Foundations Study Guide

Welcome to Foundations of the Christian Life

Session 1 – To Every Man an

Answer: Learn How to

Defend the Authority of the

Scriptures

Session 2 – Know Your Bible

by Friday: a Crash Course

in all 66 Books of Scripture

Session 3 – How to Read the

Bible for All its Worth: An

Overview and Hands On

Encounter with

Interpretational Methods

Session 4 – So What, Now

What? How to Apply the

Scriptures in the Power of

the Spirit

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Table of Contents

.....................................................................Introduction 3

...............................Session 1: To Every Man An Answer 5

...........................Session 2: Know Your Bible By Friday 6

....Session 3: How to Read the Bible for all Its Worth 10.........................................................................................................Steps for Interpretation 13

.............................................................Ways People Misread or Mishandle the Scriptures 32

Session 4: Experiencing God Through Application of .....................................................................Scripture 17

... ........................................................................Appendix . 20Book Critique of How to Read the Bible for all Its Worth...................................................... 20

.........................................Essay on the Williams Article: “The Reliability of the Scriptures” 34...........................................................................................................Overview of the Bible 39

Resources…………………………………………………………………………………...……...53............................................................................................................................End Notes 54

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Let’s Look at Jesus’ Use of the Imagery...

Matt 7:24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did

not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

1. Be careful what you build your life on.

Jesus was a carpenter – which in that time means “stone mason” (tekton

in Greek)

2. “Building” IS application. “…and who does not put them into practice…”(v.26). The “building” Jesus mentions here is code for “apply to your life”.

INTRODUCTION TO FOUNDATIONS

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Let’s Look at Paul’s Use of the Imagery...

1 Cor. 3: 10 “By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 16 Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? 17If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.”

Paul picks up on this rich analogy that was established in the building of God’s Temple. (1 Kings 5:13; 1 Kings 7:9; 1 Kings 7:10; Psalms 11:3)

Let’s make some observations from Paul’s passage here.

1. Be careful how you build on the foundation. Paul said that he came to the Corinthians as an “expert” builder. Not a novice.

Expert builders…

Use the right materials

Anticipate final inspection

2. Make sure you finish what you start. Never stop with a good foundation. (Luke 14:29

For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him.

(Hebrews 6:1)

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http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=49&chapter=14&verse=29&version=31&context=verse

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=49&chapter=14&verse=29&version=31&context=verse

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2. Even though we don’t have the originals, we do have very good copies.

• The Bible exists in 5700 Greek copies (Greek was the original language). It exists in 1 million quotations of the Church Fathers (those are disciples of the Disciples). It is extent in 15,000 early translations (like Coptic, Syriac, Aramaic, Egyptian etc.)

Author Approx Date Written

Earliest Copy Time between original & earliest copy

Number of copies

Caesar 100-44BC 900AD 1000 yrs 10

Livy 59BC-17AD 350AD 400 yrs 27

Plato 42BC-347BC 900AD 1200 yrs 7

Thucydides 46BC-400BC 900AD 1300 yrs 20

Tacitus 5AD-120AD 1100AD 1000 yrs 3

Suetonius 6AD-140AD 950AD 800 yrs 200

Herodotus 484BC-425BC 100AD 400 yrs 75

Homer’s Illiad 900BC 400BC 500 yrs 643

New Testament 40-90AD 100-150AD 25-50 yrs 5700

1. Understand that we don’t have any original manuscripts. This means that we don’t have the originals that Matthew, Mark and Paul etc. wrote.

Papyrus 52 is a fragment from John 18

(Exercise)2 Timothy 3:14-16

Session I To Every Man An Answer: How To Defend Scripture

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SESSION II:Know Your Bible By Friday

Divisions of the Bible

THE OLD TESTAMENT:1. The Pentateuch (Five Books: Genesis through Deuteronomy)2. Historical Books (Twelve Books: Joshua through Esther)3. Poetic Books (Five Books: Job through Song of Songs)4. Prophetic Books (Seventeen Books: Isaiah through Malachi)

THE NEW TESTAMENT:1. Biographical Books (Four Books: Matthew-John)2. Historical Books (One Book: Acts)3. The Pauline Letters (Thirteen Books: Romans through

Philemon)4. General Letters (Eight Books: Hebrews through Jude)5. Prophetic Books (One Book: Revelation)

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Genres of the Bible1

Genres of the Old Testament:1. Narratives (Biblical narratives are trying to communicate Godʼs story, not just what happened):

Narratives make up 40% of the OT.Examples of Narratives in the OT are Genesis, most of Exodus, 1 & 2 Chronicles.There are different types of narratives in the Old Testament:a. Reports. Presents facts without literary embellishment (eg. Judges 1:16-17). This type of

narrative has many sub-categories.b. Heroic Narrative. A series of episodes that focus on the life of a hero later considered important

to remember (eg. Moses in Exodus through Deuteronomy).c. Prophet Story. Recounts events in the life of a prophet with virtues worthy of emulation (eg.

Elijah and Elisha in 1 Kings 17 - 2 Kings 9).d. Comedy. A narrative which has a plot with a happy ending and/or a dramatic reversal (eg.

Esther).e. Farewell Speech. An address in the first-person given by someone shortly before their death

(eg. Moses in Deuteronomy).f. Embedded Genres. Made up of popular proverbs, riddles, fables, parables, songs and lists.

2. Law:a. Cauistic Law. “If...then” structure (eg. Exodus 21:18-19).b. Apodictic Law. Laws promulgated in unconditional, categorical directives such as commands

and prohibitions (eg. Exodus 20:13).c. Legal Series. A text with a small number of laws phrased in a similar style (eg. Deuteronomy

5:6-21).d. Legal Instruction. Priestly instruction (eg. Leviticus 6-7) and ritual instruction for the community

(eg. Leviticus 1-5).e. Deuteronomy. Comprehensive restatement of the Mosaic Law closely resembling the suzerain-

vassal treaties of the ancient near-east.

3. Poetry (Poetry is poetic, it uses figurative language and cannot be taken literally):a. Prayers. Prayed by individuals or the community to Yahweh for deliverance (eg. Psalm 22).b. Songs. Sung in worship at the temple (eg. Psalm 30).c. Liturgies. A text used in worship in which two or more speakers participate in response to each

other (e.g. Psalm 118).d. Wisdom Psalms. Having to do with the private educational sphere of Israelʼs wisdom teachers

(eg. Psalm 1).

4. Prophecy (Prophecy contains FORETELLING and FORTH-TELLING. When we read the foretelling sections, we must remember that almost all of what is written has been fulfilled):

a. Prophecy of Disaster. A prophet announces imminent or future disaster either to an individual or to an entire nation (eg. 2 Kings 1:3-4).

b. Prophecy of Salvation. Announcement of restoration for an individual or a nation (eg. Isaiah 2:1-5).

c. Woe Speech. Pronouncement of doom with the opening interjection “Woe to you who...” followed by a description of the details as to why the audience deserves woe, and concludes with a prediction of divine punishment (eg. Micah 2:1-5).

d. Prophetic Dirge. A funeral lament pronounced as if Israel as a nation was ready for burial (eg. Amos 5:1-3).

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a. Prophetic Hymn. See Songs under Poetry (eg. Amos 4:13).b. Prophetic Liturgy. Involving two speakers: 1) the prophet and 2) Yahweh. It asks for Yahweh to

relent of punishing Israel usually with Yahweh refusing (eg. Habakkuk 1:2-2:4).c. Prophetic Disputation. Disputation is a rhetorical device in which the speaker tries to persuade the

audience to accept the validity of some truth (eg. Amos 3:3-8).d. Prophetic Lawsuit. A prophet speaks as if Israel is on trial accused of a crime (eg. Hosea 4:1-3).e. Prophetic Vision Report. Autobiographical reports of things the prophet saw in a vision that

conveys Godʼs message (eg. Isaiah 6).f. Prophetic Narratives. Two types: 1) Vocation Reports narrating the prophetʼs call and commission

by God (eg. Ezekiel 1-3), and 2) Instruction About Symbolic Actions containing a command to perform an action, a report of the performance and itʼs interpretation (eg. Hosea 1:2-9).

g. Apocalyptic Prophecy. Describes prophecies in which God “reveals” his hidden future plans, usually through dreams or visions with elaborate and at times strange symbolism or numbers. Has a unique view of Godʼs relationship to human history - rather than working within it, the apocalyptic God radically intervenes from outside it (eg. Daniel 7-12).

1. Wisdom (In reading and applying Proverbs, one must remember that they are GENERAL STATEMENTS about life and reality, they are not laws or promises):

a. Proverbs. A concise, memorable statement of truth learned over extended human experience. Proverbs offer general principles for successful living rather than a comprehensive “legal code for life.” (eg. Proverbs 30:18-19)

b. Instruction. A brief or long exhortation with the purpose of persuading the hearer to adopt or abandon certain conduct or attitudes (eg. Proverbs 22:17-24:22).

c. Example Story and Reflection. In example stories, the writer narrates a personal experience or other illustration from which he has distilled an important truth to pass on (eg. Proverbs 24:30-34). In a reflection the writer reports personal musings and conclusions about a truth, often citing firsthand observations, example stories and lengthy thought (eg. Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:26).

d. Disputation Speeches. Specific to the book of Job, the speakers debate the cause of Jobʼs suffering, but in the end YHWHʼs irrefutable speeches reduce Job to humble acquiescence (eg. Job 38-39).

Genres of the New Testament:1. Gospels. Formally, a gospel is a narrative account concerning the public life and teaching of a

significant person that is composed of discreet traditional units placed in the context of Scriptures. . . . Materially, the genre consists of the message that God was at work in Jesusʼ life, death, and resurrection effecting his promises found in the Scriptures. Note: The gospels are homilies by the authors intended to bring about particular attitudes and actions. The gospels contain individual forms:

a. Parables. Metaphorical discourse creating impact through their choice of imagery and narrative form (eg. Luke 17:5-8).

b. Miracle Stories. Demonstrate who Jesus was and corroborate his claims that the kingship of God was breaking into human history (eg. Matthew 11:5-6).

c. Pronouncement Stories. Designates a short, self-contained narrative that functions primarily to introduce a key climactic saying (or pronouncement) of Jesus (eg. Mark 2:13-17).

2. Acts. Bears strong resemblance to the Gospel genre, but focusses on the lives of a number of early church leaders.

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3. Epistles. An epistle is a letter. In the New Testament they are from apostles to various Christian communities and individuals. Epistles primarily teach theology and offer ethical instruction. The epistles contain individual forms:a. Creeds or Hymns.b. The Domestic Code.c. Slogans.d. Vice and Virtue Lists.

4. Revelation. Revelation combines parts of three distinct genres:a. Epistle.b. Prophecy.c. Apocalyptic.

Resources to Help with Biblical Genres:1. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon D. Fee & Douglas Stuart

2. A Basic Guide to Interpreting the Bible: Playing by the Rules by Robert H. Stein

3. Introduction to Biblical Interpretation by Dr. William W. Klein, Dr. Craig L. Blomberg, and Dr. Robert L. Hubbard, Jr.

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The word “interpretation” comes from the Greek word hermeneuo meaning “to interpret.” This is where we get the term “hermeneutics.”

Facts about Interpretation

1. Everyone interprets.

2. Everyone is biased to some degree.

3. There are some spiritual qualifications that a person needs to understand the Bible.

SESSION III:HOW TO READ THE BIBLE FOR ALL ITS WORTH

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1. The Allegorical SchoolThe approach of the allegorical school is to interpret a passage for its spiritualized meaning. This method tends to see a dual sense in every passage of scripture - meaning that there is the apparent, or “surface” meaning and then there is the “spiritual” or “deeper” meaning of the text.

Note: one must distinguish between allegory and the allegorization of non-allegorical passages. Allegory is a legitimate literary device which Paul himself uses to describe the difference between the Old and New Covenants (vis a vis. Sarah and Hagar). But note that Paul begins by stating, “now this is an allegory...”

2. The Literal-Grammatical-Historical method of interpretation.

This method seeks to establish authors intended meaning by examining the culture, the context, and the content of the passage in question.

Note: The Literal-historical approach does not seek to interpret every line of scripture in a wooden literal fashion. Instead, this interpretative method seeks the actual meaning of a text based on the particular genre (or literary type) where a passage may be found.

The Bible contains the following literary types:• Historical Narrative• Law (Forensic) texts• Poetry• Wisdom literature• Apocalyptic and Prophetic• Parable • Epistolary

Thus, the Lit.Gram.Hist. method seeks to export meaning from the text, rather than importing meaning to the it.

S c h o o l s o f I n t e r p r e t a t i o n

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Let’s now look at some basic principles of Bible

Interpretation.

1. Pay attention to the immediate context.

(Gal. 3:9)

2. Seek to discover what scripture meant before you jump to what it means.

With every line of Scripture you should be asking “what did this mean to say?” and not “what can this be made to say?”

Historical context – Consider the Inherited culture (the OT) - Consider the Immediate culture

Literary context – what kind of literature are you dealing with? What are the special rules for the book you’re studying?

Lateral context – what do other books and biblical authors have to say on this issue (this is also referred to as the “analogy of Scripture”?

3. Draw out the principle where possible.

4. Plain statements explain obscure ones. “women are to remain silent…” I Cor. 14:34 (see

also Romans 15:1-4, 1 Cor. 11, Acts 6)

5. Literal statements explain metaphorical ones. (Matt. 13)

6. The NT interprets the OT, the OT is the foundation for and anticipates the NT. (Matt.

24ff)

7. The Bible doesn’t always approve of what it records.

And sometimes it does not record what it may approve!

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Ways People Misread Or Mishandle The Scriptures

Adapted from Dr. James Sire’s book, Scripture Twisting, Intervarsity Press. Below are some common ways that cults, skeptics an the garden variety critic will mishandle scripture.

1. Inaccurate quotation – make sure that you are accurately citing the text before you build doctrine on it.

Example: The Bible does not say that “money is the root of all evil” instead it states that the “love of money is the root of all evil.”

2. Inaccurate translation – avoid any non-standard translations such as the NWT (New World Translation), the Philips and Living Bible (which are paraphrases), and the KJV (the KJV is a good translation based on very late manuscripts and contains about 12 verses and other stories that do not belong in the scriptures). Lastly, avoid quoting from Bibles with the Apocrypha (books such as Judith, Tobit, Baruch, etc.) which contains non-inspired writings (note: these writings are fine sources for understanding certain things about the literary environment of the first century, but are not on par with scripture).

3. Proof Texting – Proof texting is the practice of surgically removing a passage from its original paragraph in order to prove one’s case. When the context is examined, the original paragraph does not support or may even explicitly deny one’s doctrine.

Example: Jesus told the Pharisees, “you search the scriptures because in them you think you have eternal life (Jn. 5:39).” This text has been used to support the claim that Jesus chastised the religious Jews for relying too much on the historical record of the OT, and not enough on their “feelings.” However, the passage makes it clear that they have given the historical record concerning the messiah too little attention, not too much.

4. Practicing Bate and Switch – This is also known as the “Biblical Hook.” This occurs when someone quotes a passage, then pours non-Christian teaching into it.

Example: Mormons use James 1:5 which states, “If any man lacks wisdom, let him ask God who gives generously.” This text is quoted and then they immediately make it say that Joseph Smith did this, and was given special “wisdom” of the Mormon message. However, this passage is not referring to asking God for special revelation, rather it is simply telling us to ask for wise counsel regarding how we live.

5. Collapsing contexts – This occurs when a person fuses several non-related passages together into a patchwork of texts that appear to make a case for them.

Example: James 1:23 and 1 Cor. 13:12 both use the imagery of the “mirror” in relation to the scriptures. Some have collapsed these contexts to be referring to the same thing. However, Paul’s context in 1 Cor. is spiritual gifts and the imperfect nature of the gifts (“seeing dimly through a mirror”) and James’ context is the perfect and sufficient nature of God’s word to make one wise for salvation. Same imagery, different contexts.

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6. Overspecification – This is where we wring too much out of the authors stated or implied purpose in writing.

Example: What are the last words of Jesus?

Matthew 27:46 (Mark agrees) states, “About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Luke 23:46 states, “46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.”

John 19:30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

These three passages together make a circumstantial case that the writers were not in agreement about what the last words of Jesus were. However, capturing the last words of someone was not the concern of an ancient writer. That is a modern concern that is being superimposed on the text. We must not mistake “last words” for the “last recorded words.”

Also, there is only one passage that claims to have the last recorded words of Jesus and that is in Acts 1 after his resurrection from the dead.

7. Word Play Fallacies – This is the practice of taking a modern translation of a biblical term and building doctrine based on a clever but misguided word play or word association approach.

Example: Joseph did not play tennis because he “served in Pharoah’s court” and Jesus was not expecting the disciples to put him back together as they “re-membered” him in communion. These are silly and not serious approaches and should be avoided.

8. “Code” Cracking Fallacies – When someone alleges that they can read an anachronistic (after the fact) code, back into scripture to find hidden and esoteric messages, that person is flirting with what the scriptures refer to as “divination.” This is a completely inappropriate means of uncovering the meaning of scripture.

Example: Many like Michael Drosnin, Grant Jeffries and Chuck Missler dabble with the “Bible Codes” trying to apply a complex algorithm to scripture in order to surface a hidden meaning. Unfortunately, the Hebrew Language can be putty in the interpreters hands with a few carefully placed vowel points. Also, the messages are always after the fact, therefore have no prophetic value whatsoever because they are self-validating.

9. Practicing Extended Typology – The NT reveals that much of the OT sacrificial system particularly the feasts, the temple, the sacrificial proceedures and the priesthood was a type that has been fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus. However, we can not press the OT for more “types” than it is prepared to yeild.

Example: Though it perfectly appropriate to see the temple and tabernacle as a foreshadowing of Christ’s work and his taking residence in the hearts of people (the new living temples cf. 1 Cor. 3; 6), pressing the chambers and the hallways and every little emblem to allegorically represent something in your life is not necessary.

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Steps for Interpretation

Step 1: ReadRead the text in a variety of translations such as:

NIV, NASB, NKJV, NLT, NRSV, ESV

Step 2: Look at the ContentA. Ask these GENERAL questions about the text:

1. Make some initial observations of the text. What sticks out to you about it?2. Dose anything seem odd?

3. How do the translations differ in their word choices in certain places?

B. Ask SPECIFIC questions about the text you are reading.

Step 3: Look at the ContextUse resources that will key you into the HISTORICAL, SOCIAL, RELIGIOUS,

etc. context of the passage.Examples:

ZONDERVAN BIBLE BACKGROUNDS COMMENTARY / THE IVP BIBLE BACKGROUND COMMENTARY / THE ZONDERVAN PICTORIAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE BIBLE /

ZONDERVAN HANDBOOK TO THE BIBLE

Step 4: Look at the CultureUse resources that will key you into the CULTURE and CULTURAL ISSUES within the text.

You can use the same resources as in Step 3.

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Step 1: READ

NIV (New International Translation) A Dead Girl and a Sick Woman 18While he was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before him and said, "My daughter has just died. But

come and put your hand on her, and she will live." 19Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.20Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed."

22Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment. 23When Jesus entered the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, 24he said, "Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at him. 25After the

crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. 26News of this spread through all that region.

NLT (New Living Translation)Jesus Heals in Response to Faith 18 As Jesus was saying this, the leader of a synagogue came and knelt before him. “My daughter has just died,” he said, “but you can bring her back to life again if you just come and lay your hand on her.”19 So Jesus and his disciples got up and went with him. 20 Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe, 21 for she thought, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”22 Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment.23 When Jesus arrived at the official’s home, he saw the noisy crowd and heard the funeral music. 24 “Get out!” he told them. “The girl isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” But the crowd laughed at him. 25 After the crowd was put outside, however, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up! 26 The report of this miracle swept through the entire countryside.

NASB (New American Standard Bible)Miracles of Healing 18While He was saying these things to them, a synagogue official came and bowed down before Him, and said, "My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live."19Jesus got up and began to follow him, and so did His disciples. 20And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak; 21for she was saying to herself, "If I only touch His garment, I will get well."22But Jesus turning and seeing her said, "Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well." At once the woman was made well.23When Jesus came into the official's house, and saw the flute-players and the crowd in noisy disorder,24He said, "Leave; for the girl has not died, but is asleep." And they began laughing at Him. 25But when the crowd had been sent out, He entered and (AD)took her by the hand, and the girl got up. 26This news spread throughout all that land.

Interpretation Exercise: Matt 9:20-26

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http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%209%20;&version=49;#cen-NASB-23405AD

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%209%20;&version=49;#cen-NASB-23405AD

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Step 2: CONTENTMake some initial observations of the story. What sticks out to you about it?

Does anything seem odd?

How do the translations differ in their word choices in certain places?

What was the woman who came to Jesus suffering of?

How did the woman with the issue of blood approach Jesus?

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Step 3: CONTEXT1. Read the Historical Context of the story. Numbers 15:37-54

What does this passage state that men are to fashion on the “corners” (Hebrew kannaphim) of their garments?

Read Malachi 4:2The Hebrew word for corners kannaph, can also mean, “wings.”What does this passage say that the Sun of Righteousness will arise with?

Source #1 - Aramaic Targum (Jewish commentary that existed in Jesus’ time, and that most Jews followed)The Jews believed that the Messiah would come wearing the tassels of Numbers 15, on the kannaphim, or corners of his garments, and they interpreted Malachi’s statement to mean that the Messiah would have healing power in the “wings” of his rabbinic robe. All Jewish teachers wore the tassels in the hope that they were the one! It was every Jewish males dream to have someone healed by touching their kannaph!

2. What book does the story appear in? Is the story a parable, allegory, law document, or is it a narrative that tells us a straightforward story?

3. In the immediate context, How does Jesus seem to act with this woman? How does the story turn out at the end?

Step 4: CULTURE

Source #2 – Jewish NT Commentary p.37Tsitsit (pronounced “tseet tseet”), was the word for the tassels or “hem”. Observant Jewish men in Yeshua’s time and today have worn fringes on the corners of their garments, in obedience to Numbers 15:37ff, the third of the three Torah passages recited in the Sh’ma (Deut. 6:4ff), portion of the synagogue service. These fringes or tassels are made in a special way and have a unique appearance. Their general purpose is to remind God’s people to obey his commandments…She touched the holiest part of his garment. No wonder she approached from behind – she was afraid; this is why she hesitated to answer his question “who touched me”? Because she could be stoned publicly for this.

Source #3 – Historian Ray Vanderlaan“Over time, they (the Jews) began to believe that in the Messianic age, the TsitTsit (tassels), attached to the kanaphim would take on special meaning…and that woman (the hemophiliac of Matthew 9:19-22) believed profoundly that Jesus was the Messiah. She risked much to touch him for she was untouchable in that ritualistically “pure” society.”

Source # 4 - Gary Burge, NT ScholarContact with a woman who had a condition of bleeding like this would make the most pious Jew ritually contaminated. The woman could not participate in Synagogue services, Temple worship, social gatherings, and would defile anyone she came into contact with.

Why did Matthew put this story in his Gospel?

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The Importance of Application

SESSION IV:Experiencing God Through Application Of Scripture

James 1:22-25

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.”

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Principles of Application1:

1. Find General Principles.

Question 1: Does the author STATE a general principle?

Question 2: Why was this SPECIFIC instruction or command GIVEN?

Question 3: Does the broader context reveal a general principle?

Most GeneralThis is the overarching principle

More GeneralThis is the principle behind the command

Most SpecificThis is the immediate command

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Principles of Application cont...

2. Apply the General Principles.

A. Applying a principle to the identical situation.

B. Applying a principle to a comparable situation.

• Identify the key elements common to both the original situation and the principle we wish to apply.

• Determine whether our situation contains each of these key elements.

3. Apply the Scriptures in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Using the information you discovered in interpreting Matthew 9:18-26 from the previous session, do the following:

1. From the specific context locate the general principle(s) in the text.

2. Describe how this principle can be applied in your life specifically.i

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AppendixHow to Read the Bible for All Its worth.Jeff Kennedy

Book Critique of How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth

Fee, Gordon D., and Stuart, Douglas. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth. Third Edition.

Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003.

At the outset of his ministry, Jesus made it clear that the hallmark of true discipleship was the

commitment to put his teachings into practice (Mathew 7:15-27). Application of his teaching was

the distinguishing feature between those who were considered “wise” and those who were

considered “foolish.” Since it is impossible to apply what one fails to understand, the commitment

to apprehend the meaning of scripture is the disciple’s highest priority. In it’s third edition, How to

Read the Bible for All Its Worth offers the serious student of scripture a road- map to accurately

understanding the plain meaning of the biblical text. Authors Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart offer

a scholarly but accessible approach to the craft of interpretation. The book delineates two

essential approaches to interpretation: general rules that apply to all biblical books, and specific

rules that are particular to a given genre.

SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS

The first part of the book presents the dilemma for the modern interpreter. The plain meaning

of scripture is often obscured by all that the interpreter imports to the text, and by the nature of

scripture itself (Fee, 14). Fee and Stuart assert that because God’s word to us first comes as his

word to “them” we must not bypass the step of discovering the historical peculiarities of the biblical

text (Fee, 17).

Therefore, one must begin with a commitment to the methodological constraints of exegesis.

Exegesis is the attempt to draw out the intended meaning from the text. The authors commend

the student to thinking exegetically as second nature. The key to doing this, according to Fee and

Stuart, is to engage the text methodically and skillfully, paying close attention to the historical,

literary and immediate contexts. This can be done with a few simple tools, and by developing a

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How to Read the Bible for All Its worth.Jeff Kennedy

few simple reading habits.

The second task, according to the authors, is to move from exegesis to hermeneutics. In this

book, hermeneutics specifically refers to the current relevance of the ancient text and its meaning

(Fee, 25). Therefore, the goal is to translate the intended meaning of scripture to our

contemporary lives. In stating this, Fee and Stuart stress again that the meaning of scripture and

its bearing on our modern life cannot be arrived at by the interpreter without the controlling factor

of the author’s original intent (Fee, 24). However, this definition of hermeneutics seems to be too

restrictive and narrow. It is preferable to view hermeneutics as the overarching framework in

which all the disciplines and interpretive approaches should fit.

The book commends the student to picking up a reliable translation, and specifically

advocates the NIV, the NRSV (with caution) and possibly the GNB. There is a brief explanation of

the differences between literal translations such as the NASB and the KJV, and the dynamically

equivalent translations of the NIV and NRSV (Fee, 28-30). Additionally, chapter two gives the

student a basic primer in textual criticism designed to explain the importance of reading the

textual notes in the footnotes of modern translations.

After first addressing the need to interpret along with the foundational discipline of exegesis,

as well as the essential tools involved in the task, the authors turn their attention to a discussion

of genre. Chapter three begins with the New Testament epistles. Fee asserts that, in spite of the

epistles’ apparent ease of interpretation, the epistles are embedded with many cultural

phenomena that can present difficulty for the average interpreter. The answer to this difficulty in

interpretation is a contextual approach. The first priority is to take into consideration the historical

context. Reading carefully through the text will typically help the interpreter to recover the original

situation, the recipients, and the purpose of the letter. Fee and Stuart recommend beginning with

a reliable Bible dictionary or reference work that will give the student much information about the

24


original situation. After establishing the original context, the authors recommend reading the entire

document while making observations of the text. After these initial observations, the student is to

outline the epistle. Fee and Stuart then walk the reader through a passage from 1 Corinthians and

Philippians, using the method of historical and literary context. They advocate that the student

should learn to think in paragraphs (Fee, 54).

Lastly, the authors note the difficult passages such as Paul’s words the to the Thessalonian

believers that they should recall all that he taught them while he was with them (59-60). The

difficulty here lies in the fact that we do not have access to Paul’s teaching when he was with

them, and he assumes they already understand the issue in question. This is where the

interpreter must come to the text with great humility and must refrain from being dogmatic.

Chapter four explores the hermeneutical problems that the interpreter faces. Fee raises the

question about whether it is appropriate to practice extended application of a text granted that

there is contextual parallel and a specific parallel to our modern situation. His answer is

emphatically – no! If we amplify our application of the text to many situations beyond the direct

parallel, he argues, then why bother with exegesis at all (Fee, 66-67)? He then addresses the

issue of contexts and situations that have no parallel in our modern culture such as the relative

silence of women and the worship of objects as gods. The authors suggest that in these cases,

the interpreter should start with solid exegesis of the passage so that the principle may be

transferred to its modern day cultural equivalent (Fee, 68).

Fee and Stuart then give guidelines for situations that are culturally relative, and how to

distinguish between something that is culturally relative and instruction that is binding for all

generations and cultures. For example, it is crucial to distinguish between the timeless “sin lists”

of Paul which apply to all cultures in all times, with those peripheral issues that only affect a

culture, and are not morally binding e.g. the role of women in ministry. Next, the interpreter must

25


take note of those places where the New Testament presents a unified and consistent witness

(Fee, 72). Lastly, the interpreter must be content with the relative silence from scripture on

matters of theology. Since the epistles are all occasional in nature, their theology is what Fee and

Stuart refer to as “task theology” (76-77). The implication for the modern interpreter is that we

must be content with the limits of such task theology. In my view, there are no flaws in the

reasoning and logic of this chapter.

Chapter five addresses the genre of historical narrative. Contrary to pure history or myths that

are meant to be taken allegorically, Fee and Stuart insist that the stories in the Old Testament are

divine narratives in which God himself is the hero in the story (Fee, 81). Because these narratives

present God as the hero, Fee and Stuart assert that they do not always teach us an immediate

lesson about ourselves (Fee, 82). Instead, many of the Old Testament narratives function simply

as connecting links that illustrate lessons that are taught elsewhere in scripture (Fee, 82). Fee

and Stuart claim that the danger in approaching biblical narratives is to approach them as if each

individual unit can yield specific points of application for our modern lives. In other words, the

narrative’s greatest point is found as the reader zooms all the way out and takes in the full

breadth of the story being told.

The authors provide us with several keys or guidelines for understanding narratives. It is

critical, they assert, that we not confuse what the Bible records for what it approves. Or that we

not press the narratives for theology the way we might Paul’s epistles, or the laws. In essence,

most narratives teach implicitly a lesson that can be found elsewhere. Although some stories

teach explicitly about God, their primary purpose is not to communicate the gamut of theological

truth about a given subject, but instead refer to specific issues that the story touches (Fee, 84).

Fee and Stuart then proceed to walk the interpreter through the stories of Joseph and Ruth

(briefly). They caution the reader against making the common mistake of wringing a specific moral

26


or lesson(s) from the narrative. Fee and Stuart’s argument seems to be that we should be careful

about what scripture intends for us to take as normative behavior, or a typical experience for the

modern believer and reader (Fee, 85). They end the section with some additional cautions about

the abuse of narratives such as allegorizing, decontextualizing, selectively citing, falsely

combining, and redefining texts.

Though the point is well argued, one wonders if the reader should not draw out general

principles from narratives that demonstrate how God interacts with people. Though it is true that

one should not press the narratives for a moral that it doesn’t intend to convey, it seems clear that

God has a certain pattern of interaction. Though the details of each event may vary, general

principles of how God interacts with his people can be very beneficial. As well, it seems that the

mistakes and victories of each biblical character should also to be taken into account.

Chapter six addresses the question of the book of Acts and historical precedent. The authors

suggest that what has plagued the restoration movement’s interpretation of Acts has been

whether the narratives are descriptive or prescriptive. Fee and Stuart suggest that the reader learn

to distinguish between what happened and what must happen (Fee, 106). Their general principle

is that unless the Bible explicitly prescribes belief or behavior, then the interpreter must refrain

from making that narrative a normative pattern for church life and doctrine. One is to pay attention

to the details in the narrative that are incidental and inconsistent. These details serve to

accentuate the main point, and should not be forced to yield meaning where there is none.

The point is well taken that a text describing how first century Christians behaved does not

necessarily prescribe that behavior. However, it is also true, that if that practice is beneficial to a

modern church or group, the scripture is not explicitly forbidding that practice either. This issue

does not seem to be addressed in the chapter.

Chapter seven touches on the genre of Gospel. The Gospels tell one story with an apparent

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patchwork of genres contained within them, and therefore qualify as a unique literary category

altogether (Fee, 114-115). Several peculiar oddities surface as one compares the Gospels to each

other.

Fee and Stuart suggest that the reader is not to be put off by their apparent lack of exactness

with regards to chronology and the specific wording of the same narrative found in each (Fee,

114). Fee and Stuart commend the interpreter to return to the basics of exegesis, which is to

establish the historical context above all. They begin with the general historical context and move

to the specific context of Jesus’ world. The authors caution against viewing the moral imperatives

as cultural and viewing them as law. They are neither (Fee, 130).

Additionally, the narratives do not primarily teach a moral lesson. Those lessons are

secondary to their purpose. Instead, the narratives, particularly the signs and miracles, teach us

about the power and importance of the Kingdom (Fee, 130). Fee and Stuart impress upon the

interpreter the need to grasp Jesus’ Kingdom message. Understanding the overarching Kingdom

idea will keep the reader from arbitrarily assigning meaning to the passages (Fee, 131-134).

Again the same criticism for historical narrative can be adapted for the Gospels. Even though the

individual narratives should not be forced to yield doctrinal content, we should examine them to

understand how Jesus interacted with disciples, Pharisees, Roman soldiers, Samaritans, and

women etc.

Fee and Stuart devote an entire chapter to parables and their use. Jesus used a variety of

similitudes, metaphors and short stories (true parables) to illustrate his truth (Fee, 137). The

authors assert that the parables only have one major point, and are designed for reader response

(Fee, 136; 138-139). Parables are very much like jokes. To over-examine a parable and wring too

much out of it causes one to miss the punch line. Interpreting a joke will of course ruin the joke.

Similarly, one should not explain parables. Instead, the reader should become familiar with the

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referents to which the first century audience would have been so familiar. The details are there to

give the final twist, or the pithy ending of the parable its “punch” (Fee, 139).

Additionally, parables are not allegories (Fee, 140). In an allegory, every specific detail has

independent meaning all its own. The entire story serves as a vehicle to convey those particular

meanings that are encoded in the details of the story. However, a parable functions much the

opposite way. The many details are mere scenery so that the speaker may lead the listener to the

turn around, or the twist which is surprising and illicits response. In my view, Fee and Stuart have

done the body of Christ a great service in establishing these guidelines, and helping the modern

interpreter to understand this specific rhetorical device, and the differences between analogous

material, true parable, and “kingdom” parables (Fee, 144-146).

Chapter nine addresses the role of the law for New Covenant people. The authors offer six

guidelines that will help the reader of scripture to understand the role of the law. First, the

interpreter should understand that the Old Testament law is a covenant, or a contract in which

God as the suzerain unilaterally establishes benefits for covenant observance and the

consequences of noncompliance (Fee, 150-151). Secondly, the Old Testament is not our

Testament. It is critical for the New Covenant person to understand that Israel’s Testament is theirs

not ours. Thirdly, some stipulations have not been renewed in the New Covenant. Fourth, part of

the Old is renewed in the new. Particularly many of the timeless ethical demands that are rooted in

God’s character. Fifth, all the Old Covenant is still the word of God for us, even though it is not the

word of God to us. Sixth, only that which is explicitly renewed in the New Testament from the Old

will be considered applicable for us (Fee, 150-154).

Beyond this, Fee and Stuart explore the role of the law. It is incorrect to assert that possession

of the law was a badge of membership for Old Covenant people. Instead, it was God who saved

them, not their law. Fee and Stuart mention two kinds of laws, apodictic (general laws) and

29


casuistic (case by case) laws (Fee, 154-158). All of these laws serve as the kind of standards that

we should expect from God as his New Covenant people (Fee, 158).

Chapter ten unpacks the purpose and nature of prophetic literature. The first caution that the

authors address is the tendency to view the prophets as mere predictors of the future. The authors

remind us that only 1 percent of all Old Testament prophecy deals with future events, 2 percent

relate to the Messiah, and only 5 percent refer to the New Covenant at all (Fee, 166). Instead of

seeing the prophets as prognosticators of the future only, we should view them as God’s

spokesman, covenantal mediators who most often speak back into the Torah to remind Israel of

their roots and restorative promises (Fee, 165-172).

Fee and Stuart assert that without some external helps (commentaries and a Bible dictionary)

the student will find it nearly impossible to understand the prophetic oracles (Fee, 172-176). The

individual oracles are a collection of oral prophecies and are difficult to read without a knowledge

of the historical background. Additionally, one must understand the various rhetorical devices in

which the prophets engage. The prophet can use lawsuit, promise, and poetry. The hermeneutical

key to understanding their message to us, according to Fee and Stuart, is to draw out the principle

where possible (Fee, 181).

The authors go on to give the reader a caution about collapsing “temporal” predictions into

future ones. In certain cases e.g. passages in Ezekiel, the prophecy was fulfilled within decades

of its utterance. However, there may be passages that speak of the future New Covenant (Ez.

37), but we must be careful not to amplify temporal passages with a future application (Fee,

181-183). In the same way, the interpreter should not look for second meanings (sensus plenior)

in all prophetic passages. When New Testament writers see fuller meanings in Old Testament

passages, it is because they are being given a prerogative that we do not have. Seeing the Old

Testament passage as analogous to our New Testament experience was an inspired perspective

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that does not continue in perpetuity for all believers (Fee, 183-186). Though the authors caution

the interpreter to refrain from this approach altogether, I do not think that using the text

illustratively is a problem as long as the interpreter is not asserting that the analogy they have

drawn is the one interpretation of the text. Indeed, the fact that the biblical writers use the Old

Testament this way can not invalidate the use of allegory altogether.

Chapter eleven sheds light on the Psalms and their usage. Fee and Stuart instruct the reader

to refrain from over-exegeting the psalm. Instead, the psalms are messages about God primarily

in poetic form. The various prosaic truths understood from the psalms are communicated

poetically, and are not intended to teach doctrinal content. The “vocabulary” of poetic literature is

intentionally metaphorical, and should not be literalized (Fee, 190).

As literature, there are various types of psalms that the Israelites were aware of that the

modern reader may not understand. Bridging this “type” barrier for the modern reader is therefore

critical (Fee, 191). Each of these types of psalms serve a particular function, have a specific form,

and demonstrate various patterns. The psalms should always be taken as a literary unit. The

authors suggest that the modern reader learn to become familiar with several of these types:

laments, thanksgiving psalms, hymns of praise, salvation history psalms, celebration and

affirmation psalms, wisdom psalms, psalms of trust, and imprecatory, or negative psalms.

The Psalms serve as a prayer book, helping us to worship God, to express our feelings and

thoughts, and to meditate on God’s ways (Fee, 204-205). Psalms are to be used in devotional

commitment to and reflection upon God, not as guarantees of future blessing (Fee, 205).

Chapter twelve introduces us to wisdom literature. Wisdom literature is often misunderstood

because the reader doesn’t understand the nature of ancient sources of wisdom as well as the

role wisdom played in ancient cultures. It is the wise application of knowledge. Ancient cultures

often employed wise teachers known as “wise men” (i.e. the satrapi of Babylon). These men were

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instrumental in composing and collecting wise sayings (Fee, 210- 212). Similarly, the biblical order

of wise men emerged at the same time as the monarchy and instructed Israel regarding the wise

application of its laws to daily affairs. Job presents historical wisdom (narrative wisdom), Proverbs

presents poetic wisdom, and Ecclesiastes communicates cynical wisdom. Fee and Stuart provide

the modern reader with various cautions against the abuse of ancient wisdom literature such as

pressing proverbs for promises, or transposing a particular narrative to modern life (Fee,

225-230).

Fee and Stuart end the book with some specifics on how to approach apocalyptic literature,

particularly the book of Revelation. The problem with the book of Revelation is that it uses

unfamiliar symbols, it speaks of the future, it is set in history, and it presents an apocalyptic vision

of God’s coming kingdom (Fee, 231). The authors strongly caution the interpreter to approach the

book with a degree of humility and to become as familiar with the historical background as

possible.

There are several distinguishing features of apocalyptic literature. First, the “taproot” of

apocalyptic is Old Testament prophetic literature (Fee, 232-234). Second, apocalyptic is a literary

work from stem to stern. They are not intended to be spoken and collected (as oracles were), but

are intended to be written and read. Third, the material of apocalyptic is presented in highly

charged visions, cryptic dreams and symbolic activity. Fourth, the imagery of apocalyptic is most

often that of fantasy imagery rather than that of reality. Fifth, because it is primarily literary, the

“sets” of images do not necessarily follow each other, or communicate a sequential reality.

Though Revelation is apocalyptic literature, it is also prophetic. This distinguishes it from

Jewish apocalyptic in that it intends to present a message from God to the recipient (and the

reader), instead of being just an allegorical re-telling of a particular historical event. Therefore,

God has a message to the churches of that time, and his temporal message to these churches

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has application for ensuing generations of believers (Fee, 233-235).

Lastly, the Revelation is also an epistle. It has both an epilogue and salutation, which

distinguishes it from typical apocalyptic literature. The significance here is that like Paul’s letters,

the Revelation is “occasional.” That is, a particular circumstance has prompted the need for the

vision and the letter. In this case, the church is facing corrosion from within, and persecution from

without.

Fee and Stuart suggest the following guidelines for interpreting this genre: first, the reader

should appreciate the rich background of the various symbols. John pulls from the Old Testament

as well as mythical and extra-biblical apocalyptical imagery. Second, one must distinguish

between constant images and specific ones. Third, John’s own interpretations of the images must

be the starting point for any subsequent interpretation. Fourth, one must see the visionary content as a

whole and refrain from pressing the details for meaning (Fee, 236-238).

Lastly, Fee and Stuart draw attention to the clear distinction within the text between tribulation

and wrath. To view these two critical themes as interchangeable will leave the modern reader in a

state of hopeless confusion (Fee, 239). Additionally, the modern reader must learn to distinguish

between the various genres contained within Revelation.

In my view, though the book clearly deals with future events, it would be a violation of the

literature to ignore the literal churches and the literal threats they faced in the first century or early

second century. To immediately extrapolate to a future perfected church during a “tribulation”

would be to ignore the original recipients and the implication of the prophetic message to them.

One may be able to get there, but you have to get there from the past, not in blatant disregarding

of it.

CONCLUSION

How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth is one of the most critical books for our postmodern era

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of interpretation. The “worth” of scripture, according to author’s Fee and Stuart, is found in the

biblical author’s original intention to his original audience. Its message to us must be first be found

in his message to them. Fee and Stuart rightly suggest that there is a right way and a wrong way

to interpret scripture. The right way is to be thoroughly acquainted with the general rules that

apply to all forms of literature, and the specific rules that apply to various genres. This book offers

many practical insights to help the serious student to understand the contents of scripture. These

insights will assist the modern interpreter to extract as much as possible as they learn to “take up

and read” the biblical text as it was intended.

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J. KennedyNov 18th, 2009Essay on the Williams Article: “The Reliability of the Scriptures”

Essay on the Williams Article: “The Reliability of the Scriptures”

The article by Jimmy Williams is a fairly standard presentation of the general evidence for the

reliability of Scripture. I found much of the information in the article to be dated and most of the

arguments were oversimplified probably due to space constraints. In spite of this, I did find the

opening question to be compelling. Williams asks, “Haven't copyists down through the centuries

inserted, deleted and embellished the documents so that the original message of the Bible has been

obscured?” This is a fair question but does seem to conflate two issues: the facts regarding

manuscript transmissional practices, and the implications of that data. The first part of William’s

question is simply not in dispute. However, the second part of the question is an implication that is

hotly disputed by scholars such as Bart Erhman and Daniel Wallace (two ends of the textual criticism

spectrum).

First, virtually no scholar would disagree that the New Testament copyists have made many

errors, blunders, and interpolations into the New Testament manuscripts (and some of these errors

are quite embarrassing). Bart Erhman, a popular skeptic and textual critic who studied under Bruce

Metzger (author of Misquoting Jesus, The Lost Scriptures, etc.), regularly challenges the inspiration of

scripture based on the many discrepancies between synoptic narratives, and the widening gap of

uniformity between the earliest and oldest manuscripts. Thus, Bart’s approach is to tether the issue of

biblical inspiration to the historical trustworthiness of the documents. If the scriptural narratives can be

shown to have serious or even minor discrepancies that are of an irreconcilable nature and if the

manuscripts themselves contain errors, then according to Bart and skeptics like him, this is evidence

that God could not have preserved the text. Therefore, it follows that he would not have originally

inspired something that he ostensibly had no interest in preserving perfectly. This line of reasoning is

what is known as the fallacy of a false criteria. Imposing a modern concern on ancient people when it

wasn’t their own concern is simply unwarranted by the evidence.

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On the other end of the spectrum, Dan Wallace at Dallas Seminary has vigorously argued that

the mistakes between the manuscript copies (particularly the earlier ones), though they number in the

hundreds of thousands (Wallace actually cites 400,000 variants), do not alter any core belief of the

Christian faith. In fact, the vast majority of these “errors” can be blamed on the movable nu in Greek

composition and other incidental changes. The preservation of the text, though imperfect, is relatively

quite good. This is hardly a reason to impugn the message of the New Testament text.

So the answer to the opening question in the Williams essay is partly, “yes, the copies have

many (but statistically negligible) textual variants which include everything from the movable nu, to

interpolated stories, to interpolated verses (e.g. the Comman Johaneum 1 Jn 5:7-8).” The obvious

implication of this is that we have not been left with perfect copies. Yet, because we have been left

with so many of them we may be able to approximate the original material through comparative

analysis. Though scholars will never be able to reconstruct the originals through the manuscript

witnesses, they can at least have a reasonable confidence that the copies we have been left with are

statistically similar to the original texts.

But, the answer to the second part of William’s question is that it simply doesn’t follow that the

message of the New Testament text has been hopelessly obscured because one can demonstrate

that there are errors in minor details. This is not a standard that we apply to any other book of

antiquity. It is simply a false dilemma to say that one has to choose between believing in the absolute

preservation of the text and all its copies, or the absolution corruption of the text and all its copies.

These are not the only two options on the table.

Of course, the skeptic will cite that the Bible makes supernatural claims and therefore we need

some kind of extraordinary evidence to support it. Here I find that the skeptic simply cannot have it both

ways. Most of the time skeptical scholars take pains to show that the New Testament is just like any

other book of antiquity – filled with the same kinds of miracle stories and extraordinary claims regarding

its ancient hero.

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But, then to assail the scriptures on the basis that they make an extraordinary claim that needs to be

supported by extraordinary evidence I find to be a dubious assertion. For example, the manuscript

evidence chart in the William’s article lists many ancient works that are riddled with supernaturalism.

Therefore, the Scriptures should be adjudicated on the same basis that historians use to verify the

record of say, Caesar crossing the Rubicon. This story is also found in four ancient and varied

sources, and some are even filled with extra-natural phenomena. Yet, most generally accept that

Caesar did cross the Rubicon. Since the New Testament is based on qualitatively superior

documents, we should not view them with more skepticism than we do other ancient biographies or

witnesses.

Lastly, Williams points out in the article that the New Testament boasts an avalanche of ancient

manuscript witnesses (he cites 4000, and to date there are actually about 5900 and counting). Not

only are there far more and earlier texts that attest to the Scriptures, but the stories in them contain a

high degree of agreement when judged against the Jewish and Greco-Roman literary standards of the

day. The alleged discrepancies between the Gospel accounts cannot all simply be lumped into one

category (i.e. “error”). This is a critical factor to take into account when assessing historical reliability.

In this respect, the Christian faith does not even need the doctrine of inerrancy to demonstrate that the

New Testament text is a relatively good and reliable source for the historical Jesus – a first century

miracle worker and exorcist who claimed to be divine. As Wallace maintains, we may be able to

establish that doctrine inductively (going where the evidence leads us), but we do not need to hold to

inerrancy presuppositionally in order to determine anything at all about the general reliability of the

biblical record. Wallace maintains that when we are discussing the issue of the scripture’s inspiration,

we are actually talking about its authority in our lives as the Word of God. But, the authority of the

scriptures is simply a separate issue from its general reliability as a historical source. Though, I

believe that once a person is willing to concede that the scriptures are reliable then they will naturally

be open to the notion that the scriptures are authoritative as well.

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In summary, it is true that most believers do begin with a commitment to the Bible before

encountering the evidence for its inspired status. Belief in the scriptures as God’s authoritative and

inerrant Word is a theological commitment on the part of the believer. It is true that there are many

assumptions about God that the believer makes before he has any empirical evidence to verify his

faith. In the final analysis, it turns out that the best argument for God is God himself, and the best

argument that his Word is authoritative is the immediate application of its principles and doctrines to

ones life.

However, as Philosopher William Lane Craig has noted, there is a difference between knowing

God and showing God. We may directly encounter him through the person of the Holy Spirit, and we

may be fully convinced that he has left an authoritative and inspired written record of his Word. Yet, as

we encounter those without faith we must be ready to give an answer having understood the

bibliographic, internal, and external evidences for Scripture as a reliable source. Our goal with the

skeptic is not to convince them that the Bible is the authoritative infallible Word of God. A better

approach with skeptics like Erhman, Borg, Chilton et. al. would be to start with some common ground.

This common ground can be reached if we refuse to accept absolute propositions as the criteria for

authenticity. Instead, we should agree on the minimal facts and then follow those facts in the

trajectory that they lead us. If it can be shown that the Scriptures meet and exceed the general criteria

for the authenticity of an ancient document, then this warrants an investigation of the documents

theological claims. But to bind the issue of its general historical trustworthiness to the theological

commitment of inerrancy is simply a false dilemma. We should give the Bible at least the same benefit

of the doubt as we give any other historical source, especially considering that the Scriptures boast an

embarrassment of riches in textual evidence to support it. But, asking the skeptic to believe that the

Bible is the error-free Word of the Living God is a bit like asking a hardened atheist to believe in the

Trinity. Before the atheist can accept a Trinitarian God, he must first commit to believing in some kind

of God or a super intelligent prime reality. Likewise, it is best to get the skeptic of the Bible to meet us

where we can all agree and on the ground that is indisputable: the general historical reliability of the

ancient text.

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Inerrancy:The Scriptures are free from intentional and unintentional errors

Infallibility:This means that since the Scriptures are historically reliable and since they are God’s Word to us, then the Scriptures are infallible in all they

command, commend, and compel us to. They are infallible in all they purport to say and teach.

Inspiration:This is a theological commitment on the part of the believer. It means

that the Bible is the product of God on the minds of men.

Historical Reliability:The general historical reliability of the NT text based on the criteria

for authenticity

39

i

Overview of the Bible1

OVERVIEW OF THE BIBLE

THE OLD TESTAMENT:1. The Pentateuch (Five Books: Genesis through

Deuteronomy)2. Historical Books (Twelve Books: Joshua

through Esther)3. Poetic Books (Five Books: Job through Song of

Songs)4. Prophetic Books (Seventeen Books: Isaiah

through Malachi)

THE NEW TESTAMENT:1. Biographical Books (Four Books: Matthew

through John)2. Historical Books (One Book: Acts)3. The Pauline Letters (Thirteen Books: Romans

through Philemon)4. General Letters (Eight Books: Hebrews through

Jude)5. Prophetic Books (One Book: Revelation)

THE OLD TESTAMENT

GENESIS:A. Content: the story of the creation, of human

disobedience and its tragic consequences, and of God’s choosing of Abraham and his offspring—the beginning of the story of redemption.

B. Historical Coverage: from creation to the death of Joseph in Egypt (ca. 1600 B.C.?)

C. Emphases: God as the creator of all that is; God’s creation of human beings in his image; the nature and consequences of human disobedience; the beginning of the divine covenants; God’s choice of a people through whom he will bless the nations.

D. Outline of Genesis2:1. Creation to the Fall (1:1-3:24)2. Antediluvian (4:1-11:32)3. The Patriarchs (12:1-50:26)

EXODUS:A. Content: Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, her

constitution as a people through covenant law, and instructions for and construction of the tabernacle—the place of God’s presence

B. Historical Coverage: from Joseph’s death (ca. 1600 B.C.?) to Israel’s encampment at Sinai (either 1440 or 1260 B.C.)

C. Emphases: God’s miraculous rescue of Israel from Egypt through Moses; covenant law given at Mount Sinai; the tabernacle as the place of God’s presence and Israel’s proper worship; God’s revelation of himself and his character; Israel’s tendency to complain and rebel against God; God’s judgment and mercy toward his people when they rebel

D. Outline of Exodus:1. Introduction (1:1-2:25)

2. Deliverance (3:1-15:21)3. Journey (15:22-18:27)4. Covenant (19:1-40:38)

LEVITICUS:A. Content: various laws having to do with holiness

before God and with love of neighbor, including sacrifices, ritual cleanness, and social obligations, as well as laws for the Levites regarding their priestly duties.

B. Historical Coverage: at SinaiC. Emphases: getting it right with regard to worship,

for both people and priests; institution of the priesthood under Aaron; laws protecting ritual cleanness, including atonement for sins (the Day of Atonement); laws regulating sexual relations, family life, punishments for major crimes, festivals, and special years (sabbaths and jubilees)

D. Outline of Leviticus:1. Sacrificial Laws (1:1-7:38)2. Priestly Narrative (8:1-10:20)3. Laws to Protect Ritual Cleanness

(11:1-16:34)4. Holiness Code (17-27)

NUMBERS:A. Content: the Israelites’ long stay in the desert as

they journey from Mount Sinai to the plains of Moab, with supplemental covenant laws

B. Historical Coverage: forty years, a period within which the generation that left Egypt died off

C. Emphases: preparation for military conquest of the promised land; God’s covenant loyalty toward Israel with regard to the land; Israel’s repeated failure to keep covenant with God; God’s leadership of his people and affirmation of Moses’ leadership; preparations for entering and worshiping in the promised land; conquest and settlement of the land east of the Jordan River

D. Outline of Numbers:1. The End of the Old: The First Generation of

God’s People Out of Egypt on the March in the Wilderness (1:1-25:18)

2. The Birth of the New: The Second Generation of God’s People Out of Egypt as They Prepare to Enter the Promised Land (26:1-36:13)

DEUTERONOMY:A. Content: rehearsal of the covenant for a new

generation of Israelites just before the conquestB. Historical Coverage: during the final weeks east

of the JordanC. Emphases: the oneness and uniqueness of

Yahweh, the God of Israel, over against all other gods; Yahweh’s covenant love for Israel in making them his people; Yahweh’s universal sovereignty over all peoples; Israel as Yahweh’s model for the nations; the significance of the central sanctuary where Yahweh is to be

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worshiped; Yahweh’s concern for justice—that his people reflect his character; the blessings of obedience and the dangers of disobedience

D. Outline of Deuteronomy:1. The Outer Frame: A Look Backwards (1-3)2. The Inner Frame: The Great Exhortation

(4-11)3. The Central Core: The Stipulations of the

Covenant (12-26)4. The Inner Frame: The Covenant Ceremony

(27-30)5. The Outer Frame: A Look Forward (31-34)

JOSHUA:A. Content: the partial conquest, distribution, and

settlement of the promised landB. Historical Coverage: from the beginning of the

conquest to the death of JoshuaC. Emphases: the engagement of the holy war, as

God through his people repeatedly defeats the idolatrous Canaanites; the gift of the land to God’s people, thus fulfilling God’s covenant promise to the patriarchs; Israel’s need for continuing covenant faithfulness to the one true God

D. Outline of Joshua:1. Military Conquest (1-12)2. Enjoying the Land (13-22)3. Renewal of the Covenant (23-24)

JUDGES:A. Content: the cyclical narrative of the time of the

judges, with emphasis on Israel’s repeated lack of covenant loyalty

B. Historical Coverage: from the death of Joshua to the beginning of the monarchy

C. Emphases: the tenuous results of the conquest; God’s constant rescue of his people, despite their habitual failure to keep covenant with him; the desperate conditions and overall downward spiral during this period; the need for a good king

D. Outline of Judges:1. Introduction: An “overture” setting forth the

main themes (1:1-3:6)2. Main Narrative Cycle: A series of “variations”

on the themes (3:7-16:31)3. Epilogue: A “coda” illustrating the primary

theme (17:1-21:25)

RUTH:A. Content: a story of loyalty to Yahweh during the

period of the judges, in which Naomi’s fortunes mirror Israel’s during this period (while also providing the lineage of King David)

B. Historical Coverage: a few years around 1100 B.C.

C. Emphases: life in a village that remains loyal to Yahweh during the time of the judges; the welcoming of a foreign woman under Yahweh’s wings; God’s superintending care that provides Israel with its great king

D. Outline for Ruth:1. Introduction (1:1-5)2. Act 1: The Exodus (1:6-18)

3. Act 2: Bethlehem (1:19-22)4. Act 3: Boaz Introduced (2:1-23)5. Act 4: The Plan (3:1-18)6. Act 5: The Public Pronouncement (4:1-12)7. Postlude (4:13-22)

1 & 2 SAMUEL:A. Content: the transition from the last judge,

Samuel, to the first king, Saul; the rise and reign of David

B. Historical Coverage: from Samuel’s birth (ca. 1100 B.C.) to the end of David’s kingship (970 B.C.)

C. Emphases: the beginning of kingship in Israel; the concern over kingship and covenant loyalty; the ark of the covenant as representing God’s presence; the choice of Jerusalem as “the City of David”; the Davidic covenant with its messianic overtones; David’s adultery and its consequences

D. Outline of 1 & 2 Samuel:1. Samuel (1 Samuel 1-7)2. Samuel & Saul (1 Samuel 8-15)3. Saul & David (1 Samuel 16-31)4. David (2 Samuel)

1 & 2 KINGS:A. Content: starting with the reign of Solomon, the

story of the decline and eventual dissolution of the monarchy in Israel and the expulsion of God’s people from the land

B. Historical Coverage: from the death of David (970 B.C.) to the sixth-century exile of Judah (586 B.C.)

C. Emphases: the evaluation of the monarchy on the basis of covenant loyalty; the fateful national consequences of disloyalty to Yahweh, resulting finally in expulsion from the land; the schism and civil wars between north and south; the rise of superpowers that, under the direction of God, subjugated Israel and Judah; the role of prophets who speak for God in Israel’s national life

D. Outline of 1 & 2 Kings:1. Solomon (1 Kings 1:1-11:43)2. The Divided Kingdom (1 Kings 12:1-2 Kings

17:41)3. Judah’s Final Years & the Exile (2 Kings

18:1-25:30)

1 & 2 CHRONICLES:A. Content: a post exilic, positive history of Judah’s

kings, with emphasis on the temple and its worship

B. Historical Coverage: an opening genealogy goes back to Adam; the narrative itself covers the kingdom of Judah from David (ca. 1000 B.C.) to the decree of Cyrus (539/8 B.C.)

C. Emphases: the continuity of the people of Judah (and others) through the exile and beyond; David’s and Solomon’s covenant loyalty as models for the time of restoration; the central role of the temple and worship for the restoration; true worship as a matter of the heart and full of joy and song; divine blessing and rest for obedience, and retribution for disobedience

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D. Outline of 1 & 2 Chronicles:1. Genealogies (1 Chronicles 1-9)2. United Monarchy (1 Chronicles 10-2

Chronicles 9)3. Judah During the Divided Kingdom (2

Chronicles 10-36)

EZRA-NEHEMIAH:A. Content: rebuilding and reform in postexilic

Judah through the latter half of the fifth century B.C.

B. Historical Coverage: from the first return (539/8 B.C.) to the end of the fifth century, but especially from 458 to 430, during the reign of Artaxerxes of Persia

C. Emphases: successful completion of the second temple despite opposition; successful rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem despite opposition; the crisis of intermarriage and national identity; concern for covenant renewal and reform, based on the law, among the exiles who had returned to Jerusalem

D. Outline of Ezra-Nehemiah:1. The Goal Initiated Cyrus’ Decree to Build the

House of God (Ezra 1:1-4)2. The Community Builds the House of God

(Ezra 1:5-Nehemiah 7:72)3. The Goal Reached: “The community

celebrates the completion of the house of God according to Torah” (Nehemiah 7:73-13:31)

ESTHER:A. Content: the story of God’s providential

preservation of Jews throughout the Persian Empire through Mordecai and his niece, Esther

B. Historical Coverage: most of the story takes place during a single year during the reign of Xerxes (486-465 B.C.), a generation before the events recorded in Ezra-Nehemiah

C. Emphases: God’s providential care of the Jews in a context of a program against them; Jewish remembrance of their survival through the feast of Purim

D. Outline of Esther:1. The feasts of Xerxes (1:1-2:18)2. The feasts of Esther (2:19-7:10)3. The feasts of Purim (8-10)

JOB:A. Content: a brilliant wrestling with the issue of

suffering of the righteous and the justice of God, while also speaking to the larger question, “Where is wisdom found?”

B. Date: the story takes place in the period of the patriarchs; carious suggestions have been offered regarding the composition itself

C. Emphases: wisdom is ultimately found in God alone; human wisdom cannot on its own fathom the ways of God; undeserved suffering has no easy answer; God is not obligated to fallen human beings to explain all things; the fear of the Lord is the path to true wisdom

D. Outline of Job:1. Prologue (1-2)

2. The Three Dialogue-Disputes (4-27)3. The Discourse on “Where does wisdom

come from?” (28)4. The Three Monologues (29-41)5. Epilogue (42)

PSALMS:A. Content: 150 psalms of rich diversity, which in

their present arrangement served as the “hymnbook” for postexilic (Second Temple) Judaism

B. Date of Composition: the psalms themselves date from the early monarchy to a time after the exile (ca. 1000 to 400 B.C.); the collection in its present form may be part of the reform movement reflected in Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah

C. Emphases: trust in and praise to Yahweh for his goodness; lament over wickedness and injustices; Yahweh as king of the universe and the nations; Israel’s king as Yahweh’s representative in Israel; Israel (and individual Israelites) as God’s covenant people; Zion (and its temple) as the special place of Yahweh’s presence on earth

D. Outline of Psalms:1. Book 1 (Psalms1-41)2. Book 2 (Psalms 42-72)3. Book 3 (Psalms 73-89)4. Book 4 (90-106)5. Book 5 (107-150)

PROVERBS:A. Content: a series of opening poems praising

wisdom and warning against folly, followed by several collections of proverbs from sages who taught wisdom to Israel, starting with Solomon

B. Author(s): collections of proverbs originating with Solomon, various wise men, Agur, and Lemuel’s mother—gathered and arranged for later generations by someone otherwise unknown

C. Emphases: wisdom begins with the fear of and trust in Yahweh; at the practical level, it consists of making wise choices between good and evil behavior; such wisdom is to be desired above all else in order to live a full and godly life

D. Outline of Proverbs:1. Preamble (1:1-7)2. Extended Discourses on Wisdom (1:8-9:18)3. Solomonic Proverbs (10:1-22:16; 25:1-29:27)4. Sayings of the Wise (22:17-24:34)5. Sayings of Agur (30)6. Sayings of King Lemuel (31:1-9)7. Poem to the Virtuous Woman (31:10-31)

ECCLESIASTES:A. Content: the ponderings of a Wisdom teacher

who wrestles with life’s realities; what is to be gained by achieving wealth or wisdom when in the end death claims both rich and poor, wise ad foolish; but especially set ina context of knowing the fear of God

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B. Date of Composition: unknown; scholarly guesses cover a broad range

C. Emphases: the transitory nature of present life; how to live wisely in a world where the only certainty is death and judgment; the futility of human pursuits that do not take the fear of God into account

D. Outline of Ecclesiastes:1. Prologue (1:1-11)2. Monologue by Qohelet (1:12-12:8)3. Epilogue (12:8-14)

SONG OF SONGS:A. Content: a love poem of several episodes,

celebrating the sexual love between a woman and a man

B. Date of Composition: unknown; scholarly guesses cover a broad range

C. Emphases: the proper love of a woman and man for one another; the unquenchable nature of pure love; the delight in and longing for each other that pure love engenders

D. Outline of Song of Songs:1. The Lovers Presented (1:1-6)2. First & Second Scenes (1:7-27; 2:8-3:5)3. Solomon’s Wealth & Extravagance (3:6-11)4. Third, Fourth & Fifth Scenes (4:1-5:1;

5:2-6:3; 6:4-8:4)5. Conclusion (8:5-14)

LAMENTATIONS:A. Content: a series of five laments over the fall of

JerusalemB. Date of Composition: unknown, probably soon

after the fall of Jerusalem (586 B.C.)C. Emphases: the deep personal suffering and

spiritual agony experienced at the fall of Jerusalem; the justice of God in carrying out the overthrow of Zion; hope lies finally in God’s character alone

D. Outline of Lamentations:1. First Lament (1:1-22)2. Second Lament (2:1-22)3. Third Lament (3:1-66)4. Fourth Lament (4:1-22)5. Fifth Lament (5:1-22)

ISAIAH:A. Content: Yahweh’s sovereign majesty and

redemptive love, revealed in his dealings with his chosen people the Israelites, who are destined for both judgment and salvation, in which the nations will also be included

B. Prophet: Isaiah of JerusalemC. Date of Prophetic Activity: from about 740 to

687 B.C. (see 1:1)D. Emphases: the holiness, majesty, and

righteousness of Yahweh; the compassion and saving mercy of Yahweh; the central role of Israel in Yahweh’s plans for the nations and the world; the central role of Zion in these plans; the redemptive role of God’s suffering servant; the glorious final future God has in store for those who are his

E. Outline of Isaiah:

1. Volume 1 (1-33)2. Volume 2 (34-66)

JEREMIAH:A. Content: oracles of judgment against Judah and

the nations, along with oracles of future hope, interwoven with narratives of Jeremiah’s role in the concluding days of Judah

B. Prophet: Jeremiah, of priestly lineage from the village of Anathoth, about three miles south of Jerusalem

C. Date of Prophetic Activity: from 627 to 585 B.C. (see 1:2-3)

D. Emphases: Judah’s unfaithfulness to Yahweh will end in its destruction; in keeping with the promises of Deuteronomy, God has a bright future for his people—a time of restoration and a new covenant; Yahweh’s own heart for his people revealed through the heart of Jeremiah

E. Outline of Jeremiah:1. Prophecies of Judgment Against Jerusalem

(1-25)2. Narratives Holding Out Hope for the Future

(26-36)3. Narratives Regarding the Fall of Jerusalem

(37-45)4. Prophecies of Judgment Against the Nations

(46-51)5. Epilogue (52)

EZEKIEL:A. Content: a series of prophecies announcing the

fall of Jerusalem, including the departure of Yahweh, followed by Israel’s eventual restoration with the return of Yahweh

B. Prophet: Ezekiel, an Israelite priest and prophet who was taken to Babylon among the first wave of captives from Judah in 598 B.C., and a younger contemporary of Jeremiah

C. Date of Prophetic Activity: from 593 (Ezekiel 1:2) until 571 B.C. (29:17)

D. Emphases: the inevitability of the fall of Jerusalem because of her sins, especially idolatry; the transcendent sovereignty of God as Lord of all the nations and all history; the loss and restoration of the land and of Yahweh’s presence among the people of God; the promise of the life-giving Spirit as the key to covenant faithfulness

E. Outline of Ezekiel:1. Oracles of Judgment Against Israel (1-24)2. Oracles of Judgment Against the Nations

(25-32)3. Oracles of Hope and Consolation (33-48)

DANIEL:A. Content: a series of stories about how God

brings honor to himself through Daniel and his three friends in Babylon, followed by four apocalyptic visions about the future kingdoms and God’s final kingdom

B. Prophet: Daniel, on of the early exiles to Babylon, who was selected to serve as a provincial administrator in the Babylonian—and finally Persian—court

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Babylon, who was selected to serve as a provincial administrator in the Babylonian—and finally Persian—court

C. Date of Composition: unknown; presumably toward the end of the sixth century B.C. (ca. 520), although many have suggested it dates from the early second century B.C. (ca. 165)

D. Emphases: God’s sovereignty over all the nations and their rulers; God’s care for the Jews in exile, with promises of final restoration; God’s present overruling of and victory over human evil

E. Outline of Daniel:1. Court Stories (1-6)2. Apocalyptic Visions (7-12)

HOSEA:A. Content: Yahweh’s compassion for the northern

kingdom (Israel), yet his condemnation of them for their unfaithfulness to him

B. Prophet: Hosea, a northern prophet, probably from Samaria

C. Date of Prophetic Activity: ca. 758-722 B.C.D. Emphases: Yahweh’s unfailing love for his

people, even when he must punish them for unfaithfulness

E. Outline of Hosea:1. Superscription (1:1)2. Hosea’s Troubled Marriage Reflects God’s

Relationship with Israel (1:2-3:5)3. First Prophetic Cycle (4:1-11:11)4. Second Prophetic Cycle (11:12-14:8)5. Wisdom Colophon (14:9)

JOEL:A. Content: a devastating plague sets the stage for

a twofold summons to repentance, to which God responds with a promise of mercy and an outpouring of his Spirit, with a day of judgment on the nations

B. Prophet: Joel, who is otherwise unknown; his concern for Judah and Jerusalem (2:23, 32; 3:1) suggests that he was from the southern kingdom

C. Date of Prophetic Activity: uncertain; perhaps ca. 590 B.C., but possibly after 500 B.C.

D. Emphases: the impending day of Yahweh—a day of judgment and salvation; Yahweh chastens those he loves, and his chastening calls his people to repentance; Israel’s God keeps covenant by showing mercy to his people; Yahweh is sovereign over all the nations and will judge those who have shown no mercy to his people

E. Outline of Joel:1. Heading (1:1)2. Scene 1 (1:2-20)3. Scene 2 (2:1-17)4. Scene 3 (2:18-32)5. Scene 4 (3:1-21)

AMOS:A. Content: in a period of rare economic prosperity

and political strength for Israel, Yahweh announces their doom because she has failed to keep covenant with him

B. Prophet: Amos, a shepherd/farmer from Tekoa, south of Bethlehem in Judah

C. Date of Prophetic Activity: ca. 760 B.C., for an apparently brief period (at the peak of the reigns of Jeroboam II in Samaria [793-753] and Uzziah in Jerusalem [792-740])

D. Emphases: Yahweh is God over all the nations and the whole universe; Yahweh will bring utter ruin to Israel for her covenant disloyalty; syncretistic religion is anathema to Yahweh; Yahweh requires justice for the innocent and mercy for the poor; religious observances are no substitute for doing good and showing mercy

E. Outline of Amos:1. Heading (1:1-2)2. Judgment (1:3-2:16)3. Oracles (3:1-5:17)4. False Security (5:18-6:14)5. Three Visions (7:1-9)6. Encounter with Amaziah (7:10-17)7. Two Visions (8:1-9:10)8. Hope for the Future (9:11-15)

OBADIAH:A. Content: a doom oracle against Edom for taking

advantage of (probably) the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem in 588-86 B.C.

B. Prophet: Obadiah, a prophet from JudahC. Date of Prophetic Activity: probably just after

the fall of Jerusalem (586 B.C.?)D. Emphases: God’s judgment on Edom for her

sins against God’s people; the defeat of those who think themselves unconquerable; Israel’s deliverance and restoration on the day of the Lord

E. Outline of Obadiah:1. Title and Introduction (verse 1)2. Edom’s doom (verses 2-14)3. The Day of the Lord (verses 15-21)

JONAH:A. Content: through a very reluctant prophet, God

shows compassion for one of Israel’s hated enemies

B. Prophet: Jonah, son of Amittai, who prophesied during the reign of Jeroboam II (see 2 Kings 14:25)

C. Emphases: Yahweh as Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer of all; Yahweh’s compassionate concern for the Gentiles (represented by Nineveh); Israel’s reluctance (represented by Jonah) to acknowledge Yahweh’s compassion for the nations

D. Outline of Jonah:1. Jonah Runs from the Lord (1:1-17)2. Jonah’s Prayer of Thanksgiving (2:1-10)3. Jonah’s Preaching and Nineveh’s

Repentance (3:1-10)4. Jonah’s Anger at Yahweh’s Compassion

(4:1-11)

MICAH:A. Content: alternating oracles of doom on Israel

and Judah for their idolatry and social injustices and of future hope because of Yahweh’s mercies

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B. Prophet: Micah, a Judean prophet from Moresheth, a town about twenty-five miles southwest of Jerusalem

C. Date of Prophetic Activity: some length of time between the accession of Jotham (740 B.C.) and the death of Hezekiah (686)

D. Emphases: the threat of divine judgment for breaking covenant with Yahweh; Yahweh as a God of justice and mercy who pleads the cause of the poor and requires his people to do the same; after judgment Yahweh will restore Jerusalem through the promised Davidic king; Yahweh as God of all the nations

E. Outline of Micah:1. Superscription (1:1)2. First Round of Judgment and Salvation

(1:2-5:15)3. Second Round of Judgment and Salvation

(6:1-7:20)

NAHUM:A. Content: a prophecy of God’s judgment against

Nineveh (Assyria) for her oppression, cruelty, and idolatry, concluding with the announced destruction of the city

B. Prophet: Nahum, from Judah, otherwise unknown (even his hometown is uncertain)

C. Date of Prophetic Activity: sometime before the fall of Nineveh in 612 B.C., during the period of Judah’s being a vassal to Assyria

D. Emphases: Yahweh’s sovereignty over all the nations; Yahweh’s execution of justice against cruelty; Yahweh’s overthrow of the arrogant who think of themselves as eternal

E. Outline of Nahum:1. Triumph of the Divine Warrior (1:1-8)2. Nineveh’s Ruin and Judah’s Salvation

(1:9-2:2)3. Vision and Taunt Over Nineveh’s Fall (2:3-13)4. A Pronouncement of Woe and Taunt Over

Nineveh (3:1-7)5. Concluding Taunts and Dirge Over Assyria’s

Fall (3:8-19)

HABAKKUK:A. Content: Habakkuk enters into dialogue with

God over the question of injustice (How do people get away with evil and God seems to do nothing?) and receives grounds for trust

B. Prophet: Habakkuk, a prophet of Judah, is unknown apart from this book

C. Date of Prophetic Activity: sometime between 612 and 599 B.C., when Babylon had begun to dominate the international scene, but before she had attacked Jerusalem

D. Emphases: prophetic indignation over God’s apparent toleration of injustice; prophetic confidence in the justice and power of God; the stance of the righteous is faithfulness and trust in God; God’s assurance that the wicked will be punished

E. Outline of Habakkuk:1. Initial Exchange (1:1-11)2. Second Exchange (1:12-2:5)

3. Woe Oracles Against the Oppressor (2:6-20)

ZEPHANIAH:A. Content: oracles of coming catastrophic

judgments against Jerusalem (thus Judah) and surrounding nations, plus an oracle of restoration for a remnant of Judah

B. Prophet: Zephaniah of Jerusalem, possibly of the royal lineage of Hezekiah

C. Date of Prophetic Activity: sometime during the reign of Josiah of Judah (640-609 B.C.)

D. Emphases: the coming day of Yahweh; judgment against Judah for her sins; Yahweh as God of all the nations; judgments against the nations; eventual salvation of a remnant of Judah

E. Outline of Zephaniah:1. God’s Judgment of Judah (1:1-18)2. God’s Judgment of the Nations (2:1-3:8)3. God’s Redemption of the Remnant, with

Consequent Rejoicing (3:9-21)

HAGGAI:A. Content: four oracles encouraging God’s people

to rebuild the temple in JerusalemB. Prophet: Haggai, a postexilic prophet in

Jerusalem and contemporary of Zechariah (see Ezra 5:1; 6:14)

C. Date of Prophetic Activity: a four-month period during the second year of the reign of Darius of Persia (520 B.C.)

D. Emphases: God’s people need to rebuild the temple as the place of God’s presence and of their worship; current hardships stem from failure in this matter; a glorious future awaits the people of God and Zerubbabel (thus David’s kingly line)

E. Outline of Haggai:1. Call to Rebuild the Temple (1:1-15)2. The Glory of the Second Temple (2:1-9)3. A Defiled People Purified and Blessed

(2:10-19)4. A Message to Zerubbabel (2:20-23)

ZECHARIAH:A. Content: visions aimed at encouraging the

postexilic community, especially the leadership, to rebuild the temple, plus oracles about the future coming King who would be slain and eventually triumph

B. Prophet: Zechariah of Jerusalem, a contemporary of Haggai, but with a longer known ministry (cf. Zech 1:1 and 7:1 with Hag 1:1; see also Ezra 5:1; 6:14)

C. Date of Prophetic Activity: 520 B.C. until sometime in the early 400s

D. Emphases: God is with the remnant community of people who have returned from exile; God will prosper her leaders; the future of Jerusalem and Judah is bright and full of peace and glory; Israel’s King will come back to Jerusalem in triumph; yet he will be slain for the sins of the people; God will punish his people’s enemies, yet many of the nations will come to know the Lord

E. Outline of Zechariah:1. Zechariah’s Claim to Authority (1:1-6)2. The Night Visions (1:7-6:8)

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3. Crown for the High Priest (6:9-15)4. A Question About Fasting (7:1-8:23)5. Two Oracles (9-11; 12-14)

MALACHI:A. Content: in six disputes with his people, Yahweh

warns them of future judgments and promises redemption to the faithful

B. Prophet: Malachi (“my messenger”), otherwise unknown

C. Date of Prophetic Activity: unknown; perhaps ca. 460 B.C., just before the reforms of Ezra and Nehemiah

D. Emphases: Yahweh is a covenant-keeping God and requires the same of his people; God’s people show disdain for God by their apathy and moral and religious decline; God will judge his people in justice for their halfhearted obedience

E. Outline of Malachi:1. Heading (1:1)2. Six Disputes (1:2-4:3)3. Two Appended Words: the Law and the

Prophets (Moses and Elijah) (4:4-6)

THE NEW TESTAMENTMATTHEW:

A. Content: the story of Jesus, including large blocks of teaching, from the announcement of his birth to the commissioning of the disciples to make disciples of the Gentiles

B. Author: anonymous; Papias (ca. A.D. 125) attributes “the first Gospel” to the apostle Matthew; scholarship is divided

C. Date: unknown (since he used Mark, very likely in the 70s or 80s)

D. Recipients: unknown; but almost certainly Jewish Christians with a commitment to the Gentile mission, most commonly thought to have lived in and around Antioch of Syria

E. Emphases: Jesus is the Son of God, the (messianic) King of the Jews; Jesus is God present with us in miraculous power; Jesus is the church’s Lord; the teaching of Jesus has continuing importance for God’s people; the gospel of the kingdom is for all peoples—Jew and Gentile alike

F. Outline of Matthew:1.Prologue: Jesus’ Divine and Human Origins

(1:1-2:23)2.Introduction to Jesus (3:1-4:11)3.The Proclamation of the Kingdom (4:12-7:29)4.The Power and Mission of the Kingdom

(8:1-10:42)5.Opposition to Jesus (11:1-18:35)6.Jerusalem Receives and Rejects Her King

(19:1-25:46)7.The King is Tried, Crucified and Raised

(26:1-28:20)

MARK:A. Content: the story of Jesus from his baptism to

his resurrection, about two-thirds of which tells his ministry in Galilee, while the last third narrates his final week in Jerusalem

B. Author: anonymous; attributed (by Papias, ca. A.D. 125) to John Mark, a sometime companion of Paul (Col 4:10) and later of Peter (1 Peter 5:13)

C. Date: ca. A.D. 65 (according to Papias, soon after the deaths of Paul and Peter in Rome)

D. Recipients: the church in Rome (according to Papias), which accounts for its preservation along with the longer Matthew and Luke

E. Emphases: the time of God’s rule (the kingdom of God) has come with Jesus; Jesus has brought about the new exodus promised in Isaiah; the kingly Messiah came in weakness, his identity a secret except to those to whom it is revealed; the way of the new exodus leads to Jesus’ death in Jerusalem; the way of discipleship is to take up a cross and follow him

F. Outline of Mark:1. Prologue (1:1-15)2. Part 1: The Kingdom Goes Public—

Disciples, Crowds, Opposition (1:16-3:6)3. Part 2: The Mystery of the Kingdom—Faith,

Misunderstanding, Hard Hearts (3:7-8:21)4. Part 3: The Mystery Unveiled—The Cross

and the Way of Discipleship (8:22-10:45)5. Part 4: The King Comes to Jerusalem to Die

(10:46-15:47)6. Epilogue: The Story is not Over (16:1-8)

LUKE:A. Content: the story of Jesus as part 1 of Luke-

Acts, which is the story of the salvation of “Israel,” which Christ and the Spirit have brought about; part 1 begins with the announcement of Jesus’ birth by the Spirit and carries through to his ascension

B. Author: according to very early tradition, Luke the physician and sometime companion of the apostle Paul (see Col 4:14), the only Gentile author in the Bible

C. Date: uncertain; scholars are divided between a date before the death of Paul (ca. A.D. 64; see Acts 28:30-31) and one after the fall of Jerusalem (A.D. 70, because of his use of Mark)

D. Recipient(s): Theophilus us otherwise unknown; in keeping with such prefaces in Greco-Roman literature, he was probably the patron of Luke-Acts, thus underwriting its publication; the implied readers are Gentile Christians, whose place in God’s story is ensured through the work of Jesus Christ and the Spirit

E. Emphases: God’s Messiah has come to his people, Israel, with the promised inclusion of Gentiles; Jesus came to save the lost, including every kind of marginalized person whom traditional religion would put outside the boundaries; Jesus’ ministry is carried out under the power of the Holy Sprit; the necessity of Jesus’ death and resurrection (which fulfilled OT promises) for the forgiveness of sins

F. Outline of Luke:1. The Prologue (1:1-4)2. The Announcement and Birth of Jesus, the

Messiah (1:5-2:52)3. Jesus’ Preparation for Ministry (3:1-4:13)

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4. The ministry of Jesus in Galilee (4:14-9:50)5. On the Way to Jerusalem (9:51-19:44)6. The Events of the End (and New Beginning)

in Jerusalem (19:45-24:53)

ACTS:A. Content: part 2 of Luke’s account of the good

new about Jesus; how by the power of the Spirit the good news spread from Jerusalem to Rome

B. Author: Same as LukeC. Date: Same as LukeD. Recipients: Same as LukeE. Emphases: the good news of God’s salvation

through Jesus is for Jew and Gentile alike, thus fulfilling OT expectations; the Holy Sprit guides the church in spreading the good news; the church has the good sense to side with God regarding his salvation and the inclusion of the Gentiles; salvation for all is God’s thing and nothing can hinder it; the good new is accepted in joy by some and rejected in anger by others

F. Outline of Acts:1. The Good News Begins in Jerusalem

(1:1-6:7)2. The Good News Spreads to Judea and

Samaria (6:8-9:31)3. The Good News Spreads to the Gentiles

(9:32-28:30)

JOHN:A. Content: the story of Jesus, Messiah and Son of

God, told from the perspective of postresurrection insights; in his incarnation Jesus made God known and made his life available to all through the cross

B. Author: the beloved disciple who “wrote [these things] down” (21:24) most likely refers to John the apostle, son of Zebedee (otherwise not named in this Gospel); the “we” of 21:24 suggests another person is responsible for the Gospel in its final form

C. Date: unknown; probably ca. A.D. 90-95D. Recipients: see 1 John, to which this Gospel is

closely relatedE. Emphases: Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of

God; in his incarnation and the crucifixion, he both revealed God’s love and redeemed humanity; discipleship means to “remain in the vine” (Jesus) and to bear fruit (to love as he loved); the Holy Spirit will be given to his people to continue his work

F. Outline of John:1.Prologue (1:1-18)2.The Messiah/Son of God is Manifested to His

Disciples (1:19-2:12)3.The Messiah/Son of God is Manifested to the

World (2:13-12:50)4.The Final Passover: The Messiah/Son of God

Dies for the World (13:1-20:31)5.Epilogue (21)

ROMANS:A. Content: a letter of instruction and exhortation

setting forth Paul’s understanding of the gospel—the Jew and Gentile together form one people of

God, based on God’s righteousness received through faith in Jesus Christ and on the gift of the Spirit

B. Author: the apostle PaulC. Date: ca. A.D. 57, from Corinth (cf. Rom

15:25-26 with 1 Cor 16:1-7)D. Recipients: the church in Rome, which was

neither founded by Paul nor under his jurisdiction—although he greets at least twenty-six people known to him (16:3-16)

E. Occasion: a combination of three factors: 1) Phoebe’s proposed visit to Rome, 2) Paul’s own anticipated visit to Rome and desire that they help him with his proposed mission to Spain, and 3) information about tensions between Jewish and Gentile believers there

F. Emphases: Jews and Gentiles together as the one people of God; the role of the Jews in God’s salvation through Christ Jesus and effected by the Spirit; the failure of the law and success of the Spirit in producing righteousness; the need to be transformed in mind (by the Spirit) so as to live in unity as God’s people in the present

G. Outline of Romans:1. Salutation (1:1-7)2. Thanksgiving and Prayer (1:8-15)3. The Thesis Stated (1:16-17)4. Part 1: On Sin, the Law, Christ, and Faith

(1:18-5:11)5. Part 2: On Sin, Christ, the Law, and the Spirit

(5:12-8:39)6. Part 3: God’s faithfulness and Jewish

Unfaithfulness (9:1-11:36)7. Part 4: The Practical Outworking of God’s

Righteousness (12:1-15:13)8. Paul, the Gentile Mission, and Rome

(15:14-33)9. Concluding Matters (16:1-27)

1 CORINTHIANS:A. Content: a letter of correction, in which Paul

stands over against the Corinthians on issue after issue, mostly behavioral, but which are nevertheless betrayals of the gospel of Christ and the life in the Spirit

B. Author: the apostle PaulC. Date: ca. A.D. 53-54, from Ephesus (see 16:8)D. Recipients: the church in Corinth, composed

mostly of Gentiles (12:2; 8:7)E. Emphases: a crucified Messiah as the central

message of the gospel; the cross as God’s wisdom and power; Christian behavior that conforms to the gospel; the true nature of life in the Spirit; the future bodily resurrection of the Christian dead

F. Outline of 1 Corinthians:1. Salutation (1:1-9)2. Correction (1:10-15:58)3. On the Collection for the Poor (16:1-11)4. Concluding Matters (16:12-24)

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2 CORINTHIANS:A. Content: probably two letters (chs. 1-9; 10-13)

combined into one, dealing primarily with Paul’s tenuous relationship with the Corinthian church and in the process touching on several other matters as well (Paul’s ministry, the collection for the poor in Jerusalem, and some Jewish Christian itinerants who have invaded the church)

B. Author: the apostle Paul, joined by TimothyC. Date: ca. A.D. 54-55, from Macedonia (2:13; 7:5)

—most likely PhilippiD. Recipients: see 1 CorinthiansE. Occasion: Titus’ return from a recent visit (7:5-7)

and Paul’s anticipated third visit to the church (13:1) in light of 1) the church’s need to have the collection ready before Paul gets there and 2) their readiness to embrace some “false apostles…masquerading as apostles of Christ” (11:13)

F. Emphases: Christian ministry as servanthood, reflecting that of Christ; the greater glory of the new covenant in contrast to the old; the glory of the gospel exhibited in the weakness of its ministers; the gospel as reconciliation; giving to the poor as an expression of generosity, not of obligation

G. Outline of 2 Corinthians:1. Salutation (1:1-11)2. An Explanation of Paul’s Change of Plans

(1:12-2:13)3. Paul, Minister of the New Covenant

(2:14-7:4)4. The Explanation Renewed (7:5-16)5. The Collection (8:1-9:15)6. Defense of Paul’s Ministry Against False

Apostles (10:1-13:14)

GALATIANS:A. Content: a heated argument with the (Gentile)

Galatian believers against some Jewish Christ “missionaries” who insist that Gentiles be circumcised if they are to be included in the people of God

B. Author: the apostle Paul, joined by “all the brothers and sisters” with him (1:2)

C. Date: probably ca. A.D. 55 (although some think as early as 47-48), with no indication of place of origin

D. Recipients: Gentile believers n Galatia, either ethnic Galatians (whose territory in central Asia Minor had been earlier settled by people from Gaul [modern France]) or those in the Roman province of Galatia, which also included peoples of Pisidia, Lycaonia, and Phrygia (Acts 13-14; 16)

E. Occasion: the churches of Galatia have been invaded by some agitators (5:12) who have questioned Paul’s gospel and his apostleship; apparently some Galatians are on the verge of capitulating to them, which sparks a vigorous defense by Paul of his gospel and his calling

F. Emphases: Paul’s apostleship and gospel come directly from God and Christ, not through human mediation; the death of Jesus has brought an end to ethnic religious observances; the Spirit produces the righteousness the law could not;

the Spirit enables believers not to yield to sinful desires; one receives the Spirit through faith in Christ Jesus

G. Outline of Galatians:1. Salutation (1:1-5)2. Defending the Gospel (1:6-6:10)3. Conclusion: Circumcision No, the Cross Yes

(6:11-18)

EPHESIANS:A. Content: a letter of encouragement and

exhortation, set against the backdrop of “the powers” (6:12), portraying Christ’s bringing Jew and Gentile together into the one people of God as his ultimate triumph and glory

B. Author: the apostle PaulC. Date: A.D. 61-62, probably from prison in RomeD. Recipients: uncertain; perhaps a circular letter to

many churches in the province of Asia, of which Ephesus is the capital (no city is given in the earliest manuscripts; Paul assumes the readers do no know him personally, 1:15; 3:2)

E. Occasion: Tychicus, who is carrying this letter (6:21-22), is also carrying two letters to Colosse (Colossians and Philemon [Col 4:7-9]); perhaps after reflecting further on the Colossian situation and on the glory of Christ, and knowing the Asian fear of “the powers of this dark world,” Paul writes a general pastoral letter for the churches of that area

F. Emphases: the cosmic scope of the work of Christ; Christ’s reconciliation of the Jew and Gentile through the cross; Christ’s supremacy over “the powers” for the sake of the church; Christian behavior that reflects the unity of the Spirit

G. Outline of Ephesians:1. Introduction (1:1-23)2. Reconciliation (2:1-3:21)3. Unity (4:1-6:9)4. Conclusion: Stand Strong Against the

Powers (6:10-20)

PHILIPPIANS:A. Content: Paul’s thanksgiving for, encouragement

of, and exhortation to the suffering community of believers in Philippi, who are also experiencing some internal struggles

B. Author: the apostle Paul, joined by his younger companion Timothy

C. Date: probably A.D. 62, almost certainly from Rom

D. Recipients: the church in Philippi (mostly Gentile), founded around A.D. 48-49 by Paul, Silas, and Timothy; Philippi is located at the eastern end of the vast plain of Macedonia on the very important Egnatian Way, which connected Rome with Byzantium (later Constantinople and Istanbul

E. Occasion: Epaphroditus, who had brought information about the church to Paul in prison and delivered their gift to him (2:30; 4:18), is about to return to Philippi, having now recovered from a nearly fatal illness (2:26-27)

F. Emphases: Paul’s and the Philippians’

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partnership in the gospel; Christ as the key to all life, from beginning to end; knowing Christ, by becoming like him in his death (sacrificing oneself for others); rejoicing in Christ even in suffering; unity through humility and love; the certainty and pursuit of the final prize

G. Outline of Philippians:1. Salutation (1:1-11)2. Circumstances & Exhortations (1:12-4:9)3. Acknowledging Their Gift; Friendship and the

Gospel (4:10-20)4. Closing Greetings (4:21-23)

COLOSSIANS:A. Content: a letter encouraging relatively new

believers to continue in the truth of Christ they have received, and warning them against outside religious influences


C. Date: probably A.D. 60-61 (if Paul is in Rome, as is most likely)

D. Recipient(s): the (mostly Gentile) believers in Colosse (Colosse was the least significant of three towns noted for their medicinal spas [including Hierapolis and Laodicea] at a crucial crossroads in the Lycus River Valley, approximately 120 miles southwest of Ephesus); the letter is also to be read, as an exchange, in Laodicea (4:16)

E. Occasion: Epaphras, a Pauline coworker who had founded the churches in the Lycus Valley, has recently come to paul bringing news of the church, mostly good but some less so

F. Emphases: the absolute supremacy and all-sufficiency of Christ, the Son of God; that Christ both forgives sin and removes one from the terror of “the powers”; religious rules and regulations count for nothing, but ethical life that bears God’s own image counts for everything; Christlike living affects relationships of all kinds

G. Outline of Colossians:1. Salutation (1:1-2)2. Thanksgiving and Prayer (1:3-14)3. The Supremacy of the Son of God (1:15-23)4. Paul’s Role (1:24-2:5)5. Christ Over Against Religious Seductions of

All Kinds (2:6-23)6. The New Basis for Christian Behavior

(3:1-11)7. What Christian Life Looks Like (3:12-4:6)8. Final Greetings (4:7-18)

1 THESSALONIANS:A. Content: a letter of thanksgiving,

encouragement, exhortation, and information for very recent Gentile believers in Christ

B. Author: the apostle PaulC. Date: A.D. 50 or 51, while Paul is in Corinth,

probably the earliest document in the NTD. Recipients: quite new converts to Christ in

Thessalonica, mostly Gentile—Thessalonica was a northern Aegean seaport that also sat astraddle the Egnatian Way; in the time of Paul it was the chief city of Macedonia

E. Occasion: the return of Timothy to Paul and Silas in Corinth; Timothy had been sent to Thessalonica to see how the new believers were doing (see 3:5-7)

F. Emphases: Paul’s loving concern for his friends in Thessalonica; suffering as part of Christian life; holiness regarding sexual matters; the need to do one’s own work and not live off the largesse of others; the resurrection of the Christian dead; readiness for Christ’s coming

G. Outline of 1 Thessalonians (taken from Expositors Bible Commentary):1.Salutation (1:1)2.Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians (1:2-10)3.Vindication Before the Thessalonians (2:1-3:13)4.Exhortation to the Thessalonians (4:1-5:22)5.Conclusion (5:23-28)

2 THESSALONIANS:A. Content: a letter of further encouragement in the

face of suffering, of warning against being misled regarding the coming of the Lord, and of exhortation for some to work with their own hands and not sponge off others

B. Author: the apostle PaulC. Date: A.D. 51 (probably), very shortly after 1

Thessalonians (although some would reverse the order of our two letters)

D. Recipients: same as 1 ThessaloniansE. Occasion: Paul has received word that some

(probably by prophetic word) have spoken in Paul’s name to the effect that the day of the Lord (= the coming of Christ) has already taken place, plus the fact that the disruptive loafers spoken to in 1 Thessalonians have not mended their ways

F. Emphases: the sure salvation of the Thessalonian believers and the sure judgment of their persecutors; the day of the Lord is still ahead and will be preceded by “the rebellion”; those who are idle and disruptive should work for their food

G. Outline of 2 Thessalonians (taken from Expositors Bible Commentary):1. Salutation (1:1-2)2. Assurance of Repayment at God’s Righteous

Judgment (1:3-12)3. Assurance of Noninvolvement in the Day of

the Lord (2:1-17)4. Encouragement to Gainful Employment for

the Present (3:1-15)5. Conclusion (3:16-18)

1 TIMOTHY:A. Content: an indictment of some false teachers—

their character and teachings—with instructions on various community matters these teachers have brought to crisis, interspersed with words of encouragement to Timothy

B. Author: the apostle Paul (although doubted by many)

C. Date: A.D. 62-63, from Macedonia (probably Philippi or Thessalonica), apparently after his (expected) release from the imprisonment noted in Philippians 1:13 and 2:23-24

D. Recipient(s): Timothy, a longtime, younger

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companion of Paul; and (ultimately) the church in Ephesus (the grace-benediction in 6:21 is plural)

E. Occasion: Paul has left Timothy in charge of a very difficult situation in the church in Ephesus, where false teachers (probably local elders) are leading some house churches astray; Paul writes to the whole church through Timothy in order to strengthen Timothy’s hand in stopping these stray elders and some younger widows who have followed them

F. Emphases: the truth of the gospel as God’s mercy shown toward all people; character qualifications for church leadership; speculative teachings, asceticism, and love of controversy and money disqualify one from church leadership; Timothy, by holding fast to the gospel, should model genuine Christian character and leadership

G. Outline of 1 Timothy:1. Salutation (1:1-2)2. First Charge to Timothy (1:3-20)3. Instructions on Community Matters (2:1-15)4. Qualifications for Church Leaders (3:1-13)5. The Purpose for the Letter (3:14-4:5)6. Renewed Charge to Timothy (4:6-16)7. On Widows and Elders (and Slaves)

(5:1-6:2b)8. Final Indictment of the False Teachers

(6:2c-10)9. Final Charge to Timothy (6:11-21)

2 TIMOTHY:A. Content: an appeal to Timothy to remain loyal to

Christ, to the gospel, and to Paul, including a final salvo at the false teachers (of 1 Timothy)

B. Author: the apostle Paul (though doubted by many)

C. Date: ca. A.D. 64, from a prison in Rome (the lion in 4:17 is an allusion to Nero or to the empire itself)

D. Recipient(s): Timothy primarily; secondarily to the church (the first “you” in 4:22 is singular, the final one is plural)

E. Occasion: Paul has been once more arrested and taken to Rome (most likely from Troas and at the instigation of Alexander, 4:13-15 [probably the same man who was disfellowshiped in 1 Tim 1:19-20]); the letter urges Timothy to come to Paul’s side, but mostly offers him a kind of last will and testament

F. Emphases: the saving work of Christ, “who has destroyed death and brought life… through the gospel” (1:10); loyalty to Christ by perseverance in suffering and hardship; loyalty to Paul by recalling their longtime relationship; loyalty to the gospel by being faithful in proclaiming/teaching “the word” (= the gospel message); the deadly spread, but final demise, of false teaching; the final salvation of those who are Christ’s

G. Outline of 2 Timothy:1. Salutation and Thanksgiving (1:1-5)2. First Appeal (1:6-2:13)3. Context for the Appeal: The False Teachers

(2:14-3:9)4. Final Appeal (3:10-4:8)

5. The First Reason for the Letter (4:9-18)6. Final Greetings (4:19-22)

TITUS:A. Content: instructions to Titus for setting in order

the church(es) on Crete, including the appointment of qualified elders and the instruction of various social groups, set against the backdrop of some false teachers

B. Author: ca. A.D. 62-63, apparently from Macedonia at about the same time as 1 Timothy (see 3:12; Nicopolis is on the Adriatic coast of Macedonia)

C. Recipient(s): Titus, a Gentile and sometime traveling companion of Paul (see Gal 2:1-3; 2 Cor 7:6-16; 8:6, 16-24; 12:17-18); and the churches on Crete (Titus 3:15, “you all”)

D. Occasion: Paul had left Titus on Crete to finish setting the churches in order, while he and Timothy (apparently) went on to Ephesus, where they met a very distressing situation (see 1 Tim). But Paul had to go on to Macedonia (1 Tim 1:3; cf. Phil 2:19-24); perhaps the Holy Spirit reminded him while writing 1 Timothy that some similar problems had emerged in Crete, so he addressed the churches through a letter to Titus

E. Emphases: God’s people must be and do good—this is especially true of church leaders; the gospel of grace stands over against false teachings based on the Jewish law

F. Outline of Titus (taken from Expositors Bible Commentary):1. Salutation (1:1-4)2. Concerning Elders and Errorists in Crete

(1:5-16)3. Concerning the Natural Groups in the

Congregations (2:1-15)4. Concerning Believers Among Men Generally

(3:1-11)5. Conclusion (3:12-15)

PHILEMON:A. Content: the sole purpose of this letter is to

secure forgiveness for a (probably runaway) slave named Onesimus


C. Date: probably A.D. 60-61 D. Recipient(s): Philemon is a Gentile believer in

Colosse (see Col 4:9), in whose house a church meets; the salutation and final greeting indicate that Paul expected Philemon to share the letter with the church

E. Occasion: Onesimus has recently been converted and has been serving Paul, who is in prison; now Onesimus is being sent back to Philemon, accompanied by Tychicus, who is also carrying letters to the churches in Colosse (Colossians) and Asia (Ephesians)

F. Emphases: the gospel reconciles people to one another, not only Jew (Paul) and Gentile (Philemon), but also (runaway) slave and master, making them all brothers!

G. Outline of Philemon:1. Salutation (1-3)

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2. Thanksgiving and Prayer (4-7)3. The Appeal (8-21)4. Personal Word and Greetings (22-25)

HEBREWS:A. Content: a “word of exhortation” (13:22) sent in

letter form, encouraging faithful perseverance in light of the superlative final word God has spoken in Christ

B. Author: unknown; a second-generation believer (2:3), who was a skilled preacher and interpreter of Scripture, with an excellent command of Greek (it came into the canon among Paul’s letters, but definitely not by him)

C. Date: unknown; guesses range from A.D. 50-90; probably before 70 (since the author gives no hint that the Jewish temple has been destroyed)

D. Recipients: an unknown but specific group of (predominantly) Jewish Christians; perhaps a house church in Rome (13:24) that is opting out of relationships with the larger Christian community (10:25; 13:7, 17)

E. Occasion: the community is discouraged because of suffering (10:35-39) and perhaps from doubts about whether Jesus really took care of sin; the author writes to convince them to “not throw away your confidence” (10:35; cf. 2:1; 4:14)

F. Emphases: God has spoken his absolutely final word in his Son; to abandon Christ is to abandon God altogether; Christ is superior to everything that went before—the old revelation, its angelic mediators, the first exodus (Moses and Joshua), and the whole priestly system; God’s people can have full confidence in God’s Son, the perfect high priest, who gives all people ready access to God

G. Outline of Hebrews:1. Introduction (1:1-3)2. The Supremacy of God’s Son (1:4-4:13)3. The Supremacy of the Son’s High Priesthood

(4:14-10:18)4. Final Exhortation to Perseverance

(10:19-12:29)5. Concluding Practical Exhortations and

Greetings (13:1-25)

JAMES:A. Content: a treatise composed of short moral

essays, emphasizing endurance in hardship and responsible Christian living, with special concern that believers practice what they preach and live together in harmony

B. Author: James, brother of our Lord (Gal 1:19), who led the church in Jerusalem for many years (Acts 15; Gal 2:1-13)—although questioned by many

C. Date: unknown; dated anywhere from mid-40s A.D. to the 90s, depending on authorship; probably earlier than later

D. Recipients: believers in Christ among the Jewish Diaspora

E. Occasion: unknown, but the treatise shows concern for real conditions in the churches, including several trials, dissensions caused by

angry and judgmental words, and abuse of the poor by the wealthy

F. Emphases: practical faith on the part of believers; joy and patience in the midst of trials; the nature of true (Christian) wisdom; attitudes of the rich toward the poor; abuse and proper use of the tongue

G. Outline of James:1. Salutation (1:1-18)2. Putting the Faith into Practice (1:19-2:26)3. Dissension in the Community (3:1-4:12)4. To the Rich and the Poor (4:13-5:11)5. Concluding Exhortations (5:12-20)

1 PETER:A. Content: a letter of encouragement to Christians

undergoing suffering, instructing them how to respond Christianly to their persecutors and urging them to live lives worthy of their calling

B. Author: the apostle Peter; written by Silas (5:12), the sometime companion of Paul

C. Date: ca. A.D. 64-65 from Rome (5:13, Babylon was used by both Jews and Christians to refer to Rome as a place of exile)

D. Recipients: mostly Gentile believers (1:14, 18; 2:9-10; 4:3-4) in the five provinces in the northwest quadrant of Asia Minor (modern Turkey), referred to—with a play on the Jewish Diaspora—as strangers (= exiles) in the world

E. Occasion: probably concern over an outbreak of local persecution that some newer believers (2:2-3) were experiencing as a direct result of their faith in Christ

F. Emphases: suffering for the sake of righteousness should not surprise us; believers should submit to unjust suffering the way Christ did; Christ suffered on our behalf to free us from sin; God’s people should live righteously at all times, but especially in the face of hostility; our hope for the future is based on the certainty of Christ’s resurrection

G. Outline of 1 Peter:1. Salutation (1:1-2)2. A Berakah (Blessing of God) (1:3-12)3. The Call to Holy Living as God’s People

(1:13-2:10)4. The Call Particularized in Various Pagan

Settings (2:11-3:7)5. The Call Generalized—in the Face of

Hostility (3:8-4:11)6. Conclusion: Suffering, Hope, and Christian

Conduct (4:12-5:11)7. Final Greeting (5:12-14)

2 PETER:A. Content: a “farewell speech” sent as a letter,

urging Christian growth and perseverance in light of some false teachers who both deny the second coming of Christ and live boldly in sin

B. Author: the apostle Peter, although questioned both in the early church and by most NT scholars; possibly a disciple who wrote a kind of “testament of Peter” for the church

C. Date: ca. A.D. 64 (if by Peter); later if by a disciple

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D. Recipients: an unknown but specific group of believers

E. Occasion: a desire to establish the readers in their own faith and godly living, while warning them of the false teachers and their way of life

F. Emphases: concern that God’s people grow in and exhibit godliness; the sure judgment on the false teachers for their ungodly living; certainty of the Lord’s coming, despite the scoffing of the false teachers

G. Outline of 2 Peter:1. Salutation (1:1-2)2. The Themes Stated: Godliness and the

Eternal Kingdom (1:3-11)3. Peter’s Last Testament (1:12-21)4. The Indictment of the False Teachers

(2:1-22)5. The Nature of the False Teaching: Denial of

the Lord’s Coming (3:1-10)6. Exhortation and Conclusion (3:11-18)

1 JOHN:A. Content: a treatise that offers assurance to some

specific believers, encouraging their loyalty to Christian faith and practice—in response to some false prophets who have left the community

B. Author: the same author who wrote 2 and 3 John, who there calls himself “the elder”; a solid historical tradition equated him with the apostle John

C. Date: unknown; probably toward the end of the first Christian century (late 80s, early 90s).

D. Recipients: a Christian community (or communities) well known to the author (whom he calls “dear children” and “dear friends”; the false prophets defected “from us,” 2:19); it has traditionally been thought to be located in our around Ephesus

E. Occasion: the defection of the false prophets and their followers, who have called into question the orthodoxy—both teaching and practice—of those who have remained loyal to what goes back to the “beginning”

F. Emphases: that Jesus who came in the flesh is the Son of God; that Jesus showed God’s love for us through his incarnation and crucifixion; that true believers love one another as God loved them in Christ; that God’s children do not habitually sin, but when we do sin, we receive forgiveness; that believers can have full confidence in the God who loves them; that by trusting in Christ we now have eternal life

G. Outline of 1 John (taken from Expositors Bible Commentary):1. Preface (1:1-4)2. Requirements for Fellowship with God Who

is Light (1:5-2:28)3. Requirements for Fellowship with God Who

is Righteous (2:29-4:6)4. Requirements for Fellowship with God Who

is Love (4:7-5:12)5. Concluding Remarks (5:13-21)

2 JOHN:A. Content: “the elder” warns against false teachers

who deny the incarnation of ChristB. Author: same as 1 JohnC. Date: same as 1 JohnD. Recipients: the “lady chosen by God” is either a

single, local congregation or a woman who hosts a house church; “her children” are the members of the believing community

E. Occasion: John is concerned that after the defection of the false prophets from his community, they might spread their teaching in another community of faith

F. Emphases: same as 1 JohnG. Outline of 2 John (taken from Expositors Bible

Commentary):1. Introduction (1-3)2. A Formal Word of Instruction (4-11)3. Conclusion (12-13)

3 JOHN:A. Content: to borrow the words of the NT scholar

Archibald M. Hunter, 3 John is al about “the Elder, who wrote it; Gaius, who received it; Diotrephes, who provoked it; and Demetrius, who carried it”

B. Author: the same elder who wrote 2 JohnC. Date: probably in the A.D. 90sD. Recipient: Gaius, a beloved friend of the elder

who lives in another town; other believers are to be greeted by name (v. 14)

E. Occasion: an earlier letter to the church had been scorned by Diotrephes, who also refused hospitality to the elder’s friend(s) and disfellowshipped those who would do so; consequently John writes to Gaius, urging him to welcome Demetrius

F. Emphases: the obligations of Christian hospitality, especially toward approved itinerant ministers

G. Outline of 3 John (taken from Expositors Bible Commentary):1. Salutation (1)2. Personal Words to Gaius (2-4)3. Commendation for Gaius’ Hospitality (5-8)4. Complaints Against Diotrephes (9-10)5. Exhortation and Endorsement of Demetrius

(11-12)6. Personal Remarks and Farewell Greetings

(13-15)

JUDE:A. Content: a pastoral letter of exhortation, full of

strong warning against some false teachers who have “secretly slipped in” among them

B. Author: Jude, who modestly describes himself as “the brother of James” (thus of Jesus), but does not consider himself an apostle (v. 17)

C. Date: unknown; probably later in the first Christian century (after A.D. 70), since the apostolic “faith” seems to be well in place (vv. 3, 17)

D. Recipients: unknown; probably a single congregation of predominately Jewish Christians somewhere in Palestine who were all acquainted

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with both the OT and Jewish apocalyptic literature

E. Occasion: the threat posed by some itinerants who have turned grace into license and who have “wormed their way in” (NEB) to the church

F. Emphases: the certain judgment on those who live carelessly and teach others to do so; the importance of holy living; God’s love for and preservation of his faithful ones

G. Outline of Jude:1. Salutation (1-2)2. The Cause of the Letter (3-4)3. Three Warning Examples (5-7)4. Second Description of the False Teachers

(8-10)5. Further Warning Examples (11-16)6. The Apostolic Warning (17-19)7. A Call to Persevere and to Help Others

(20-23)8. Benediction (24-25)

REVELATION:A. Content: a Christian prophecy cast in

apocalyptic style and imagery and finally put in letter form, dealing primarily with tribulation (suffering) and salvation for God’s people and God’s wrath (judgment) on the Roman Empire

B. Author: a man named John (1:1, 4, 9), well known to the recipients, traditionally identified as the apostle, the son of Zebedee (Matt 10:2)

C. Date: ca. A.D. 95 (according to Irenaeus [ca. A.D. 180])

D. Recipients: churches in the Roman province of Asia, who show a mix of fidelity and internal weaknesses

E. Occasion: the early Christians’ refusal to participate in the cult of the emperor (who was acclaimed “lord” and “savior”) was putting them on a collision course with the state; John saw prophetically that it would get worse before it got better and that the churches were poorly prepared for what was about to take place, so he writes both to warn and encourage them and to announce God’s judgment against Rome

F. Emphases: despite appearances to the contrary, God is in absolute control of history; although God’s people are destined for suffering in the present, God’s sure salvation belongs to them; God’s judgment will come on those responsible for the church’s suffering; in the end (Rev 21-22) God will restore what was lost and distorted at the beginning (Gen 1-3)

G. Outline of Revelation:1. Introduction: The Historical Setting (chs. 1-3)2. Introductory Visions: The scene in Heaven

and on Earth (4:1-8:5)3. Preliminary (Temporal) Judgments on the

Empire (8:6-11:19)4. Conflict Between the Church and the Evil

Powers (12:1-14:20)5. The Seven Bowls: God’s Judgment Against

“Babylon” (15:1-16:21)6. Wrap-Up: The (Original) Tale of Two Cities

(17:1-22:21)

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RESOURCES:

Beginner Level:Concordance – helps you find verses by key words (NIV Exhaustive Concordance).Bible Dictionary – gives you definitions of Bible words (Smith’s Bible Dictionary, Nelsons New Illustrated Dictionary, Vines Bible Dictionary of Greek Words)Study Bible – gives you references and some notes to help (NIV Study Bible, Thompson Chain)Haley’s Bible Handbook

Intermediate Level:A Bible Handbook – gives you background info and cool pictures to reference (Eerdmans Handbook, Holman Handbook, Zondervan Handbook)Commentaries – (NIBC, Jewish NT Commentary, Wuest Word Studies, Zondervan Illustrated Background Commentary)More Advanced Study Bible – (Archaeology Study Bible, Apologetics Study Bible)Encyclopedia – Topical and Alphabetical arrangement of subjects (ISBE, Zondervan Illustrated Encyclopedia).Sketches of Jewish social life (Alfred Edersheim)Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (Edersheim)

Advanced Level:Bible Language Interlinear – Has original language and English underneath.Fritz Reineker’s Linguistic Key to the NTVincent’s Greek Word StudiesAnalytical Greek LexiconKittel’s Dictionary of TheologyLiddel and Scott’s Lexicon (the gold standard)Walter Bauer’s Lexicon (the silver standard)

Online Resources:blueletterbible.org - bible search and study tools.

jewishencyclopedia.com – a truck load of background on Jesus’ world.biblegateway.com – online concordance, versions and Hebrew and Greek texts

ntwrightpage.com – Collection of historian NT Wright’s material and lectures.

Documents

Foundations Study Guide