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Introduction
Introduction
[SLIDE 1] Opening comments.
[SLIDE 2]
Do You Read the Bible YouTube Video. MSU 2016.
[SLIDE 2] Awkwardness about talking about the bible.
Awkwardness about talking about the bible.
The bible says...
So what?
Assumption - a fact or statement taken for granted
Video - a number of assumptions about the bible
We assume the bible is God’s word (what that means is coming…)
Today
Today
Everyone makes a lot of assumptions about God (last week) and the bible (this week)
Christian assumptions about the bible: Fact and Fiction (from our Faith and Practice)
How we got it
Why people don’t accept it as truth
How we Got it
What it is and isn’t and what it means for our faith, being disciples and ministry
Why starting with “The bible is the truth” when talking with someone about God may not be the best plan
How we got it
How we got it
What it is and isn’t and what it means for our faith, being disciples and ministry
[SLIDE 3]What is it?
[SLIDE 3]What is it?
Scripture is different than bible.
Scripture grew out of the life of a community chosen by a God it barely understood and often did not want to follow, yet who would not let them go.
Scripture grew out of the life of a community chosen by a God it barely understood and often did not want to follow, yet who would not let them go.
It reflects God’s word and the community’s response to that word.
Stories - oral tradition handed down from generation to generation until they became...
Sacred writings that are a record of God revealing himself pulled together in a canon (a measuring rod). Books that are determined to be authoritative for believers as a set of books that are the standard by which other books are measured.
Many genres
Our 66 books (39 OT, 27 NT) weren’t finalized until the 4th c.
Different Christian traditions have more and arrange them differently.
Record of divine revelation
In the NT, scripture is: Law of Moses, writing of the Prophets, the wisdom literature - anything in what we call the OT.
Assumes God’s authority.
Inerrant in All it Affirms
Inerrant in All it Affirms
for us - both OT and NT is scripture
It reflects God’s word and the community’s response to that word.
Role of the Scriptures in History
Role of the Scriptures in History
Role of the Scriptures in History
Role of the Scriptures in History
Up to Enlightenment - Widely accepted lens to understand reality - general assumption: It and the interpretations of it was truth.
Science - Wait a minute; some things don’t add up.
Christianity - on the defensive; using scientific approach to argue for keeping its status.
Where we get the words inspired, inerrant, infallible, authority of Scripture.
True, trustworthy, inspired
s status.
[SLIDE 4]Inspired
[SLIDE 4]Inspired
It reflects God’s word and the community’s response to that word. Inspired
When We hear the word...
When We hear the word...
Motivated
Moved emotionally or intellectually
2 T
The Who
The Who
Inspiration defined: The bible as a whole was accomplished by an extraordinary stimulation and elevation of the powers of men who devoutly yielded themselves to God’s will, and sought, often with success unparalleled elsewhere, to convey truth useful to the salvation of men and of nations (Reid, The Authority of Scripture).
The influence of God on the writers of Scripture that gave them the ability to write his revelation of himself.
For early church, OT was inspired: God said; God spoke; (Jesus: it is written)
What about NT? Gospel given through words to the apostles through the holy spirit later written down. The NT then also became God’s written word.
The How
The How
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Inspiration - God gave
2 Timothy
Every Scripture that is able to make you wise for salvation is God-breathed (reflecting the creative activity of God. Not suggesting a theory of inspiration but reflecting the understanding that has come through Judaism.
Inspiration happens where three things come together (The Exodus):
Key events in the life of the community of faith and their witness to the ongoing presence of God before, during and after them that led to how they understood God, themselves and their relationship with him.
Their situation. New situations forced them to reflect on their past in order to step into their changing future. New understanding lead to new ways for the next generation to understand itself in relationship with God and the life he is calling them into (Old truth, new forms).
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Interpreters. Prophets, preachers - those who help the body move forward.
To interpret is to bring out the true meaning of something written or spoken, particularly by restating it in other words. One synonym is simply “to explain”; another is “to translate.” 1
The biblical writers - prophets, kings, apostles, disciples - all interpreted, explained, translated God’s inspired word
And today’s preachers, prophets, teachers, continue to do the same. As OUTSIDERS.
Faithlife Outsiders Video
SUMMARY
What did the passage mean for the person who first spoke these words or wrote them and for the people who first heard or read them? The first task is to enter into the circumstances of the person who first wrote or heard or read the passage and then try to understand the meaning in the light of the whole Bible.
What should the passage mean to a reader today?
What should the passage mean to a reader today?
[SLIDE 5]Inerrant in All it Affirms
[SLIDE 5]Inerrant in All it Affirms
Memoirs, autobiographies, biographies. Movies based on real life. Always someone who says: It didn’t happen that way. But is what is being communicated (the message) true?
Inerrant - Free from error
Error - something produced by a mistake; imperfection; something not right
Are there errors in the bible? Yes. For one reason, they didn’t have all the knowledge that came later. At the time of its writing, they wrote and God spoke to the people in their context which included their knowledge.
A mustard seed is not the smallest of seeds.
Both Jesus and Paul pointed out discrepancies in the OT.
The Gospels - Scripture developed from oral accounts or from the combination of a number of sources. Discrepancies likely come from different accounts and/or who the writer got their information from that have been combined in our biblical books.
Copying manuscripts…interpretation, changes made. Discrepancies between older and newer manuscripts.
What We Mean by Inerrant (in all it affirms)
What We Mean by Inerrant (in all it affirms)
Memoirs, autobiographies, biographies. Movies based on real life. Always someone who says: It didn’t happen that way. But is what is being communicated (the message) true?
Biblical writers remember the past for the sake of the present and the future.
They are therefore not primarily concerned with historical fact so much as the significance of those past events for the present, and the promise they hold for the future.
Such traditions can err in factual matters without compromising truth the bible teaches and affirms.
[SLIDE 6] Infallible Rule of Faith and Practice
[SLIDE 6] Infallible Rule of Faith and Practice
All scripture is useful for all the tasks of his ministry - because it has divine origin.
Purpose of Scripture is what is infallible
Purpose of Scripture is what is infallible
Lead people to faith
Grow in maturity (discipleship)/training in righteousness (ethics, conduct)
and so that we can be fully equipped for every good work.
What are those tasks:
All scripture is useful for all the tasks of his ministry - because it has divine origin.
Teaching...the gospel, discipleship.
The standard by which other religions are measured
Training in righteousness.
Meet all the demands of character and ministry.
All scripture is useful for all the tasks of his ministry - because it has divine origin.
[SLIDE 7]Authoritative
Inerrant - Free from error
[SLIDE 7] Authoritative
[SLIDE 7] Authoritative
Error - something produced by a mistake; imperfection; something that is not right
Are there errors in the bible? Yes. For one reason, they didn’t have all the knowledge that came later.
A mustard seed is not the smallest of seeds.
Both Jesus and Paul pointed out discrepancies in the OT.
Scripture developed from oral accounts or from the combination of a number of sources. Discrepancies likely come from different accounts and/or sources that have been combined in our biblical books.
The Gospels
Copying manuscripts…interpretation, changes made. Discrepancies between older and newer manuscripts.
What We Mean by Inerrant (in all it affirms)
What We Mean by Inerrant (in all it affirms)
Biblical traditions remember the past for the sake of the present and the future. They are therefore not primarily concerned with historical fact so much as the significance of those past events for the present, and the promise they hold for the future. Such traditions can err in factual matters without compromising their truth.
[SLIDE 7]Authoritative
[SLIDE 7]Authoritative
God is our authority and because the Scripture comes from him.= they have his authority.
It is God who is perfect...from a perfect God (inspired, Authoritative Truth) comes this to you, for you through (by his choice)
What are those tasks:
Teaching...the gospel, discipleship.Expose false teachingCorrecting behavior, ethicsTraining in righteousness.
Purpose of Scripture: so that we can be fully equipped for every good work.
Meet all the demands of character and ministry.
[SLIDE 8]Talking About Scripture
[SLIDE 8]Talking About Scripture
If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”
John
[SLIDE 9]
[SLIDE 9]
Those who do not have an intelligent understanding of Jesus’ teaching (the world) and do not keep them are not judged/condemned in this time:
From denial to unsure about God, Jesus
Full distrust to not yet trusting Scripture as coming from God, inerrant truth, infallible in its purpose and authoritative for their lives.
He came to save them. Yes, there is a day coming when we’ll all give an account for our lives but...
Loving Jesus leads to understanding and trusting the bible like we’ve talked about today.
Debating the bible won’t help someone draw near to Jesus.
In the last day, the judgment will be the salvation that came to that person and how they responded.
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.
Loving Jesus leads to understanding and trusting the bible as
Leading with, the bible says won’t help someone draw near to Jesus
No philosophical argument, no statement that this is fact will prove or persuade the bible is true.
Its truth has to be believed - lived according to - in order to GROW intro trusting it to be what we’ve talked about today.
Inviting people to start right where they are and explore who our God is, what he has to say about them (yes, that means reading the bible) and the great offer of new life in Christ will.
And watch the spirit begin to change minds about a lot of things - including the bible.