The Bible - Session 7

Is the Bible the truly God's Word?  Christians say yes.  The question we must ask ourselves is how can we know that the Bible is the Word of God and not just a good book? What is unique about the Bible that sets it apart from all other religious books ever written? Is there any evidence that the Bible is truly God’s Word?   These types of questions must be seriously examined if we are to determine the validity of the Bible’s claim to be the very Word of God, divinely inspired, and totally sufficient for all matters of faith and practice. The Church of Divine Guidance Adult Bible Study Group is doing a study to address and answer these questions.  

Review

The bible is constructed in two main parts.  The Old Testament, or God’s covenant with man and specifically Israel before the birth of Christ, and the New Testament or covenant after His birth.  

The old Testament has three major sections, history, poetry, and prophecy.  

The Historical Books:  Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.  

Those books trace the history of man from creation through  the time that the nation of Israel is chosen, starting with Abraham, redeemed, and prepared to enter a promised homeland; they record the history of the Jewish nation from its inception through its days of glory and deportation, and finally, to its days of survival as a small, insignificant nation surrounded by enemies intent on destroying it.

The Poetic Books:  Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon  

Through the use of Hebrew poetry, they delve into the questions of suffering, wisdom, life, love, and most importantly, the character and nature of God. The Psalms do however have some prophecies about the coming Messiah.

The Prophetic Books:  Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

The prophetic books have four major themes and purposes:

1. To expose the sinful practices of the people

2. To call the people back to the moral, civil, and ceremonial law of God

3. To warn the people of coming judgment

4. To anticipate the coming of Messiah

Why is the Old Testament and the history of the Jews so important to us as Christians?  

1. It reveals God—that there is a Creator, that the world didn't just happen, and that He is in control over everything at all times.
2. It reveals that this God is a God of love who is deeply concerned about every person.   
3. It reveals that God's love is defined by His laws.  The Ten Commandments, and the statutes and judgments based on those commandments, show us how to live God's way of love.  All of them are summed up by the two great laws of love that Jesus gave the in answer to a question from one of the scribes about which was the greatest commandment
4. It reveals that sin brings suffering—that when we sin, there is a penalty. And if an entire nation sins, it eventually will reap the results of those sins. On the other hand, if an individual or a nation repents of sin and asks God for forgiveness, He is ready and willing to forgive
5. It reveals the plan of God—that there would be a Savior who would pay the death penalty for your sins and my sins; that this Savior, the Messiah, would establish the Kingdom of God on earth; and that there would be a resurrection of the dead to eternal life

The entire 53rd chapter of Isaiah

6. It reveals that there would be a new covenant under which God would give people the gift of His Spirit, - which would remove our heart of stone and replace it with a heart that would love and obey God

Jeremiah 31:31-34 (HCSB)31  “Look, the days are coming”—⌊this is⌋ the LORD’s declaration—“when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.32  ⌊This one will⌋ not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant they broke even though I had married them”—the LORD’s declaration.33  “Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”—the LORD’s declaration. “I will put My teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people.34  No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least to the greatest of them”—⌊this is⌋ the LORD’s declaration. “For I will forgive their wrongdoing and never again remember their sin.”

7.  It reveals that humanity is created in God's image,-  created to be like Him and to share rulership with God over the entire universe

Genesis 1:26-27 (HCSB)26  Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.”27  So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female.

The New Testament is made up of historical books

4 biographies of Jesus then the early history of the church in Acts which provides a factual report of the period from Christ's final words to His followers and His ascension into heaven to the travels and trials of the apostle Paul. Acts describes some of the key events in the spread of the gospel from Judea to the far reaches of the Roman Empire.

The Historical Books:  Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts

The Doctrinal Books:  Romans, 1&2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1&2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1, 2 & 3 John, Jude, Revelation

With the end of Acts and the historical books of the New Testament, the Bible moves to 22 letters (called epistles are letters of doctrine—teaching and instruction in Christian truth and practice.

Who Decided Which Books Should Be In the Bible

A canon is a list of texts (or "books") which a particular religious community regards as authoritative scripture. The word "canon" comes from the Greek “kanwn”, meaning "rule" or "measuring stick".

Bible Canon(s)

How was the biblical canon developed?

Old Testament

The term “canon” is used to describe the books that are divinely inspired and therefore belong in the Bible. Determining the canon was a process conducted first by Jewish rabbis and scholars and later by early Christians. Ultimately, it was God who decided what books belonged in the biblical canon. It was simply a matter of God’s convincing His human followers which books should be included in the Bible.

Compared to the New Testament, there was much less controversy over the canon of the Old Testament. Hebrew believers recognized God’s messengers and accepted their writings as inspired of God. By A.D. 250 there was nearly universal agreement on the canon of Hebrew Scripture.  That is what has become what Christians call the Old Testament.  

Outside the Israel some Jews included twelve to fifteen other books as part of Scripture. The Septuagint,  which is a translation of the Hebrew Bible and some related texts into Greek (also called the Greek Old Testament), which was translated in Egypt, contains books that we now call the Apocrypha. (Apocrypha means “those hidden away.”) Early Christians differed over whether these extra books should be considered Scripture or not. Those nearest Israel tended to exclude them. Those closer to Rome tended to include them.

The vast majority of Hebrew scholars considered the Apocrypha to be good historical and religious documents, but not on the same level as the Hebrew Scriptures.

Apocrypha

1 Esdras, 2 Esdras, Additions to Esther, 1 Macabees, 2 Macabees, Tobias, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, Epistle of Jeremiah, Susanna, Prayer of Azariah, Prayer of Manasseh, Bel and the Dragon, Laodiceans

In some Protestant Bibles, they are placed between the New and Old Testament. In the Roman Catholic Bibles the books are interspersed with the rest of the text.

During the sixteenth-century Reformation, Martin Luther spoke strongly against the Apocrypha. In reaction the Roman Catholic Church convened a council in Trent (now in Italy), where they declared the Apocrypha to be canonical. To this day Catholics and Protestants disagree on this issue. Catholics uphold the Apocrypha. Protestants believe that the Apocrypha is useful but not inspired.

The Protestant Old Testament consists of the same books as the Hebrew Bible, but the order and division of the books are different. Protestants number the Old Testament books at 39, while Judaism numbers the same books as 24. This is because Judaism considers Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles to form one book each, groups the 12 minor prophets into one book, and also considers Ezra and Nehemiah a single book.

There is no scholarly consensus as to when the Hebrew Bible canon was fixed: some scholars argue that it was fixed sometime between 140-40 BCE), while others argue it was not fixed until the second century CE or even later.

Michael Barber says that the earliest and most explicit testimony of a Hebrew canonical list comes from Jewish historian Josephus (37CE – c. 100CE).  He wrote about a canon used by Jews in the first century AD.

New Testament

For the New Testament, the process of the recognition and collection began in the first centuries of the Christian church.

Very early on, some of the New Testament books were being recognized.

The books of the canon of the New Testament were written mostly in the first century and finished by the year 150 AD.

Paul considered Luke’s writings to be as authoritative as the Old Testament

1 Timothy 5:18 (HCSB)18  For the Scripture says: Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain, and, the worker is worthy of his wages.  

Which is from Luke 10:7 as something that Jesus said

Luke 10:1-7 (HCSB)1  After this, the Lord appointed 70 others, and He sent them ahead of Him in pairs to every town and place where He Himself was about to go.2  He told them: “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.3  Now go; I’m sending you out like lambs among wolves.4  Don’t carry a money-bag, traveling bag, or sandals; don’t greet anyone along the road.5  Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’6  If a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you.7  Remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they offer, for the worker is worthy of his wages. Don’t be moving from house to house.  

Jesus was quoting from Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 25:4 (HCSB)4  “Do not muzzle an ox while it treads out grain.

Peter recognized Paul’s writings as Scripture

2 Peter 3:15-16 (HCSB)15  Also, regard the patience of our Lord as ⌊an opportunity for⌋ salvation, just as our dear brother Paul has written to you according to the wisdom given to him.16  He speaks about these things in all his letters in which there are some matters that are hard to understand. The untaught and unstable twist them to their own destruction, as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures.  

Some of the books (epistles) of the New Testament were being circulated among the churches.

Colossians 4:16 (HCSB)16  When this letter has been read among you, have it read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea.

We still have the letter to the Colossians. The letter to the Laodiceans was not considered inspired or pertinent enough to be preserved.

1 Thessalonians 5:27 (HCSB)27  I charge you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the brothers.

Wherever Christianity spread, Christians gathered for worship and instruction. In keeping with the customs of the Jewish synagogue, a portion of Old Testament Scripture would be read and explained. Meanwhile, the apostles, along with other evangelists and teachers, traveled from place to place to plant churches and encourage believers.

As need arose, the apostles wrote letters to various churches. When a letter arrived, it was read with great excitement in the worship service. Often the letter would be copied and shared with neighboring churches, who, in turn, would share it with still other churches. Naturally, the more inspiring letters were copied and shared more often.

Around A.D. 150, Justin Martyr who was an apologist and very important in the early church.  (An Apologist is someone who defends or supports something such as a religion, cause, or organization that is being criticized or attacked by other people).

He described worship in the early church this way:

On the day called the Day of the Sun all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then all rise together and pray.

By this early date, “the memoirs of the apostles” were considered as important to the teaching of the church as the writings of the prophets.

From the very first the authority of Jesus had full recognition in all the Christian world. The whole work of the apostles was in interpreting Him to the growing church. His sayings and His life were in part for the illumination of the Old Testament; wholly for the understanding of life and its issues.

Clement of Rome mentioned at least eight New Testament books (A.D. 95).  After Paul and Peter were martyred at Rome, Clement become a leader, in fact, bishop, of the church there. He may be the person mentioned in Philippians.

Philippians 4:3 (NKJV)3  And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.

Ignatius of Antioch who was the Bishop of Antioch after Peter and someone named Saint Evodius (who died around AD 67)  acknowledged about seven books (A.D. 115). The historian Eusebius records that Ignatius succeeded Evodius.

There is another guy named Polycarp, who was a disciple of John.  He acknowledged 15 books (A.D. 108).

Later, Irenaeus, who was a disciple of Polycarp mentioned 21 books (A.D. 185).  

Hippolytus was the most important 3rd-century theologian in the Christian Church in Rome recognized 22 books (A.D. 170-235).

The first “canon” was the Muratorian Canon, which was compiled in AD 170. The Muratorian Canon included all of the New Testament books except Hebrews, James, and 3 John. In AD 363, the Council of Laodicea stated that only the Old Testament (along with one book of the Apocrypha) and 26 books of the New Testament (everything but Revelation) were canonical and to be read in the churches. The Council of Hippo (AD 393) and the Council of Carthage (AD 397) also affirmed the same 27 books as authoritative.

The concept we have today of a completed Bible was formulated early in the history of the church. By the end of the second century all but seven books (Hebrews, 2 and 3 John, 2 Peter, Jude, James, and Revelation) were recognized as apostolic, and by the end of the fourth century all twenty-seven books in our present canon were recognized by all the churches of the West. After the Damasine Council of Rome in A.D. 332 and the third Council of Carthage in A.D. 397 the question of the Canon was closed in the West.

The Catholic Church made dogmatic definition upon its Biblical canon at the Council of Trent of 1546, reaffirmed the Canons of Florence of 1442 and North African Councils (Hippo and Carthage) of 393-419.[2][3] For the Church of England, it was made dogmatic on the Thirty-Nine Articles of 1563; for Calvinism, on the Westminster Confession of Faith of 1647.

Protestants point to the following four "Criteria for Canonicity" to justify the selection of the books that have been included in the New Testament—though these ideas aren't isolated to Protestant theology, but extend to or are derived from other Christian traditions:

Apostolic Origin — attributed to and based upon the preaching/teaching of the first-generation apostles (or their close companions).

Universal Acceptance — acknowledged by all major Christian communities in the ancient world (by the end of the 4th century) as well as accepted canon by Jewish authorities (for the Old Testament).

Liturgical Use — read publicly when early Christian communities gathered for the Lord's Supper (their weekly worship services).

Consistent Message — containing a theological outlook similar to or complementary to other accepted Christian writings.[49]

In practice, most Protestants hold to the Hebrew Bible for the Old Testament and the Roman Catholic canon for the New Testament.

Again, it is crucial to remember that the church did not determine the canon. No early church council decided on the canon. It was God, and God alone, who determined which books belonged in the Bible. It was simply a matter of God’s imparting to His followers what He had already decided. The human process of collecting the books of the Bible was flawed, but God, in His sovereignty, and despite our ignorance and stubbornness, brought the early church to the recognition of the books He had inspired.

Theologians are careful to note that the church didn’t develop the canon, God did that by inspiring its writing and superintending each book’s preservation. The church recognized the canon by experience and mutual agreement.

Bible Study Audio

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