“More copies of the bible have been printed than any other book in human history.” ‘It has been instrumental in the rise and fall of nations, the life and death of civilizations, and—

Christians believe—the salvation or damnation of multitudes of souls? No one in the modern world is free from the

influence of the Bible.”

Two Testaments; one Word.

Background: Jewish and Greco-Roman OT: Law, Prophets, Writings OT: points to and expects the Messiah Jesus is the fulfillment of ages past and he is

the culmination and pinnacle of all time.

Why study the NT?

Mediates God’s presence and direct revelation (1 Pet 1:20; 2 Tim 3:16).

Human life is governed and placed under it. It is the means that God uses to heal

searching souls.

Answers the Question:

Who am I? Why am I alive? Does anyone really

love me? Why is there such evil

and suffering? What will happen to

the earth?

What is the destiny of the human race?

What is my own destiny?

Why do I do the things that I know are wrong?

Is there any way to deal with my feelings of guilt?

The NT challenges the mind.

It has occupied the world’s greatest thinkers since it appeared on the stage of history.

“Regardless of what anyone may personally think or believe about him, Jesus of Nazareth has been the dominant figure in the history of Western culture for almost twenty centuries.” Jaroslav Pelikan, Jesus

through the centuries: His place in the History of Culture (New York: Harper & Row, 1987), 1.

Canon:

OT and intertestamental period.

4 gospels; 1 book of church history; 21 letters; 1 prophecy.

Why these books and not others?

Canon:

OT precedent: DSS and Josephus: “We have not tens of thousands of books,

discordant and conflicting, but only twenty-two containing the record of all time, which have been justly believed to be divine” (Contra Apion 1.8).

Marks of Canonicity:

Apostolic authorship:

Earmarks of first century origin:

Contained the true gospel:

Recognition of the Holy Spirit’s work:

Textual Criticism:

Manuscripts: more than 5,000

Papyrus: Unicals: Minuscules: Lectionaries: John Rylands Papyri

dated @125AD

Text Criticism:

“Estimates of degree of certainty in our knowledge of the New Testament text invariably run to near 100 percent. And experts agree that none of the points of discussion affect the gospel message or even any single Christian doctrine.”

Answer:

Avoids faulty interpretations. Engages the mind (Rom 12:1-3) Set in real history not mystical experience.

Inspiration:

Neo-Orthodoxy: revelation is not propositional but personal.

Dictation Theory:

Limited Inspiration Theory:

Plenary verbal Inspiration Theory: