Covid19 Challenges STAYING TRUE part 3 section 2a

Noel Merrick

Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

0 ratings

· 10 views

Notes

Transcript

BIBLIOLOGY:

THE DOCTRINE OF THE BIBLE

1. REVELATION

A. The Definition Of “Revelation”

1. The definition of the word - The word “reveal” means “to make known; to bring to view; to unveil.” Thus, a revelation is something that is made known or disclosed that was previously unknown.

2. Divine Revelation - The work of God by which He makes Himself and His truth known to man through various means - Deut 29:29; Dan 2:19-23, 28

Deuteronomy 29:29 KJV 190029 The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Daniel 2:19–23 KJV 190019 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: For wisdom and might are his: 21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: He removeth kings, and setteth up kings: He giveth wisdom unto the wise, And knowledge to them that know understanding: 22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: He knoweth what is in the darkness, And the light dwelleth with him. 23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, Who hast given me wisdom and might, And hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: For thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter.

Daniel 2:28 KJV 190028 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;

B. General Revelation

1. Definition - General revelation is God’s self-disclosure to all men at all times in all places.

Heading 2

2. The Means - There are three primary means of general revelation:

a. Nature - Ps 19:1-6; Rom 1:18-21

Psalm 19:1–6 KJV 19001 The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2 Day unto day uttereth speech, And night unto night sheweth knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language, Where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. 6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, And his circuit unto the ends of it: And there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

Romans 1:18–21 KJV 190018 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

b. Conscience - Rom 2:14-16; Acts 17:22-23

Romans 2:14–16 KJV 190014 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) 16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

Acts 17:22–23 KJV 190022 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

c. History (Providence) - I Cor 10:1-6; Ps 66; 77:11-20; 78

1 Corinthians 10:1–6 KJV 19001 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

Psalm 66 KJV 1900 To the chief Musician, A Song or Psalm. 1 Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: 2 Sing forth the honour of his name: Make his praise glorious. 3 Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! Through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. 4 All the earth shall worship thee, And shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah. 5 Come and see the works of God: He is terrible in his doing toward the children of men. 6 He turned the sea into dry land: They went through the flood on foot: There did we rejoice in him. 7 He ruleth by his power for ever; His eyes behold the nations: Let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah. 8 O bless our God, ye people, And make the voice of his praise to be heard: 9 Which holdeth our soul in life, And suffereth not our feet to be moved. 10 For thou, O God, hast proved us: Thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. 11 Thou broughtest us into the net; Thou laidst affliction upon our loins. 12 Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water: But thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place. 13 I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows, 14 Which my lips have uttered, And my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble. 15 I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings, With the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah. 16 Come and hear, all ye that fear God, And I will declare what he hath done for my soul. 17 I cried unto him with my mouth, And he was extolled with my tongue. 18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear me: 19 But verily God hath heard me; He hath attended to the voice of my prayer. 20 Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, Nor his mercy from me.

Psalm 77:11–20 KJV 190011 I will remember the works of the Lord: Surely I will remember thy wonders of old. 12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings. 13 Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: Who is so great a God as our God? 14 Thou art the God that doest wonders: Thou hast declared thy strength among the people. 15 Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah. 16 The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: The depths also were troubled. 17 The clouds poured out water: The skies sent out a sound: Thine arrows also went abroad. 18 The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: The lightnings lightened the world: The earth trembled and shook. 19 Thy way is in the sea, And thy path in the great waters, And thy footsteps are not known. 20 Thou leddest thy people like a flock By the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Psalm 78 KJV 1900 Maschil of Asaph. 1 Give ear, O my people, to my law: Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. 2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: 3 Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us. 4 We will not hide them from their children, Shewing to the generation to come The praises of the Lord, and his strength, And his wonderful works that he hath done. 5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel, Which he commanded our fathers, That they should make them known to their children: 6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; Who should arise and declare them to their children: 7 That they might set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep his commandments: 8 And might not be as their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation; A generation that set not their heart aright, And whose spirit was not stedfast with God. 9 The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, Turned back in the day of battle. 10 They kept not the covenant of God, And refused to walk in his law; 11 And forgat his works, And his wonders that he had shewed them. 12 Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. 13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; And he made the waters to stand as an heap. 14 In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, And all the night with a light of fire. 15 He clave the rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink as out of the great depths. 16 He brought streams also out of the rock, And caused waters to run down like rivers. 17 And they sinned yet more against him By provoking the most High in the wilderness. 18 And they tempted God in their heart By asking meat for their lust. 19 Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? 20 Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, And the streams overflowed; Can he give bread also? Can he provide flesh for his people? 21 Therefore the Lord heard this, and was wroth: So a fire was kindled against Jacob, And anger also came up against Israel; 22 Because they believed not in God, And trusted not in his salvation: 23 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, And opened the doors of heaven, 24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, And had given them of the corn of heaven. 25 Man did eat angels’ food: He sent them meat to the full. 26 He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: And by his power he brought in the south wind. 27 He rained flesh also upon them as dust, And feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea: 28 And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, Round about their habitations. 29 So they did eat, and were well filled: For he gave them their own desire; 30 They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths, 31 The wrath of God came upon them, And slew the fattest of them, And smote down the chosen men of Israel. 32 For all this they sinned still, And believed not for his wondrous works. 33 Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, And their years in trouble. 34 When he slew them, then they sought him: And they returned and inquired early after God. 35 And they remembered that God was their rock, And the high God their redeemer. 36 Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, And they lied unto him with their tongues. 37 For their heart was not right with him, Neither were they stedfast in his covenant. 38 But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: Yea, many a time turned he his anger away, And did not stir up all his wrath. 39 For he remembered that they were but flesh; A wind that passeth away, and cometh not again. 40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, And grieve him in the desert! 41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel. 42 They remembered not his hand, Nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy. 43 How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, And his wonders in the field of Zoan: 44 And had turned their rivers into blood; And their floods, that they could not drink. 45 He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; And frogs, which destroyed them. 46 He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, And their labour unto the locust. 47 He destroyed their vines with hail, And their sycomore trees with frost. 48 He gave up their cattle also to the hail, And their flocks to hot thunderbolts. 49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, Wrath, and indignation, and trouble, By sending evil angels among them. 50 He made a way to his anger; He spared not their soul from death, But gave their life over to the pestilence; 51 And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; The chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham: 52 But made his own people to go forth like sheep, And guided them in the wilderness like a flock. 53 And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: But the sea overwhelmed their enemies. 54 And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, Even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased. 55 He cast out the heathen also before them, And divided them an inheritance by line, And made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents. 56 Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, And kept not his testimonies: 57 But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: They were turned aside like a deceitful bow. 58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places, And moved him to jealousy with their graven images. 59 When God heard this, he was wroth, And greatly abhorred Israel: 60 So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, The tent which he placed among men; 61 And delivered his strength into captivity, And his glory into the enemy’s hand. 62 He gave his people over also unto the sword; And was wroth with his inheritance. 63 The fire consumed their young men; And their maidens were not given to marriage. 64 Their priests fell by the sword; And their widows made no lamentation. 65 Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, And like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine. 66 And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: He put them to a perpetual reproach. 67 Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, And chose not the tribe of Ephraim: 68 But chose the tribe of Judah, The mount Zion which he loved. 69 And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, Like the earth which he hath established for ever. 70 He chose David also his servant, And took him from the sheepfolds: 71 From following the ewes great with young he brought him To feed Jacob his people, And Israel his inheritance. 72 So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; And guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.

3. The Limitation of General Revelation

* General revelation is sufficient to convince man of God’s existence and power, and of man’s responsibility to God as his judge (Rom 1:18-21).

General revelation is not sufficient to bring man to faith in Christ for salvation (Acts 4:12; Rom 10:17).

Acts 4:12 KJV 190012 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Romans 10:17 KJV 190017 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

C. Special Revelation

1. Definition - Special revelation is God’s direct communication of specific information about Himself and His truth to specific individuals. Some of this revelation was recorded as Scripture, while some was not.

2. Means - Heb 1:1-3 - God has revealed Himself in many ways throughout history. Here are some of those means:

Hebrews 1:1–3 KJV 19001 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

a. Dreams - Gen 20:3; 41:25

Genesis 20:3 KJV 19003 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.

Genesis 41:25 KJV 190025 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.

b. Visions - Gen 15:1; Dan 2:19

Genesis 15:1 KJV 19001 After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

Daniel 2:19 KJV 190019 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

c. Angels - Lk 1:8-20; 1:26-38

Luke 1:8–20 KJV 19008 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course, 9 According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. 11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. 14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. 15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. 17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. 18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. 19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. 20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

Luke 1:26–38 KJV 190026 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. 36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing shall be impossible. 38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

d. Verbal communication (audible voice) - Exo 6:10-13; Josh 1:1-9

Exodus 6:10–13 KJV 190010 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 11 Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land. 12 And Moses spake before the Lord, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips? 13 And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

Joshua 1:1–9 KJV 19001 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying, 2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. 5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. 6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. 7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. 9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

e. The Urim and Thummim - Exo 28:30; Num 27:21

Exodus 28:30 KJV 190030 And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the Lord: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually.

Numbers 27:21 KJV 190021 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the Lord: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.

f. Casting lots - Pr 16:33

Proverbs 16:33 KJV 190033 The lot is cast into the lap; But the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.

g. Theophanies - Gen 18:16-22; Exo 3-4

Genesis 18:16–22 KJV 190016 And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. 17 And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; 18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. 20 And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; 21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. 22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the Lord.

Exodus 3–4 KJV 19001 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. 2 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. 4 And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. 5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. 7 And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; 8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. 11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? 12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. 13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? 14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. 15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. 16 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt: 17 And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey. 18 And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The Lord God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. 19 And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand. 20 And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go. 21 And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty: 22 But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians. 1 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee. 2 And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. 3 And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. 4 And the Lord said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand: 5 That they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee. 6 And the Lord said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow. 7 And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh. 8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign. 9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land. 10 And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. 11 And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say. 13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send. 14 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. 15 And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. 16 And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God. 17 And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs. 18 And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace. 19 And the Lord said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life. 20 And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand. 21 And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go. 22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: 23 And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn. 24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the Lord met him, and sought to kill him. 25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. 26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. 27 And the Lord said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him. 28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him. 29 And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel: 30 And Aaron spake all the words which the Lord had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 And the people believed: and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

h. The Scriptures - Acts 17:11; Rom 15:3-4

Acts 17:11 KJV 190011 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Romans 15:3–4 KJV 19003 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. 4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

i. Jesus Christ - Heb 1:2-3; Jn 1:18

Romans 15:3–4i KJV 19003 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. 4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

Hebrews 1:2–3 KJV 19002 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

John 1:18 KJV 190018 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

II. INSPIRATION

A. The Biblical Doctrine Of Inspiration

1. Key Scriptures

a. II Tim 3:16-17 - The Bible is “inspired”

2 Timothy 3:16–17 KJV 190016 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

(1) Inspiration applies to “ALL” Scripture - The word “all” can be translated “every” or “all.” Every Scripture, and all Scriptures taken together, are inspired.

(2) What is inspired is the “SCRIPTURE” - The word translated “scripture” is the Greek word graphē, referring to writing, or a thing that is written. Inspiration applies to the written word of God, not the writers themselves.

(3) All Scripture is given by “INSPIRATION” - The English word “inspiration” comes from the Latin, meaning “to breathe into.” This is actually the opposite of the Greek word, which literally means “God-breathed.” God “breathed out” the Scriptures to man! These are God’s very words!

(4) All Scripture is “PROFITABLE” - Scripture is designed by God to be useful to mankind.

b. II Pet 1:19-21 - God used men to write the Bible

2 Peter 1:19–21 KJV 190019 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

(1) The Scriptures are “more sure” (stable, firm, certain) than eye-witness accounts (cf. II Pet 1:16-18 The Bible is authoritative!

2 Peter 1:16–18 KJV 190016 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

(2) The authors of Scripture are “holy men of God” who did not choose to write the Bible.

(3) The Holy Spirit “moved” these men to speak and write. He worked in and through them, utilizing their experiences and personalities, to compose Scripture in such a way that when they were finished, it was God’s Word written by human authors.

2. Definitions of Inspiration

a. The Word Defined: * “Given by inspiration” is a translation of the Greek word theopneustos, which literally means “God-breathed.”

b. The Doctrine Defined: * Charles C. Ryrie: Inspiration is “. . . God’s superintendence of the human authors so that, using their own individual personalities, they composed and recorded without error His revelation to man in the words of the original autographs.” (A Survey of Bible Doctrine, Moody Press, 1972, pg. 38)

* Norman L. Geisler & William E. Nix: “Inspiration is that mysterious process by which the divine causality worked through the human prophets without destroying their individual personalities and styles to produce divinely authoritative and inerrant writings.” (A General Introduction to the Bible, Moody Press, 1986, pg. 39)

c. Doctrinal Concepts Expanded * Verbal Inspiration - The very words of Scripture were chosen by God * Plenary Inspiration - Every part of Scripture is equally inspired * Autographa (the Autographs) - A technical term referring to the original manuscripts of Scripture - the actual writings of the original authors

. The doctrine of inspiration applies directly to these autographs.

B. The Means Of Inspiration

1. The Biblical View

* God chose spiritually-qualified men (“holy men of God”) who were controlled by the Holy Spirit as they wrote the Word of God.

Occasionally they wrote exactly what God dictated to them, but in most cases the Holy Spirit worked within their personalities and experiences as He moved them to compose the Word of God.

Sometimes the human authors actually conducted research prior to writing. The individual personalities and styles of the human writers can be seen in Scripture, yet the words they wrote were the very words that God had chosen for them to write.

This divine-human cooperative resulted in a product that was the fully inspired Word of God.

2. Inadequate And False Views

* Natural Inspiration - The writers were “geniuses” who wrote like Shakespeare.

* Mystical Inspiration - The writers were controlled by the Holy Spirit, but did their own writing.

* Partial Inspiration - Parts of the Bible are inspired, while others are not.

* Conceptual Inspiration - God gave the ideas; man provided the words.

* Mechanical Dictation - God “dictated” Scripture to the authors; The authors were not involved other than to record the dictation.

* The NeoOrthodox View - The Bible “becomes the Word of God” to you as you experience God through it. It contains the Word of God. It is a fallible witness to the Word of God.

C. The Evidences Of Inspiration - How Do We Know The Bible Is God’s Word?

1. The Claims Of Scriptures *

The Bible does claim to be God’s Word! Many Scriptures will be given later in this lesson.

2. The Unity Of Scripture *

The Bible was written by over 40 different authors over a period of more than 1500 years, yet it forms one cohesive book. It glorifies Christ throughout, and it never contradicts itself.

3. The Scientific Accuracy Of Scripture - *

The Bible is not a science text, but it contains some remarkable scientific truths, such as the fact that the earth is round (Isa 40:22) and is “hanging” in space (Job 26:7)

Isaiah 40:22 KJV 190022 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, And the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; That stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, And spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

Job 26:7 KJV 19007 He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, And hangeth the earth upon nothing.

4. The Historical Accuracy Of Scripture *

Archaeology has verified Biblical statements over and over again.

5. The Prophetic Accuracy Of Scripture *

The Bible is full of prophecies that have been fulfilled - from the prophecies of the Gentile kingdoms in Daniel (Dan 2, 7) to the prophecies concerning the first coming of Christ (Micah 5:2; Isa 7:14; Hosea 11:1; Jer 31:15).

Daniel 2 KJV 19001 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. 2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. 3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream. 4 Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation. 5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. 6 But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof. 7 They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it. 8 The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me. 9 But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof. 10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. 11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. 12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13 And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain. 14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon: 15 He answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel. 16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation. 17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: 18 That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: For wisdom and might are his: 21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: He removeth kings, and setteth up kings: He giveth wisdom unto the wise, And knowledge to them that know understanding: 22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: He knoweth what is in the darkness, And the light dwelleth with him. 23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, Who hast given me wisdom and might, And hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: For thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter. 24 Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation. 25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation. 26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof? 27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; 28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these; 29 As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. 30 But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart. 31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. 32 This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, 33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. 34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. 35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. 36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. 37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. 38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. 39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. 40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. 41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. 43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. 44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. 45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. 46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him. 47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret. 48 Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon. 49 Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.

Daniel 7 KJV 19001 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. 2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. 3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. 4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. 5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. 6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. 7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. 8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. 9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. 11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. 12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. 13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. 15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 16 I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. 17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. 18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. 19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; 20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. 21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; 22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. 23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. 24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. 26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. 27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. 28 Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.

Micah 5:2 KJV 19002 But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, Though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Isaiah 7:14 KJV 190014 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, And shall call his name Immanuel.

Hosea 11:1 KJV 19001 When Israel was a child, then I loved him, And called my son out of Egypt.

Jeremiah 31:15 KJV 190015 Thus saith the Lord; A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children Refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.

6. The Circulation Of Scripture

* The Bible is the most-published book in history, and is available literally around the world in hundreds of languages.

7. The Survival Of Scripture *

Over and over Satan has used various means to destroy the Bible or to destroy our ability to trust it. But God’s Word still stands!

8. The Influence Of Scripture *

God’s Word is powerful (Heb 4:12; II Tim 3:15)! It changes lives.

Hebrews 4:12 KJV 190012 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

2 Timothy 3:15 KJV 190015 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

D. The Character Of Inspired Scripture

1. The Inerrancy Of Scripture *

The Bible is both inerrant and infallible. As the Word of God it has no errors, and it is incapable of having errors.

It is totally accurate and without error; it is truth; it is reliable. *

Inerrancy applies to matters of faith, but it also applies to everything recorded in Scripture, whether it has to do with history or science or any other matter. *

Inerrancy allows for an accurate record of false statements, such as Satan’s lies to Eve. *

Inerrancy is based on the character of God. God is true, so His Word must also be true - Ps 100:5; 119:160; 138:2; Jn 14:6 * Key Scriptures: Jn 17:17; Ps12:6; Ps 19:7-10

Psalm 100:5 KJV 19005 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; And his truth endureth to all generations.

Psalm 119:160 KJV 1900160 Thy word is true from the beginning: And every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.

Psalm 138:2 KJV 19002 I will worship toward thy holy temple, And praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

John 14:6 KJV 19006 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

John 17:17 KJV 190017 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Psalm 12:6 KJV 19006 The words of the Lord are pure words: As silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

Psalm 19:7–10 KJV 19007 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

2. The Authority Of Scripture

* The Bible is the sole and final authority over every area in which it speaks. It is authoritative over our belief system as well as our lifestyle - II Tim 3:16-17

* The Bible is “the true center of Christian unity and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creed and opinions shall be tried.” (GARBC Articles of Faith, Article I.)

3. The Sufficiency Of Scripture

- II Pet 1:2-4; II Tim 3:16-17 *

2 Peter 1:2–4 KJV 19002 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

The Bible contains God’s full and final revelation to man, and is all that is needed to live a life of godliness according to the will of God. *

II Pet 1:2-4 - Through His Word God has given us “all things that pertain unto life and godliness.” *

II Tim 3:16-17 - God’s inspired word is “profitable,” or useful, to teach us what to believe, show us when we are wrong, help us find the right way, and keep us on the right path.

It is designed to mature us and equip us for godly living and service.

III. CANONICITY

A. Definitions Of The Word “Canon”

1. The word “canon” comes from the Greek term kanon and refers to a straight edge, measuring rod, or ruler. It came to refer to a standard, rule, or norm for judging anything.

2. Applied to Scripture, the word “canonicity” refers to the determination of whether or not a given portion of Scripture is truly the inspired and authoritative Word of God. It refers to the historical process by which the Holy Spirit guided the people of God to recognize those writings that were genuinely inspired.

3. The term “Canon” came to refer to the list of Scriptures that were accepted as being God’s Word. These Scriptures are referred to as being “canonical.”

4. The term is also used to refer to the canonical Scriptures as our rule or standard of life.

B. Theological Considerations

1. God’s Word Was Inspired As It Was Written - II Tim 3:16; II Pet 1:21

2 Timothy 3:16 KJV 190016 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2 Peter 1:21 KJV 190021 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

a. God determined which books were canonical by inspiring them. Inspiration determines canonicity. If God inspired it, then it is part of the Canon (Word of God).

b. Men must recognize which books God inspired. These inspired books are canonical. * God determines canonicity - Men discover it! *

God regulates the canon - Men recognize it! *

God is the Master of the canon - Men are the servants of it! (Adapted from A General Introduction to the Bible, Norman L. Geisler & William E. Nix, Moody Press, 1986 pg. 221)

2. God Guarantees That His Word Will Be Preserved - Ps 119:89, 152, 160; Mt 5:17-18; Mt 24:35; I Pet 1:24-25 *

Psalm 119:89 KJV 190089 LAMED. For ever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven.

Psalm 119:152 KJV 1900152 Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old That thou hast founded them for ever.

Psalm 119:160 KJV 1900160 Thy word is true from the beginning: And every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.

Matthew 5:17–18 KJV 190017 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Matthew 24:35 KJV 190035 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

1 Peter 1:24–25 KJV 190024 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

It would not help us for God to inspire Scripture and then see that Scripture destroyed or lost. God guarantees that His Word will be preserved so that we may benefit from it.

3. God Sovereignly Guided The Process Of Acceptance - Eph 1:11; Isa 46:9-11; Ps 135:5-6; Dan 4:34-35

Ephesians 1:11 KJV 190011 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Isaiah 46:9–11 KJV 19009 Remember the former things of old: For I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times the things that are not yet done, Saying, My counsel shall stand, And I will do all my pleasure: 11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east, The man that executeth my counsel from a far country: Yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.

Psalm 135:5–6 KJV 19005 For I know that the Lord is great, And that our Lord is above all gods. 6 Whatsoever the Lord pleased, That did he in heaven, and in earth, In the seas, and all deep places.

Daniel 4:34–35 KJV 190034 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: 35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

4. The Canon Is Now Closed. No More Scripture Is Being Written.

a. Jesus revealed God’s Word in the “last days” - Heb 1:1-2

Hebrews 1:1–2 KJV 19001 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

b. Jesus authenticated the Apostles to finish writing the Scriptures - Jn 14:26; 16:12-15; cf. Heb2:3-4; Eph 2:19-22

John 14:26 KJV 190026 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

John 16:12–15 KJV 190012 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

Ephesians 2:19–22 KJV 190019 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

c. The Apostolic Age has ended - Acts 1:20-22; II Cor 12:12

Acts 1:20–22 KJV 190020 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take. 21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.

2 Corinthians 12:12 KJV 190012 Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.

d. The Bible is now complete - Rev 22:18-19; Jude 3

Revelation 22:18–19 KJV 190018 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

Jude 3 KJV 19003 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

e. Based on “2” and “3” above, it is not reasonable to suspect that an inspired book has been “lost” until now, and will be discovered for future generations.

Jude 3e KJV 19003 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

C. Biblical Considerations

1. Jesus Endorsed The Old Testament As Being The Word of God. *

NOTE: The Scriptures of Jesus’ day were the same Old Testament that we have today. The commonly used text was a Greek translation called the Septuagint. The Old Testament was commonly referred to as the “law and prophets” or the “law, prophets, and writings.”

* “The four Gospels contain upwards of thirty-five direct references to, and quotations from, the Scriptures on the part of the Son of God. . . . taken as a whole, they contemplate the entire Old Testament and thus serve to certify plenary features of its perfection.” (Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, Vol. I, Dallas Theological Seminary Press, 1947, pg. 97) * Mt 5:17-18; Lk 16:15-17 - Jesus endorsed the “law and the prophets” as authoritative and eternal.

Luke 16:15–17 KJV 190015 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. 16 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. 17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

* Lk 24:44-45 - Jesus endorsed the “law and the prophets and the psalms” as being Scripture and as speaking of Him.

Luke 24:44–45 KJV 190044 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

* Jn 10:34-35 - Jesus said the “law” was the “word of God” and “scripture” and could not be broken.

John 10:34–35 KJV 190034 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? 35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;

* Lk 11:49-51 - The story of Abel is in Gen 4, the first book of the Old Testament.

Luke 11:49–51 KJV 190049 Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: 50 That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; 51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

Genesis 4 KJV 19001 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord. 2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. 4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: 5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. 6 And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. 8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. 9 And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper? 10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground. 11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand; 12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. 13 And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. 15 And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. 16 And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. 17 And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch. 18 And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech. 19 And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. 20 And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle. 21 And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. 22 And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-cain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. 23 And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; Ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: For I have slain a man to my wounding, And a young man to my hurt. 24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, Truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold. 25 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. 26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the Lord.

The story of Zechariah is in II Chron 24, the last book in the Hebrew arrangement of the Old Testament. Jesus was summarizing the Old Testament, much as we might say “from Genesis to Revelation” to summarize the entire Bible.

2 Chronicles 24 KJV 19001 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Zibiah of Beer-sheba. 2 And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. 3 And Jehoiada took for him two wives; and he begat sons and daughters. 4 And it came to pass after this, that Joash was minded to repair the house of the Lord. 5 And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that ye hasten the matter. Howbeit the Levites hastened it not. 6 And the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said unto him, Why hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the collection, according to the commandment of Moses the servant of the Lord, and of the congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle of witness? 7 For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of the house of the Lord did they bestow upon Baalim. 8 And at the king’s commandment they made a chest, and set it without at the gate of the house of the Lord. 9 And they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in to the Lord the collection that Moses the servant of God laid upon Israel in the wilderness. 10 And all the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into the chest, until they had made an end. 11 Now it came to pass, that at what time the chest was brought unto the king’s office by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, the king’s scribe and the high priest’s officer came and emptied the chest, and took it, and carried it to his place again. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance. 12 And the king and Jehoiada gave it to such as did the work of the service of the house of the Lord, and hired masons and carpenters to repair the house of the Lord, and also such as wrought iron and brass to mend the house of the Lord. 13 So the workmen wrought, and the work was perfected by them, and they set the house of God in his state, and strengthened it. 14 And when they had finished it, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, whereof were made vessels for the house of the Lord, even vessels to minister, and to offer withal, and spoons, and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord continually all the days of Jehoiada. 15 But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he died; an hundred and thirty years old was he when he died. 16 And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God, and toward his house. 17 Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them. 18 And they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass. 19 Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the Lord; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear. 20 And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you. 21 And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the Lord. 22 Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The Lord look upon it, and require it. 23 And it came to pass at the end of the year, that the host of Syria came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all the spoil of them unto the king of Damascus. 24 For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, and the Lord delivered a very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. So they executed judgment against Joash. 25 And when they were departed from him, (for they left him in great diseases,) his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and slew him on his bed, and he died: and they buried him in the city of David, but they buried him not in the sepulchres of the kings. 26 And these are they that conspired against him; Zabad the son of Shimeath an Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith a Moabitess. 27 Now concerning his sons, and the greatness of the burdens laid upon him, and the repairing of the house of God, behold, they are written in the story of the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.

(Jesus did not mention the stories of murder found in the Apocrypha, so He did not endorse the Apocrypha.)

2. Jesus Claimed Equal Authority To Scripture For His Own Words And Deeds - Mt 5:21- 22, 27-28, 31-34; Mk 1:22, 27; Lk 4:31-32, 36

Matthew 5:21–22 KJV 190021 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

Matthew 5:27–28 KJV 190027 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Matthew 5:31–34 KJV 190031 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. 33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: 34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:

Mark 1:22 KJV 190022 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.

Mark 1:27 KJV 190027 And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.

Luke 4:31–32 KJV 190031 And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days. 32 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.

Luke 4:36 KJV 190036 And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.

3. Jesus Authenticated The New Testament

a. Through His Promise Of The Holy Spirit - Jn 14:26; 16:12-15

b. Through His Direct Testimony - Rev 22:16-20

Revelation 22:16–20 KJV 190016 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. 17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. 18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. 20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

4. New Testament Authors Quoted From The Old Testament As The Word Of God

* “There are some 250 quotes from Old Testament books in the New Testament. None is from the Apocrypha. All Old Testament books are quoted except Esther, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon.” (Charles C. Ryrie, Basic Theology, Victor Books, 1986, pg. 107)

5. Paul Stated That His Teaching Came From God - Gal 1:11-12; I Cor 2:12-13; 15:3-4; I Thess 2:9, 13

Galatians 1:11–12 KJV 190011 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:12–13 KJV 190012 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 KJV 19003 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

1 Thessalonians 2:9 KJV 19009 For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 KJV 190013 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

6. Paul Endorsed Luke As Writing Scripture - I Tim 5:18 * Paul quotes from Deut 25:4 and Lk 10:7 as being equally regarded as “Scripture.”

1 Timothy 5:18 KJV 190018 For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.

Deuteronomy 25:4 KJV 19004 Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.

Luke 10:7 KJV 19007 And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.

7. Peter Endorsed Paul’s Writings As Scripture - II Pet 3:15-16

2 Peter 3:15–16 KJV 190015 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

D. Tests Of Canonicity

* Historically speaking, these tests were not compiled and then applied to the Scriptures to see if they were canonical.

Instead, as we look back at how God providentially worked in the canonization process, we can see that these tests were used in a less formal manner to discover which Scriptures were truly inspired.

Not all the tests carried equal weight in validating every book of the Bible.

The key issue was (and is), “Is this writing inspired?”

* Note: This list incorporates material from several sources. Various theological texts list from 3 to 10 tests.

1. Authorship - Did the author have the gift of prophecy, even if he did not occupy the office of a prophet?

Was the writer confirmed as a prophet by miraculous acts of God? - Heb 2:3- 4; II Cor 12:12

Hebrews 2:3–4 KJV 19003 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; 4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

2 Corinthians 12:12 KJV 190012 Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.

a. Old Testament - Was the author a lawgiver, prophet, or leader in Israel? - Heb 1:1-2

b. New Testament - Was the author an Apostle, a close associate of an Apostle, or was he endorsed by an Apostle? - Eph 2:20

Ephesians 2:20 KJV 190020 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

* Matthew, John, Peter, and Paul were apostles. Mark was a close associate of Peter. Luke was a close associate of Paul. James and Jude were half-brothers of Christ and associates of the Apostles. The author of Hebrews is unknown.

* Note: Not everything that a prophet or Apostle wrote was inspired as Scripture - I Cor 5:9; Col 4:16

1 Corinthians 5:9 KJV 19009 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:

Colossians 4:16 KJV 190016 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.

2. Authority - Does it claim to be the inspired Word of God? Does it demand faith in and obedience to its declarations? - Deut 1:1-3

Deuteronomy 1:1–3 KJV 19001 These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain over against the Red sea, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab. 2 (There are eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadesh-barnea.) 3 And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spake unto the children of Israel, according unto all that the Lord had given him in commandment unto them;

3. Agreement - Does it agree doctrinally with known Scripture? Does it tell the truth about God? - Gal 1:8-9

Galatians 1:8–9 KJV 19008 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

4. Authenticity - Can it be traced back to the time and author that it claims to have come from? Is it factually true? Is there historical evidence of fulfillment of its promises and predictions? - Deut 18:20-22

Deuteronomy 18:20–22 KJV 190020 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. 21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken? 22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

5. Acceptance - Was it accepted as God’s Word by the Jews (O.T.) and the early church (N.T.)?

Was it preserved as the Word of God? - Josh 1:7-8; I Tim 5:18 (cf. Deut 25:4 & Lk 10:7); II Pet 3:15-16

Joshua 1:7–8 KJV 19007 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

1 Timothy 5:18 KJV 190018 For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.

Deuteronomy 25:4 KJV 19004 Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.

Luke 10:7 KJV 19007 And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.

6. Ability - Does it come with the power of God?

Does it change lives?

Does it convey God’s message to new generations in a fresh and living way? - Heb 4:12

E. The Canonization Of The Old Testament

1. Most O.T. Scriptures Were Immediately Received * Moses’ writings (the Pentateuch) were placed in the Ark of the Covenant for safekeeping as God’s Word - Exo 25:16; Deut 31:24-26

Exodus 25:16 KJV 190016 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.

Deuteronomy 31:24–26 KJV 190024 And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, 25 That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, 26 Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.

* Israel’s central focus of worship (the Ark of the Covenant; the Temple) allowed the books of the Old Testament to be collected, revered, and used from the time they were written - Josh 24:26 cf. I Kings 16:34

Joshua 24:26 KJV 190026 And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the Lord.

1 Kings 16:34 KJV 190034 In his days did Hiel the Beth-elite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun.

2. A Few Books Were Debated For A Time

* These books are called the “Antilegomena” - The books “spoken against”

* These included Ecclesiastes (too pessimistic); the Song of Solomon (too sensual); Esther (no mention of God); Proverbs (contradictions - Prov 26:4-5); and Ezekiel (Temple rituals differed) These books were ultimately included as the true Word of God in the O. T. Canon.

Proverbs 26:4–5 KJV 19004 Answer not a fool according to his folly, Lest thou also be like unto him. 5 Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own conceit.

3. The Apocrypha

* While these books are not inspired Scripture, they are writings from the period after the completion of the Old Testament. They give evidence that the books we now accept were accepted as canonical at that time as well.

4. The Septuagint

* This was a Greek translation of the Old Testament, made in the second or third century BC. It includes the same books that we now accept, and they were arranged in the same order as we have them today. (Earlier Hebrew texts combined books and placed them in a different order.)

5. The Dead Sea Scrolls

* The Dead Sea Scrolls contain manuscripts about 1000 years older than previously known copies. They date from as early as 100BC. They treat the O. T. Canon that we have today as the inspired Word of God.

6. Christ And The Apostles

* Christ and the Apostles accepted the canon of the Old Testament as the Word of God.

F. The Canonization Of The New Testament

1. Books Were Immediately Received, But Not Collected

* The church had no central Temple or Ark. The books of the New Testament were often letters that were passed on from one group to another. While they were accepted as Scripture, they were not widely disseminated.

2. There Were Also Forgeries Which Were Circulating

* Extraneous books claiming to be by the Apostles started to circulate. This motivated the church to start testing and recognizing which books were real.

3. Church Fathers

* Quotations from the early church fathers of the first through third centuries help us understand which books they viewed as being canonical.

4. Some New Testament Books Were Debated For A Time (Antilegomena)

* These included James, Jude, II Peter, II John, and Philemon.

5. By The Fourth Century The Canon Had Been Largely Determined

* Church Councils helped formalize the Canon of the New Testament. By the mid-300s AD the Canon had been largely settled.

* Some debate remained concerning the Apocrypha (accepted by the Catholic Church, but not by Protestants).

This led to a re-evaluation of the Canon during the time of the Reformation.

G. What About The Apocrypha?

1. Four Classifications Of Books

a. Homologoumena - Those books universally accepted as the Word of God.

b. Antilegomena - Books “spoken against” and questioned, but eventually accepted.

c. Pseudepigrapha - Books that were rejected by virtually everyone as not inspired.

d. Apocrypha - “Hidden; secret; writings of doubtful origen” - Books that were accepted by some, but rejected by others.

2. The Identity of the Apocrypha

* Fourteen books written between 200BC and 100AD.

* They were included in the Septuagint (at least copies from 400AD onward). But they were rejected by Jerome when he translated the Scriptures into Latin. Augustine considered them to be inspired, but even he seemed to relegate them to a secondary status. The Catholic Church now accepts them as part of Scripture. They were included in the 1611 King James Version. * Titles: I, II Esdras, Tobit, Judith, The Remainder of Esther, The Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch (with Epistle of Jeremiah), The Song of The Three Children, The History of Susanna, Bel and the Dragon, The Prayer of Manases, I, II Maccabees.

3. The Value of the Apocrypha

* These are old books. The shed a great deal of light on the Intertestimental Period, including insight on customs and historical events.

4. Reasons For The Rejection of the Apocrypha (Merrill F. Unger, Introductory Guide to the Old Testament, Zondervan, 1951, pp. 100-111)

a. The Apocrypha abound in historical, geographical and chronological inaccuracies and anachronisms.

b. The Apocrypha teach doctrines which are false and foster practices which are at variance with inspired Scriptures.

c. The Apocrypha resort to literary types and display an artificiality of subject matter and style out of keeping with inspired Scripture.

d. The witness of the New Testament does not favor it.

e. The witness of the early church does not favor it.

IV. PRESERVATION - THE RELIABILITY OF OUR TEXT

A. Two Foundational Truths

1. We Must Realize That God Is Sovereign And That He Providentially Controls History

a. Sovereignty - God is in control of human history. He is powerful enough to accomplish His will in all areas of life. (See Eph 1:11; Isa 46:9-11)

Ephesians 1:11 KJV 190011 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

b. Providence - God is not only able to miraculously intervene in human affairs whenever He chooses, but He also is able to work through the “mundane,” everyday events of life to accomplish His will. This working through the normal events of life to accomplish His will is called God’s providence.

* Applied to the transmission of the Scriptures, these truths give us confidence that God is not only able, but that He has worked through the events of history to bring His Word from the pens of the Biblical authors down through the centuries to us today.

2. We Must Recognize The Facts Of History

a. Our Desires - We would be much more comfortable to believe that the very “papers” that Moses and Paul wrote on are preserved for us today. We would be much more comfortable if there were no doubt concerning any variants in the text of Scripture. We would be much more comfortable if there was an “inspired” translation of these texts that removed all doubt concerning having a trustworthy translation.

b. Historical Facts - Unfortunately, our desires are not supported by the evidence and facts of history. We must be intellectually honest and admit that real the situation that we have today does not measure up to the ideal situation of our desires.

B. The Facts Of History

1. We Do Not Have The Autographs

* We honestly do not know what happened to the autographs (original manuscripts of Scripture). God has not chosen to tell us in His Word, and there is no historical record of what happened to them.

* We must assume that through use they eventually wore out and were destroyed. But even if God has providentially preserved them somewhere, they are not available to us to use today.

2. The Scriptures Were Copied By Hand For Almost 3,000 Years

* Moses wrote around 1450BC. The New Testament was completed around 95AD. These Scriptures were written by hand and copied by hand until the invention of the movabletype printing press around 1450AD. That was almost 3,000 years after Moses wrote!

3. The Scribes Were Extremely Careful With Their Work

* Professionals who copied Scriptures were called “scribes.” These scribes were extremely careful to produce accurate copies of the Scriptures. Handwritten copies of the Scriptures in their original language are called “manuscripts.” All the manuscripts we have today are copies of copies of copies of the autographs.

* Old Testament - The Old Testament Scriptures were originally kept in the Ark of the Covenant, and located at the center of Israel’s worship.

Eventually, the Scriptures were kept in the Temple. Finally, copies were distributed to the synagogues. These “official copies” were scrupulously made with great care to assure their accuracy.

There were regulations concerning how many letters went on each line, and how many lines were on a page. They counted the letters and performed other tests to be sure the copy was accurate.

There were also “private copies” of Scripture. The Kings of Israel were required to make their own personal copies of the law. Wealthy individuals might hire a scribe to make them a copy of at least a portion of the Old Testament.

Great care was taken to be sure these copies were accurate, but the format was not as regulated as with the Synagogue Rolls.

* New Testament - The New Testament Scriptures were not collected at one central location. Many of the New Testament books were letters, sent to various people and churches throughout the Roman world.

Early copies were made and sent to other churches as they shared the Scriptures with each other. Eventually copies were collected so that the entire New Testament would be present at one time.

The persecution of the early church also resulted in the destruction of many early copies of the New Testament. Sometimes a person would memorize a significant portion of Scripture (such as one of the gospels) and then write it later from memory.

Heading 3

4. Many Of Our Manuscripts Are Far Removed (In Time) From The Autographs

a. Old Testament - Our earliest manuscripts that we have of the Old Testament were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were produced from around 167BC to 133AD. These are about 1,000 years older than any previously known O.T. manuscript, but are still nearly 1300 years removed from the writing of the Pentateuch.

b. New Testament - The earliest fragments of New Testament manuscripts come from around 200AD (100-150 years after they were written). Manuscripts of major portions of the New Testament have been dated to between 250 and 350AD (150-300 years after they were written). Most New Testament manuscripts date from 900-1000AD or later.

Heading 3

5. Over Time, “Textual Variants” Did Enter The Scriptural Record

* The truth is that there are differences in Biblical manuscripts! The manuscripts that we have are not exactly identical. Approximately 85% of the text of the New Testament is certain. The other 15% contains these differences, which have been termed “textual variants.”

* Most textual variants are very minor and deal with things like the spelling of names and places and the order of words. Example: Does this passage say “Jesus Christ” or “Christ Jesus” or simply “Jesus” or “Christ”?

While verbal inspiration demands that every word is given by God, it is easy to see that the spelling of a name or the order of the names of Christ does not radically affect the meaning of a text.

C. How Did Textual Variants Happen?

1. Intentional Changes - Occasionally a scribe would intentionally change something that he was copying. Since he was copying a copy, he may have believed that this particular copy had an error, so he took it upon himself to “fix” it.

Or he may have been trying to harmonize two different passages covering the same material. Perhaps he was trying to make the text more acceptable to the reader in some fashion.

2. Unintentional Changes - Most changes or variants were unintentional.

A scribe might accidentally leave a word (or letter) out, or duplicate a word or letter. He might even skip a line or write it twice. He might transpose two letters or two words. Since the original text was written with no spaces between words, he might separate those words in the wrong place.

Sometimes one person read the Scripture out loud, while several writers recorded what they heard. This could also lead to errors as the writer heard wrongly or misspelled words.

Sometimes a scribe might mistakenly substitute a synonym or a word from a parallel passage. Marginal notes might be incorporated into the text as part of the text.

(Were they notes that were added, or was this a verse that was left out and then added into the margin? Example: I Jn 5:7)

1 John 5:7 KJV 19007 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

D. What Is Textual Criticism?

* “Textual Criticism” is the science of restoring the original reading of the text of Scripture.

1. Lower Criticism - Anyone who produces a Bible must first determine the actual text of the original Scriptures.

There are various views concerning how this should be done, but everyone, regardless of theological persuasion, must do it! The current copies do contain textual variants, and determining which variant is correct is called “textual criticism” or “lower criticism.”

2. Higher Criticism - Higher Criticism asks questions concerning the authorship, date, and occasion of writing of Scripture. It is here that liberals actually attack the Word of God and try to deny its true inspiration. Obviously, conservatives do not approve of this type of textual criticism. ( this practise is very Questionable and abandoned by fundamental believers)

E. Do We Have The Word Of God?

* In a word, YES! God has promised to preserve His Word - Ps 119:89, 152, 160; Mt 5:17-18; Mt 24:35; I Pet 1:24-25).

Psalm 119:89 KJV 190089 LAMED. For ever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven.

Psalm 119:152 KJV 1900152 Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old That thou hast founded them for ever.

Psalm 119:160 KJV 1900160 Thy word is true from the beginning: And every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.

Matthew 24:35 KJV 190035 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

* Our position is that God has chosen to preserve His Word through the multiplicity of the manuscripts that are available to us today.

In other words, no one manuscript is directly “inspired,” but the inspired Word of God can be found by comparing the manuscripts that we have in our possession.

V. ILLUMINATION AND INTERPRETATION

A. Illumination - Jn 16:12-15; I Cor 2:9-13; I Jn 2:27

* The Holy Spirit, as the Divine Author of Scripture, indwells us and helps us understand what He wrote. This ministry may include the use of human means such as pastors and teachers and books by humans (commentaries, theologies, Bible dictionaries, etc.).

* Jn 16:12-15 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. ~ He would teach “all truth” (literally, “all the truth”).

Heading 3

He would teach the apostles God’s truth (“he shall not speak of himself”), which they recorded in Scripture. His ministry today is to take this Scripture and help us understand it (illumination). ~ His teaching would include prophetic truth (“things to come”). ~ The result of the Holy Spirit’s teaching ministry is to glorify Christ.

* I Cor 2:9-13 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

1 Corinthians 2:9–13 KJV 19009 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

~ Human experience is not sufficient to help us know what our future lives in Heaven will be like. Human knowledge and intuition are insufficient as well. We need revelation from God, which He has given through His Holy Spirit! ~ The Holy Spirit, because He is God, fully understands the things of God. Therefore, He is able to teach us the truths that God wants us to know. ~ The Holy Spirit’s teaching ministry is not earthly in nature. It is not man’s wisdom, but Gods; it is spiritual truth that only spiritual (regenerated) people can understand.

* I Jn 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. ~ The indwelling Holy Spirit is present to teach us! While we do benefit from the teaching of others (cf. gift of teaching), we evaluate the truthfulness and accuracy of that teaching through the ministry of the indwelling Holy Spirit! We can discern the presence of false teaching and false teachers through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

1 John 2:27 KJV 190027 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

B. Interpretation - II Tim 2:15 * Scriptures must be studied and properly interpreted. This is the human element that corresponds to the divine element of illumination. The Holy Spirit illumines, but we are still responsible to interpret.

2 Timothy 2:15 KJV 190015 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

* Proper interpretation involves:

1. Word meanings

2. Grammar

3. Historical setting

- Is this passage in the Old Testament, or the New Testament?

Does it refer to Israel, or to the church?

What were the historical events taking place at this time?

What effect does the culture of that time have on our interpretation?

4. Literary style - Is this passage narrative, poetry, prophetic, or didactic?

5. Context

- The Bible is its own best commentary!

We must compare Scripture with Scripture!

C. The Perspicuity (Clarity) Of Scripture

* We live in an era in which many are denying all absolutes - including absolute truth. In this “postmodern” culture many (even within the church) are saying that we must not be dogmatic about our beliefs. They claim that since there are many interpretations to any passage, we cannot know for certain what the Bible actually teaches.

* In response, we believe in the “perspicuity” (clarity, understandability) of Scripture. While there is great depth to Scripture, and while an infinite God cannot be fully known by a finite human mind, God gave us His Word to teach us truth that He wanted us to know!

The important and vital truths of Scripture are clear and understandable! With the Holy Spirit’s help we can understand God’s Word in a way that will enable us to live a godly life to His glory!

* Key Scriptures

~ II Tim 3:15-17 - God’s Word can be known. It is useful for salvation, doctrine, and godly living.

2 Timothy 3:15–17 KJV 190015 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

~ II Tim 2:15 - It is possible to be approved by God as one who correctly interprets His Word.

2 Timothy 2:15 KJV 190015 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Related Media

Related Sermons