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Introduction
Quotes By Prominent Figures In History 2
1 Importance of the Bible 5
2 Structure and Divisions 11
3 Inerrancy 15
4 Canon of Scripture 25
5 Ancient Versions 39
6 The English Translations 45
7 The Student 53
8 Characteristics of Bible Study 57
9 Overview of the Bible 59
10 Tools for Bible Study 6911 Bible Study Methods 93
Welcome to a study of God's Word. You may have spent a lot of time
reading and memorizing the Word of God, listening to sermons and
Sunday School lessons, but most of God's people never venture to
really STUDY the Bible. A large portion of their
problem is that they don't understand the Bible as a whole. Even to
those who have been Christians for years, many find studying the
Bible like trying to cross the Sahara Desert blindfolded. They just
don't know which way to begin. They are so overwhelmed that they
never start. This book and course is designed to do three things:
1. Give an understanding of what the Bible teaches about itself.
2. Give an overall perspective on the Bible so we can fit the pieces
of the puzzle together.
3. Teach how to study God's Word and how to use different study
tools.
In studying God's Word, we must be careful that we don't become like
the religious leaders of Jesus' time. In John 5:39 Jesus was talking
to the religious Jews when He said, "Search the scriptures; for
in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which
testify of me." They were well-versed in
the Scriptures, yet they missed the whole point of the Word of
God--to reveal Jesus. Jesus is the Word of
God. Jesus is the Truth. To know all the
mysteries of God's Word and miss God is a tragedy, yet, many scholars
and religious people end up doing this. It is good to memorize
Scripture, study the Word of God, to preach and listen to sermons,
but we must never forget that the reason for the Word of God is to
draw us deeper into a relationship with the Living Word.
My prayer is that as you go through this book and learn more about
the Bible you will pray and ask the Holy Spirit to draw you into a
closer relationship with the Author and Object of the Book.
Abraham Lincoln
"I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to
men."
Daniel Webster
"If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our
country will go on prospering and to prosper; but if we and our
posterity neglect its instructions and authority, no man can tell how
sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury our glory in
profound
obscurity."
George Washington
"It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the
Bible."
Charles Dickens
"The N.T. is the very best book that ever
was or ever will be known in the world."
Douglas MacArthur
"Believe me, sir, never a night goes by, be I ever so
tired,
but I read the Word of God before I go to
bed."
Theodore Roosevelt
"Almost every man who has by his
life-work added to the sum of human achievement of which the race is
proud, of which our people are proud; almost every such man has based
his life-work largely upon the teachings of the Bible."
Michael Faraday
"Why will people go astray when they
have this blessed Book to guide them?"
Woodrow Wilson
" the Bible is the one supreme
source of revelation, the revelation of the meaning of life, the
nature of God and the spiritual nature and need of men. It is the
only guide of life which really leads the spirit in the way of peace
and salvation."
John Quincy Adams
"The first and almost only book
deserving universal attention is the Bible. I speak as a man of the
world and I say to you, "Search the Scriptures."
Robert E. Lee
"The Bible is a book in comparison
with which all others in my eyes are of minor importance."
Millions of people today own the Bible. It is the international
best-seller and has been for years. Sad to say, however, many people
use it as a religious good luck charm to have around the house
without really realizing that it is a precious treasure. How
important is the Bible to me? There are several possible answers. To
some it's just another book. Others think that the Bible is
important, in fact, most of the population in the United States
thinks that the Bible is important to teach moral values. Yet, they
never really apply it to their own lives. Sir Walter Scott, a famous
British novelist and poet, was also a committed Christian. On his
deathbed he told his secretary, "Bring me the Book." His secretary
thought of the thousands of books in Scott's library and inquired,
"Dr. Scott, which book?"
"The
Book," replied Scott. "The Bible--the only book for a dying man!"
The Bible is more, however, than just the only book for a dying man.
It is the only book for a living man, for the Bible truly teaches us
how to experience the Life of God.
Many people know that the Bible is important and should have a high
priority and influence upon their lives, but they leave it on the
shelf between Sundays. They depend upon pastors, teachers, or
speakers to explain it to them and seldom open the Bible between
meetings. They don't often apply the Word of God to their everyday
life and think the Bible to be somewhat confusing, mysterious, and
hard to understand. They never experience the joy that Jeremiah
talked about in Jeremiah 15:16:
Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto
me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name,
O LORD God of hosts.
God wants to bring us to the place where the Scriptures come alive to
us and where we experience the Word as a delight and joy. God
designed the Bible to be a place where we experience true joy and
pleasure. Just as the Lord caused the hearts of the two
disciples to burn within them as He opened the
Scriptures to them, so He wants to feed us with the manna of the
Word and give us the same exhilarating experience! The Word of God
can come alive to you. Instead of just reading in a way that leaves
you sleepy, bored, and dry, you can come to a place where you don't
live by bread alone, "but by every word
that comes from the mouth of God." The Bible was designed
to be stimulating, interesting, delightful, challenging, comforting,
and calming.
Revelation from God
God is a God Who loves to reveal Himself. Unlike all the
heathen gods that have been made, whether in ancient history or
present time, God does not remain silent. The Lord delights in making
Himself known to those that He carefully formed with His own hands.
God is pictured as a God of love. More than that, God is love. It is
because of His great love that He chose to reveal His character and
nature to man who was not seeking Him. From the garden of Eden we
find God going to man in the cool of the evening to fellowship with
him. Jesus, the Living Word of God, was sent in order for man to have
a revelation of the nature and character of God. From creation, on
down through history God has revealed Himself by speaking. He spoke
and the universe was created. "By the word of the LORD were the
heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth"
(Psa. 33:6). He has never done things secretly or in a corner
but has always had men be instruments who proclaimed the message for
the day. The ultimate revelation was in the person of Jesus
Christ.
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time
past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken
unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by
whom also he made the worlds. (Heb. 1:1,2).
God has seen fit to put all these revelation of Himself in the book
we call the Bible. In the Bible we find God's plans and purposes for
man. It is a record of how God has communicated with man. Some
intellectuals would say that the Bible is the account of man's
efforts to find God. If this were so, there would be no sense of
authority or Divine revelation. It is not a record of man's efforts
to find God, but God's efforts to reveal Himself to man. It is not
just a book with some history and some wise sayings. The Bible itself
makes its claim to infallibility:
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness .(2 Tim 3:16).
The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the
testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. (Psa.
19:7).
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put
their trust in him. (Pro. 30:5).
The Bible is God speaking to us. It is a revelation from God to man.
God has given to man a special supernatural revelation. Such a
revelation is possible, necessary, probable, credible,
reasonable, and certain. God has spoken and the Bible is the
result of it. His Spirit has spoken through men unto us. "Men
spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit."
The Bible is a revelation from God to man. It is a communication by
God to man of those truths concerning Himself, His plans, and His
will, and concerning man and his redemption which could not have been
known through nature, nor by intuition, nor by any process of
reasoning, apart from supernatural aid.
Six Steps of Reason
Rev.
H. S. Miller gives six steps towards knowing for certain that God has
given man supernatural revelation of Himself through the
Bible.
1. A REVELATION IS POSSIBLE.
With God all things are
possible. Surely an infinitely wise and infinitely powerful God
can, if He will, reveal Himself, His plans, and His will to man. And
God is able to preserve such a revelation.
2. A REVELATION IS NECESSARY. Without
a revelation from God, man could know nothing of God's love, His
provision for pardon, reconciliation, and the blessings of the new
life in Christ. These truths must come through
revelation. The truths concerning immortality, future
rewards and punishment, etc. can be known only through
revelation. Human opinions are not sufficient guides in
matters of life and conduct. They are various and contradictory. The
law of God, the only sufficient rule, can be known only through
revelation .
The heathen world is hopelessly corrupt, and is powerless to make
itself better. The best of heathen philosophers and moralists are
corrupt and teach what is contrary to the law of God and Christian
principles. It is the Bible alone, as a revelation from
God,
that saves us from the ignorance, superstition, cruelty, and impurity
of these things.
3. A REVELATION IS PROBABLE. If a
revelation is possible and necessary and if God loves His creatures,
yearns over them, and longs to bring them into fellowship with
Himself, then surely a revelation is preeminently probable.
4. A REVELATION IS CREDIBLE. If it is
possible, necessary, and probable, it is overwhelmingly
credible (believable, reliable). In fact it would be
most difficult to believe that such a revelation should not
be given.
5. A REVELATION IS REASONABLE. It
would seem strange indeed if the Author of our being who has enabled
us to communicate with one another in so many ways should never have
communicated with us at all. Reason, so far from rejecting the idea
of a revelation, rather calls for it.
6. A REVELATION IS CERTAIN . The
obvious conclusion! Our wonderful Bible is this
revelation. The Bible claims to be a revelation from God, and these
claims are fully substantiated by its miracles, fulfilled prophecy,
the propagation of Christianity, the fruits of Christianity, and the
satisfaction it brings to the human heart the world over.
God's Books
I have always loved books. From an early age I would stay up
into the late hours of the night reading. It might have been the
Hardy boys that kept me up, but since that time my love for the Hardy
boys has passed. God has so met me and poured out His Spirit as I
have studied His Word that at times I don't want to go to bed. God
has given me a love for Him and His Book.
While my primary love of written material is God's Word, I also enjoy
all kinds of books about God's books. Is it wrong to be a lover of
books? It has been a great comfort to me to know that God loves books
as well. God has books in heaven. God is a lover of books. We find
reference to four different kinds of books or records that are kept
in heaven.
1. Book of Life. Men will be
judged by the things that have been recorded in the books in
heaven. Our lives are recorded in books in
heaven. Job wished his trial was recorded in a book, and it was.
We can be sure that our trials and triumphs will be recorded as
well.
2. Book of Remembrance. God
remembers and records our good deeds.
3. Book recording how God
distinctivly created us. Each
of us has been created differently and God has recorded in a book our
genetic make-up. He also has numbered the hairs on our head.
4. Books that record all our tears
. God who is full of mercy sees and remembers
all our heartaches and pains.
We can't read these books that are kept in heaven. They are not for
us to read, but we do have the greatest of all books, the Bible, to
read here on earth. God has taken great pains to make sure that we
have a copy of His written revelation of Himself to man.
Importance of the Bible to Jesus
In His Ministry
We
can see the importance of the Word of God in Jesus' life and
ministry. He is called the Word of God and often quoted the
Scriptures in dealing with the religious leaders of the time. The
following are some examples:
Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The
stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the
corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
(Matt. 21:42).
Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of
David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? (John
7:42).
Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye
are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and
the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath
sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I
said, I am the Son of God? (John 10:34-36).
Not only did He use the Scriptures when dealing with the religious
leaders, but Jesus used the Word of God when battling against his
arch-enemy Satan. In Matthew 4, we find Jesus tried by Satan. In
verse 4, Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 8:3: " man doth not live
by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of
the LORD doth man live." In verse 7, Jesus referred to
Deuteronomy 6:16, "Ye shall not tempt the LORD your
God." In 4:10, He quoted Deuteronomy 6:13: "Thou shalt
fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his
name."
Jesus, God Incarnate, thought it important to know and use the Word
of God in dealing with the Scribes and Pharisees, in battling with
the devil, and in teaching His closest disciples. Jesus not only came
to fulfill the Scriptures, but He explained what
the Father really meant through the Word of
God that had already been written by Jesus' time. In fact from the
age of twelve when he was found in the temple discussing the Word of
God with the teachers till he was resurrected, we find Jesus
explaining the Bible to others.
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto
them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. (Luke
24:27).
Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand
the scriptures, (Luke 24:45).
Fulfilling Scripture
Jesus acknowledged that all Scripture pointed to Him. In
John 5:39, Jesus said, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye
think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of
me." He came to fulfill Scripture. In
the famous Sermon on the Mount Jesus said that He did not come to
abolish the Bible, but to fulfill it. In Luke 18:31, we read,
"Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold,
we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the
prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished."
Jesus was aware that He had to fulfill that which was written by the
prophets concerning His life. He validated the Scriptures by
declaring He would fulfill all the Bible said concerning the
Messiah.
Meaning of "Bible"
The Word "Bible" comes from the Greek word
biblos
which was the name given to the pulp of a papyrus reed upon which
ancient books were written. The plural form of
biblos is biblia,
and by the second century A.D. Christians were using this later word
to describe their writings. About 400 A.D., Jerome and the Church
fathers titled the scriptures "The Books." By the year 1200 the Bible
became known as The Book. The following are some examples showing how
the Greek word, biblos or biblion, meaning
"little book" is used in the New Testament.
The book [biblos] of the generation of Jesus
Christ . (Matt. 1:1).
And there was delivered unto him the book
[biblion]of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the
book, [biblion] he found the place where it was written
. (Luke 4:17).
The plural term Biblia stresses the fact that the Bible is a
collection of books. That the word came to be used in the singular
emphasizes the fact that behind these many books there lies a
wonderful unity. Even though there were about forty (40) writers,
there was only One Author, the Holy Spirit.
The Bible is also called The Scripture
,
and The
Scriptures. These terms signify that these are holy
writings. The Apostle Paul calls the Bible the holy
Scriptures and the sacred
writings. One very common term used for the Bible, one
that I often use, is
The
Word of God.
The Divisions of the Scriptures
Two Testaments
Next to the fact that the Bible is one book, the most
obvious fact is that it is also divided into two parts called
testaments. The word "testament" was originally translated
"covenant." It is the Hebrew word berith, meaning
"covenant, or compact, or arrangement between two parties." It
signifies the thought that there are two covenants that God made with
His people.
There are thirty-nine (39) books in the Old Testament and
twenty-seven (27) in the New Testament. An easy way to remember this
is to take the number of letters in the two words which in is 3 (New
or Old) and 9 (Testament) in each case. Place the 3 by the 9 for the
Old Testament's number of books = 39. For the New Testament (a
higher covenant) use a higher form
of math, and multiply 3 x 9 = 27 books in the New Testament.
Divisions in the Old Testament
The Hebrew Old Testament was arranged in three sections
totaling twenty-four books. The three sections were the Law, the
Prophets, and the Writings.
The Law, 5 books
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
The Prophets, 8 books
Former Prophets--Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings
Latter Prophets--Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, The Twelve
The Writings, 11 books
Poetical Books--Psalms, Proverbs, Job
Five Rolls--Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Esther,
Ecclesiastes
Historical
Books--Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah, Chronicles.
Jesus referred to these three divisions in Luke 24:44, "And he
said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I
was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were
written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms,
concerning me."
Sometimes the Old Testament is briefly referred to as "the law and
the
prophets"
or even more simply, "the law". In Luke 11:51, Jesus referred to
the blood of Abel to Zecharias. In doing so, He covered the span of
time from Genesis to Chronicles, the last book of the Hebrew
Bible.
Of the Writings, there were several books that were read at special
occasions.
Canticles Read at Passover
Ruth Read at Pentecost
Lamentations Read 9th of Abib
(to commemorate Jerusalem's destruction)
Ecclesiastes Read at Feast of Tabernacles
Esther Read at Feast of Purim
The Hebrew Canon had 24 books compared with our 39. The Hebrews
combined some of the books that we have divided into two or more
books.
Our book order has changed somewhat from the time that the Hebrew
Scriptures were translated into Greek at Alexandria, Egypt (250-150
B.C.). This translation, which happened to be the one Jesus read in
His time, groups the books according to the modern classification of
five books of Law, twelve books of History, five books of Poetry, and
seventeen books of Prophecy.
The New Testament refers to the Old Testament about 1,000 times (by
direct quote or reference.) The Bible is its own best interpreter.
Jesus clearly upholds all the 39 Old Testament books. Matthew 23:35
and Luke 24:44-45 are all-inclusive of the whole Jewish Canon (from
one end of the Hebrew canon to the other--Genesis to 2 Chronicles).
Second Chronicles was the last book in the Hebrew canon.
To the Alexandrian arrangement of the books of the Bible, the early
Christian Fathers added the books of the New Testament, which were
classified in four groups: Gospels (4 books), History (1 book),
Epistles (21 books), and Prophecy (1 book). The twenty-one epistles
were subdivided into the Pauline (13) and the General (8).
OLD TESTAMENT 39 Books
1. The Pentateuch Genesis--Deuteronomy (5)
2. The Historical Books Joshua--Esther (12)
3. The Poetical Books Job--Song of Solomon (5)
4. The Major Prophets Isaiah--Daniel (5)
5. The Minor Prophets Hosea--Malachi (12)
NEW TESTAMENT 27 Books
1. Gospels Matthew--John (4)
2. History Acts (1)
3. Epistles Pauline, General (21)
4. Prophecy Revelation (1)
66 Books in the Bible
Chapters and Verses
The Bible was not originally divided into what we now know
as chapters and verses. Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury,
who died in 1228, is thought to have been the first to introduce
chapter divisions. In 1551, the New Testament was first published
with verse divisions by Robert Stephans. The Geneva Bible of 1560 was
the first Bible to be entirely published in chapters and verses.
It is important to realize that the chapter and verse designations
were not part of the original texts and are not inspired. These
divisions are convenient for reference and quotation purposes, but
they are man-made and not inspired. While these are generally quite
helpful, there are some divisions that are quite misleading and fall
right in the middle of a subject. Don't just think that because a
chapter ends that the thought ends there. It may continue on through
the next chapter. In Acts 22, Paul's speech is cut off from the
events that lead up to it in the previous chapter. John 7:53 and 8:1
need to go together without the chapter to break the flow.
According to figures given by William Evans, the English KJV Bible
has:
1189 chapters (929 in O.T., 260 in N.T.)
31,173 verses 775,693 words.
Some other interesting facts about the Bible's chapter and verse
designations are
Psalm 119 is the longest chapter;
Psalm 117 is the shortest;
Esther 8:9 is the longest verse;
John 11:35 is the shortest verse.
Writers of the Scriptures
The Bible is one book, and yet it is also made up of many
books written by at least forty (40) different authors over a period
of over 1600 years. Many of these men never saw each other. They were
from all walks of life and all kinds of occupations. It was written
about all kinds of subjects and used all kinds of literary styles.
Yet, because it had only One Author, it has remained steadfast and
true through generations and will till the end of eternity. Its unity
and continuity are so apparent that though many were used to pen the
Scriptures, there was truly One Author--God.
Of all the sixty-six books of the Bible, fifty-five of the books have
authors that are easily identified. The eleven books whose authors
are not known are Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1
& 2 Chronicles, Esther, Job, and Hebrews. The superscriptions
over many psalms also show some additional writers. In Proverbs we
have Agur mentioned in 30:1 and King Lemuel in 31:1. All the authors
except for Luke were Jews. The occupational backgrounds of those that
are known are varied and are listed below:
Shepherds--Moses and Amos
Soldier--Joshua
Kings--David and Solomon
Priests--Jeremiah and Ezekiel
Statesman--Daniel
Butler--Nehemiah
Scribe--Ezra
Tax collector--Matthew
Doctor--Luke
Fishermen--Peter and John
Theologian--Paul
Someone may ask, "Is the Bible accurate after all these centuries?
What could I possibly gain from someone who lived in a different
culture, never saw a television, listened to a radio, drove a car, or
knew anything about computers or splitting atoms?" The answer to that
question comes down to a question of who was the One who gave the
Bible. We happen to know that the Bible is relevant because it came
from a God who never changes, it claims to apply for all time, and
still works in the lives of those who believe it!
There are several terms that we need to know in order to discuss the
inerrancy of God's Word. Inerrancy of Scripture means that in
its original autographs the Bible contains no mistakes . In
the original languages in which it was written, it is absolutely
infallible--without any error at all. This has been the position of
all the confessions and creeds of faith down through the years. Three
short definitions for three important terms show their relationship
to truth:
Revelation --"truth given"
Inspiration --"truth recorded"
Illumination --"truth revealed."
In the middle of the eighteenth century with the beginning of what
came to be known as "higher criticism" of Scripture, natural
presuppositions, along with man's reasoning and new discoveries began
to analyze the Bible to "get at its real truth." All of this
developed into the movement we now know as liberalism, which saw the
Bible full of errors, the work of men, and something that was just on
the plane of Shakespeare or Longfellow.
Neo-orthodox thinkers try to say that the Bible contains the Word of
God. In other words, they said that the Bible was partly the Word of
God and partly the work of man. This allows man to decide what is
true and what is not true. This modern position amounts to humanism:
whatever man decides for himself is right. It says that we come to
the Bible and then decide what we think is inspired by God or some
horrid mistake of a misguided religious nut.
What did Jesus say about the inerrancy of His Word? Jesus referred to
many Old Testament persons and events and thus bore testimony to the
authenticity and authority of the Old Testament. Jesus bore testimony
to the three most disputed accounts in the Old Testament:
1. The Creation--Matthew 19:4-5
2. Noah and the Flood--Matthew 24:37-39
3. Jonah and the Whale--Matthew 12:39-41.
The Scriptures themselves claim to be inspired of God.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness:That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished
unto all good works. (2 Tim. 3:16,17).
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy
men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2 Pe.
1:21).
Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law and the
scripture cannot be broken . (John 10:34,35).
The above verses show that the Bible claims to be the
communication of God to man. In Second Timothy 3:16, we read that all
scripture is given by inspiration of God. The Greek word
theopneustos is translated as "inspired." It literally
means "God-breathed." It is a combination of the Greek word
theos (God) and pneu (breath). We get such
English words from this as pneumatic and pneumonia from the Greek
word pheu. We find the thought of "God-breathed" in
Psalm 33:6: "By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and
all the host of them by the breath of his mouth." God breathed
the universe into existence. In the same way He breathed His Word,
the Bible. Thus, from this verse we can read, "All scripture
is God-breathed. "
Inspiration
Inspiration of Scripture is further defined
as God's superintendance of the human authors so that using their own
individual personalities, they composed and recorded without error
His revelation to man in the words of the original autographs.
Inspiration is the process of God breathing into men, thus qualifying
them to receive and communicate divine truth. It is the Holy Spirit
speaking through men to Man. It is the work of God through the Spirit
in men enabling them to receive and give forth divine truth without
error. It makes the speaker and writer infallible in the
communication of this truth, whether this truth was previously known
or not. It causes the message to go beyond human power and become
divinely authoritative. The Holy Spirit so guided and
controlled the men who wrote the Old and New Testaments in the
original languages that what they wrote was EXACTLY what God wanted
to communicate.
The scriptures are not only inspired; they are
God-inspired; the product of
the all-powerful creative Breath of God, the same power that created
all the hosts of heaven.
The writers of the Bible were God-inspired men, in order that
they might give to us a God-inspired Book. The Holy Spirit so guided
and controlled the men who wrote the Bible that what they wrote in
the original languages was written so every word was exactly what God
wanted to have written.
Wrong Views of Inspiration
There are some wrong views of inspiration of Scripture that
we need to be careful of. In order to arrive at a correct definition
of what Biblical inspiration is, we need to look at some of the
erroneous concepts some people have about the inspiration of
Scripture.
1. Natural view --says that inspiration is a high
level of human achievement. These terribly deceived theologians think
that God used geniuses to write the Bible. They were no more inspired
than Homer when he wrote Odessey or Shakespeare when he
penned Hamlet. This view exalts human authors and denies
that God had anything to do with the Bible. This is a very dangerous
view and one to keep away from.
Scripture has many evidences for supernatural inspiration. They fall
into three categories: external evidence, internal evidence, and
experimental evidence.
2. Mystical view-- states that the people were
inspired by the Holy Spirit, but only to the level that any Christian
can be inspired. Just as God speaks to every believer, so He spoke to
these men of old. If we allow this view, then anyone of us can write
more scripture. First Peter 1:10-12 tells us that there is a
difference between inspiration and illumination. Prophets were given
inspiration to record great truths but were not given illumination to
understand the meaning of what they prophesied. Illumination is the
Holy Spirit's quickening upon our hearts when we read the Word of
God. It is the influence of the Holy Spirit common to all Christians
that helps them grasp the things of God. First Corinthians 2:14
alludes to this: "But the natural man receiveth not the things
of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can
he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
This view is, of course, very dangerous and against the
warning in Revelation 22:18, " If any man shall add unto these
things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this
book."
3. Partial inspiration-- says that God only inspired
certain things so that we could know such events as creation. This
makes man the judge of God's Word.
4. Inspired thoughts only-- God didn't only give
general thoughts to the Bible writers, even the choice of words were
directed by the Spirit. Jesus said, "I have given them the
words which thou gavest me" .
Every
word
was inspired. In Matthew 5:18, Jesus referred
to every jot and tittle. A jot was the smallest letter of the Hebrew
alphabet and a tittle was an accent that could change the meaning of
a word. Thus, Jesus declared
every
word
to be inspired.
In Galatians 3:16, Paul based a doctrine
on one word being plural, not singular. In John 10:34, Jesus used one
word to stand against the reasonings of the Jewish leaders.
God
didn't give just the writers thoughts. If God simply gave men
thoughts or left them to their own ideas and permitted them
afterwards to write these thoughts or ideas, undirected as best they
could in their own words, then there would be no guarantee
that
we have God's words, nor even His choice of words, but merely man's
selection.
5. Verbal Dictation--
we shouldn't think that God dictated to
the writers just as the business or professional man would dictate to
his secretary. This would be "mechanical inspiration." Both the
writer and the writings were inspired by the Spirit. There may be
case where there was verbal dictation,
such as in the Ten Commandments and some of the messages through the
prophets have been dictated, but such cases are very few.
Dictation
makes the writer almost a mere machine, a
passive agent, a pen and not a penman of the Holy Spirit. It does not
account for the different styles and personal traits of the different
writers, or the personal and human touches in the writings.
Evidences of the Bible as the Word
of God
For those that try to judge
to see if the Bible is really the inspired Word of God, there are
three basic areas of evidence to prove it. People who do try to judge
to see if the Bible is the Word of God have made some disastrous
assumptions to begin with. They have elevated
human intellect to be the judge of the reasonableness of a doctrine
or to judge whether something could really happen or not. Many say
that the flood, creation, or Jonah in the whale could not have
happened because it is contrary to their
present experience. These doubters fall prey to the sin of pride and
forget to look at three compelling evidences for the inspiration of
the Bible.
Internal Evidence
Internal evidence says that the
Bible itself claims to be the inspired Word of God. We already saw
that in Second Timothy 3:16 the Bible claims to be "God-breathed."
Over 3,800 times the Bible says, "God said." Not only does it claim
inspiration by God, but the fact
that over forty authors wrote over 1600 years from all kinds of
occupations and social status and yet have produced a Book that has
the same theme of redemption and continually builds and never
contradicts its teachings is miraculous. Jesus
fulfilled 332 prophecies that were
recorded in the Scriptures. The chances for one man to do this were 1
in 8.4 x
1097.
That is 8.4 with ninety-seven zeros behind it!
External Evidence
The
external evidence also shows the inspiration and work of the Holy
Spirit in putting together the Bible. First of all, the Bible has
greater circulation than any other Book in history. It is continually
the number one best-selling book each year! It
also has been preserved like no other
ancient book in the world. There are over 5,000 fragments that date
within fifty years of the original writings. It is documented and
proven to be historically accurate as well. There have been times
when man has said that there was an
error in the Bible's historical accuracy.
One such instance is the reference to
Belteshazzar as ruler in Babylon in the book of Daniel. The critics
said that they knew that Belteshazzar was not king at the time, so
therefore the Bible was wrong and we could not trust its accuracy.
Archeology later discovered that
Belteshazzar was second in command at Babylon. Another example
concerns King Solomon's wealth. Higher critics doubted the Bible's
description, but archaeologist Henry Breasted, between 1925 and 1934
unearthed the remains of one of
Solomon's "chariot
cities" at Megiddo in northern Israel. He found stables capable of
holding over 400 horses and the remains of barracks the soldiers that
were stationed there. Nelson Glueck, another archaeologist found the
remains of a huge refining factory for
copper and iron, two metals Solomon used
when bartering for gold, silver, and ivory (see 1 Kings 9:28;
10:22).
Experimental Evidence
Experimental evidence can
best be summed up in the fact that it still changes lives! It is
up-to-date and applicable to man's problems and life's situations in
the twentieth century as well as it was 3,000 years ago! Drug
addicts, alcoholics, and murderers
still find that the truth shown in the Bible changes them into men
and women of God. People are healed as they believe the Word of God.
Sinners receive peace and joy as they turn to the God of the Bible
and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
We know that the Bible is the Word
of God because it meets the deepest needs of man. Human hearts all
over the world are hungry for the message of redemption it offers and
receive its truth no matter what culture they come from.
I can believe that the Bible is
true because it gives me the experience that it claims it will give
me. When it says that God will forgive my sins if I believe and
accept God's forgiveness, it happens and I have a sense of freedom
from guilt. It says that if I come to
Christ I will become a new creation. I believed in Christ and old
things passed away and all things became new. Millions of people have
had their lives changed--from heads of state and brilliant educators
to generals, historians, farmers, and
slaves. Millions of people are a living
proof that the Bible has been given to us by a God who has the power
to back up His Word.
Another argument comes from science, for the
Bible is also scientifically accurate although it does not try to be
a scientific textbook and describes things as man sees them. (For
example, we say the sun rises even though we know that the earth
really
turns.
We describe things as we see them.)
The hydrological cycle--rain falling
to the ground, running into streams, rivers, and eventually the ocean
where the water evaporates and becomes rain or snow again--is a
fairly recent discovery in the history of man. But in Isaiah 55:10,
we read, "For as the rain cometh
down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but
watereth the earth, ."
Before the
earth was discovered to be round Isaiah 40:21,22 claimed that same
fact. Luke 17:24 describes the earth as revolving. Jeremiah 33:22
tells us that the stars were innumerable when all kinds of
astronomists for centuries thought that they had
them all numbered. Job 28:5 describes
the interior of the earth as fire; another fact that our scientists
now attest to. Thus, the Bible has shown to be scientifically
accurate as man finds more and more out about his world and universe.
Experimental evidence shows the
Bible to be the Word of God.
While there are many solid arguments for
the inspiration of Scripture, no one will be convinced if he does not
want to be. It is ultimately a matter of faith, not of argument. You
can convince someone intellectually that the Bible is God's Word and
yet he may not see the necessity of believing and
living by the Scripture. The only thing that will convince a man
enough to change his heart and mind is the power of the Holy Spirit
working in his heart. For this reason Paul wrote in First Corinthians
2:1-5:
And I, brethren, when I came
to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring
unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing
among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you
in weakness, and in fear, and in much
trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words
of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the
power of God.
Paul knew that he did not need human
philosophy or wisdom. God does not need man's reason or knowledge.
Paul had tried to reason with the citizens of Athens and they thought
that he was full of nonsense. Some people still respond to the gospel
in this manner. It may sound like
foolishness, Paul admits to that, but it has the power to change
lives and put man in right relationship with God. In that we can be
sure.
Apparent Contradictions
What about the so-called
contradictions in the Bible? There are a variety of passages that on
the surface appear to be contradictions. However, if one approaches
the Bible with an honest heart really searching for truth, these are
easily explained. There are seven reasons
the Scripture may appear to contradict itself or appear to have
discrepancies:
1. An error was made in translation.
2. The Bible records what people say even
if it is a lie. An example of this is found in First Samuel 31:4 and
Second Samuel 1:10. The Amalakite lied to try to impress David. The
Bible does not record two different accounts; it only records one
account
and
what another said.
3. Measurements before the Babylonian
captivity and after the captivity changed. This is similar to the
U.S. gallons and the Imperial gallons. If one was to measure the
volume of some water, he would come up with two different numbers in
gallons for the
same
amount of water depending on which gallon measurement he used. An
example of this is in First Kings 7:26 and Second Chronicles 4:5.
4. Failure to read exactly
what the Bible says. Some have questioned Biblical authority by
asking where Cain got a wife if he was driven away. The answer may be
that Cain took his wife with him.
5. The writer may not record all that was said, or there may be
two similar situations or discourses recorded in Scripture.
6. Some Hebrew words can have totally opposite meanings. For
instance, nakar means "to know" or "not to know." The
Hebrew word yanosh means either "to possess" or "to
dispossess."
7. Since Hebrew letters have no vowels, there can be a question as to
what word is actually used.
Revelation
Revelation is the act of God by which He communicates facts and
truths which were not knownbefore. It is the
disclosure of something that has been previously hidden, the
unveiling of something that has been veiled. The first chapters of
Genesis and the death of Moses (Deut. 34) are perhaps examples of
history given by revelation. No one knows exactly how much of the
Bible came by divine revelation. Revelation came from God. Revelation
has the thought of Divine disclosure.
God can reveal things in different ways. There are two main
classifications of revelation: general and special. God generally
reveals things to all men. He speaks to man from nature, God's
dealings with man in his conscience, the preservation of the
universe, and man's moral nature. We all can see certain aspects of
God through general revelation, but there is also special or direct
revelation. Two examples of this are Christ, the Living Word and the
Scriptures.
Not all that is in the Bible has come from direct revelation. There
is much history and many personal observations recorded. The Holy
Spirit influenced the writers so that, by inspiration, they were kept
from every error of fact and doctrine. The Bible records what God has
done and said, what man had done and said, and what the devil has
done and said.
What was written as history came either (1) from personal
observation, or (2) from existing documents. Ezra and Nehemiah, for
example, used both. (Ezra, who wrote Chronicles, quotes from a number
of sources.) It did not require revelation for Moses
to write the journey of Israel from Egypt to Sinai and the Plains of
Moab, but it did require inspiration to let him
know just what to include and what to omit and to secure
accuracy.
Revelation discovers new truth to men;
Inspiration guides and controls the giving out of
the truth. Not all the Bible was revealed by God to the
writers, nor did it need to be; but the entire Bible is
inspired by God. The Bible contains
revelation; it is inspired.
Illumination is the act of the Holy Spirit upon our
hearts and minds to cause us to grasp that which God desired to
communicate through the Scriptures.
The scriptures are neither partially inspired nor occasionally
inspired. Every word is inspired (God-breathed). ALL SCRIPTURE
is inspired by God. Verbal Inspiration is the work of God
through the Holy Spirit so directing men in their choice of the
subject matter and in their choice of words that their
writings contain exactly what God desired and all that He desired
them to contain. God so guided in the writing of the books of the
Bible that the words are His words in the style of the writers. God's
Spirit flowed through the personalities of the writers, yet the
choice of their words were precisely those that the Lord wanted in
His eternal Word.
Only the Bible in its original language,
Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, is inspired. And while
the Christian church has not always had and does not now have the
original apostolic autographs, yet she has always had the original
scriptures. By the process of textual criticism and the comparison of
the many existing manuscript copies, versions and patristic
quotations, we have good reasons for believing that we have a text
which is very substantially the same as the original.
No claim is made for the inspiration of a translation,
yet our English translations (KJV, NIV, etc.) are quite true to the
Hebrew and Greek, and it is always possible to compare them with the
original languages.
Languages of the Bible
Hebrew
It is important to remember that the Bible was not written
in King James English. The Old Testament was written primarily in
Hebrew, and the New Testament was written in Koine Greek, which was
the style of Greek the common people used. A few parts of the Old
Testament are written in Aramaic (Ezra 4:8-7:18; 7:12-26; Jer. 10:11;
Dan. 2:4-7:28). Hebrew is a pictorial language that uses vivid
metaphors that often challenge and dramatize a story. Many of these
"word pictures" are lost in translation, but with proper Bible Study
tools, we can rediscover the picture that God originally desired to
put in our minds. Hebrew is also a personal language. It does not try
to address just the mind or reason but speaks to the heart and
emotions. At times even nations are given personalities. Hebrew is a
language that is felt rather than thought. F.F. Bruce describes the
Hebrew language very well:
Biblical Hebrew does not deal with abstractions but with the facts of
experience. It is the right sort of language for the record of the
self-revelations of a God who does not make Himself known by
philosophical propositions but by controlling and intervening in the
course of human history. Hebrew is not afraid to use daring
anthropomorphisms when speaking of God. If God imparts to men the
knowledge of Himself, He chooses to do so most effectively in terms
of human life and human language.
The Hebrew alphabet had no vowels and no punctuation. What is more,
all the letters were run together. If we wrote this way in English,
we would get something like this:
MTHLRDYRGDWHBRGHTYTFTHLNDFGYP
TTFTHHSFBNDGYSHLLHVNTHRGDSBFRM
Can you guess what was written? If you can correctly place the vowels
where they are to go and decipher what they are to be, you can
finally figure out what this sentence reads.
I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land
of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods
before me. (Ex. 20:2,3).
Greek
You can see the problems in reading Hebrew. As time went on,
more and more Jews learned Greek, and fewer and fewer could read
Hebrew accurately. So from the time of about 270 B.C. up into the
Christian Era, Jewish scholars made translations of the Old Testament
from Hebrew into Greek. These were the documents that early
Christians used and are known as the Septuagint (from
septuaginto = seventy) because according to tradition
seventy scholars produced the translation in seventy days.
About a dozen books in the Septuagint were not included among the
approved Jewish Scriptures by the council of Jamnia. These are called
the Apocrypha (meaning "hidden" or "obscure"). These are included in
Roman Catholic translations, but not in the Protestant
translations.
It took about 100 years for the New Testament to be written. It was
written in Greek, not the stately classical Greek of Plato, but the
ordinary, market-place dialect known as Koine. That in
itself is a kind of translation, for Jesus spoke Aramaic and their
spoken Aramaic had to be written in Greek. A few Aramaic expressions
are found in the New Testament, such as Jesus' cry from the cross,
"Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani."
One reason that Greek was used was for its evangelistic suitability.
It was a nearly universal language, much the same as English is the
universal business language of today. Koine Greek was commonly known
around the first-century Mediterranean world.
Writing Materials
The materials that were used by other ancient writers were
also used by the writers of Scripture. The science of archeology has
proven that writing was known long before the time of Moses. The
Sumerians were adept at writing in about 4000 B.C., and the Egyptians
and Babylonians almost as far back in history.
1. Stone --Many famous inscriptions have been found
in Egypt and Babylon inscribed on stone. God gave Moses the Ten
Commandments inscribed on stone. Two other examples are the Moabite
stone (850 B.C.) and the Siloam Inscription found in Hezekiah's
tunnel by the pool of Siloam (700 B.C.). The ancients would write in
stone with a chisel. God, however, could write with just His
finger.
2. Clay --Clay was used in the ancient land of Sumer
as early as about 3500 B.C. and was also used by Jeremiah and
Ezekiel. The clay would be written on when it was soft or damp and
then either dried in the sun or baked in a kiln to make a permanent
record. Thousands of this kind of writing have been uncovered by
archaeologists. It was the predominate writing material for the
Assyrians and the Babylonians. The instrument used to write in clay
was called a stylus. It was a three-sided instrument with a beveled
head that would make incursions into the clay. It was sometimes
called a pen, as in Jeremiah 17:1.
3. Wood --Wooden tablets were used a lot by the
ancients for writing and were especially popular in Greece. Some
believe that this kind of writing material is referred to in Isaiah
30:8 and Habakkuk 2:2.
4. Leather --There are various quality grades of
writing material made from the skins of different animals. The Jewish
Talmud required that the Scriptures should be copied on
the skins of animals. From this we gather that the Old Testament was
written on leather. Rolls were made by sewing skins together that
went from just a few feet to a 100 or more feet in length. Each roll
would be about 18-27 inches high and would be rolled on one or two
sticks. It was only written on one side.
5. Papyrus --This was made by pressing and gluing
two layers of split papyrus reeds together to form a sheet. A series
of these sheets were then joined together to form a scroll. One of
these types of papyrus scrolls is mentioned in Revelation 5:1. The
apostle John used papyrus for his epistles.
6. Vellum or parchment --Around the year 200 B.C.,
vellum began to be used. Vellum was made through a special treatment
of skins. Originally parchment was made from the skin of goats and
sheep, and vellum was made from the skins of calves and antelopes.
These were fine quality leather that was used specifically for
writing. It had the advantage over leather in that it could be
written on both sides. Almost all of the manuscripts known now are
written on this. Paul clearly mentions parchments in Second Timothy
4:13.
A pen was used to write on vellum, parchment, or leather, as
indicated in Third John 13. Pens were originally devised to be used
with papyrus. They were made from hollow stalks of coarse grass or
reeds. The dry reed was cut diagonally with a knife and shaved to
point, which was then split. In order to keep these in good
condition, a scribe always carried a knife with him. Thus, we get the
name "penknife." This is what was used in Jeremiah 36:23 to destroy a
scroll.
These pens were used along with an inkhorn and ink which was often
made from soot or lampblack and gum, and then diluted with water. The
Essenes, who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls, used burned lamb bones and
oil.
The Need for a Canon
Many people do not realize that the earliest New Testament
writings are not the Gospels, but Paul's letters. The first of these,
First Thessalonians, was written as early as around 50 A.D. Paul had
no idea that he was writing "sacred Scripture," but he wrote to help
churches deal with specific problems. These letters were circulated
among the early churches and gradually a collection of the developed.
The rest of the New Testament writings were written either during
persecution (Hebrews, 1 Peter, and Revelation) or to combat
heresy.
Heresy is not a belief that is totally false, but rather, a belief
that overemphasizes part of the truth, and can thus pretend to be the
truth. The heresy that was attacking the early church was the thought
that Jesus only seemed to have a human body, but actually was not
fully a man. This belief was called "Docetism," from the Greek word
which means "to seem."
Sectarians began to make changes in the apostolic writings to suit
their fancies. Numerous books were being written under the forged
names of the apostles, so the Church felt the necessity of knowing
the exact scope of apostolic teaching in order to unite more
effectively in the defense of it.
Marcion, an early heretic, came to the false conclusion that the Old
Testament and the New Testament were written about two different gods
and decided to draw up a list of sacred writings that would meet his
approval. He threw out the entire Old Testament and only kept the
Gospel of Luke and ten of Paul's letters that he felt were
"safe."
Because of such antics and the increase of other heresies, the Early
Church gradually began to develop a standard list of authorized
writings. They included the Old Testament and gradually reached an
agreement which of the many new Christian writings should be included
as well. By 200 A.D., there was a pretty good general agreement about
the Gospels, Acts, and Paul's letters.
In 330 A.D., the first (so-called) Christian Emperor Constantine
ordered fifty copies of the scriptures to be prepared for use in the
churches in Constantinople. The question then arose, "Which writings
are 'Scripture?'" Constantine's request to Eusebius to pare fifty
copies of scripture brought about the need to know what constituted
the Canon. By 367 A.D., a list had been approved which comprises our
present New Testament. These writings are called the "canon," which
comes from a Greek word kanon which was a rod, ruler,
or measuring rod. Thus the word kanon began to mean
"standard or norm." In Galatians 6:16, we find this word used:
And as many as walk according to this rule
[kanon], peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of
God.
Canonicity seeks to answer the question of which books
God inspired. Inspiration indicates how the Bible received its
authority, and canonization tells us how the Bible received its
acceptance. It is one thing for God to give the Bible, and another
thing for men to recognize that God actually did give them.
God is really the one who determines canonicity. The reason there are
only sixty-six books is because God only inspired sixty-six books. A
book is valuable to us because God inspired it and possessed Divine
authority in our lives.
The word "canon" was first applied to the Scriptures in the 4th
Century A.D. by the Alexandrian Church Father Athanasius (296-373
A.D.) The Sacred Canon of Scripture is the name
given to those genuine, authentic, and inspired books which form the
Holy Scriptures. Uncanonical books are those whose contents have not
reached the standard needed to be admitted to the canon.
Tests of Canonicity
How did the church Fathers know when they had come upon a
book that God inspired as Holy Scripture? How did they know if a book
was not inspired. There were false apostles and heretics throughout
the early church. How did they sort out the true from the false, the
canonical books from the apocryphal? The early church Fathers were
very careful about allowing books into the canon. The fact that some
books in the Bible were doubted at times shows the caution of the
church Fathers.
In deciding whether a book was inspired of God or not, three basic
questions were raised. These three areas of questions formed three
basic rules or measuring sticks used to decide if a book should be
included in the canon of Scripture.
1. Authority of the Writer --Was the writer a
prophet of God or leader of God's people? In the New Testament a book
had to be written by an apostle or backed by the authority of an
apostle. Some books were rejected because they did not have the
"ring" of authority in them. For a time, the book of Esther was
disputed, but after closer examination, Esther retained its place in
the canon because the Fathers were convinced that authority was
present.
In deciding upon the authority of the writer, one of the questions
was whether the writer was confirmed by supernatural acts of God.
Elijah triumphed over Baal's prophets by demonstrating the power of
God. Nicodemus told Jesus that he knew Jesus was from God because of
the signs that Jesus did. Paul declared that his apostleship was
valid by telling the Corinthians that the signs of an apostle were
performed among them.
2. Authenticity of the Book --Did the message tell
the truth about God? Authenticity refers to the truth of the facts
and content of the document. To be authentic it had to be trustworthy
and true. If there was a lie concerning the author, the entire book
could not be accepted. If the book has been spoken by God, then it
must have complete integrity.
3. Verdict of the Churches -- Was it accepted by the
people of God? If God spoke through a prophet it was accepted by the
people of God. True believers acknowledge the voice of God to them.
In determining the canon of the New Testament, initial acceptance of
the book was important. In First Thessalonians 2:13, Paul was
encouraged that the church received what he said as the word of
God:
For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye
received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as
the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which
effectually worketh also in you that believe.
There is ample evidence in Scripture that books were immediately
accepted into the canon by contemporaries of the writers. When Moses
wrote his books, they were immediately placed in the ark of the
covenant. Joshua's writings were also accepted in the same way.
Daniel had a copy of Moses and the Prophets which included a copy of
his contemporary Jeremiah. In the New Testament Paul quoted the
gospel of Luke as "Scripture." Peter had a collection of Paul's
letters, and the apostles encouraged the church to pass their letters
between the churches to be read to all.
The subject of canonicity seeks to answer the following
questions:
Old Testament Apocrypha
What happened to the books that were not included in the
canon? In the Old Testament we have a group of books called the
Apocrypha. These are fourteen (14) extra books that for one reason or
another failed the tests of canonization and were not considered
inspired. The literal meaning of the word Apocrypha is
"hidden or concealed." Originally the word referred to "the works of
a secret or mysterious nature--familiar only to an "inner circle."
The fourteen books were considered spurious, forged, with unknown or
fraudulent authorship. By the 4th century A.D. the word "apocrypha"
referred to books that were uncanonical or unrecognized as being part
of scripture. They were never accepted in the Hebrew Canon. They were
included in the Septuagint, the Greek version of the O.T., which was
composed in Alexandria, Egypt, 250 B.C.
The Apocrypha consists of the following writings:
I Esdras Baruch, with the Epistle of Jeremiah
II Esdras The Song of the Three Holy Children
Tobit The History of Susanna
Judith Bel and the Dragon
The Rest of Esther The Prayer of Manasses
The Wisdom of Solomon I Maccabees
Ecclesiasticus II Maccabees
The arguments against accepting these books as
canonical are as follows:
1. There are no clear quotations from it. If the New
Testament does refer to any of the fourteen apocryphal books, it
never states that any one of them is authoritative or canonical.
2. It is not certain that the first century Greek Old Testament
contained the Apocrypha.
3. They never had a place in the Hebrew Canon. This is universally
acknowledged, even by the Catholics as late as 1839 when their larger
Catechism expressly omitted the apocrypha on the grounds that they
did not exist in the Hebrew Bible.
4. Josephus (37-100 A.D. Jewish historian) expressly excludes
them.
5. Jerome (400 A.D.) rejected the authority of the entire Apocrypha
in the most emphatic manner. His positive declaration had great
weight with the churches.
6. Augustine is the only ancient voice that recognized the Apocrypha,
but Jerome, his contemporary, a greater biblical authority than
Augustine rejected them.
7. Philo, the great Jewish philosopher of Alexandria (20 B.C. - 50
A.D.) wrote prolifically and quoted largely from the Old Testament
scriptures, yet he never quoted from the Apocrypha, or even mentioned
them.
8. Discoveries at Qumran included commentaries on the canonical
books. While some Apocryphal books were found, there were not
commentaries on them and parchments indicated that the apocryphal
books were not viewed as canonical by the Qumran community.
9. Authorship is unknown for many of the books; divine inspiration
and authority is claimed by none of the writers; disclaimed by
some.
10. The Council of Trent (1545-63) was the first official
proclamation of the Roman Catholic church accepting the Apocrypha. It
was an obvious reaction against Protestantism and added books that
support salvation by works and prayers for the dead at that time.
This was only twenty-nine years after Luther posted his Ninety-five
Theses and is, therefore, highly suspect.
11. The books contain many historical, geographical, and
chronological errors and distortions of O.T. narratives,
contradicting themselves, the Bible, and secular history.
13. They teach doctrines and uphold practices which are directly
contrary to the canonical scriptures. Lying is sanctioned, suicide
and assassination are justified; salvation by works and almsgiving,
magical incantations, prayers of the dead for the dead, etc. are
taught and approved.
14. The spiritual and even the moral level is, as a whole far below
that of the Old Testament. When one reads in the O.T. and then turns
to a reading in the Apocrypha, he feels that he is almost in another
world.
15. The books were written much later than those of the O.T.-- long
after its canon was closed (400 B.C.). They were written from 200
B.C. to 100 A.D.
16. Jesus referred to the Jewish O.T. and its threefold division: The
Law, Prophets, and the Writings. Jesus supported and upheld the
Jewish Canon (the 39 books we use); he gives no authority or
authenticity to the Apocrypha.
Completion of the Old Testament Canon
When was the Old Testament canon completed? Here is a place
where opinions differ and historical statements are scarce. There are
ancient and persistent traditions that the books were collected and
the Canon was completed by Ezra and a band of helpers known as "The
Great Synagogue." Without attempting to defend the
existence of the "Great Synagogue" as a definite institution, the
following facts stand out boldly:
1. The Babylonian Exile (606-536 BC) was a period of punishment for
disobedience to the law of God. The period after the Return was one
of confusion and reconstruction, and Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah,
with Haggai and Zechariah were busy rebuilding the temple, city, and
walls, and restoring the Mosaic laws and institutions (see books of
Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, and Zechariah). Note the great religious
revival and reform that followed the public reading of "the book of
the Law" (Neh. 8-10). The people would have desired an authoritative
collection of their sacred books, to know the will of God and to
guard against future trouble.
2. Ezra, the leader of the second Return (458 B.C.), was not only a
priest; he was also "the scribe"; " a ready scribe in the law of
Moses"; "a scribe of the law of the God of heaven" (Ezra 7:6, 7:11,
7:12, 7:21; Neh. 8:1, 8:4, 8:9, 8:13, 12:26, 12:36). He was the
beginning of a guild of scribes which extended into New Testament
times. The scribes were lawyers, teachers, judges, writers, and
copyists, all in one.
3. At the close of the Old Testament times, there were five great
inspired writers, more or less contemporaneous: Haggai and Zechariah,
Ezra, Nehemiah, and Malachi. These, with other godly priests, could
have members of such a "synagogue."
4. All the O.T. books were written before 430 or 424 B.C., Nehemiah
and Malachi, contemporaries, being the last. This can be proven. Ezra
also. It is highly possible that these men began and completed a
collection and an arrangement of the O.T. Canon. Doubtless Ezra was
the leader in the work.
5. It is generally understood that Malachi (433-430 or 425 B.C.) was
the last of the O.T. writing prophets, and that the O.T. Scripture
ended with him.
6. Daniel refers to a collection of books in 9:2 as well as the law
of Moses in 9:11,13. So there was a growing collection of books
recognized as the Word of God.
7. Josephus, the Jewish historian (100 A.D.), clearly states that the
sacred books of the Jews were written from the time of Moses to
Artaxerxes I (who reigned 465-424 B.C.). He said that nothing was
added after the death of Artaxerxes (424 B.C.) because the line of
prophets had ceased at that time. He added that since that time no
one had dared to make any addition, subtraction, or alteration, and
that every Jew was not only willing to abide by them as the commands
of God, but he was also willing if need be, to die for them. Josephus
was a learned man of priestly origin, and he had abundant facility
for knowing the history of the O.T. scriptures.
8. The Septuagint Version, begun about 280 B.C. and continued for
abut 100 years until about 180 BC is a translation of the entire O.T.
into the Greek language. It proves that all the books of the O.T.
existed at around 300 B.C. and were considered canonical.
O.T. Canon Upheld By Christ
In the first chapter of the sermon on the mount, Jesus dealt with the
Law and the Prophets, especially the Law, stating its eternity and
unchangeableness and that He came not to annul it but to interpret it
and to apply it spiritually. He who gives due weight to it will be
great in the kingdom; he who neglects it will be least. Six O.T.
passages are quoted and applied in the sermon on the mount in Matthew
chapter 5. Twice he spoke about learning the meaning of Hosea 6:6. He
also mentioned by name Moses, Isaiah, David, and Daniel.
Jesus also recognized the historical accuracy of Old Testament
persons, places, and events, such as the creation, the first
marriage, the blood of Abel, Noah and the flood, Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob, Lot, his wife and the destruction of Sodom, the burning bush
and so forth.
Jesus began His earthly ministry with "it is written" and ended it in
the same manner. From beginning to end He used the O. T. most freely.
He recognized the entire O.T. as we have it, as the very words of
God, divine, God-given, perfect, authoritative. What the scriptures
say God says, and the one who does not believe the Scriptures is
"foolish and slow of heart." His entire life began with
Scripture, was lived by Scripture, ended according to Scripture, and
was a fulfillment of Scripture.
O.T. Canon Upheld by N.T. Writers
The four Gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, not
only recorded the quotations of Jesus from the Old Testament, but
they also used the same expressions and made similar quotations and
allusions. Their writings are also inspired and possess divine
truthfulness and authority. The same is true of the other writers,
Paul, Peter, James and Jude. The book of Acts has more than forty
quotations and references to the O.T. Canon and many more allusions
to the Old Testament.
The theology found in the fourteen epistles of Paul are built largely
upon the Old Testament Scriptures. His great arguments and reasonings
are proven by the Old Testament scriptures.
In the book of Revelation, there are no direct quotations from the
Old Testament, but there are nearly 400 references and allusions to
thoughts, persons, and events. The writer of Revelation refers to
each of the three great divisions of the Hebrew Canon--The law of
Moses, The Prophets, and The Writings-- and up to 25 books are
alluded to. Although Revelation does not quote the Old Testament, its
language is full of its phraseology to an extent unparalleled in
other books.
O.T. Canon Upheld by the Early Church
The same Old Testament books which had been received by the
Jews, Christ and the New Testament writers as inspired and
authoritative were received by the early Church as well. However much
the Early Church Fathers may have differed in other doctrines, they
all were unanimous in this, that the entire Old Testament was
inspired by God and fitted permanently for our instruction. The
matter was not even discussed, as some doctrines were. It was not
considered debatable.
Preparation of O.T. Manuscripts
In preparing the manuscript copies of these rolls, the
utmost care and the strictest rules were observed. Some of these
rules, as prescribed in the Talmud (Jewish writings) are as
follows:
1. The parchment must be made of the skin of clean animals only,
prepared and fastened with clean strings by a Jew only.
2. Each Column must have between 48 and 60 lines.
3. The ink was a specially prepared black ink recipe.
4. Each word had to be read and pronounced before being written.
5. Before God (E1) could be written, the pen must be wiped, and the
whole body had to be washed before writing "Jehovah."
6. Strict rules were given concerning the forms of the letters,
spaces between letters, words, and sections, the use of the pen, and
the color of the parchment.
7. One mistake on a sheet condemned the sheet. If three mistakes were
found on any page, then the entire manuscript was condemned.
8. Every word and letter was counted. If a letter were omitted or an
extra letter inserted, or if one letter touch another, the manuscript
was condemned and destroyed.
Some of these rules may seem extreme and absurd, yet they show how
sacred the Holy Word of the Old Testament was to the Jews, and they
give us strong encouragement to believe that we have the real Old
Testament, the same one which was originally given by inspiration of
God. These rules governed the copyist in the Talmud period (100 to
500 A.D.).
Josephus testified to the great care taken with the manuscripts. He
stated that the Old Testament manuscripts were "justly believed to be
divine," and that the Jews would not tamper with them but would die
for them.
The following are important notes to remember about the canon.
There Are Three Divisions of the Old Testament.
A. The Law -- This division is mentioned as "Scripture" 32
times in the New Testament.
B. The Prophets -- The books of this section are
called "Scripture " 43 times in the New Testament.
C. The Psalms (Writings) -- The books in this
section of the O.T. are called "Scripture" 37 times in the New
Testament.
The Hebrew Canon contained 24 books. They contained the same material
as do the 39 books in the modern division, only they are arranged
differently.
Dating the New Testament Books
The order of the books of the New Testament are logically
arranged. The Gospels come first, which record the life of Christ,
and next the Acts, which records the history of the early church and
the spread of Christianity. Then the letters follow which show the
development of the teachings of the church and the problems that
arose, and finally the vision of the second coming of Christ in
Revelation. Many people do not realize, however, that these books
were not chronologically arranged according to when they were penned
by the writers. Charles Ryrie in his Ryrie Study Bible gives the
following dates as approximations of when they were written:
James A.D. 45-50
Galatians 49
1 and 2 Thessalonians 51
Mark 50's
1 Corinthians 56
2 Corinthians 57
Romans 58
Luke 60
Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians, Philemon 61
Acts 61
Matthew 60's
1 Timothy 63
1 Peter 63
Titus 65
2 Timothy 66
2 Peter 66
Hebrews 64-68
Jude 70-80
John 85-90
1, 2, 3 John 90
Revelation 90's
These dates are not absolutes and are only approximations. None of
them is dated by figure and only a few contain such unmistakable
allusions to the time of their writing that they can be assigned to a
given year of the Christian era. The book of Revelation is one hotly
contended date. Some scholars believe that it was written before the
fall of Jerusalem and speaks of the destruction which took place in
A.D. 70., while others hold to the view that it was written around
A.D. 90 and is all yet to take place in the future.
The New Testament Apocrypha and Pseudographs
There were many "Christian" writings in the first century.
By the ninth century Photius listed 280 non-canonical New Testament
books and more have been discovered since that. There were more than
fifty gospels alone. While these are generally called the Apocrypha,
these have been rejected by all groups and are therefore technically
called Pseudographs . Pseudographs are books that have
been rejected by all. Apocrypha books have been accepted by some as
inspired. Many of these books are of a fanciful and heretical nature
and are neither genuine, nor valuable as a whole. Eusebius of
Caesarea called these "totally absurd and impious." They have no
theological value, and almost no historical value. They do reflect
heresies and heretical tendencies of early Christian times.
These all contain heretical, spurious, embellished accounts of Jesus.
They were not written by those who claimed to write them, but by the
Deceiver who sought to use the name of different apostles to pervert
the gospel and to cause the purity of the good news about Jesus to be
blemished.
There are some books which we may call "apocryphal." They are much
more believable, and useful in understanding what the thought and
teaching of the early Fathers was. In brief, they are valuable, but
not canonical. They provide the earliest documentation of some of the
canonical books of the New Testament. They contain much historical
value about the practices and policies of the early church, however,
it must be emphasized that they are not considered canonical or
inspired. Some of these are listed below:
Ancient Homily, or the so-called Second Epistle of Clement
(120-140 A.D.)
Shepherd (115-140 A.D.)
Didache, or Teaching of the Twelve (100-120 A.D.)
Apocalypse of Peter (150 A.D.)
Epistle to the Laodiceans (4th century)
The Gospel According to the Hebrews (65-100 A.D.)
The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians (180
A.D.)
The Seven Epistles of Ignatius (110 A.D.)
Antilegomena
Twenty of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament have
never been seriously questioned. The other seven books, called the
Antilegomena, were questioned by some Fathers for a time, but were
finally and fully recognized by the church at large. It is important
to remember that once these seven books were accepted, the question
of their canonicity and inspiration was settled.
There were a variety of reasons why these seven books were
challenged. Second and Third John were questioned
because of their private nature and limited circulation. The author
did not identify himself as an apostle but as an elder.
Hebrews was questioned because of its
anonymity. James was questioned because
of a supposed problem with veracity. It was thought that
it stood in conflict with Paul on justification by faith. Martin
Luther had doubts about James and said that it contradicted Paul and
the rest of Scripture. Second Peter 's genuineness
was questioned. In fact, of all the N.T. books, this one has been
questioned most. Some thought that it was a second century work.
However Qumram literature dates it before 80 A.D.
Jude was disputed concerning its
authenticity. The biggest problem some found with Jude
was his reference to the pseudepigraphical Book of
Enoch. However, Jude's reference to Enoch does not mean he was
giving approval of the entire work but used the portion that was from
God. Paul, himself, quoted pagan poets, but that did not mean he
thought they were inspired by God. Revelation was
challenged because of the doctrine of the millennialism. This
controversy lasted longer than any other New Testament book. It is
interesting that this was the first book recognized by the early
Fathers, and one of the last to be accepted.
Summary
In summary, twenty of the twenty-seven books of the New
Testament have never been seriously questioned. These are called the
Homologoumena . The other seven books, called the
Antilegomena , were questioned by some Fathers for a
time but were finally and fully recognized by the church at large.
There are numerous other books called Pseudepigrapha
that no one has considered authentic or canonical. The final class of
books is called the Apocrypha . These books were of
good quality and had local acceptance for a temporary time but were
never widely nor finally considered to be canonical.
Septuagint
This was a Greek version of the Hebrew Old Testament.
Composed around 280 B.C. in Alexandria, Egypt. LXX is the abbreviated
form. Most of Paul's O.T. quotes in his epistles are from the
Septuagint. The Septuagint had the thirty-nine books arrangement
instead of the Hebrew twenty-four. The Latin Vulgate, a Latin version
of the Bible prepared by Jerome in the 4th century, servied as the
authorized version of the Roman Catholic Church. The Vulgate followed
the same divisions, and this has been followed by the English and
other versions thirty-nine books. Jerome did not recognize the
apocrypha.
The Hebrew O.T. Canon
(Torah)
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Samuel
Kings
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Ezekiel
The Minor Prophets
(The Writings)
Psalms
Proverbs
Job
Daniel
Ezra-Nehemiah
Chronicles
When most of us think of versions of the Bible, we immediately begin
to think of King James Version, New American Standard Version, New
International Version, New King James Version, and so forth. Yet, how
did we get these English versions of the Bible? All versions of the
Bible have been translated from something, for God did not speak to
His people in English.
Manuscripts
In order to understand where we got the Bible from, we must
understand the term manuscript. A manuscript is a copy
of the Bible. The original writing of the Scripture is called an
autograph. The original autographs were written on
papyrus, vellum, or leather. All these original autographs have long
since been lost. Each of the books of the Bible have gone through a
process of transmission. God did not allow the original autographs to
remain, for perhaps He knew the tendency in man's heart to make an
idol out of every religious thing or happening. However, we can be
sure that we do have an accurate text for an overwhelming number of
ancient documents have been found that provide word-for-word quotes
from our present Bible. For the New Testament, we have manuscript
fragments, quotations from the Fathers, and thousands of manuscript
copies from that time to modern versions of the Bible. There is an
unbroken line of manuscripts.
There are a number of ancient manuscripts that deserve our attention.
Of special note are the oldest manuscripts, for they were copied
closer to the original autographs that those written several hundred
years later. Thus, the chance for human error is greatly reduced.
The most famous and remarkable find concerning manuscripts has been
the Dead Sea Scrolls which date from the third
century B.C. to the first century A.D. They include a complete copy
of the book of Isaiah and thousands of fragments which represent
every Old Testament book except Esther. The first cave was discovered
by an Arab shepherd boy who was pursuing a lost goat seven and
one-half miles south of Jericho and a mile west of the Dead Sea. From
it he took about seven complete scrolls and some fragments including
a commentary on the book of Habakkuk and the book of Isaiah. Since
that time, the first cave was excavated along with ten other caves.
These have produced fragments of what was once about four hundred
books thought to belong to the library of the Essenes, a Jewish
religious sect dating from about the time of Christ.
The Sinaitic Manuscript dates back to about 340
A.D. It was found by Dr. Constantine Tischendorf, a German Biblical
professor who was at the monastery of St. Catherine at Mt. Sinai. He
discovered pages of the manuscript at the monastery where monks were
using them to light their fires. He rescued them, and they are now in
the British Museum. It was written in Greek and contains a part of
the Septuagint, all of the New Testament, plus about half of the
Apocrypha, the Epistle of Barnabus, and much of the Shepherd of
Hermas. It is the only manuscript that contains the entire New
Testament.
Another famous manuscript is dated at about 350 A.D. and is
called Vaticus Manuscript--Codex B. It contains the
Septuagint translation of the Old Testament, most of the Apocrypha,
and the New Testament. It is now housed in the Vatican Library in
Rome where it was first catalogued in 1481. It is considered to have
the most exact copy of the New Testament known. It is interesting to
note that the scribe did not record Mark 16:9-20 but left more than a
column blank at this place as though he knew of these verses but did
not include them at the time of writing for one reason or
another.
The Alexandrian Manuscript--Codex A dates back to
around 450 B.C. It includes both the Old and New Testament, however,
certain parts are missing. It was probably written in Alexandria,
Egypt. It is now in the National Library of the British Museum in
London, England. It does not quite measure up to the high standard of
the Vatican and the Sinaitic Manuscripts.
There many other manuscripts, mostly smaller portions of the Old or
New Testament. However, each adds its testimony to the accuracy of
our present Bible. There are so many that scholars are absolutely
sure of 999 out of every 1000 words in the Bible.
Ancient Translations
After manuscripts, the most important ancient witness
concerning the authenticity of Scripture is its versions. A version
is a translation from the original language into another language.
There are many versions, but a few that are of special
importance.
The Septuagint version is a translation of the
Hebrew Old Testament into Greek. It was translated in Alexandria,
Egypt from about 200 B.C. to 180 B.C. This is the first time the
Bible was translated from one language to another and is the oldest
scriptural document that we have. Septuagint means seventy and is
sometimes abbreviated as LXX. The Septuagint was commonly used in New
Testament times and has been a foundation for subsequent
translations.
The Samaritan Pentateuch is a Hebrew Pentateuch
written in Samaritan letters. It is not a translation but a form of
the Hebrew text itself. It dates to about 430 B.C. Second Kings
17:26-28 tells of a priest being sent to Samaria to teach the people
the ways of God. It is believed he took a copy of the Pentateuch and
that the Samaritan Pentateuch came from that copy.
The Syriac Version-- the Syriac language was the
language spoken in regions around Syria and Mesopotamia. It is
similar to Aramaic. There are a number of manuscripts dating from the
fifth century.
Latin Versions-- the first English Bible was made
from the Latin. The Old Latin Version goes back to as far as 150
A.D., and there are about twenty copies in existence. The
Latin Vulgate (Vulgate means "common or current") is
the greatest version of the Bible in the Latin language. Because
there were so many mistakes being made by copyists of the Old Latin
Version, Damascus, the bishop of Rome, secured the services of Jerome
to produce a revised version as a new authoritative standard for the
Latin-speaking countries. He did this in Bethlehem. The New Testament
was done from 382-383 A.D., and the Old Testament was done from
390-405 A.D. For more than a thousand years every version of the
Bible was based on the Vulgate. The Vulgate eventually became the
official Roman Catholic Bible. With the invention of printing in
1450, the Vulgate was the first book ever printed from moveable type
(1455).
The Church Fathers
The Second, Third, and Fourth centuries might be called; The
Period of Formal Recognition of the Canon (170 - 397 A.D.). Important
early church fathers of these centuries were:
1. Irenaeus 2nd century
2. Origen 3rd century
3. Eusebius 4th century
Third Century Fathers
Three great names of the third century were Origen,
Dionysius, and Cyprian.
Origen (185-254 A.D.) was
native of Alexandria, Egypt and has been called the
greatest scholar of his day. He was a teacher, exegeter, commentator,
and textual critic. He traveled extensively to acquaint himself with
Biblical literature in use in different parts of the Church. He was
well qualified to speak concerning the collections of the apostolic
writings. He divided these writings into three classes:
a.Genuine (those received everywhere), including the four Gospels,
Acts, thirteen Pauline epistles, 1 Peter, 1 John, and Revelation.
b.Doubtful (those which were disputed in some of the churches)
Hebrews, James, 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, and Jude. Of these he himself
seems to have questioned the genuineness of only two: 2 & 3
John.
c. Rejected - certain apocryphal books.
Dionysus The Great (190-265 A.D.)
was also from Alexandria, Egypt. He was a lawyer and writer. He seems
to have acknowledged all the writings except Second Peter and
Jude.
Cyprian (200-258 A.D.) was
the bishop of Carthage, Africa. He has been called
"the greatest bishop of the third century" as well as a writer and
martyr. He quotes scripture largely but shows no signs of knowing
Hebrews, James, 2 Peter, 2-3 John, and Jude. It is possible, however,
that he had not seen these books or that he had no occasion to quote
from them.
Fourth Century Fathers
There were collections
of apostolic writings from the middle of the second
century and onward. Means of communication in those days were
limited, transportation was slow, and the larger books, such as the
historical and doctrinal were known first and so were received first.
Smaller books like Jude, 2 & 3 John were not as well know. In the
fourth century the collections became a Collection
, and the word "canon" came to be used.
Eusebius (270-340) was a historian and the bishop
of Caesarea. He is called "the father of Church History." He was a
learned and faithful collector of facts, especially facts concerning
the attitude of various churches regarding the apostolic writings. He
sums up a comprehensive statement of these views which is similar to
Origen's list:
1. Acknowledged books - the four gospels, Acts, fourteen Pauline
epistles, I John, and I Peter. He also accepted Revelation, but some
didn't.
2. Disputed books - James, 2 Peter, 2-3 John, and Jude.
Cyril of Jerusalem (315-386) accepted all
twenty-seven N. T. Books, except Revelation.
Anathasius (296-273) was the bishop of Alexandria,
a theologian, and a writer. He speaks of some who had drawn up for
themselves so-called apocryphal books and mingled them with the
inspired books, and of the need of "setting forth in order from the
first, the books that are canonized and handed down
and believed to be divine, so that each, if he has been deceived may
detect those which have misled him." He enumerated the entire
twenty-seven books, and called them divine and canonical. "Let no man
add to these; and let nothing be taken away," said Anathasius. This
was written in 367 B.C. and seems to be the climax.
Jerome and Augustine were Latin writers. Jerome
(340-420) was the most learned, most eloquent, and most interesting
author among the Latin Fathers, and the maker of the famous Latin
Vulgate translation. He recognized, as divinely inspired and
canonical, the same twenty-seven books of the New Testament which we
have.
Augustine (354-430) was the bishop of Hippo, North
Africa and a voluminous writer. With his friend Jerome, he held to
the inspiration and canonicity of our twenty-seven books.
Summary
By the middle of the second century (150 A.D. onward,)
twenty or more books of our Canon were generally known throughout the
Church, East and West, and were received as inspired and
authoritative. Lists, translations into other languages,
commentaries, and expositions were made. Some of the smaller books
were unknown by some of the churches or there was a question as to
authorship; hence they were not received as early.
However, by the close of the fourth century the entire New Testament
Canon was well established. The books were well
tested, and the Canon came gradually through the conviction of the
Church and its leaders, the bishops, and their people working in
harmony. It was not decreed by any church council nor were the books
selected from a mass of literature. No council was engaged in its
formation.
The Council of Damascus at Rome (382 A.D.) recognized the
twenty-seven books complete, likewise, the Councils of Hippo (393
A.D.) and Carthage (397 A.D. and 419 A.D.) over all of which
Augustine presided. For a thousand years, in all the churches, East
and West, down to the Reformation and the Council of Trent, the same
opinion prevailed.
Early English Versions
The beginnings of the English Bible go back to the eighth
century when Aldhelm translated Psalms in 705 A.D. Bede, an early
English historian, translated the Gospel of John in 735 B.C. Towards
the close of the ninth century, King Alfred, a godly king, translated
the Ten Commandments, Psalms, Gospels, and other laws of the Old
Testament. About 1000 A.D., Aelfric, Archbishop of Canterbury,
translated the gospels, the first seven books of the Old Testament,
Esther, Job and a part of Kings.
John Wycliffe , an Oxford teacher and scholar, is
one of the most important names in bringing the Bible to the English
language. He and his students translated the entire Bible into
English from the Latin Vulgate. It was finished in 1382. It was
revised and corrected in 1388 by John Purvey. This revised edition
was used until the sixteenth century.
William Tyndale has often been called the father of
the English Bible. Tyndale sought to translate Erasmus' first
printing of the Greek New Testament into English. He received so much
opposition from the Roman Catholic Church that he had to flee to
Hamburg, Germany. There he finished his translation and became
associated with Martin Luther and the Reformation. Thus, the enemies
of the Reformation became Tyndale's enemies as well and he had to
flee to Worms, Germany.
There at Worms, Tyndale finished printing his translation in 1525.
These copies were then smuggled into England where they were received
with enthusiasm. The government condemned it as heresy and copies
were publicly burned. Tyndale went on to begin translating the Old
Testament, but was betrayed and imprisoned in 1534. After sixteen
months in prison he was strangled and burned at the stake. His dying
words were, "Lord, open the King of England's eyes." The King James
Version is practically a fifth revision of Tyndale's work. It can be
seen what a debt is owed to his self-sacrificing work.
In 1535, the Coverdale Bible was printed. It was
the first complete Bible printed in English. Miles Coverdale, a
personal friend of Tyndale, translated it from the German and Latin
translation. It was the first Bible to have the King of England's
approval.
Matthew's Bible was the work of another friend of
Tyndale, John Rogers. It appeared in 1537. It is really Tyndale's
Bible completed by Coverdale's work. It was the first Tyndale
revision and formed the basis of all future revisions: the Great
Bible, the Geneva Bible, the Bishop's Bible, and the King James
Versions. It was called Matthew's Bible because Rogers was afraid
that if Tyndale's name was on it there would be greater
opposition.
Coverdale meticulously revised Matthew's Bible and in 1539 published
The Great Bible. It was the first version that was
"Authorized" in that King Henry VIII approved of it and issued a
proclamation that it be read publicly in every church. It was chained
to the pulpit of the churches so that no one could steal it.
Tyndale's prayer had been answered, and the Lord had opened the King
of England's eyes.
The most popular Bible of the century was the Geneva
Bible , which was published in 1560. It was called thus
because it was printed in Geneva. It was small in size, had legible
type, illustrations, and commentaries. Thus it became very popular in
homes. It was the first time the entire Bible had been divided into
verses. The Pilgrims who came to America and Shakespeare used this
Bible.
In 1568, The Bishop's Bible was published. It was a
revision of the Great Bible, but never became popular because it was
too cumbersome, stiff, and formal for the common people to enjoy very
much.
All this Bible translation by the Protestant Church stirred the Roman
Catholics to produce an English translation of their own. In 1582
The Rheims-Douai Bible was produced at the English
college at Rheims, France. It was not translated from the original
languages but from the Latin Vulgate.
The King James Version was published in 1611 and has
also been called the Authorized Version. The KJV has been used by
English-speaking people for over three hundred years. It was made by
forty-seven scholars under the authorization of King James I of
England. The Bishop's Bible was the basis of this version, but Hebrew
and Greek texts were studied and other English translations were
consulted in order to obtain the best possible renderings.
It is interesting to note that the so-called Authorized Version (KJV)
was never really authorized. That tradition seems to be started by
the title page where the printer claimed that it was appointed to be
read in churches. However, it's longevity speaks for itself. It was
gradually but overwhelmingly successful for a number of reasons:
1. The personal qualifications of the revisers. They were the choice
linguists and scholars of the day as well as men of great piety.
2. There was a sense that the work was a national effort.
3. The availability and accessibility of the works of nearly a
century of English Bibles.
4. The sense of cooperation drew in the different churches in a sense
of unity.
5. The literary style of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth
century was similar to the lofty style of the translators.
The Revised Version was made in 1881-1885 by a group
of English and American scholars. It was supposed to be a revision of
the King James Version, but it had one distinct advantage over its
predecessors. It reached down to the most ancient copies of the
Scriptures that were not yet available at the time of the translation
of the King James Version.The response to the RV was generally
disappointing, and many were not satisfied with the minor changes in
the English. Although the text was much more accurate than the KJV,
it took several generations to gain acceptance.
In 1901, the American Standard Version appeared
which used the renderings preferred by the American members of the
Revision Committee of 1881-1885. Also, some further revisions were
made such as replacing antiquated terms for more modern ones. This
version slowly won its way into American churches and even in England
many favored its Americanisms even though it lacked the beauty of the
KJV. The ASV, which was based on the RV, was really the work of many
hands and of several generations. The foundation was laid by William
Tyndale who shed his blood as a martyr so that we could have God's
Word in English today.
Modern Versions
There are an increasing number of modern English
translations that have appeared since 1901. With the discovery of the
Dead Sea Scrolls and numerous other ancient manuscripts that have
been found, Bible scholars are better able to study and compare more
and more to find out exactly what the inspired original writers
wrote. Modern translators have for the most part followed the text
arrangement of the KJV, the RV, or the ASV when doing a new
translation. There are basically ten modern translations that we will
consider.
1. The Revised Standard Version (1952). Made by a
committee of thirty-two scholars. It was based on the American
Standard Version. To many, its publication marked the end of an era
when the Bible meant the KJV and started the era of multiple
translations flooding the market. Its abbreviation is RV.
2. The Berkeley Version (1959). A staff of twenty
translators including professors from various Christian colleges and
seminarie worked on the Old Testament. The New Testament was
translated from the Greek by Gerrit Verkuyl in 1945. Footnotes are
given on many difficult passages. Zondervan has published a revised
edition entitled the Modern Language Bible
(1969).
3. The Amplified Bible (1965) was commissioned by
the Lockman Foundation. This committee produced an expanded
translation that attempted to give full expression to the various
shades of thought and meaning of the original text. As F.F. Bruce
observed, "This work includes several features of a commentary as
well as a translation." A close look at the text, however, reveals
that some of the amplifications are unnecessary, redundant, tedious,
and at times unjustifiable. This Bible is really a mini-commentary.
Some applaud it and some criticize it. Generally, it would be better
to take a good translation and a commentary as needed. It is often
referred to with the three letters: AMP.
4. The Jerusalem Bible (1966).This is a Roman
Catholic work translated from the Hebrew and Greek texts. It is
printed in paragraphed single-column format with verse numbers on the
outside margins of the pages. It includes the Apocrypha.
5. The New American Standard Bible (1971). Like the
Amplified Bible, this version was commissioned by the Lockman
Foundation. A group of Bible scholars worked ten years, translating
from the best original texts and seeking to render the grammar and
the terminology of the American Standard Version into more
contemporary English. Its stated goals were three: accuracy of
translation, clarity of English, and adequacy of notes. Abbreviated
as NASV.
6. The Living Bible (1971) is a paraphrase, not a
new translation. It has been one of the most successful attempts to
popularize the Bible in recent years. The original languages were not
used, but it is a very readable Bible that has gained great
popularity among young readers. Ken Taylor used the ASV as the basis
for his work, however, at times he departs from it giving no
indication when he is doing so. Referred to as LIV. It is a
translation of a translation and is very appealing, simplified,
easy-to-follow, and rendered in present-day English, but not very
accurate. Make sure that you check its translation with a more
accurate version.
7. Moffat's Translation (1924) was written by the
liberal theologian, James Moffat, who did not conceal his liberal
bias. He was a chain smoker who died smoking. Many feel he was
probably not even regenerated. This version is not recommended for
any use.
8. The Basic English Bible (1940-1949) was an
attempt by a committee to translate the Bible using only one thousand
"basic" English words to convey all the biblical truth. They produced
a text of marked simplicity while retaining much of the variety found
in the original languages considering their vocabulary
limitations.
9. Good News For Modern Man (1966). This is another
modern speech translation and was published by the American Bible
Society. It initially contained just the New Testament, but in 1976
the complete Bible was finished and published as Today's
English Version: Good News Bible . It is also known as GNB
or TEV. According to its preface, it seeks to express the meaning of
the original text in words and forms accepted as standard by people
everywhere. It tries to present the Bible in a kind of newspaper
English. The N.T. translation is based on the Greek text prepared by
the international committee of scholars sponsored by the United Bible
Societies (1966). It has been very successful. Footnotes indicate
when the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts were unclear or presented some
kind of translation problem.
10. New International Version (1978) was the
culmination of a long process that began in the 1950's. It replaces
the obsolete "thee," "thou," and "thy" with the appropriate forms of
"you" even when God is addressed. Unfortunately, the long-standing
practice of using italics for words not found in the original texts
was not continued in the NIV.
Few translations since the KJV have been as systematically done as
the NIV. Over one hundred scholars from various English-speaking
countries were engaged in the project with a fifteen-member general
committee making the final editorial decisions. It is a new version
made directly from the original texts, not a revision of an existing
English version. It has been gaining popularity, and in many churches
has replaced the KJV for worship services. However, it does leave out
twenty-four verses, such as the end of the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 5
and Mark 16:9-20, including them only as footnotes.
11. New King James Version (1982) is another Bible
that has gained great acceptance. The publisher used over 130
scholars from a broad spectrum of the church to bring an updated
version of the original KJV. Their aim was to improve the
understanding of verb forms and endings by bringing them into
conformity with twentieth-century usage. It preserved the eloquence
of style that many modern translations leave behind. It is a very
good Bible for study and highly recommended.
What version should one use? It may depend according to the purpose
for which one uses his Bible. For private reading many use the Living
Bible, NIV, or Today's English Version. For study, one should use
either NKJV, NIV, NASV, or the old favorite KJV. The four most
popular for public worship are NASV, NIV, KJV, or NKJV. When choosing
a version, make sure that they use good reliable manuscripts, and are
accurate in their translation. There are two different ways that the
Bible is translated. One method is to use literal word-by-word
translation. The other method is to try to portray the thought or
idea those words presented. Usually, the best method is a compromise
whereby the text is as free as necessary and yet as faithful as
possible. Of the three most popular modern versions, the NIV uses the
thought and idea method of translation, while the NKJV and NASV use
the word-by-word method of translation.
There seems to be an endless procession of modern translations and
versions of the Bible being produced in this century. With that great
diversity and multiplicity of translations, it is imperative that the
student of the Word of God seek out a Bible that communicates the
"whole counsel of God" contained in God's inspired Book. There are a
few translations that one should definitely NOT use
for study. One of them is the translation put out by the Watchtower
Bible and Tract Society of the Jehovah's Witnesses. Their New
World Translation departed from the original meaning of
various words and phrases in order to reflect their own theological
interpretations.
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
(Matt. 24:35).
For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. (Psa.
119:89).
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot
or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be
fulfilled. (Matt. 5:18).
I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for
thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy
word above all thy name. (Psalm 138:2).
Revelation 1:11 says, "What thou seest, write in a book." Why did God
put His Word into a Book? In order to preserve it, for what is
written down remains. It is called the engrafted word
(James 1:21). Centuries don't change what is inscribed. We cannot go
on memory or passed down stories or traditions. They lose their
exactness. But what is written remains the same. In Revelation
22:18-19, God gives solemn warning not to tamper with His Word. There
will be great and serious consequences for anyone who adds or takes
away from His Word.
In beginning to study the Bible, it is important to know just
why you are going to study the Bible. Solomon
instructed us to search the Word of God as for hidden treasure as we
would seek after silver. Jesus said that the Scriptures testify about
Him in John 5:39. Jesus affirmed that He is revealed in the Bible,
thus, as we study the Bible, we should be always looking to get to
know Jesus better.
In Romans 8:29, Paul wrote that God wants every believer to be like
His Son, Jesus Christ. Conformity to Christ is a lifelong process
which is completed only when we see Him face to face. Bible study is
part of the transforming process. God's Word can do many things in
our lives. Each time that we approach the Word of God, we should
expect God to speak to us by the ministry of the Holy Spirit. As we
respond in obedience to what He speaks to us, then we will
participate in the transforming process whereby we become more and
more like Jesus our Lord. The Bible tells us different things that it
can do to the reader:
Because of the spiritual nature of the goals of Bible study, there
are certain requirements in the student that need to be met in order
to have the kind of Bible study that God desires. The student needs
to make sure that he is born again. When one is born again, his
spirit receives the Holy Spirit. Thus, he can be taught by the Spirit
of God and can have the illumination of the Holy Spirit as he reads
and studies. It is also important that the student believes that the
Word of God is inspired. If we fail to believe that the Bible is God
speaking to us, then we will lack the faith that it takes to really
believe the Bible and apply it to our lives. Without faith it is
impossible to please God, thus, we need to approach God and His Word
with faith in our hearts.
When the student approaches the Word of God, he must come with a real
hunger. Isaiah 41:17,18 describes what God will do for the heart that
is really hungry for Him and thirsty for His Word:
When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and
their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God
of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places,
and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness
a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
George Washington Carver, the famous scientist who discovered many
uses for the peanut said, "If you love something enough, it will
reveal its secrets." We need to have a love for the Lord and for the
Word of God. As we do, we can be sure that God will open our
understanding as we study it.
Our attitude is very important as we study God's Word. We must not
come with a haughty attitude, thinking that we know it all, or just
coming to try to prove our ideas or doctrines. Rather, we need the
following attitudes as we approach Bible study:
1. Humility (1 Peter 5:5)
2. Respect for God's Word (Psa. 119:6; Pro. 13:13)
3. Faith (Heb. 11:6; 4:2)
4. Obedience (James 1:22)
5. Dependence on the Holy Spirit (John 16:13; 1 Cor. 2:6-12)
6. Prayer (Acts 6:4; Eph. 1:16-18)
7. Honesty (Luke 8:15).
If we lack these seven attitudes, then our Bible study will be
lacking and we will wonder just why we don't seem to enjoy Bible
study and don't get much satisfaction out of it. If we lack these
attitudes, then we will read and study God's Word but leave without
being changed by the power and conviction of the Holy Spirit. God
wants us to do more than just read a book; He wants to meet with us
and change us as we read His personal Love Letter to each one of
us.
As we study with the right attitude, we must be careful to maintain a
diligent search of the Scriptures. Proverbs 13:4 states, "The
soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the
diligent shall be made fat." If you want your soul to be able
to enjoy the blessings and fatness through Bible study, then you must
practice discipline in your studies. The people of Berea were
commended by Paul for the way that they examined the Scriptures every
day to see if what Paul said was true. The Greek word used there in
Acts 17:11 implies close inspection or methodical scrutiny. When we
study God's Word like the Bereans did with great eagerness and
diligence, we get great personal benefit as we compare Scripture with
Scripture and allow the Bible to be its own commentary.
Many books have been written about good Bible study methods. What
will be shared in this manual will be just a launching pad to get you
going. What we have to realize, however, is that good methods alone
will not produce good Bible study. It takes a sincere heart with the
right kind of attitude as well. An academic study of God's Word will
produce little benefit apart from the Holy Spirit. The student who
has a hunger and thirst for the Word of God will find that God will
meet Him in the Word. He may have lousy methods of study, but he will
gain some benefit because he depends on the Holy Spirit's
illumination and prays that God will speak to him. God answers him
according to his faith. However, in order to have maximum benefit
from his search of the Scriptures, he needs to apply some good
methods of Bible study and study the Bible in an appropiate way.
Good Bible study takes more than just a desire to study the Word and
the determination to put oneself into the Word of God. There are
certain characteristics that any kind of Bible study needs to
incorporate in order to be of utmost benefit. Remember, we are after
Bible study that is life-changing, meaningful, and applicable to our
daily struggles, tests, and challenges. We will look at four main
characteristics for life-changing Bible study.
Systematic and Consistent
In Luke 24:47, we read that Jesus explained the scriptures
systematically. The Berean Jews that Paul preached to examined the
truth of his message by checking out its consistency with Scripture.
R.A. Torrey, a great Bible teacher, gave this advice: "have some good
system of Bible study and follow it. System counts in everything, but
it counts more in Bible study that in any other form of study."
Many people get all fired up about Bible study and study well for
several days or a couple weeks but soon get distracted and leave
their Bible study undone. In order to maintain consistency and yet
keep it new and fresh, learn to change your Bible study with
different Bible study methods and techniques. Consistency does not
demand that one get stuck in a rut of always doing things the same
way. Use the different Bible study methods described in this
book.
The Bible Itself
There are some who get bogged down by reading all kinds of
books about the Scripture, but not really searching the Scriptures
themselves. Personal Bible study does not depend on what others say
about the Scripture, but what God shows the student as he involves
himself directly with God through the Word. Much has been written
about the Bible, but that will not give you the life-sustaining power
that you need for your own spiritual growth.
Go to the source yourself. If you are unclear about a certain
passage, then compare Scripture with Scripture. One passage will shed
light on another passage, and as you cross-reference with other
verses and passages, you will be fed and find real delight in the
Word of God. Remember that the best commentary on the Bible is the
Bible. As you learn to use the different Bible study tools in the
following chapters, you will learn how to use the Bible to explain
the Bible.
Written Record
An important process in life-changing Bible study is
learning to record what you have found. There are a number of reasons
for this. First, our minds have a way of forgetting what the Lord has
shown us just fifteen minutes ago. God recorded His Word in a book,
and we will do well to follow His pattern. If God, by His Spirit,
illuminates His Word for us, then we ought to be good stewards of His
Word and not let it fall idle to the ground.
Before I learned this principle, there were many times that I was
tremendously excited about what God was showing me, however, when I
went to share it with someone else just a short while later the only
thing I could remember was that God had shown me something wonderful.
I could not remember what it was! If I write things down, then I can
go back and read it even years later. I often browse through my Bible
study notes from years past and find that there is still a fresh
anointing and challenge to my heart!
Another good reason to write down in your own words is to instill
them deeper into your own heart. We remember things better if we put
them in our own words. We need to speak them or write them down if we
want to master them.
Applied to Life
Personal Bible study is not to gain knowledge as much as it
is to change our life through that knowledge. Psalm 119:59,60 says,
"I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.
I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments." The
Holy Spirit changes our lives through the Word of God, but we need to
cooperate with Him through obedience. John 7:17 lets us know that a
key for the Holy Spirit's ministry of revealing truth to us is our
attitude of obedience. Without consecration to the will of God, we
will find it impossible to know God's teaching. The Holy Spirit is
given to those who walk in obedience. We need to come with an
attitude of willingness to obey, then we need to go out and do it.
Study the Bible in expectation.
When beginning to study the Bible, it is important to have a clear
conception of the Bible as a whole before trying to dissect it into
different minute parts. When we look at a picture or a landscape, we
get a panoramic view grasping in one glance the entire setting and
design. Then, we begin to look at it closer, seeing the details, the
mountain, the river, the valley, the buildings, and other parts, and
how each relates to the other. Thus we get a better idea of the
entire picture and can see and appreciate its beauty in a way we
could not do before.
The same is true of Bible study. Many people lack a real interest in
the Bible because they have failed to see its plan, purpose, meaning,
and beauty. They have a lot of disjointed events, facts, and other
information about the Bible but never see how each one relates to the
other. The following chart gives an overview of how the Old Testament
events fit together in chronological order:
The chart on the following page gives a bird's eye view of the Old
Testament. This is useful, but not very detailed. The following
outline surveys the Old Testament books and gives highlights of each
book in the Old Testament.
O.T. Survey
I. Pentateuch (Author is Moses)
A. Genesis --origin" or "beginning"
a. Creator--chapters 1,2 w/ Col. 1:18
b. The Beginning--chapters 1,2 w/ Rev. 1:8
c. Seed of the Woman--3:15 w/ Mt. 1:23
d. Isaac--22:1-19 w/ John 3:16 the only begotten
e. Joseph--37:4 w/ Mt. 3:17 the beloved son
a. Origin of the Human Race
b. Flood--New Beginning
c. Beginning of the Nation of Israel
Genesis begins in the Garden and ends in a coffin (50:26).
Thus, it shows man's end of himself.
B. Exodus --"called out"
a. Lawgiver--20:24 w/ Heb. 8:10
b. High Priest--28:39 w/ Heb. 2:17
c. Passover Lamb--chapter 12 w/ I Cor. 5:7
d. Tabernacle of God w/ Man--40:34-35 w/ John 1:14
a. Moses' Early Life
b. Bondage of Egypt
c. Plagues
d. Deliverance
e. Time at Mt. Sinai
1. Ten Commandments--chapter 20
2. Other Laws--chapters 21-24
3. Tabernacle Plans and Instructions--chapters 25-27
4. Golden Calf--chapter 32
5. Tabernacle Built--chapters 35-40
a. Journey of a Christian through life--bondage, deliverance,
passover, Red Sea, pillar and cloud, manna, water from rock, etc.
b. Tabernacle of Moses--Outer Court, Holy Place, Holy of
Holies
C. Leviticus-- derived from tribe of Levi
a. Sacrifice--chapters 1-9 w/ Heb. 10:12
b. Holy High Priest--chapters 8-10 w/ Heb. 7:26
c. The Atonement--chapter 16 w/ Heb. 7:25
a. Offerings--chapters 1-9, how to approach and fellowship with a
holy
God
b. Laws on Food--chapter 11
c. Cleanliness, Purity, Customs, Morals--chapters 12-22
c. Feasts--chapter 23
1. Passover
2. Pentecost
3. Tabernacle
d. Sabbath and Jubilee Rest--chapter 25
e. Conditions of Blessing and Warning of Captivity--chapter 26
f. Vows--chapter 27
D. Numbers
a. Tabernacle--chapters 3, 4, and 9 w/ John 1:14
b. Nazarite--chapter 6 w/ Heb. 7:26
c. Smitten Rock--20:8-13 w/ I Cor. 10
d. Serpent of Brass--21:8-9 w/ John 3:14
e. Stem Out of Jacob--24:17 w/ Matt. 2:2
f. City of Refuge--chapter 35 w/ Heb. 18
a. Numbers chapters 1-9
b. Continuation of Journey--10:11-25
- Jealousy of Miriam and Aaron--chapter 12
- Failure at Kadesh Barnea--chapters 13-14
- 40 Years Wandering--chapters 15-19
- Brazen Serpent--chapter 21
- Balaam--chapters 22-25
- Laws--chapters 27-30
- City of Refuge--chapter 35
E. Deuteronomy --second law
a. True Prophet--18:15-19 w/ Acts 3:22
b. Rock--32:4, 18, 31 w/ I Cor. 10:6
How to stay in the land God gives you.
II. Historical Books
A. Joshua
a. Joshua--Heb. 4:8
b. Captain of Our Salvation--5:13-15 w/ Heb. 2:10
c. Man with the Sword--5:13-15 w/ Eph. 6:12-18
d. Giver of Inheritance--chapters 13-19 w/ Heb. 4; Eph. 1:3,14
a. Joshua's Charge--chapter 1
b. Cross Jordan--chapters 3-4
c. Jericho and Achan--chapters 6-7
d. Other Conquests--chapters 8-12
e. Division of Inheritance--chapters 13-22
f. Joshua's Farewell Address--chapters 23-24
a. Entering our inheritance, what Christ has indeed planned for
us. Himself coming forth in us and heathen--Gen. 15:1; Ps. 2:8
b. Sin, not Satan is our biggest hindrance--Achan's sin
c. They battled physical men; we battle intangibles: fears, worry,
doubts, ideas, pride, anger, greed, depression, etc.
d. Judgment on sin is certain. The Canaanites were judged for
their abominaitons.
e. God's purposes are certain. The descendants ofAbraham wwere
given the posession of the land according to God's promise in
Genesis 12:7.
B. Judges
a. Judge, Savior, Deliverer--2:13-23 w/ Matt. 1:21-23
a. Israel would forsake the Lord, go into bondage, cry out, and a
deliverer would be raised up, then peace. There were thirteen
judges.
- Othniel 3:5-11
- Ehud--3:12-30
- Shamgar--3:31
- Deborah--4:1 - 5:31
- Gideon--chapters 6-8
- Abimelech--chapter 9
- Tola--10:1-2
- Jair--10:3,5
- Jephthah--10:6 - 12:7
- Ibzan--12:8-10
- Elon--12:11-12
- Abdon--12:13-15
- Samson--chapters 13-16
The relapse of Israel into idolatry can be compared with the
backsliding of the Galatian church into ritualism and
legalism.
C. Ruth
a. Blood relative
b. Had to have purchase price
c. Had to be willing to redeem her
d. Ruth as bride of Christ
a. Ruth cleaves and follows Naomi
b. Ruth gleans
c. Ruth requests redemption by Boaz
d. Boaz and Ruth get married, enter the line of David
a. Reality of backsliding--1:1-6
b. God's mercy to "outsiders"
D. I, II Samuel
a. Samuel--last of judges
b. Saul--first king
c. David--God's choice
a. Eli's love for his children over God's ways--2:12-36
b. Don't choose a Saul, but God's choice--chapters 8-10
c. Obedience is better than sacrifice--chapter 15
E. I, II Kings
Solomon--reign of peace, temple builder
a. Elijah
b. Elisha
a. Solomon had a love for God, meetings with God, built temple,
but didn't obey God completely till in the end his disobedience
turned his heart from God.
F. I, II Chronicles --history of Judah
G. Ezra & Nehemiah --restoration books
--rebuilding the temple
--rebuilding the walls--8:10
H. Esther
a. Feast of Ahaserus--chapters 1-2
b. Feast of Esther--chapters 2-7
c. Feast of Purim--chapter 9
2:12--6 months of Myrrh--6 months of Sweet Odors
III. Poetical Books
A. Job --oldest book in the Bible
a. At the end of every hard trial is a blessing if we remain
faithful.
b. Suffering is used by god to perfect character.
B. Psalms
C. Proverbs
a. He pointed to wisdom but then fell away.
b. The things he wrote were for him! Rehoboam followed his example
not his counsel.
a. Chapters 1-7--Fatherly advice and counsel
b. Chapters 8,9--Wisdom's call
c. Chapters 1--20--Solomon's proverbs contrasting good and evil,
wisdom and folly.
d. Chapters 21-24--Proverbial counsel
e. Chapters 25-29--Proverbs of Solomon copied by men of King
Hezekiah.
f. Chapter 30--Words of Agur
g. Chapter 31--Words of King Lemuel including the description of an
ideal wife.
D. Ecclesiastes-- "the preacher"
E. Song of Solomon-- also called "Canticles"
a. 1:6--black...not kept my vineyard
b. 2:15--little foxes spoil the vine
c. 1:16--My beloved is mine
d. 6:3--I am my beloveds'
e. 7:10--I am my beloveds' and his desire is for me
IV. Major Prophets
A. Isaiah --prophesied during reigns of
Uzziah to Hezekiah
--6:1-8
--chapter 53
--chapters 36-39
Isaiah means "Salvation of Jehovah."
B. Jeremiah
a. Persecution--1:19; 20:2; 38:6; 43:5-7
b. Youthful call--1:2-6
C. Lamentations --a sequel to Jeremiah
1. Weeping for the nation of Israel and the destruction of
Jerusalem
2. It is of His mercy that we are not consumed--3:22
D. Ezekiel --"God strengthens"
a. Chapter 1 w/ II Kings 24:11-16
--3:4-11; 12:21
--chapters 36-37
--6:7,10,13,14, etc.
Put My Spirit in you--36:25-26
--chapters 40-48
E. Daniel
1. A captive in Babylon--1:17-18
2. A companion book w/ Revelation
3. Purposed not to defile himself--1:8
4. The lions' den--chapter 6
V. Minor Prophets
A. Hosea --to the Northern Kingdom
1. Told to marry a harlot who left him, like Israel committed
spiritual adultery, yet Hosea remained faithful
2. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge--4:6,16
B. Joel --to the Southern Kingdom
1. Whole-hearted repentance--2:12-17
2. Outpouring of the Holy Spirit--2:28-32
C. Amos --"burden bearer"
yet he lived in the Southern Kingdom
--chapter 1
--chapter 2
--chapter 3
--chapter 4
--chapter 5
--chapters 6-9
a. Famine of hearing Word of God
b. Restoring the Tabernacle of David
D. Obadiah --to Edom
--1:3,4,15
E. Jonah --to Nineveh
a. Jonah called, he rebels, he's swallowed--chapter 1
b. Jonah spit up--chapter 2
c. Preaching and repentance--chapter 3
d. Jonah's complaint--chapter 4
a. Peril of running away from God's calling
b. God uses imperfect men
c. God's great mercy
F. Micah --to Judah and Israel
--chapters 1-3
incurable wound--1:9
--chapters 4-5
delivered by going into captivity--4:10
--6:8
--7:8
G. Nahum --to Judah who was serving Assyria
Nineveh repented, but failed to walk in the light--2:1;
3:1,12,19
H. Habakkuk --to Judah
1:4-5
Rejoicing in dire need--3:17-18
I. Zephaniah --to Judah during Josiah's reign
J. Haggai --to restored nation of Judah (520
B.C.)
: Results of neglecting God's house--1:4-9
K. Zechariah --written during the restoration period
of Judah two months after Haggai's prophecy
--1:3-4
--2:7
--4:6
--4:10
--9:12
--10:3
L. Malachi --400 B.C.
a. Yet ye say, they had their own ideas--1:2, 6, 7, 12, 13;
2:14,17; 3:13
b. God hates divorce--2:4-16
c. Blessing of giving--3:8-12
Importance of Digging deep
Most Christians realize that the Bible is important in their
life. They know that they should read it, meditate on it, memorize
portions of it, and live what it says. Yet, more and more Christians
are really becoming disciples of the Word of God. They are
disciplining themselves to discover the truth in the Scriptures.
Realizing how important the Bible is in the Christian's life, we must
make sure that we really understand what God is trying to communicate
to us through the written word. Whenever there is communication,
there is a possibility of misunderstanding between the one trying to
communicate and the one that is trying to receive the message from
the other. This is often true when people read the Bible. They read
it and think that they receive a message, when in reality, they have
confused their thoughts about what they think the Bible is saying
with what God is really trying to communicate.
At times it is easy to understand what we read in the Bible. At other
times it is very difficult to understand. God used human vessels
through which to write the scriptures. In many ways He adapted
Himself to the one through whom He chose to speak. This creates some
problems for the modern disciple of Christ who really desires to seek
out the mysteries of God:
1. Linguistical - The Bible was written in three
languages that are no longer used in modern life.
2. Cultural - The writers wrote from their own
culture that is not at all like that which we are accustomed to.
3. Geographical - The geographical context of the
Bible writers is foreign to most students.
4. Historical - The historical frame of reference is
very different from that of today.
These four problems in understanding Scripture are often called
"gaps." These understanding gaps must be bridged through Bible
research and investigation. To bridge these four gaps, the disciple
needs certain tools. The main goal of this course is to familiarize
you with the tools needed to study and set you on the way to being
able to adequately research the Word of God for personal study,
teaching, or preaching.
Tools Recommended for Research
There are many tools on the market today that can be used.
This course does not go into all the tools available but will enable
the layman or aspiring preacher or teacher to study to show himself
approved of God and to be a workman for the Lord that does not have
to be ashamed because he does not know how to prepare correctly in
order to have the right interpretation of the Word of God.
Tools for the linguistic Gap
Concordances
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (Abington)
Young's Analytical Concordance (Eerdman's)
Lexical aids
Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, W.E. Vine
(Revell)
New Testament Words, William Barclay (SCM Press)
Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Kittel (Ed.
Eerdman's)
Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, (Moody)
Word Pictures in the New Testament, A.T. Robertson (Broadman
Press)
Word Studies in the New Testament, M.R. Vincent (Eerdman's)
Tools for the Cultural Gap
All the Trades and Occupations of the Bible, H. Hockyer
(Zondervan)
Davis Dictionary of the Bible, (Revell)
Manners and Customs of the Bible, J. Freeman (Logos)
The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary, (Zondervan)
Tools for the Geographical Gap
Baker's Bible Atlas, Pfeiffer (Baker)
Geography of the Bible, D. Baly (Harper and Brothers)
(See also Bible Dictionaries)
Tools for the Historical Gap
Bible History--Old Testament, A. Edersheim (Eerdman's)
The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, A. Edersheim (Eerdman's)
The Works of Flavius Josephus, (Kregel)
(See also Bible Dictionaries)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
About the Book
This book lists every occurrence of every word used in the
King James Version of the Bible. It links each English word with its
corresponding Greek or Hebrew word from the original languages. No
use of the original languages is needed as each English word is keyed
with a number corresponding to its counterpart in the Hebrew and
Greek dictionaries located at the back of the book.
There are three main uses for this book:
1. It can be used to locate a particular verse when you already know
the verse or a phrase or word in that verse but are not sure where it
is located in the Bible.
2. Strong's enables you to find the Hebrew or Greek word and
definition corresponding to the English word in question. Without
studying the original languages, the student can gain a greater
understanding of the original word's meaning and derivation.
3. It can be used for doing "word studies" using the English words as
well as doing word studies by going back to the original language and
seeing how the word is translated in different contexts throughout
Scripture.
Using the Book
The book is divided into the following parts:
1. Introductory Page This page gives general
directions for use. Read this before preceding further. It also gives
the abbreviations used in the concordance for the names of the books
of the Bible.
2. Main Concordance This alphabetically lists every
word used in the KJV Bible with the exception of those referred to on
the introductory page. After each word is the correct pronunciation
of that word. Under each word is listed all the references containing
that word with the portion of the verse written out that contains
that particular word. The word that is being used is abbreviated. The
abbreviation is its first letter in italic followed by an inverted
period.
Aaron (a'-ur-un)
Ex 4:14 Is not A the Levite thy brother? 175
At the right of the column is a number or a ditto mark. The ditto
automatically refers back to the last mentioned number. If it is in
regular print, then it is an Old Testament reference and is found in
the Hebrew dictionary. If it is an italic number, then it is a New
Testament reference and is found in the Greek dictionary at the back
of the book after the Hebrew dictionary.
coasts
Joel 3:4 Zidon, and all the c of Palestine?
*1552
M't 2:16 and in all the c thereof, from
3725
8:34 he would depart out of their c . "
Note the italic numbers in the New Testament and the plain type
numbers in the Old Testament.
Make sure you don't look for Greek numbers in the Hebrew
dictionary or for Hebrew numbers in the Greek dictionary!!
If an asterisk (*) precedes the number at the right hand column, then
it means that there is a difference in translation in the Revised
Standard Version. A double obelisk marks a change made by the
American revisers only. What the change is in each case can be seen
by consulting the Comparative Concordance which precedes the Hebrew
dictionary after the main concordance.
Next to the page number at the top outside corner of each page are
two words. The top word is the first word to begin its heading on
that left-hand page. The bottom word is the last word listed on the
right-hand page.
3. Addenda This is a short six page section that
includes additions and corrections. It is seldom used, and the user
is notified by a caret mark ( ^ ) immediately after the word in the
main concordance.
4. Appendix This contains a list of all the
references for forty-seven words such as "a," "an," "of," "the,"
etc.
5. Comparative Concordance This compares the changes
in the RSV with the KJV.
6. Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary This section is
listed alphabetically according to the Hebrew alphabet all the Hebrew
words used in the Bible. Right after the Hebrew word is the English
transliteration of that word in bold print. After the transliteration
is the precise pronunciation according to the usual mode of
dictionaries. Then the etymology of the word comes, followed by all
the different renderings of the word in the KJV.
Make sure you read the introductory page for details on how
to use the concordance.
7. Greek Dictionary This follows the same
format as the Hebrew Dictionary. This is set up the same as the
Hebrew Dictionary, except that the numbers are listed in italic to
show that they are not Hebrew word numbers.
Strong's Worksheet #1
Learn the abbreviations of the books of the Bible and how to
find words in the Strong's Concordance.
1. It is necessary to know the books of the Bible in order to really
be a student of the Word. If you can not recite the books in order,
then learn them right now. Go over them at meal
times for the next several weeks until they are imbedded in your
heart and mind. Take your Strong's and write the answers to the
following.
Write out the books that these abbreviations stand for:
Hab - Jos -
La - 3Jo -
Da - Lu -
Es - Jon -
Ga - Ca -
M'r - Jas -
Ro - 2Ch -
Write out the abbreviations for these books:
Isaiah - Titus -
Acts - Judges -
Ruth - Micah -
2 Kings- Galatians -
2. Since the bulk of the work that you will do involves looking up
words and discovering references where these words are used look up
the following words and write down how many times this word is used
in the Old Testament and how many times it is used in the New
Testament.
Word # in O.T. # in N.T.
flax
nights sudden abiding
Strong's Worksheet #2
Learn to find references for a verse when we only know the
verse, phrase or a word from that verse we are looking for.
It is necessary when we teach out of the Word of God to be able to
substantiate what we say with the verse, and not just an idea that we
think is in a verse. We need to be able to state exactly where it is
found in order to give credibility to our teaching. In the following
worksheet find the reference for the given phrase. First ,circle the
word you think is used least often in the Bible and
then look it up in Strong's to find the verse. Second, write down the
reference where it is found and double check it with a KJV Bible and
write out the entire verse in which the phrase is found.
e.g. "Redeeming the time" Ephesians 5:16
Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
1. "in vain do they worship me"
2. "abundance of idleness was in her"
3. "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving"
4. "not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible"
5. "baptiseth with the Holy Ghost"
Strong's Worksheet #3
Learn to look up the different Greek and Hebrew words that
are translated as the same English word by finding the dictionary
numbers for the word.
As noted previously, there are at times many different original words
that are translated as the same English word. Write down how many
different words are translated by the English word below. Then list
the dictionary numbers as shown in the example.
Example:
fornication: Hebrew - 2 Greek - 3
2181, 8457 4202, 4203
1608
salt: Hebrew - Greek -
praise: Hebrew - Greek -
anoint: Hebrew - Greek -
grace: Hebrew - Greek -
pride: Hebrew - Greek -
Strong's Worksheet # 4
Learn to use the resources located in the Greek and Hebrew
dictionaries.
Look up the following English word and find the corresponding
dictionary number. Place that number in "A". Write the
transliteration of the word after "B." and the meaning and
application of the word after "C." For "D." write how the word is
translated in the KJV, and for "E." write what your research tells
you about the verse the word is found in.
Example:
Enticing: 1 Cor. 2:4, "And my speech and my preaching was
not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the
Spirit and of power."
A. 3981
B. peithos
C. persuasive
D. enticing
E. Paul did not use speech that swayed the hearts of the listeners,
but relied on the power of God as he simply demonstrated the Spirit
and power of God.
1. zeal: John 2:17,
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
2. led: Romans 8:14,
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
D.
E.
4. fall: Micah 7:8,
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
5. tempted: James 1:14,
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Vine's Expository
Dictionary of N.T. Words
About the Book
This book is very useful to the student that does not know
any Greek. It is an English dictionary of Greek words and allows
anyone to discover the Greek words and their definitions that are
found in the KJV Bible. It is a valuable word study aid. Not every
word found in the Bible is used, but it has proved to be one of the
simplest and easiest to use tools for word study available today.
Many students that cannot use lexicons with great dexterity find
Vine's makes available lexicon material contained in the more
advanced works.
Vine's is of an expository nature, and comments are given on various
passages referred to under different headings. If a student cannot
understand a certain word in a verse, then there is often a statement
in Vine's that deals with the application of the word in that
particular verse.
Using the Book
To use the book simply pick out the word in question from
the KJV New Testament and look it up in the dictionary. If you are
concerned about the word's meaning in a certain verse you happen to
be studying, then scan through the listing to look for a specific
reference to that word. If you already have used Strong's and know
the transliteration of the Greek word, then you can go directly to
that Greek word found under the English word it was translated
as.
Each entry in the dictionary has the word considered in capitals
letters as a heading. Under this title, subtitles of nouns, verbs, or
adjectives, divide the Greek words according to their various forms.
Each Greek word is given first in its transliterated spelling,
followed by its Greek spelling in parenthesis. Then the definition is
given, its origin, and its applied definitions in different verses or
circumstances. Some words will have all the references in which it is
found. For words that have too many references, only those deemed
most significant will be cited. A paragraph mark ( ) at the end of
the listing shows that all the Greek words have been used. At the end
of the discussion of the word, other English words used to translate
the Greek word are listed for further reference and study.
At the end of the book there is an index that lists the Greek
transliterations in alphabetical order with the English headings they
are found under.
Example:
You want to do a word study on "abode" found in Acts 17:14:
1. You would alphabetically find "Abide, Abode" on page two. There
you would see the words divided in to two groups, verbs, and
nouns.
2. Under the verbs, you would find the Greek words meno,
epimeno, katameno, parameno, hupomeno, prosmeno, diatribo,
anastrepho, aulizomai, agrauleo, histemi, and poieo .
3. Scanning down, you find Acts 17:14 under hupomeno. After the
transliteration is the original Greek word, upomenw.
4. Next, the definition is given: "literally to abide under (hupo,
under), signifies to remain in a place instead of leaving it, to stay
behind."
5. Then specific verses are mentioned, giving the meaning in relation
to the context of the verses. Here we find our reference, Acts 17:14.
It states that it specifically means to stay behind instead of
leaving a place.
6. We are told to check another Greek word, makrothumeo
, as a related word.
7. We are given other words that hupomeno is translated as: endure,
suffer, take, and tarry. These can be looked up for further
study.
8. If we go back to the index and look up hupomeno on page 1297, we
find that hupomeno can be found under eight different English
headings: abide, behind, endure, patient, patiently, suffer, take,
and tarry.
Vine's Worksheet #1
The purpose of this worksheet is to learn to locate the
different Greek words found in Vine's Expository Dictionary.
Look up the following English word and find the Greek words. Write
down the transliterated forms next to the following English words and
pronounce the word to yourself and read the definition of each
word.
Example:
friend - philos, hetairos, peitho
1. love -
2. fruit -
3. deed -
4. patience -
5. joy -
6. peace -
Vine's Worksheet # 2
The purpose of this worksheet is to learn to use Vine's to
gain insight into particular verses through the information
given.
Look up the following verses of Scripture. Then give the following
information about the chosen word.
a. The transliteration
b. The basic definition
c. The applied definition
d. What insight this information gives you about this verse.
1. 1 John 1:2 "life"
a.
b. c. d.
2. Hebrews 13:7 "conversation"
a.
b.
c.
d.
3. Matthew 27:32 "cross"
a.
b.
c. d.
Vine's Worksheet #3
The purpose of this worksheet is to learn to use Vine's and
Strong's as complimentary tools for research.
Look up the following words in Strong's and write down (1) the
dictionary number and (2) the transliterated Greek word. (3) Write
the definition Strong's gives for the word. Then take Vine's and go
to the index in the back to find the transliterated Greek word. (4)
Write the different words that this Greek word is found under, then
turn to one of those words and (5) write basic and applied
definitions of the word. Finally, (6) write any insights into this
verse that this word study has given you.
2 Timothy 4:8 - "crown"
(1) (2) (3)
(4) (5)
(6)
Acts 1:8 - "power"
(1) (2) (3) (4)
(5)
(6)
1 Peter 3:7 - "hindered"
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
(6)
John 14:21 - "manifest"
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
(6)
Romans 10:9 - "confess"
(1) (2) (3)
(4) (5)
(6)
Bible Dictionary
About the Book
A Bible dictionary is a very useful tool for every Bible
student and minister. Understanding the Bible is often difficult for
the average reader because of the unfamiliar names, places, and
culture. Historical backgrounds presuppose things that are alien to
the modern reader. The Bible dictionary's function is to render
accessible a body of information that will help the student
comprehend the meaning of the text he is reading and have ready
access to almost any topic he has a question about.
In the Bible dictionary a student finds information on a wide range
of Bible subjects in one volume. Because it is limited to one volume,
the information is a summary, but it does give a very helpful
synopsis of each topic covered. It is especially helpful to find
information on places, persons, and things. It will also cover main
doctrines and books of the Bible. Many times you will not want to
wade through volumes of information. The Bible dictionary will
eliminate much of the wordiness and give you a very readable and
usable information.
The Bible dictionary needs to be among the first tools that a student
goes to when studying any topic. Here he will find a good overview of
the subject or person he is studying. Other avenues or related topics
will also be suggested. It is very easy to use because of its
alphabetical arrangement. If you cannot find a subject you are
looking for, then try to think of another word that could be used for
the same subject. Often at the end of an entry, the student will be
directed to related subjects that will give an expanded understanding
of the topic and might prove to be invaluable in his research.
Most Bible dictionaries have a few introductory pages that include a
preface and a list of abbreviations. The dictionary follows and is
the bulk of the book. Plants, dress, customs, birds, animals,
doctrines, people, places, geography, archeology, land, etc., are
some of the topics that will be covered. Lastly, most Bible
dictionaries have some maps after the dictionary.
Learn to use the Bible dictionary and keep it close at hand during
all your studies. There are several very good ones on the market.
Bible Dictionary Worksheet #1
The purpose of this worksheet is to learn to use the
information in a Bible dictionary to help explain the Scriptures.
Let's say that we are doing a study on the book of Ruth. Use the
Bible dictionary to find the following information that will be
relevant to our study.
A book - The book of Ruth
When did the events of this book take place?
What was the primary purpose of the book?
What are the major lessons to be learned and applied to our
lives?
A position - kinsman
What does the Hebrew word mean?
What rights did the kinsman have?
A cultural activity - gleaning
Describe this Hebrew custom.
A person - Naomi
Who was her husband? Where was she from? What did her name
mean and why did she want to change it?
What did she advise Ruth to do?
A place - Moab
How was the nation of Moab started?
What did Moab do when Israel was in the plains of Moab to try to
destroy Israel?
What were the north, south, east, and west boundaries of Moab?
Why was Moab to be utterly destroyed?
A doctrine - forgiveness
Write a summary of the Biblical teaching concerning
forgiveness.
An object - The threshing floor
Describe what it was like and how it was used.
Why did Boaz sleep there at night?
Bible Atlas
There are a variety of Bible atlases. Some are better than
others. The purpose of a Bible atlas is to provide the student with
the basic understanding of the historical and geographical setting of
Scripture. Maps allow the student to see and understand climate,
terrain, and distance between borders and towns in biblical
times.
Bible atlases have some kind of index at the front or back to aid in
locating certain towns or regions. Most also include a table of
contents at the front to describe the different maps and their
purpose. For instance, most atlases will include maps of Paul's
missionary journeys, the exodus of the children of Israel, land
distribution of the twelve tribes, different points of history during
the kingdom age, and the travels of Christ during his ministry. Many
maps are according to time periods to show how the political empires
changed during different periods of history.
Theological Dictionary of the New Testament
About the Book
The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (TDNT) is
considered by many biblical scholars to be the best New Testament
dictionary ever compiled. The purpose of TDNT is to mediate between
ordinary lexicography and exposition. It treats every New Testament
word of theological significance in greater detail than many other
works. In fact, many popular N.T. word studies use Kittel's work as a
main reference. The full unedited version is 8,400 pages. The new
abridged version (called "Little Kittel") is 1,400 pages in one
volume. Both are used in the same way and both use the same format.
All the entries of the larger version are in the smaller and are
presented in the same order.
The dictionary contains the following parts:
1. A table of Greek keywords. This is very important
if you have already found the Greek word by using the Strong's
Concordance. In the dictionary, the words are grouped into families.
This table lists them alphabetically (transliterated in the abridged
version) and gives the page number that they are found on.
2. Table of English keywords. One can look up the
English word and find the page that the Greek word will be found on.
At the heading of each main entry, the English keywords are placed in
brackets next to the entries so that you can find your English word
rapidly.
3. The main dictionary. The main dictionary lists
Greek words alphabetically according to word families. The main
heading is enclosed in a box with the family of words to be
considered. Each word has its English equivalent in brackets next to
the Greek transliteration. Depending on the treatment and the
significance of the word family, the word family can be developed
under various headings such as:
a. The usage in Classical Antiquity.
b. The Greek and Hellenistic usage.
c. The usage in the Old Testament
d. The word in the LXX.
e. The meaning of the word in later Judaism.
f. How it is used in the New Testament.
g. The early church's usage.
h. Usage in Apocalyptic writings.
At the end of the entry, other Greek words may be referred to for
further study. Also, in the abridged version, the author and location
(volume and page numbers) of the original article in the unabridged
version for more detailed treatment of the word is given.
For most students, pastors, preachers, and professors, "Little
Kittel" will be a most effective tool and easier to use than the full
set of nine volumes. It is more affordable and therefore probably
more accessible for most. It gives the non-technical reader valuable
insights into the meanings of the words of the Greek New Testament
that would take a tremendous amount of research and compiling to come
up with.
Theological Dictionary of the N.T. Worksheet #1
The purpose of this worksheet is to learn to locate words
for study in the abridged or unabridged version of Kittel's TDNT.
To complete this worksheet, find the word and (1) write down what
pages (and volume if using the unabridged version) the word is found
on. (2) Write down Greek words found in the same family, and (3) read
the entry and write down the main headings found under the word. (4)
Write the associated words for further study.
Example:
foolish - Ephesians 5:4
1. Page 620-621
2. moros, moraino, moria, morologia
3. A. Classical Greek, B. Greek OT, C. Philo, D. Concept in the
NT
4. (none)
wisdom - Luke 2:40
1. 2. 3.
hades - Luke 16:23
1. 2. 3. 4.
yoke - Mt. 11:29-30
1. 2. 3. 4.
Theological Dictionary of the N.T. Worksheet #2
The purpose of this worksheet is to learn to use TDNT to
gain insight into various Scripture through word study.
In this study, (1) look up the verse and write it down to impress it
in your mind and to keep it in front of you. (2) Look up several key
words in the verse and write down relevant information given in its
entry. (3) Use your study to write your own amplified version of the
verse studied. Use the example below to discover how to approach this
study.
Example:
1. "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all
that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us."
2. ask (Since we need to know exactly which Greek word is used, we
first look it up in Strong's to find what the Greek word is) Strong's
# is 154. Aiteo is the Greek word.
a. Little Kittel page number = 30.
b. Basic definition: to demand
c. Applied definition: In NT demands are often given religious
application. The Jews demanded a sign (1 Cor. 1:22), and people will
demand an explanation of our faith (1 Pet. 3:15). Also means "to
request." It can have a transaction (Mk. 6:24-25), or an official
request (Mk. 15:43; Acts 9:2). Often used of prayer, yet never used
of Jesus' own prayers (Jn. 16:26) probably because it involves
requests for self, or has an element of demanding, or is less
intimate than erotao which is used of Jesus' requests to
God.
think (Strong's #: 3539) Greek word: noieo
a. Page number: 636
b. Basic definition: to perceive, think, know
c. Applied definition: The verb means "to direct one's mind to." It
means to perceive mentally, understand, or know in the mind, not in
the spirit. Romans 1:20 states that we can intellectually see there
is an invisible God by looking at the visible universe. This creates
faith (Heb. 11:3), which is seeing the invisible as the true
reality.
power (Strong's #: 1411) Greek word: dunamis
a. Page number: 186
b. Basic definition: ability or power
c. Applied definition: Means ability, then power both physically and
intellectually or spiritually. This power is personal, not some
cosmic force. It is God's power as shown in the exodus. It is never
magical, but gives ability to be holy. In the NT it is the power of
Jesus Christ linked to the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the day of
Pentecost through the gifts of the Spirit. It is stronger in the
disciple than any demonic power and leads to preaching in power and
healing. It is the mark of an apostle. God's power operates in weak
vessels, and therefore is known to be totally divine. It works with
the law of the cross. The power of God is to be resident in all who
walk the Christian life.
worketh (Strong's #: 1754) Greek word: energeo
a. Page #: 251
b. Basic definition: to act.
c. Applied definition: This verb means "to act" or "to be at work."
Only once used of human activity, but most always speaks of demonic
or divine work. God, by the Spirit, is the subject in discussion of
gifts (1 Cor. 12:6,10,11). It is God who works in us and does the
work (Php 2:13, Eph. 1:11) by his resurrection power (Eph. 1:19,20;
Col. 2:12).
3. God is able to do far above anything that we might ask or demand
even in light of the Word of God or intellectually reason out from
our mind. He does this through the resurrection ability of God that
is stronger than any demonic hindrance and dwells and is active in
and through us as we take up the cross daily and yield to him. This
power is God's power not our own power and always does something. It
is an active power that causes us to be at work in the Kingdom. The
power of God within must and will move us to do the work it was sent
to do. We do the will of God by the power of God as it is revealed to
us through the Spirit of God and not by our own understanding or
reasoning.
1 Corinthians 12:7
1.
2. manifestation (Strong's #: ) Greek word:
a. Page number:
b. Basic definition:
c. Applied definition:
given (Strong's #: ) Greek word:
a. Page number:
b. Basic definition:
c. Applied definition:
profit (Strong's #: ) Greek word:
a. Page number:
b. Basic definition:
c. Applied definition:
3.
John 15:8
1.
2. glorified (Strong's #: ) Greek word:
a. Page number:
b. Basic definition:
c. Applied definition:
fruit (Strong's #: ) Greek word:
a. Page number:
b. Basic definition:
c. Applied definition:
disciples (Strong's #: ) Greek word:
a. Page number:
b. Basic definition:
c. Applied definition:
3.
There are different ways that the student can study, and there are
different methods of Bible study. There are some methods that are
good for the new believer. The beginner usually starts with some kind
of simple question-and-answer method. There are many
good simple question-and-answer Bible studies that cover the
foundational aspects of the Christian faith as well as different book
studies.
The new Christian will soon desire to dig deeper into the Word of
God. This is often done through some kind of verse
analysis or advanced question-and-answer type studies. In
verse analysis type of studies, the student begins to look
analytically at different verses chosen to study. Here one writes out
the verse for study, puts into his own words what it teaches, looks
at the context of the paragraph the verse is found in, records
questions that the verses raises, and decides on how God would have
him apply this verse to his life.
There are many different ways to study the Bible. In the follow pages
are three important ways to begin to study the Bible: ABC Bible
study, Topical studies, and Character studies. Included are a few
keys to help the student along the way to successful Bible
study--that which changes the life of the one who is studying God's
Word. Each method is useful in different settings. The ABC Bible
study is an adaptation of the Navigator's ABC Bible study method. It
has worked well for me when I am studying a book of the Bible. After
reading the entire book, making an outline of the book, studying the
author, setting, and theme of the book, I then break the book up into
paragraphs and apply the ABC method to each paragraph.
ABC BIBLE STUDY
A. A Title
You may want to do this after you have finished the rest of
the study and have a better grasp of the passage. In choosing a
title, list several that come to mind and then choose the best one or
make a longer one out of the ones that you have written. It is best
to keep the title short and clear. Eight words should be the
maximum.
B. Best Verse
Search through the passage and find either the passage that
seems to stand out to you or the passage that best sums up what the
writer is trying to say. This can be one or two verses. Write out the
verse(s) in your notebook. If you highlight your Bible, then you
might want to highlight these as well.
C. Challenge
As you study the passage, it is absolutely essential that
you ask the Lord to challenge your heart in some way. Anointed Bible
study takes place when you accept what God is trying to say to you
and then apply that challenge to your life. It may be a habit, or
attitude, etc.
In this section, write what verse or verses the challenge comes from
and then write out in your own words what God is
challenging you to do. Write what needs to be changed in your life,
what habits must be broken, or what God wants you to incorporate into
your life.
Clearly state what you plan to do about it. Ask the Lord to give you
a plan of action that will correct the weakness, instill the truth in
your heart, or build this character in your life. Take some
time to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you and
help you.
D. Difficulties
As you look through each verse in your study passage, try to
find things that you might not clearly understand. Under the
difficulties section, write the verse number and the question or
problem that has arisen in your mind.
Do a little research to see if you can find the answer to the problem
or question. Consulting a commentary, looking up a word in a
dictionary, or doing a word study may give you the insight that you
need. Remember, precious truths are discovered by digging deep into
the Word of God. Here is a good place to do some digging.
E. Essence
In the Essence section, you want to
summarize what the passage has said. You can use one of five ways to
do this effectively.
1. Summarize the Passage Write a brief condensation
of the passage, including all the points that have been covered in
the text.
2. Outline An outline includes a title for each
section in the passage and shows its order of thought. Include the
verse numbers after the heading of each point. For example:
I. Main Heading of this Division (verses 1-8)
A. Subpoint I (verses 1,2)
B. Subpoint II (verses 3-8)
II. Main Heading of This Section (verses 9-15)
A. Subpoint I (verses 9-11)
B. Subpoint II (verses 12,13)
C. Subpoint III (verses 14,15)
3. Paraphrase Write each verse in your own words.
An example of this is the Living Bible. This helps to clarify the
verses, so make sure you understand what each thought means in your
own words.
4. Verb Search One effective way of really
discovering what the passage says is to search out all the verbs of a
passage and use them to create an outline of what is being said.
5. Topical Study If the passage being studied has
one basic topic, this can be a very exciting as well as useful. Find
other scriptures that talk about the same topic and get a complete
picture of what God has to say on this subject. You may also use a
Bible dictionary or concordance to do a word study.
F. Finding Cross-references
This is one of the most valuable tools for future use. Look
up cross-references to your verse listed in the Best
Verse section, or any other topic, verse, or difficulty that
you might be interested in. Use a concordance for this. This can be
one of the most rewarding parts of the Bible Study if you put your
whole heart into searching the scriptures. Be sure to write down the
verse number and the verse or the part of the verse that applies to
what you are cross-referencing. This imbeds it into your mind and
records it for future reference. If you have room in your Bible, it
can be very helpful to record a few of them in the column of your
Bible for the future.
G. Go
Now is the time to be sensitive to the Lord and record how
He wants you to apply His Word. Bible study is meant to be applied.
Let the Holy Spirit give you a project to work on to apply the
challenge to your daily living. This action step may be anything from
memorizing a scripture, asking forgiveness, writing a letter,
visiting, praying about a specific need, etc. This should be a
tangible short-term, practical project. And remember, depend on the
Holy Spirit to give you the grace to obey. We cannot live the
Christian life on our own strength; it takes the power of the Holy
Spirit.
ABC Study Worksheet
Date_______________ Study
Passage_______________________________
A. A Title:
____________________________________________________
B. Best verse:
_________________________________________________
flax 10 1
nights 15 3
sudden 2 1
abiding 5 4
1. "in vain do they worship me" Matthew 15:9
2. "abundance of idleness was in her" Ezekiel 16:49
3. "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving" Psalm 100:4
4. "not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible" 1 Peter 2:9
5. "baptiseth with the Holy Ghost" John 1:33
salt: Hebrew - 4 Greek - 3
4417, 5898 217, 251
4416 252
praise: Hebrew - 10 Greek - 7
3034, 1974 136, 134
8416, 1288 1391, 1868
1984, 2167, 1867, 5214
8426, 7623 133,
4110, 7624
anoint: Hebrew - 2 Greek - 3
4886, 5480 218, 3462
1472
grace: Hebrew - 2 Greek - 3
2580, 8467 5485, 2143
pride: Hebrew - 10 Greek - 3
1347, 2087 5243, 5187
1363, 1466 212
1346, 7830
7407, 1344
1348, 2103
1. zeal: John 2:17, "And his disciples remembered that it was
written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up."
A. 2205
B. zelos
C. Properly heat, figuratively zeal , jealousy as of a husband
(figuratively, of God), or and enemy, malice.
D. emulation, envy, fervent mind, indignation, jealousy, zeal.
E. Jesus was jealous for His father's house and this zeal and fervent
indignation consumed him.
2. led: Romans 8:14, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God,
they are the sons of God."
A. 71
B. ago
C. Properly to lead, by implication to bring, drive (reflexive) go
(special), pass (time), or (figuratively) to induce.
D. be, bring forth, carry, let go, keep, lead away, be open.
E. God's children are at times led by God in different ways: driven,
induced, driven, or told to go places.
3. abide: Psalm 15:1, "Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who
shall dwell in thy holy hill?"
A. 1481
B. goor
C. Properly, to turn aside from the road (for a lodging or any other
purpose), that is to sojourn (as a guest); also to shrink, fear (as
in a strange place); also to gather for hostility (as afraid).
D. abide, assemble, be afraid, dwell, fear, gather (together),
inhabitant, remain, sojourn, stand in awe,
E. To abide in His presence we need to turn aside from the road we
are on, and be the Lord guest at His house.
4. fall: Micah 7:8, "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I
fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a
light unto me."
A. 5307
B. naphal
C. to fall, in a great variety of applications, either literally or
figuratively.
D. be accepted, cast (down, out), cease, die, divide (by lot), fail,
fall (away or down), fugitive, inferior, lay, lie down, be lost.
lying, overthrow, overwhelm, perish, present, rot, slay, smite out,
throw down
E. If we are overwhelmed by things and lay down or fall in our
Christian lives, even to the point of spiritual death and rottenness,
we need not wallow in inferiority or lay down, but rise up for the
Lord will be a light in our darkness.
5. tempted: James 1:14, "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn
away of his own lust, and enticed."
A. 3985
B. peirazo
C. to test, that is endeavor, scrutinize, entice, discipline.
D. assay examine, go about, prove, tempt, try.
E. We are tested and scrutinized when our lusts draw us and entice us
to do something we ought not to do.
1. love - agapao, phileo, (thelo), agape. philanthropia
2. fruit - karpos, genema, opora, karpophoros, akarpos,
karpophoreo
3. deed - ergon, praxis, poiesis, euergesia,
4. patience - hupomone, makrothumia, hyupomeno, , makrothumeo,
makrothumos,
5. joy - chara, agalliasis, euphrosune, chairo, kauchaomai, agalliao,
oninemi
6. peace - eirene, eireneuo, eirenopoieo, eirenikos
a. zoe
b. "life as a principle, life in the absolute sense, life as God has
it, the which the Father has in Himself,
c. Life that God gave to the Incarnate Son to have in Himself and
which the Son manifested in the world.
d. The life that Jesus manifested was the very Life of God as God has
it. He showed it openly to the world.
a. anastrophe
b. "literally turning back
c. Behavior and conduct, manner of life, or living.
d. We need to consider end result of the manner of life of those that
rule over us in the Lord and who have spoken the word of God to
use.
a. stauros
b. "an upright pal or stake. On such malefactors were nailed for
execution.
c. Shape is originally different from two-beamed cross, which was
introduced through pagan worship, the Tau or T.
d. Jesus was most likely crucified on a stake, not a two-beamed cross
like we commonly think of.
(1) 4735
(2) stephanos
(3) from a root, "to twine or wreathe; a chaplet as a badge of
royalty, a prize in the public games or a symbol of honor.
(4) crown
(5) That which surrounds, as a wall or crowd, denotes a victor's
crown, the symbol of triumph in the games, hence a reward or prize; a
token of public honor for distinguished service, military prowess,
etc., or nuptial joy, or festal gladness, especially at the parousia
of kings. It was woven as a garland of oak, ivy, parsley, myrtle or
olive, or in imitation of these in gold. In 2 Tim. 4:8, reference to
the games is clear.
(6) At the coming of our King, we receive a crown or reward for
running the race before us, doing spiritual battle, for triumphing
over the enemy.
(1) 1411
(2) dunamis
(3) force, especially miraculous power
(4) ability, abundance, deed, meaning, might, miracle, power,
strength, violence, virtue, wonderful, work.
(5) Power residing in a person or thing, power in action. Sometimes
speaks of the miracle itself.
(6) God will give us ability and power residing within us and to act
through the Holy Ghost.
(1) 1581
(2) ekkopto
(3) to exscind (to cut out), figuratively, to frustrate
(4) cut, hew, hinder
(5) To cut in to, used of impeding persons by breaking up the road,
or by placing an obstacle in the path; hence detaining unnecessarily.
Speaks of hindrance to prayers of marriage through low standards of
marital conduct.
(6) We can place obstacles to our prayers being answered by not
treating our wife as we should.
(1) 5319
(2) phaneroo
(3) To render apparent
(4) appear, declare, manifest, shew
(5) To make visible, clear, manifest, known. The true meaning is to
uncover, lay bare, reveal.
(6) If we will love the Lord and obey the commandments He will make
visible that which is taken by faith. He will make himself known, and
make all we believe clear. If we don't do the will of God, we will be
unclear about many things of the Lord.
(1) 3670
(2) homologeo
(3) To assent, that is covenant, acknowledge. Literally from two
words, homo = the same, and logos = that
which is said.
(4) acknowledge, confess, profess, promise, thanks, vouchsafe
(5) Literally, "to speak the same thing, to assent, accord, agree
with, denotes either to admit, declare, confess; confess by admitting
guilt of what one is accused of, the result of inward conviction;
declare openly by speaking our as a result of conviction of facts,
confess by way of celebrating with praise; to promise.
(6) We need to say the same thing that the Lord says about us and
about Him. We need a conviction in the heart that prompts us to speak
what God has to say.
After the theocracy during the period of the judges
To show the link between Judah and the Gentile world in the ancestry
of Jesus Christ (Mt. 1:5,6)
Willingness to do menial work, listen to advice of elders,, the value
of commitments and forsaking all and serving the Lord.
goel - one who has the right to redeem.
To receive restitution for a wrong done to a dead relative (Num.
5:8),
allowing the poor to follow the reapers and gather the grain that
was left behind or the grapes which remained after the vintage. This
custom was backed by the law of Moses (Lev. 19:9; 23:22; Dt.
24:16-21).
Elimelech
Bethlehem
It meant "pleasant" and she want to be called "bitterness" because
her sons had died in Moab.
Take steps to marry Boaz.
incest of Lot and his daughter
Seduce the men to immorality and to idolatry.
N by the Arnon river, W by Dead Sea, E by the desert, S by Edom
For her pride (Ezekiel 16:6;25:8-11; Jeremiah 48; Zephaniah
2:8-11)
The normal conditions for forgiveness are repentance and the
willingness to make reparation or atonement, so that both parties
return to the former state of relationship. Christ's blood is the
atonement for man's sin. We need to forgive in order to experience
God's forgiveness.
The place where grain was threshed. Usually clay soil packed to a
hard smooth surface. Sheaves of grain were spread on the floor and
trampled by oxen usually with crude wooded sleds, A shovel and fan
were used in winnowing the grain.
Robbers would visit the threshing floor.
wisdom - Luke 2:40
1. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to
profit withal.
2. manifestation (Strong's #: 5321) Greek word: phanerosis
a. Page number: 1244
b. Basic definition: revelation, appearance
c. Applied definition: Root means to shine, make evident, appear,
reveal or show. In our verse it means the acts by which the Spirit
manifests himself. In 2 Cor. 4;2 Paul describes the true proclamation
as a manifestation of the truth in contrast to the falsification of
God's word by his opponents.
given (Strong's #: 1325) Greek word: didomai
a. Page number: 166
b. Basic definition: to give
c. Applied definition: This is a common term since love is depicted
as a gift in the NT. Jesus is what he is by God's gift. God gives him
his works (Jn 5:36), disciples (6:37), name (17:11), all things
(3:35). Jesus gives his life (Mk. 10:45), himself (Gal. 1:4), his
body (Lk. 22:19).
profit (Strong's #: 4851) Greek word: sumphero
a. Page number: 1252
b. Basic definition: to profit
c. Applied definition: Has varied meanings as "to gather, bring, be
of use, service, or advantage; to assist, to suit, to agree, to yield
or turn to, to unite, correspond, to be like, to happen. Mostly it
means "to profit." Only in Acts 19:19 does it mean to bring together.
In Mt. 5:29-30, the loss of a member to profit eternal life. Same
thought in Mt. 18:6, where drowning is better than to seduce little
ones to damnation. In Jn. 16:7, Christ's departure profits the
present life of believers through the giving of the Spirit. Paul says
that the following is profitable: marriage, collections of finance,
that which builds up the church, things heavenly, not fornication,
boasting, promotion of earthly things, or in what serves the national
theocracy.
3. Openly showing the Holy Spirit is an act of love to us from God
for the eternal betterment of others, as well as the bringing
together of the saints, and making them of service.
1. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so
shall ye be my disciples.
2. glorified (Strong's #: 1392) Greek word: doxazo
a. Page number: 178
b. Basic definition: to glorify
c. Applied definition: Outside the Bible it means (a).to have an
opinion, to believe, suspect and (b) to value, honor. In LXX and NT
only (b) is used. The verb has the special Biblical sense "to give or
have a share in the divine glory (Rom. 8:17,30; 2 Cor. 3:10; Jn.
17).
fruit(Strong's #: 2590) Greek word: karpos
a. Page number: 416 - 417
b. Basic definition: fruit
c. Applied definition: In NT we find the literal sense, as well as
the result of an action its fruit. Can be good or bad fruit,
Righteousness, giving, are good fruits.
disciples(Strong's #: 3101) Greek word: mathetes
a. Page number: 552 - 562
b. Basic definition: pupil, disciple
c. Applied definition: Is used for those who direct their minds to
something: one engaged in learning. It implies a relationship to a
teacher, can be an apprentice, student physician, or disciple in a
philosophical school. In NT used almost only for followers of Jesus.
Some of John the Baptist and of Paul. In each there is an attachment
to a person. It begins with a call from Jesus, not the student
finding the teacher. In involves a commitment to His person (Lk.
5:1). It involves obedience to Jesus (Mt. 24:45). Not a tradition,
but a bearing of witness to Jesus, and Jesus brings the tradition to
end by cutting across all traditions (Mk. 3:1ff).
3. We show that we value the Lord and we honor him by making our
actions that which pleases him. By having our actions changed so that
we honor Him, we prove to be engaged in a relationship with the Lord
such that we are attached to Him and are committed to him, not just
doing a tradition, but loving a person, and bearing witness of Jesus
to others.
l-5. Quote Matt. 24:35: (5 Points)