How We Got the Bible

How We Got the BibleINTRODUCTION

General Outline1. Introduction, Canon, & Inspiration2. Oral Transmission & Early Forms3. “Discovering” the Law (Josiah & Ezra)4. Apocryphal Writings5. Early Gospel Sources6. The Writing of the New Testament

General Outline7. The Dissemination of the New Testament8. The New Testament Canon9. Gnostic Gospels & Beyond10.Textual Criticism11.The Catholic Era & The Reformation12.The Bible in Your Hand

What Will Be CoveredTo understand how the book we call “the Bible” came to be in our hands, we will need to study:• Several Thousand Years of History …• Doubt: Created and Destroyed• Myths & Misrepresentations• LIGHTFOOT: “Living in a day when books are

written and printed by the thousands, we are apt to overlook the fascinating drama that lies behind our Bible.”

InspirationA Comparison for Sake of Brevity• A WORD IS MADE OF TWO PARTS.• The Living Word: Jesus is every bit divine and

every bit human.• The Written Word: The Bible is every bit divine

in origin and yet is still very human.• Inspiration is the process whereby a human

communicates a divinely given message.• 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV) All Scripture is

breathed out by God …

The Canon• kanon (Greek) / qaneh (Hebrew) – “reed”• A canon is a standard rule of measuring.• R.T. Beckwith: “With respect to the Bible, it

speaks of those books that met the standard and therefore were worthy of inclusion. Since the fourth century kanon has been used by Christians to denote an authoritative list of the books belonging to the Old Testament or New Testament.”

The Bible• biblia – “the books”• Two Covenants/Testaments– Old Testament– New Testament

• At least 40 humans participated in the writing of the Bible

• Around 1500 years transpire from the first writing to the last

The Bible’s View of Itself• Daniel 9:2 • Matthew 21:42• 2 Peter 3:15-16

Hebrew DesignationsHebrew Scriptures or tanak• TORAH – Law• NEVI’M – Prophets• KETHUVIM – Writings• Matthew 5:17 (ESV) "Do not think that I have

come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

Hebrew DesignationsJosephus (Against Apion 1:8): For we have not an innumerable multitude of books among us, disagreeing from and contradicting one another, [as the Greeks have,] but only twenty-two books, which contain the records of all the past times; which are justly believed to be divine; and of them five belong to Moses, which contain his laws and the traditions of the origin of mankind till his death. …

Hebrew DesignationsJosephus (Against Apion 1:8): … This interval of time was little short of three thousand years; but as to the time from the death of Moses till the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, who reigned after Xerxes, the prophets, who were after Moses, wrote down what was done in their times in thirteen books. The remaining four books contain hymns to God, and precepts for the conduct of human life. …

Hebrew DesignationsJosephus (Against Apion 1:8): … It is true, our history hath been written since Artaxerxes very particularly, but hath not been esteemed of the like authority with the former by our forefathers, because there hath not been an exact succession of prophets since that time; and how firmly we have given credit to these books of our own nation is evident by what we do; …

Hebrew DesignationsJosephus (Against Apion 1:8): … for during so many ages as have already passed, no one has been so bold as either to add any thing to them, to take any thing from them, or to make any change in them; but it is become natural to all Jews immediately, and from their very birth, to esteem these books to contain Divine doctrines, and to persist in them, and, if occasion be willingly to die for them.

Hebrew DesignationsHebrew Scriptures or tanak: Modern Designation• Law: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,

Deuteronomy• Prophets:– Former Prophets: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings– Latter Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Book

of the Twelve• Writings: Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Solomon,

Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra/Nehemiah, Chronicles

Hebrew LanguageHebrew Language• Hebrew originally had consonants and no

written vowels.• Vowels were added in the 7th Century AD.• Hebrew reads from right to left.• Hebrew is a lyrical, poetic language.• A small portion of the Old Testament is

written in Aramaic, as used in the Captivity.