1100
1100
1100
. 900
A.D.
1,000 years
1,200 years
1,000 years
750 years
1,300 years
800 years
1,300 years
1,400 years
1,600 years
1,500 years
1,300 years
1,400 years
1,200 years
5,366 NEW TESTAMENT A.D.50–100 A.D. 125 50 years
10
10
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�����Early Church Fathers’ Quotations from the New Testament
Josh McDowell, , page 52Evidence That Demands a Verdict
268
10
43
6
3
330
Written
Gospels
Acts
Paul
General Epistles
Revelation
TOTAL
TOTAL
19,368
1,352
14,035
870
664
36,289
Just
in(the
)M
arty
r
Cle
men
t of
Ale
xand
riaO
rigen
Tertul
lian
Hip
poly
tus
Eus
ebiu
s
A.D.
133A.D.
170A.D.
200A.D.
185–254A.D.
160–220
Irena
eus
A.D.
170–235A.D.
260–340
1,038
194
499
23
65
1,819
1,017
44
1,127
207
11
2,406
9,231
349
7,778
399
165
17,922
3,822
502
2,609
120
205
7,258
734
42
387
27
188
1,378
3,258
211
1,592
88
27
5,176
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������The connection between language and thought is not a loose one;
language is a product and reflection of the human soul. Language is not just
a dress for thought to put on or off at pleasure, but the body of which thought
is the soul. Each language that God ordained to transmit divine revelation
had a personality that made it suitable for such a purpose.
The Hebrew language is the best language of all, with the richest
vocabulary. . . . If I were younger I would want to learn this language, because
no one can really understand the Scriptures without it. For although the New
Testament is written in Greek, it is full of hebraisms and Hebrew expressions.
It has therefore been aptly said that the Hebrews drink from the spring, the
Greeks from the stream that flows from it, and the Latins from a downstream
pool.
—Larry Lee Walker, “Biblical Languages,” , vol. 1, p. 332.
—Martin Luther in , explaining metaphorically how the
Hebrews were the first recipients of biblical revelation.
Baker Bible Encyclopedia
Table Talk
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������Languages and the Gospel
Therefore . . . let us open our eyes, thank God for thisprecious treasure, and guard it well. . . . For though the Gospelhas come through the Holy Spirit alone, we cannot deny that ithas come by means of the languages, by which it was spreadabroad and by which it must be preserved. . . .
In proportion, then, as we prize the Gospel, let us guard thelanguages. For not in vain did God have His Scriptures setdown in these two languages alone—the Old Testament inHebrew, the New in Greek. The languages, therefore, that Goddid not despise but chose above all others for His Word, wetoo ought to honor above all others. . . .
And let us be sure of this: we shall not long preserve theGospel without the languages. The languages are the sheath inwhich this sword of the Spirit is contained; they are the casketin which we carry this jewel; they are the vessel in which wehold this wine; they are the larder in which this food is stored.
Martin Luther, “To the Councilmen of All the Cities in Germany, That They Establish andMaintain Christian Schools,” quoted from Armin Panning, “Language Requirements for aGospel Ministry,” , vol. 80, no. 2 (spring 1983), pp.116–117.Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly
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������Using an English dictionary, look up the etymology [in brackets] of each word below, andwrite the definition of a Greek word from which the English word comes, or is derived.
Example: The word comes from the Greek , meaning“human being,” and , meaning “word.” Although these two words arecombined in , the primary meaning, “the study of human beings,”comes from . Write the meaning of the Greek word that gives each
anthropologylogos
anthropologyanthropos
anthropos
English word below its primary meaning.
anthropology
archaeology
astrology
biology
cardiology
chronology
dermatology
epistemology
eschatology
ethnology
genealogy
geology
ichthyology
meteorology
mythology
ornithology
paleontology
pharmacology
psychology
technology
zoology
aristrocracy
democracy
gubernatorial
politics
Utopia
arithmetic
axiom
geometry
hypotenuse
isosceles
mathematics
parallel
polygon
sphere
trigonometry
Government
MathScience
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I am convinced that without knowledge of
literature pure theology cannot at all endure, just as
heretofore, when letters have declined and lain
prostrate, theology, too, has wretchedly fallen and
lain prostrate; nay, I see that there has never been a
great revelation of the Word of God unless He has
first prepared the way by the rise and prosperity of
languages and letters. . . . Certainly it is my desire
that there shall be as many poets and rhetoricians
as possible, because I see that by these studies, as
by no other means, people are wonderfully fitted for
the grasping of sacred truth and for handling it
skillfully and happily.
Martin Luther
in a letter to Eobanus Hessus
Quoted by Leland Ryken in (GrandRapids: Zondervan, 1986), p. 258, footnote 71; from Robert Ulic,
(New York: New York University Press, 1968), pp.110–11.
Worldly Saints: The Puritans As They Really WereA History of Religious
Education
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������“. . . it is no more possible to produce a translation of the Bible that caters to
all the concerns of all Bible readers than it is to square the circle. . . . So we
should thank God for the scholarly labor that gives us so rich a range of
options for our Bible reading and show our gratitude by soaking ourselves in
the version or versions that suit us best.”
“It is said that people should not see how either their sausage or their laws are
made. Perhaps the same could be said of their Bible translations. . . . we
should guard against the illusion that there is a single right way of treating
translation in general or any one passage in particular.”
“Translations differ in style and readability simply because translators have
different goals. [One Bible] sought to maintain the most literal accuracy
possible to the original Greek and Hebrews texts. By doing so. . . . public
readability. . . . suffers.”
“Individualism is one of the most insidious forces in modern culture. . . . I
suggest that local churches decide . . . that they will use only one translation of
the Bible in corporate gatherings. . . . [the intent is] not an individualistic act,
but rather . . . a unified, communal experience.”
J. I. Packer, , 27 October 1997
Daniel Taylor, , November/December 1995
Michael S. Beates, , April 1995
Ken Myers, , April 1995
Christianity Today
Books & Culture
Tabletalk
Tabletalk
“
“
”
”
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������Translating God’s Word
Translation is hard work. Detailed, time-consuming, and sometimes tedious, the average New Testamenttranslation project lasts fourteen years. But the end result of changed lives motivates the translation teamas they progress through the following steps:
Personal knowledge of God and the Scriptures—the number one prerequisite.
Training in linguistics, cross-cultural living—generally three semesters and a field training course.
Learning the national language—necessary for life and work in another country.
Blackline
Settling into an overseas home—beginning life and making friends among a language group withoutScripture.
often composed of expatriate and national colleagues working together.Organizing a translation team—
Studying the culture—to make the translation appropriate for that particular society.
Analyzing the sounds and developing an alphabet—many languages have never been put into writingbefore.
Studying and mastering the grammar—language consultants are a big help.
Making books for teaching reading—necessary preparation for people who have never read before.
Carefully studying each passage—to find the deep and the surface meaning.
Drafting each New Testament book—a rough translation, or first draft.
Rough draft checking—with local people for clarity and understanding and with consultants for accuracy.
Revising—incorporating feedback from local people and consultants.
“Some Steps for Translators,” from 10, no. 3. © 1983; Wycliffe Bible Translators,Huntington Beach, CA; revised March 2000.
In Other Words, vol.
Final check—for consistency in key biblical words and parallel passages, also to finalize the NewTestament’s format, including pictures, cross-references, headings.
Publishing—deciding where to have the New Testament printed and bound; finding money to pay for it!
Distributing—through local churches or Christians, sometimes accompanied by Scripture-use training.
2
3
4
5
6
12
1
7
8
9
10
11
13
16
14
15
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������That was the highest praise John Wesley could give to his brother’s
hymns: They were scriptural. Frank Baker likens his verse to “an
enormous sponge, filled to saturation with Bible words, Bible similes,
Bible metaphors, Bible stories, Bible themes.” The Index of Scriptural
Allusions in the latest critical edition of John Wesley’s 1780
(over 90
percent the work of Charles) contains 2,500 entries, including every
book of the Bible, save Nahum and Philemon.
Sister Benedicta of the Fairacres Community, Oxford, concludes that
the Wesleys’ hymns “are not emotional and sentimental instances of
enthusiasm connected with a moment of personal experience: they
are the controlled and redirected use of emotion combined with a
very strong doctrinal understanding, which is instinctively within the
main lines of Christian tradition. The Wesleys were concerned with
the exact and literal meaning of the words of Scripture.”
Scripture remains—and ever will remain—the foundation on which
our faith is built. Hymns that are biblical are therefore on the way to
being timeless. They are not like those that marry the spirit of the age,
to become a widow within a generation.
Collection
of Hymns for the Use of the People Called Methodists
Timothy Dudley-Smith, “Why Wesley Still Dominates Our Hymnbook,”
, p. 11
Christian
History 31
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������I was always oppressed with a sense of my ownstupidity in my dealings with Sherlock Holmes. HereI had heard what he had heard, I had seen what hehad seen, and yet from his words it was evident thathe saw clearly not only what had happened, butwhat was about to happen, while to me the wholebusiness was still confused and grotesque.
—“The Redheaded League”
Let me indicate a possible line of thought. It is, Iadmit, mere imagination, but how often isimagination the mother of truth?
—“The Valley of Fear”
Breadth of view, my dear Mr. Mac, is one of theessentials of our profession. The interplay of ideasand the oblique uses of knowledge are often ofextraordinary interest.
—“The Valley of Fear”
But was it not mere guesswork?’ ‘No, no; I neverguess. It is a shocking habit—destructive to thelogical faculty. What seems strange to you is only sobecause you do not follow my train of thought orobserve the small facts upon which large inferencemay depend.’
—“The Sign of the Four”
The more outre and grotesque an incident is, themore carefully it deserves to be examined, and thevery point which appears to complicate a case is,when duly considered and scientifically handled, theone which is most likely to elucidate it.
—“The Hound of the Baskervilles”
‘You will not apply my precept,’ he said, shaking hishead. ‘How often have I said to you that when youhave eliminated the impossible, whatever remains,however improbable, must be the truth? . . .’
— “The Sign of the Four”
I knew that seclusion and solitude were verynecessary for my friend in those hours of intensemental concentration during which he weighedevery particle of evidence, constructed alternativetheories, balanced one against the other, and madeup his mind as to which points were essential andwhich immaterial.
—“The Hound of the Baskervilles”
The temptation to form premature theories uponinsufficient data is the bane of our profession.
—“The Valley of Fear”
Sherlock Holmes was a man, however, who whenhe had an unsolved problem upon his mind wouldgo for days, and even for a week, without rest,turning it over, rearranging his facts, until he hadeither fathomed it, or convinced himself that thedata was insufficient.
—“The Man with the Twisted Lip”
The ideal reasoner . . . would, when he had oncebeen shown a single fact in all of its bearings,deduce from it not only all the chain of events whichled up to it, but also all the results which wouldfollow from it. . . The observer who has thoroughlyunderstood one link in a series of incidents shouldbe able accurately to state all the other ones, bothbefore and after.
These quotations were adapted from William C.Lincoln’s
(Minneapolis: Bethany, 1975). Lincoln includesan appendix entitled “The Student, the Fish, andAgassiz,” which has been republished in manyplaces and is worth its weight in gold as anexcellent illustration of commonsenseobservation.
Personal Bible Study: An Approach toScripture Which Lets the Bible Speak for Itself
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������The most common approach to Bible study is the OICA method: to bserve, nterpret,
orrelate, and pply. The principles found on this page have been universal with evangelicalteachers for a very long time:
o i
c a
Observation
>
>
>
Interpretation
>
>
>
>
>
Correlation
>
>
Application
>
>
>
>
asks, “What does the passage say?”
Study the text (“the BIG picture,” in overview).
Study the text (“the little picture,” in detail).
The three most important rules of Bible study are:
(1) Context
(2) Context
(3) Context
asks, “What did the passage mean to ?
Historical situations are important to know.
Biographical circumstances must be studied.
Geographical surroundings should be considered.
Cultural impact will affect how one views the text.
Today’s reader must try to understand yesterday’s mindset.
asks, “What do other passages say?”
Words and ideas in a passage should be studied in conjunction with the words and
ideas of the Bible book or author of the passage.
>Words and ideas in a passage should be studied in conjunction with the words and
ideas of the testament to which the Bible book belongs.
Scripture interprets Scripture; Scripture never contradicts itself.
asks, “What does the passage mean to ?”
Application must be , based on interpretation.
Application must be , relating to each individual.
Application must be , detailed for the situation.
Application must be , appropriate for the present.
telescopically
microscopically
them, then
us, today
expositional
personal
specific
relevant
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������Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ.
The shortest road to an understanding of the Bible is the acceptance of the
fact that God is speaking in every line.
Our faith is fed by what is plain in Scripture, but tried by what is obscure.
Compare Scripture with Scripture. False doctrines, like false witnesses,
agree not among themselves.
The passion for power is the mother of heresy.
Inerrancy is never a license for superficiality. It is not a ticket to skate lightly
over the surface of the text.
When Bible believers take a stand against false doctrine, they are accused
of “rocking the boat.” But it is better that belief should rock the boat than
that unbelief should wreck it.
I have known dozens of people who read the Bible as if it was a Rorschach
test rather than a religious text. They read more into the ink than they read
out of it.
In the reading of Scripture, the hard particularities must be fiercely guarded
to prevent erosion to the bland contours of society.
—Jerome
—Donald Grey Barnhouse
—Augustine
—William Gurnall
—John Chrysostom
—R. C. Sproul
—Vance Havner
—Ellen Goodman
—Eugene Peterson
Quotes gathered by Robert Barnes and published in , March 1999, p. 59Tabletalk
318 Timeless Truth
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����������������������������������
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�� ��������� ����������������
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Jonathan Edwards in a 1734 sermon in North Hampton, Massachusetts, entitled, “A Divineand Supernatural Light, Immediately Imparted to the Soul by the Spirit of God, Shown to BeBoth a Scriptural and Rational Doctrine.” Quoted by R.C. Sproul in
, p. 54.The Soul’s Quest for
God
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������
It’s just your interpretation that . . .
· God created the heavens and the earth
· humans are inherently corrupt because of sin
and cannot save themselves
· Jesus provided cleansing for human sin
through His death on the cross as our
substitute
· God is sovereign
· salvation is by grace alone
· the Bible is infallible and inerrant
· Jesus was born of a virgin
· Jesus rose bodily from the grave
· miracles recorded in the Bible actually
happened
320 Timeless Truth
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������How can the Bible be trusted as truth when there are so many Bibletranslations, Christian interpretations, and church denominations?
1. Human fallibility in interpretation is no reason to discredit theBible. What is good can be used in the wrong way or for thewrong purpose.
2. There is a central core of belief, truths that Christians agree on,sometimes referred to as the fundamentals, or the essentials:
(1) the verbal inspiration of Scripture(2) Jesus’ deity(3) Jesus’ virgin birth(4) Jesus’ physical and historical death, burial, resurrection,
and ascension(5) salvation by faith through grace alone(6) Jesus’ future return
3. Interpretation skills applied to the study of any literature shouldbe used in studying the Bible:
(1) examining words in context(2) understanding historical settings(3) discerning the author’s intention(4) recognizing the language as literal or figurative(5) recognizing literary types
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���� ��� ������ �� ��� ���������
Read the following passages of Scripture. Write down observations that help to answer theabove question. Make notes on time, language, geography, culture (how people live), andmindset (how people think). Use your notes to write a paper answering the question above.
Acts 1:8 (cf. Matt 28:19)9:15, 1613:47
14:14–18, 26–2817:1–4
17:16–3418:1–6
19:8–1019:17–2219:23–3121:37–3922:25–29
23:628:25–28
Romans 1:15, 1615:14–22
Galatians 1:15, 162:7, 8
Philippians 3:1–6
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������
PREFERENCES
CONVICTIONS
UNIVERSAL LAWS
PRINCIPLES
ABSOLUTES
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������Beware of . . .
1. Reading our culture into biblical culture
2. Ignoring cultural backgrounds altogether
3. Using culture to make the Bible say anything
4. Buying into cultural practices without examining them
scripturally (e.g., Leviticus 18:1–3, 24–30, 2 Kings 17:1–23,
and Ezekiel 20:35)
5. Disrespecting other cultures (e.g., Acts 15:23, Galatians
2:15, Revelation 5:9 and 7:9)
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������
In a poem . . .
Sin distorts, and
People cavort.
The law resorts
To rules and courts
To give society
Realistic supports,
Keeping people from
Getting out of sorts.
��� �����God’s standard is the ideal. God never compromises His own perfection or
the righteousness required for salvation, as shown by Jesus’ death on thecross for human sin. God’s immutability is intact. While not lowering Hisstandard, God lowers Himself, stooping to our level so as to save us fromourselves.
��� ����God’s condescension is the real. God’s standard is not compromised but is
conditioned because of corrupt human thought and action. These laws, then,allow for human imperfection. God’s intention is to limit and lessen theconsequences of sinful human behavior. This is an example of divine graceand mercy.
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������Compare the statements from Proverbs with those of Egyptian origin.
In his heart a man plans his course,But the LORD determines his steps ( Proverbs 16:9).
The plans of the god are one thing,the thoughts of [men] are another.
(Onchsheshonqy 26, 1.14)
Better is poverty at the hand of Godthan riches in the storehouse.
Better is bread with a happy heartthan riches with vexation.
(Amenemope 9:5–8)
Better a little with the fear of the LordThan great wealth with turmoil.
Better a meal of vegetables where there is loveThan a fattened calf with hatred (Proverbs 15:16–17).
Do not move an ancient boundary stoneSet up by your forefathers (Proverbs 22:28).
Do not carry off the landmark at the boundariesof arable land,
Nor disturb the position of the measuring cord.(Amenemope 7:12–13)
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������Complete each sentence with the word that means the opposite, or what must be true.
Subjective
Relative
Experience
Conscience
Tolerance
Rights
Justice
Cultural
True for some
Sometimes
must have
must have
must have
must have
must have
must have
must have
must have
must have
must have
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������What are the implications for truth in the statements below? Complete each statement. Thefirst one has been completed for you.
God exists;
God is eternal;
God is creator;
God is transcendent;
God is immutable;
God is perfect;
Universal truth comes to us from
Propositional truth comes to us through
Personal truth is for us to
therefore, truth is embodied in God.
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������1. Do I ever circumvent, change, or twist the rules for myself, my
benefit, or my protection? (Genesis 4:23, 24; Judges 21:25)
2. Am I tolerant of (accepting of) people or their beliefs? Can twopeople with opposing views both be right? (Psalm 51:13; 2 Timothy2:25; 3:1, 7–8)
3. Do I accommodate people’s words and actions because I havemisunderstood Jesus’ statement, “Judge not, that you be notjudged”? (Matthew 7:1)
4. Am I willing to stand for truth? Do I stand for what is right againstwhat is wrong? (Nehemiah 13; Titus 1:9–11)
5. Do I admit it when I’m wrong? (1 John 1:6, 8) Do I rectify or “squareaway” disagreements with people? (Matthew 5:23, 24)
6. Do these words describe me—(1 John 2:4; 3:18–19)
7. When discussing our interaction with unbelievers, do we say, “Well,he believes in God” or “She goes to church” or “They are such nicepeople.” To each of these we should respond, “So?” There may be adifference between people’s behavior and their beliefs. The mere factthat someone goes to church does not make him or her a Christian.
8. Do I ever say, “Don’t do as I do; do as I say”?
9. Do I ever excuse what I did by saying, “Nobody’s perfect” or “I can’thelp it” or “It’s just a game” or “I was sincere” or “It wasn’t that bad”or “I go along to get along”? To each of these we should respond, “Isthat a valid excuse for my actions?”
10. Do we teach the truth in love, or do we just want to get our pointacross? (Ephesians 4:15; 2 Timothy 2:24–26)
truthful, reliable, faithful, accurate,trustworthy, committed?
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������How to Communicate with a Relativist
After you understand some of the basic problems with relativism, choose amethod of communicating what you’ve learned so that anyone couldunderstand it.
1. Methoda. Choose a strategy, a method of communication:
storyparableanalogydialogue with a devil’s advocatecase studyquestion and answerresearch paperpersonal letter to a friend
b. Be sure to contrast the person’s with a Christian response.c. Listen to an example read in class.
2. Hintsa. Think of a situation you’ve been in, consider a conversation
you’ve had, reflect on a person you know, critique a book you’veread, ponder a movie you’ve seen.
b. Find common ground with the idea or the person while pointingout the differences.
3. Gradinga. Minimum of 500 words (except poems).b. Biblical content.c. Understanding of relativism.d. Christian response forming a counterpoint to relativism.e. 80 percent ideas, 10 percent composition skills, 10 percent
format.
ism
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������Is It Really All Relative?
You tell me everything’s relative,And standards come and go;You say the truth is in each heart,We all have the truth, you know.
I’ll let you have your strange beliefs,You say, Just tolerate mine.Each person’s point of view is true,So both of our views are fine.
But if everything is as you say,And everyone’s view is true—What happens when a person doesWhat hurts someone else—or you?
Will you still do as you’re saying,And tolerate harmful acts?Or hope the person will turn aroundWhen confronted with some facts?
It’s easy to talk in a tolerant way,To accept whatever you hear,But will you still be tolerantWhen someone does something you fear?
Can you tolerate the views of oneWho thinks killing is OK?And do you honestly believeIt’s all right to think that way?
So what’s true for you isn’t true for me?Can I help you to understandWhat happens when there are no rulesBut a standard would be grand?
You say my truth will never be yours.But imagine playing ball.Without any rules to follow, who’d win?Why, no one could win at all!
Let me show you some absolutesThat will give you the kind of viewThat is able to help you when others tryTo use their absolutes on you.
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������
1. The origin of the world
2. The origin of the creator
3. The characteristics of the creator
4. The origin and purpose of humans
PurposeTo compare and contrast the biblical account of creation in Genesis1–3 with the creation myths of two or more other cultures.
The is the creation epic of Mesopotamia, one of the world’s oldestcivilizations. Read a summary of the On the Internet or at thelibrary, find and read one to three other creation myths. Then, reread andreview the creation account in the first three chapters of Genesis.
Enuma ElishEnuma Elish.
Next, working with a partner, list at least thirty similarities and/or differencesbetween the creation myths and the account in Genesis. After each similarityor difference, write a phrase or a sentence from your reading to support yourconclusion. Focus on:
Again working individually, use your notes to write a paper comparing andcontrasting the biblical account with the creation myths. Be sure to beginand/or end your paper with your own conclusion about mythology andthe book of Genesis.
