Livingbythe Book Introduction

Living by the Book

An Introduction to Bible Study Methods

Week 1

Schedule

Living by theBook Reading

• June 7th Introduction Pages 13-47

• June 14th Observation Pages 49-195

• June 21st Interpretation Pages 197-285

• June 28th Application Pages 287-378

• July 5th Correlation /Conclusion

What is the Bible?

• What are some views of the Bible?– Answer Book– Owners Manuel– Theological Text Book– Tool for Manipulation

• What are the issues that come with each of these views?

What is the Bible?

The Bible is not a book for the faint of heart - it is a book full of all the greed and glory and violence and tenderness and sex and betrayal that benefits mankind. It is not the collection of pretty little anecdotes mouthed by pious little church mice - it does not so much nibble at our shoe leather as it cuts to the heart and splits the morrow from the bone. It does not give us answers fitted to our small-minded questions, but truth that goes beyond what we can even know to ask.

from Thoughts and Reflections by Rich Mullins

What is the Bible?

• A working definition:

A collection of writings containing the record and revelation of God’s interaction with man.

A collection of writings…

• Old Testament– Historical

• Pentateuch– Genesis– Exodus– Leviticus – Numbers– Deuteronomy



• Pentateuch• Pre-Kings

– Joshua– Judges– Ruth



• Pentateuch• Pre-Kings• Kings

– 1 & 2 Samuel– 1 & 2 Kings– 1 & 2 Chronicles



• Pentateuch• Pre-Kings• Kings• Captivity

– Ezra– Nehemiah– Esther


• Old Testament– Historical– Poetry

• Job• Psalms• Proverbs• Ecclesiastes• Song of Solomon


• Old Testament– Historical– Poetry– Prophets

• Major Prophets– Isaiah– Jeremiah– Lamentations– Ezekiel



• Major Prophets• Minor Prophets

– Daniel - Malachi




• Old Testament• New Testament

– Gospels• Matthew• Mark• Luke• John



– Gospels– History

• Acts



– Gospels– History– Paul’s Letters

• Romans –Philemon



– Gospels– History– Paul’s Letters– Other Letters

• Hebrews-Jude



– Gospels– History– Paul’s Letters– Other Letters– Prophecy

• Revelation



– Gospels– History– Paul’s Letters– Other Letters– Prophecy

…containing the record and

revelation… • Record

Two extremes are to be avoided when describing the Bible: Either denying or diminishing its divine characteristics while affirming its humam traits, or else affirming its divine properties while denying or diminishing its human elements.

Systematic Theology by Norman Geisler


revelation… • Record

– Authors– Literary styles and forms– Reflects different human

• Perspectives • Thought patterns• Emotions• Interests• Culture• Sources


revelation… • Record• Revelation

– Divine AuthorityBut He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’ ”

Matthew 4:4



– Divine Authority– Imperishability

“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”

Matthew 5:17-18



– Divine Authority– Imperishability– Supremacy

And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?”

Matthew 15:3



– Divine Authority– Imperishability– Supremacy– True

“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.”

John 17:17



– Divine Authority– Imperishability– Supremacy– True– Historical Reliability

• Matthew 12:40; cf. 16:4• Matthew 24:37-38



– Divine Authority– Imperishability– Supremacy– True– Historical Reliability– Accuracy

• Matthew 19:4-5



– Divine Authority– Imperishability– Supremacy– True– Historical Reliability– Accuracy

… of God’s interaction with man.

• Actual people• Actual places• Actual problems• Actual encounters• Actually God

How did we get it?

All transmissions of the Bible were handwritten until the invention of the printing press in 1450s by Johann Gutenberg.

How did we get it?

• Old Testament– Hebrew Bible

• Law (Torah) – Genesis – Deuteronomy• Prophets

– The Former Prophets – Joshua – Kings– The Latter Prophets – Isaiah – The Book of

the Twelve• Writings

– Poetic Books – Psalms, Job, Proverbs– Five Scrolls – Ruth, Song of Songs, Ecc,

Lam, Esther– Historical Books – Daniel, Ezra – Nehemiah,

Chronicles

– Written in two related languages, Hebrew and Aramaic

How did we get it?

• Old Testament– Sometime around 250 BC the

Jews began to use Aramaic language.

– Septuagint (LXX): Greek translation of the Old Testament translated around 300-150 BC.

Old Testament

Genesis 1:1-2 (BHS/WIVU)

ים 1 RSTשVת ה ים Zא א\ל RSית ב � בaSר_א מ� � א� � ה � ר� � שת הRאeRרdץ׃ a �ו א�

2 a שdTך a S ו הו R ה ו ה a רdץ הRי Rהa ח��ו ב�� ו� ת�� ת� א��ים Zא\ל VחS ו a וZם ו aי ת a Sל־פVע� ה ר� ה� � נ�

פdת Vרaמ� ים׃ח� eRSמVי ה a Sל־פVע � נ�

Old Testament

Genesis 1:1-2 (LXX)

Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν. 2 ἡ δὲ γῆ ἦν ἀόρατος καὶ ἀκατασκεύαστος, καὶ σκότος ἐπάνω τῆς ἀβύσσου, καὶ πνεῦμα θεοῦ ἐπεφέρετο ἐπάνω τοῦ ὕδατος.

How did we get it?

• New Testament– The New Testament was

originally written in Koine Greek between the years 40-100 AD.

– 80% of the OT quotes in the NT are from the Septuagint.

How did we get it?

• Chapter Divisions– Stephen Langon in the 12th

century– Robert Estienne in Geneva in

1557

Geneva in 1557

How did we get it?

• Canonization

A collection or list of books accepted as an authoritative rule of faith and practice.

Canonization

• Jesus ben Sirach’s grandson, writing about 132 BC, references scripture.

• Josephus (90-100 AD)• Jewish tradition claimed that

prophecy had ceased about 400 BC.

• Jesus in Luke 11:49-51

Luke 11:49-51

“For this reason also the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will persecute, so that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the house of God; yes, I tell you, it shall be charged against this generation.’”

Luke 11:49-51

How did we get it?

• John Gutenberg (1398-1468) published the first Bible.

• Wycliffe’s first version of the New Testament in Middle English appeared in 1380.

• Tyndale’s Bible was printed in 1526.– went back to the original Hebrew and

Greek. – printed in and used modern English.

• The Geneva Translation had marginal notes that were Calvinistic (1556).

John Gutenberg

Wycliffe’s Bible

Geneva Translation

How did we get it?

• King James I of England (1604)– 54 biblical scholars– Six groups– 1611 the work was complete– Used for over three centuries

Translations

Most Liter

al

Least Liter

al

Inte

rline

ar

Versio

ns

Para

phra

se

Bible S

tory

Book

Translations

TranslationsJohn 3:16 (NASB95)“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

John 3:16 (The Message)“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.”

John 3:16 (NLT)“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

Interlinear

Why is it important to me?

• Considered authoritative • Used to determine beliefs and

doctrines• Claims to be the Word of God

– 3800 times the Bible declares “God said” or “Thus says the Lord”

– Paul’s confession (1 Corinthians 14:37)

– John’s confession ( 1 John 4:6)


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


• Teaching – Instructing believers in God’s truth– Standard

• Reproof– Changing behavior– Behavior not matching standard

• Correction– Changing thinking– Thinking not matching standard

• Training– Modeling behaviors– Guiding toward standard

Summary

• God desires to be in relationship with us and the Bible is an important tool in the development of that relationship.

• It is important that we do not replace a love for the Bible for a love of God.

Next Week

•Observation•Interpretation•Application•Correlation

Spiritual

Livingbythe Book Introduction