The Structure of the Bible (Part 2)
The Bible Stands: A Study Of The Authoritative Word Of God • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 27:17
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Notes
Transcript
Review
Review
Turn to 1 Timothy 3:14-15.
Last time we were together for this series, we learned about the names of the Bible and about the structure of the Bible.
The term “Bible” means “book.” The Bible is a compilation of books that form one book, authored by God Himself. It is composed of two testaments/two covenants that God made with man. God first made an old covenant with Israel, but It was eventually replaced by the new covenant that Jesus established at the last supper.
We then considered a short history of the Hebrew Old Testament. This morning, we’ll begin with an overview of the Greek New Testament.
Introduction
Introduction
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Greek New Testament
I want you to know the premise upon which I base my understanding of how the Greek New Testament came about. In other words, there is a one particular fact that I accept by faith and this fact helps me understand how we got our Greek New Testament. That fact is this:
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The local church was the institution whereby God gave us the Greek New Testament. The early local churches, planted by the apostles and followers of Jesus Christ, were the organizations that the Holy Spirit guided to know which letters should be part of the New Testament and which letters should not.
Read 1 Timothy 3:14-15.
Don’t read that passage with 21st century eyes. Read it with first century eyes. Here’s what I mean: when Paul refers to “the house of God” and “the church of the living God”, he’s not referring to a building. He’s referring to a specific assembly of people - that’s what the word “church” originally means.
Notice how he describes the local church.
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Pillar: a prop, a support, something that bears or holds the weight of something - like a bridge support
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Ground: a stay, a prop, a support that makes something stable or firmly settled.
“Timothy, I’m writing this letter to you so that you know how to pastor your church. I’m hoping to come and see you soon, but if I’m not able to swing by there, this letter will help you pastor your Spirit-lead church family, which is the support and the foundation of the truth.”
Cross references: Ephesians 2:21-22 and Hebrews 3:6.
Spirit-controlled local churches were and are the guardians of the truth. That was true in the first century and it remains true in the 21st century. It is the Spirit-controlled local church that is the pillar, the ground, the mainstay of the truth. That is a high responsibility!
Application: It is your responsibility, Christian, to be submitted to the Spirit of God. Only then can He guide you into all truth.
How did we get our compiled, complete Greek New Testament?
It wasn’t the exclusive work of a committee of apostles or pastors
It wasn’t the exclusive work of the church at Jerusalem
It wasn’t the exclusive work of the church at Antioch or at Rome.
It wasn’t thanks to the Church fathers
It wasn’t thanks to Scholasticism or experts
It wasn’t the work of the Catholic church
As the apostles of Christ wrote their inspired books or letters, they were copied and circulated among the local churches that were scattered across the Roman Empire. These local churches, lead by the Spirit of God, prayerfully determined which books were inspired and which were not.
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I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.
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And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.
These books were eventually compiled into four groups: “Gospels (four books), History (one book), Epistles (twenty-one books), and Prophecy (one book).”
Norman L. Geisler and William E. Nix, A General Introduction to the Bible, Rev. and expanded. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1986), 25.
This structure of four groups of books in the Old and four groups in the New would come to reign across the broad spectrum of Christendom for the next 2000 years. We will likely examine that history in more detail later in this series.
A General Introduction to the Bible, Revised and Expanded Summary and Conclusion
The Bible is a
Application:
The Bible was not haphazardly compiled by man and accidently formed into the book that we have today. It was preserved by God and carefully stewarded by Old and New Testament saints who were submitted to the Spirit of God. Therefore, it is reliable, trustworthy, and authoritative for our lives.
