The Bible 1

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Message

Not About Canon Formation...

Bruce, F. F. The Canon of Scripture. Downers Grove: IVP, 1988.

Grudem, Wayne, C. John Collins, and Thomas R. Schreiner, eds. Understanding Scripture: An Overview of the Bible's Origin, Reliability, and Meaning. Wheaton: Crossway, 2012.

Seven Sections of Bibliology / Characteristics of Scripture = The Doctrine of God’s Word

1. Authority - The Bible is authoritative because it was given by God!

Isaiah 46:11 ESV

11 calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.

Psalm 119:160 ESV

160 The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.

John 17:17 ESV

17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

Rational evidences - Case for Christ… Lee Stoble

Cosmological / Archeological

Prophesy - Isa 53 - Christ 700yrs before

Believers Conviction

Self Attestation

the Bible claims this of itself based on God’s own presupposed authority

the Holy Spirit confirms in the hearts of those who read and study its authority

Jesus View

Jesus acknowledges the scriptures authority

“it is written” “Scriptures say”

taught as one having authority

affirmed it in debate before crucifixion

affirmed it after resurrection

Do you view the Bible as authoritative or suggestive? Who might want to make you disbelieve that the Bible is God’s Word?

What ways can you think of to rejoice in the authority of God’s Word?

2 Timothy 3:16–17 ESV

2. Inspiration - The Bible contains the very words of God.

Matthew 5:17–18 ESV

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

Jeremiah 30:2 ESV

2 “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you.

1 Corinthians 14:37 ESV

37 If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord.

General Revelation - what we can experience through our senses…

Psalm 19:1–4 ESV

1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun,

Romans 1:18–25 ESV

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

Special Revelation - how God has to communicate to His creation…

direct acts / dreams & visions / incarnation / scripture

Types of Inspiration

Verbal Plenary Inspiration = 2 Tim 3.16

OT Proofs

records direct / prophetic / dictated speech of God

Jesus view

confirms human authorship - Moses/David/Isaiah

Confirms the Divine authorship - Mark 12.36 = “David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declares...

How should the truth of inspiration effect how we use the Bible? How should this truth encourage us to engage with Scripture more?

2 Timothy 3:16–17 ESV

3. Inerrancy / Infallibility - Because the Bible is God’s Word it is without error and will never fail.

Psalm 19:7 ESV

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;

Psalm 18:30 ESV

30 This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

Deuteronomy 18:22 ESV

22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.

Genesis 1:3 ESV

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

Abraham Lincoln - Auto Biography - God’s Word / God’s Character

God cannot lie

God cannot fail

Jesus’ view

Why do you think the debate about inerrancy has become such a large issue in this century? If you thought there were some small errors affirmed by Scripture, how do you think that would affect the way you read Scripture?

How should the fact of biblical inerrancy and infallibility encourage us and bring us peace, hope and joy?

Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Bible Doctrine Hymn

Standing on the promises of Christ my King,

Through eternal ages let his praises ring!

Glory in the highest I will shout and sing

Standing on the promises of God!

2 Timothy 3:16–17 ESV

4. Perspicuity = Clarity - The Bible is able to be understood by all who truly seek to understand it.

Deuteronomy 29:29 ESV

29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Deuteronomy 6:6–7 ESV

Luke 10:21 ESV

21 In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.

God’s design

Man as image

Reason for scripture

Gift of Holy Spirit

Misunderstandings

Hermeneutics - the study of methods of interpretation

Exegesis - is the process of interpreting scripture

Poem =/= History

Novel =/= Song

Law / History / Wisdom + Poetry / Prophecy / Gospel / Letters

Expository Preaching - “preaching that takes the main point of a text of Scripture, makes that the main point of the sermon, and applies it to life today. Expositional preaching is preaching that exposes the meaning of Scripture and brings it to bear on our lives.” - 9Marks

If you thought that only expert scholars could understand the Bible rightly, what would happen to your personal reading of Scripture? Has this already happened to some extent in your life?

How should this truth encourage you to study for yourself, with others, or lead your family?

2 Timothy 3:16–17 ESV

5. Necessity - The Bible is necessary for humanity to know and interact with God.

Romans 10:13–17 ESV

13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Exodus 34:14 ESV

14 (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),

Acts 4:12 ESV

12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Not for knowing God exists - (inspiration above)

Creation speaks

For Knowing God personally

Knowing God’s will

For maintaining spiritual life

Do you nourish your soul on the spiritual food of the Word as carefully and diligently as you nourish your body on physical food? What makes us so spiritually insensitive that we feel physical hunger much more acutely than spiritual hunger?

What encouragement can we gain from this truth?

2 Timothy 3:16–17 ESV

6. Sufficiency - The Bible contains all that God intends us to have and all we need for this life to know, trust, and obey God in this life.

2 Peter 1:3 ESV

3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,

Deuteronomy 4:2 ESV

2 You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.

Revelation 22:18–19 ESV

18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

What you need to know

How much you need to know

When we needed to know it

How much emphasis have you put on this truth in the past? What in your life should you adjust to account for this truth?

Why would this be good news not only to Christians but to those who do not yet know God?

2 Timothy 3:16–17 ESV

7. Obligation - Because the Bible is the Word of God it demands certain responses from us.

Teaching / Preaching

2 Timothy 4:2 ESV

2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

Deuteronomy 6:6–9 ESV

6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Pray - Mt 6.9

Feed

1 Peter 2:2 ESV

2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—

Obey

Matthew 28:20 ESV

20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Honor

Study

Psalm 1:1–2 ESV

1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Tremble

Isaiah 66:2 ESV

2 All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.

Close

Obligation

Receive

John 1:1–4 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

John 1:11–14 ESV

11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

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1 Thessalonians 2:13 ESV

13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.