The Holy Scriptures

The Bible

How we should view scripture

True

Authoritative

Historical facts about the Bible.

When it comes to the books of the Bible, the longest is Psalms, which contains 150 chapters (or psalms) made up of 43 743 words. The shortest book is 3 John, with only one chapter and 299 words. The longest and shortest chapters also belong to Psalms: Psalm 119

 has 176 verses, while Psalm 117

 only has two. 

Esther 8:9

 is the longest verse with 90 words.

2. More than 600,000 words

3. The word trinity is never mentioned.

4. A diverse range of authors wrote the Bible over a period of 1500 years. From shepherds and fishermen to soldiers and physicians, at least 40 individuals were inspired by the Holy Spirit to put God’s message into words for his people. The first five books are often credited to Moses (despite the fact that he died before some of these events occurred), Paul wrote the most individual documents (13 letters), and the identities of some writers are still unknown to this day. While there is some debate, most biblical scholars agree that it took about 1,500 years to write the Bible. While Genesis is the first book in the Bible, 

Yet even with this many others over such a large span of time and geographic area there are still nearly 70,000 cross referenced scriptures.

Many experts believe that the Book of Job was written first. The last book that was written and added to the Bible was the Book of Revelation. It is estimated to have been written around 96 A.D.

5. Written on three continents, in three languages.

6. There is no physical description of Jesus in the Bible.

7. It is the most shoplift book in the world..

8. It is the best selling book in the world.

9. The Protestant Bible has 66 books

The Catholic Bible has 73 books

The Orthodox Church does not have a universally approved biblical canon. Orthodox Bibles can have between 79-86 books

10. There is a gap of about 400 years between the old and new testament.

11. 1189 chapters to read it

12. 185 songs

13. Currently the Bible has been translated into more than 3000 languages

14. The Geneva Bible was the first printed Bible.

15. It was also the first Bible to have verses.

16. There is a version called the sinners Bible in which the typo is thou shall commit adultery.

Scientific Facts About the Bible

The Bible and, more specifically, the church have historically not always agreed with science, often leading to controversy. However, the Bible in fact supports several scientific facts that were not discovered until many centuries later.

The Earth Is Round

While it can be translated differently depending on how you look at it, a passage in the Bible does describe the world as round or sphere. This passage can be found in Isaiah 40:22 (NIV), 

“He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers.” 

This book dates back to about the 8th century. While it has been acknowledged that the Earth is round since the time of the Ancient Greeks, the topic continued to be debated for many centuries.

The Earth Is in Space

Another fun scientific fact found in the Bible is the reference to space. This is found in Job 26:7 (NIV), which dates back to approximately the 6th century B.C.: 

“He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing.” 

At the time of this writing and for centuries afterward, many didn’t believe in a free-floating Earth. In fact, the Bible also supports that the Earth revolves around the sun, which was not discovered until millennia later. 

Blood Is the Source of Life -

With modern science, you know that blood is needed for life. However, this was not common knowledge in biblical times. In Leviticus 17:11 (NIV), it is noted that, 

“For the life of a creature is in the blood.”

There Is a Hydrologic Cycle - the continuous movement of water between the Earth's oceans, land, and atmosphere. 

There are two verses within the Bible many scholars say relate to the hydrologic cycle before this was an understood concept. Written in about the 8th century, Amos discusses the ocean going into other lands and bodies of water. In Amos 9:6 (NIV) it says,

“He calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land." 

Another verse that reflects this cycle is Ecclesiastes 1:7 (KJV): 

"All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.” 

Air Has Weight

The fact that air actually has weight is a relatively new discovery, accredited to Evangelista Torricelli in 1644. However, the Bible discussed the weight of air in Job 28:25 (ESV): 

“When he gave to the wind its weight and apportioned the waters by measure.”

When we read scripture it is okay to say we don't understand something but it is never okay to deny something because we don t understand it.

I believe it, I just don't understand it.

When we don't understand it search for it, Ask God for understanding, wisdom and knowledge.

Lean on brothers and sisters that know.

How do we interpret, understand and apply the meaning of scripture.

Individually

By the reading of scripture.

By the study of scripture.

Corporately

By the reading of scripture together. Timothy

By the study of scripture together.

Creeds, Catechism's, Confessions.

For centuries Men, Women, and Churches have sought to put their beliefs down on paper.

Our Thursday night study has been going through some of these.

Why? to get a better understanding of what we believe.

So this book is really a confession of what Wayne Grudem believes.

We are to weigh this against scripture.

In the process of this study we need to come to a common understanding of what we belief individually but also what we belief as a Church. As Paul said in Titus that we would have a common faith and in that we would have a common doctrine. Which is to say this is what we collectively believe and more importantly this is what we collectively teach. As a church we must be on the same page. We must be consistent in what we teach. so that is the whole reason for this study.

Doctrine

Doctrine is what we believe in what we teach.

Theology

The study of and the nature of God and religious belief.

Systematic theology - is exactly what this book is it takes christian beliefs and orders them in a way that is easy to understand.

Biblical theology - is maybe best described in how we read the Bible chronologically, its stories, and to progressively can understanding as you move through scripture.

Historical theology - Is a study of how christian beliefs, or doctrine has changed over time.

Practical theology - Is we apply these Christian beliefs into our lives today.

These first 2 is how we really systematically learn anything. we may read a book, get its overall story then we might go back and look for more isolated meanings within the story. I read the Bible and create a biblical theology. once done I try to break it down into its most basic meanings, I then seek to apply it to my life, practical theology, and then maybe I go look at what people believed over time.

So why is this so important

A key purpose in the Bible is the idea of one coming to faith, salvation, being lead in the understanding of that faith, becoming a follower of Christ, and then being able to pass down that faith. This is what most of Christianity has lost. that cycle of conversion, following, and evangelism and discipleship.

I’m lead to Christ, I am taught the basics of the faith, the bigger meaning of scripture and then I go and share that faith once delivered to me to others. We have to once again start that cycle here as a church.

We must take part of that process not only in our on families but also in the lives around us.

The entirety of the Bible Old and New Testament, are the basis for our Christian Beliefs.

All of us should ask ourselves what is the Bible?

How does God reveal himself to us through scripture?

In this section we talk about Holy scripture.

4 key take aways

Its authority

Its clarity

Its necessity

Its sufficiency

It is the word of God that we need. we need it so that we may know God, trust God, and obey God.

When do we take something as a command?

how should we view something that doesn’t seem to have any supporting verses. Maybe it is said once. We take it as true yet maybe not as doctrine.

for example...

10 things to keep in mind about scripture.

1. always seek balance - Pauls faith apart from works and James’ faith and works

2. things in the Bible often are not meant to be taken as a literal, absolute truth, but rather to emphasize a key point; the surrounding context is crucial to understand whether this is the case or not.

Luke 14:26 ESV

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

does this mean hate your family, he is stating that our love for God, following of his commands are paramount. God first

3. be careful with things that are stated once. they are true, and may be a command, but it takes discernment to understand it

1 Corinthians 15:29 ESV

Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf?

scripture speaks often of baptism in context so we have to look for an alternative meaning

Mark 16:18 ESV

they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

4. Carefully seek to understand the meaning of any saying or command.

for example, covering oneself with sackcloth and ashes. Does this mean we should cover ourselves with sack cloth and ashes? It simply means that repentance and being contrite is crucial when turning from something.

5. Determine not only how symbols, customs, metaphors, and models function in Scripture, but also to what else they are tied.

for example are the beasts of Daniel and revelation actual beasts? no, but rather world empires.. why does Daniel and john do this? Probably because of the understanding of the person that sees them in relation to their time.. for example, how hard would it be for Daniel to understand things that he sees in our day??

6. Be careful with applying scripture to all people of all time when particular scriptures are written specifically to certain people of certain time. Always taking an account with whom the author is and with who he is speaking to..

7. We should always take scripture in the micro that is in the context of what is written, when and how, but also in the macro and the whole overarching theme of the Bible or a particular subject. There are bigger meanings in scripture than just the context of a story.

For example, the ark it was an instrument that saved the eighth that entered it, but it also represents the much larger context of redemption, deliverance, and salvation mentioned in Matt 24:37-39

Matthew 24:37–39 ESV

For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

1 Peter 3:17–21 ESV

when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

8. Remember that you, too, are culturally and theologically located. In reading scripture, seek to understand their culture and the culture that we live in and how we can take application from that. For example, Daniel being castrated and being under the eunuch control how does that correspond to today’s culture? Trans

three types of the love of God in scripture.

as a king

as a father