� e Gospel Project®Adult Leader Guide HCSBVolume 2, Number 2 Winter 2013-14
Eric GeigerVice President, Church Resources
Ed StetzerGeneral Editor
Trevin WaxManaging Editor
Philip NationDirector, Adult Ministry Publishing
Faith WhatleyDirector, Adult Ministry
Send questions/comments to: Managing Editor, � e Gospel Project: Adult Leader Guide, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0102; or make comments on the Web at www.lifeway.com.
For ordering or inquiries, visit www.lifeway.com, or write LifeWay Church Resources Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0113. For subscriptions or subscription address changes, e-mail [email protected], fax (615) 251-5818, or write to the above address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, e-mail [email protected], fax (615) 251-5933, or write to the above address.
We believe that the Bible has God for its author; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. To review LifeWay’s doctrinal guideline, please visit www.lifeway.com/doctrinalguideline.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.
Matt Chandler lead pastor of � e Village Church in Dallas, Texas
Marty Duren social media strategist at LifeWay in Nashville, Tennessee
Christian George professor of religious education at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, Oklahoma
J. D. Greear lead pastor of � e Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina
Adam Harwood professor of theology at New Orleans Baptist � eological Seminary in Louisiana
Michael Kelley director of discipleship at LifeWay in Nashville, Tennessee
Philip Nation adult publishing director at LifeWay and teaching pastor of � e Fellowship in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee
Mary Jo Sharp professor of apologetics at Houston Baptist University in Texas
Trevin Wax managing editor of � e Gospel Project at LifeWay in Nashville, Tennessee
Keith Whitfi eld professor of theology at Southeastern Baptist � eological Seminary in Wake Forest
Jarvis Williams professor at � e Southern Baptist � eological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky
Afshin Ziafat lead pastor of Providence Church in Frisco, Texas
About the Writers
Adam Harwood
Jarvis Williams
3131Session 3
SESSION 3
The Bible (Part 1)How Did We Get the Bible?
Summary and Goal
In this session, we will examine the way God gave us His Word. First, we will look at the truth of God’s inspiration of human authors to write the Scriptures. Second, we will explore the process of canonization—how God’s people recognized the authority of His Word. � ird, we will see how God has preserved His Word over time that we might hear His voice today and proclaim His gospel to the world.
Steps to Prepare
1. Read the main passage for this lesson, recording your insights and questions:
- 2 Timothy 3:16-17
2. Study the Expanded Lesson Content (pp. 34-41).
- Determine what elements of this lesson are most applicable to your particular group. - Consider ways to personalize the lesson content for you and your class.
3. Review the Teaching Plan (pp. 32-33).
- Refi ne the lesson plan based on your group’s particular needs. - Adjust the plan if necessary.
4. Pray for the Lord’s guidance as you lead your group through this material.
Lesson Outline
1. Inspiration: � e Holy Spirit inspired the authors of Scripture in such a way that the words they wrote down are the very Word of God.
2. Canonization: � e Holy Spirit guided the early church to recognize the inspired Word of God.
3. Preservation: � e Holy Spirit has providentially preserved God’s Word throughout history.
Introduce the LessonBegin by pointing out all the work that goes into a single pencil, an item we often take for granted. Connect this illustration to how we get the Bible (leader p. 34; personal study p. 28).
Describe something that’s been passed down to you through your family (a particular item, not a trait). What is your attitude toward it?
Explain the Christian perspective on the Bible, and then ask the question of today’s lesson—“How did we get the Bible?” Summarize the lesson, and then transition to the fi rst point (leader pp. 34-35; personal study p. 29).
1. Inspiration: The Holy Spirit inspired the authors of Scripture in such a way that the words they wrote down are the very Word of God.
Show how answering the question of how we got the Bible must fi rst take us back to the Bible’s composition. Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and discuss the truth of the Bible’s inspiration. Point out the three inadequate ways of defi ning inspiration (leader p. 36). � en contrast these with the concept Paul used—“God-breathed ” (leader pp. 35-36; personal study p. 29).
In your own words, how would you explain to someone what it means for the Bible to be “God-breathed”? How does the truth of inspiration shape the way you approach Scripture?
Highlight the truth that the Bible’s divine authorship does not take away from the human personalities and earthly circumstances of the authors (leader pp. 36-37; personal study p. 30).
Because God chose not to override the personalities of the Bible’s authors, how might God use our own personalities and circumstances for His purposes?
Connect Paul’s use of the word “God-breathed” (2 Tim. 3:16) to the creation story, where God breathed life into Adam. Discuss the nature of the Bible as a “living” Word (leader p. 37; personal study p. 30).
For Further DiscussionWhat are three words you would use to describe your general attitude about the Bible, which is something passed down to you from your Heavenly Father?
For Further DiscussionStarting in the present, work your way backward through time considering the elements necessary for you to receive a copy of the Bible.
For Further DiscussionDo you think the following phrase is helpful or lacking: “God said it; I believe it; that settles it”? Why is it important to understand the way God gave us His Word?
The Bible (Part 1)
Teaching Plan
Session 3
3333Session 3
In what ways is it proper to say Scripture is “alive”? How does the life-giving nature of Scripture give us hope in the power of Scripture to guide our daily lives?
2. Canonization: The Holy Spirit guided the early church to recognize the inspired Word of God.
Return to 2 Timothy 3:16-17 to show how Paul implied the reality of some writings being “sacred” and others not (leader p. 37; personal study p. 31). Introduce the word canonization (leader p. 37).
If you had to come up with a set of characteristics necessary to recognize a book of the Bible as “sacred,” what would it include? How do you think the early Christians came to agreement on which books were inspired?
Use the illustration of measuring up to show how the early church developed the canon of Scripture. Highlight the way the Old and New Testaments were formed as well as the four principles the early church used in discovering which books were inspired (leader pp. 38-39; personal study pp. 31-32).
Were you aware of all that went into putting the Bible together? How does it help to know the care that went into the establishment of a biblical book as sacred?
3. Preservation: The Holy Spirit has providentially preserved God’s Word throughout history.
Return again to 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and discuss the function of God’s Word in the life of the believer. Read 1 Peter 1:22-25 to focus on the point that God has preserved His Word for believers that we might be empowered to endure in His mission (leader pp. 39-40; personal study pp. 32-33).
How do each of the functions of God’s Word in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 relate to our mission as believers?
Highlight the detailed, painstaking nature of preserving manuscripts to show how the Old and New Testaments have come down to us (leader pp. 40-41; personal study p. 33).
When you look at how the Bible has been preserved over centuries, how does this a� ect the way you value it as God’s Word? How might your view of Scripture change if it were extremely di� cult to obtain a copy?
ConclusionReview the main points of this lesson and close with the “Hymn of Response ” (leader p. 41; personal study p. 33). If time permits, show the video of the Kimyal tribe receiving the Word of God (see “Additional Resources ,” p. 42).
For Further DiscussionSome people consider other documents and texts as “living” in the sense that contemporary society should readily adapt and revise them to suit current concerns. In what way does inspiration of the Bible contrast with this idea of compromising the Scriptures?
For Further DiscussionHave you ever seen a documentary on television about the supposed “lost books” or “lost gospels” of the Bible? What is your reaction to these kinds of sensational “discoveries”? How does understanding the nature of the canon assist you in giving an answer?
For Further DiscussionHow would you respond to someone who says Protestants have taken out certain books of the Bible? (See “Further Commentary” on the Apocrypha, p. 39.)
34 Leader Guide | Winter 2013-14
Opening Illustration and Introduction
� e modern pencil dates back to the 1500s. A simple writing instrument that has stood the test of time! � e design is simple: a piece of wood with a small graphite rod in the center, topped with a rubber-like, synthetic eraser.
Have you ever stopped to think about everything that goes
into the creation of this 10-cent writing instrument? It starts with someone planting cedar trees, someone else mining graphite, and a chemist in a lab somewhere working out the formula for synthetic rubber. � e trees grow. � ey are cut down, loaded on a truck, and hauled to a sawmill. � e cedars are cut into blocks that are then sliced into pieces the width of half a pencil.
After the graphite is removed from the earth, it is ground down to powder and mixed with clay. Water is added, and the mixture is then shaped into long spaghetti-like strings to be dried in a kiln, dipped into wax, and cut to the right size. Finally, the graphite strings are inserted into a cedar plank and another plank glued down to cover the graphite inside the pencil. � en it is topped off with a synthetic piece of rubber.
All that work for a 10-cent writing instrument that school-aged kids use to “pencil fi ght”—an instrument we sometimes lose or sharpen into nothing!
Describe something that’s been passed down to you through your family (a particular item, not a trait). What is your attitude toward it?
� e Bible is the Word of God, and for those who understand its value, the Word is more precious than pure gold, sweeter than the honey from the comb (Ps. 19:10). It renews one’s life and makes the inexperienced wise (Ps. 19:7). It is living and able to cut to the bone, judging thoughts of the heart (Heb. 4:12). Oh, and don’t forget this—it endures forever (Isa. 40:8)!
Voices from Church History“There is an infi nite majesty about every line of scripture, but especially about that part of scripture in which the Lord reveals Himself and His glorious plan of saving grace in the person of His dear Son Jesus Christ.” 1
–Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892)
Voices from Church History“The Bible is a supernatural, spiritual, sovereign, surviving, sustaining, super-charged book about my Savior.” 2
–Adrian Rogers (1931-2005)
The Bible (Part 1)
Expanded Lesson Content
Session 3
3535Session 3
But how did this book that endures forever, with the power to renew your life and judge your very thoughts, get into your hands? How did we get the Bible?
Lesson SummaryIn this session , we will examine the way God gave us His Word. First,
we will look at the truth of God’s inspiration of human authors to write the Scriptures. Second, we will explore the process of canonization—how God’s people recognized the authority of His Word. � ird, we will see how God has preserved His Word over time that we might hear His voice today and proclaim His gospel to the world.
1. Inspiration: The Holy Spirit inspired the authors of Scripture in such a way that the words they wrote down are the very Word of God.
“How did we get the Bible?” To answer this question, we need to go back to the Bible’s composition. Questions about how the Bible was composed take us, of course, to the Author and the authors—or better said, the Author who inspired the authors.
First, the authors. � e Bible was written over a span of 1,500 years. Moses likely recorded Genesis around 1400 .. John probably wrote the Book of Revelation late in the fi rst century .., around .. 90. Over 40 diff erent authors contributed to the Bible. Its 66 books were written from multiple locations by people scattered over three continents.
But what about the Author with a capital A? Christians see a remarkable coherence in this library of books. We claim the Bible to be the very Word of God. It is the defi nitive book for knowing God and His grand purposes in the world. � e Bible tells a story—the true story of the whole world.
It’s not just Christians who claim the Bible is God’s Word. � e Bible testifi es about itself that it is the inspired Word of God. � e apostle Paul made this clear in 2 Timothy 3:
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profi table for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
God not only revealed Himself in creation, He chose to reveal Himself in the Person of Jesus Christ and in the written Word that testifi es to Christ. How did He give us His Word? � rough His work of inspiration.
God inspired the authors of Scripture so that the very words they wrote down were the Word of God. God’s inspiration of the Scriptures is described by the apostle Peter in this way: � e authors were “moved by” or “carried along by” the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:19-21).
Further Commentary“In this passage Paul is exhorting Timothy to continue in the teachings that he has received. Paul assumes Timothy is familiar with the ‘holy Scriptures’ (v. 15) and urges him to continue in them since they are divinely inspired (or more correctly, ‘God-inspired’ or ‘God-breathed’). The impression here is that they are divinely produced, just as God breathed the breath of life into the human (Gen. 2:7). They therefore carry value for building up the believer into maturity in order to be ‘thoroughly equipped for every good work’ (2 Tim. 3:17).” 3
–Millard Erickson
36 Leader Guide | Winter 2013-14
Over time, the idea of biblical inspiration has confused some people. Here are a few inadequate views of inspiration:
1. � e human authors were inspired in the way we are inspired to create something. You and I might be inspired by a sunset to create a painting. Or perhaps we might refer to a novel as “inspired” or “insightful.” But biblical inspiration does not refer to an inspiring work of God in the lives of the human authors that caused them to write inspiring words. We mean something more by inspiration.
2. Ordinary human words are transformed into divine speech. Some see inspiration as a matter of God taking ordinary human documents and then transforming them into His Word. But this is not the biblical view of inspiration either.
3. Inspiration refers to the reader, not the author. Others suggest that inspiration refers not to the content of the Bible itself but to the reader of the Bible. God takes normal human words and uses them to “inspire” the reader as he or she reads the Bible. But this is far from the biblical portrait.
None of these are adequate explanations of what Christians mean by inspiration. In 2 Timothy 3:16, Paul invented the word that is often translated as “inspired by God.” A closer look at this word helps us understand inspiration. � e word Paul used is actually a combination of two words. � e fi rst is “God,” and the second literally means “to blow” or “to breathe out.”
� erefore, when the text says, “inspired by God ,” it is referring to a specifi c action. We get a descriptive picture from this term, a picture that shows Scripture being breathed out, springing forth to us directly from God Himself. Inspiration means that the words themselves are the words God spoke, and the human authors wrote down what God spoke. Paul was saying, “All Scripture is God-breathed.”
In your own words, how would you explain to someone what it means for the Bible to be “God-breathed”? How does the truth of inspiration shape the way you approach Scripture?
What does this process of inspiration look like? First, God delivered His message through human authors. � ey recorded the exact words God spoke to them (Deut. 31:19), which is why we consider inspiration to be verbal.
At the same time, God worked through the personalities of the human writers. � at’s why Paul could say, “what I write to you is the Lord’s command ” (1 Cor. 14:37; see also 2 Pet. 1:20-21). � roughout this process, God did not override the freedom and expression of the authors. Instead, He worked through them to inspire the very words He intended to give to His people.
Further Commentary“Our approach to the doctrine of inspiration might appear circular; but it is a viable…circle. We have explored the Bible’s message to a� rm its own inspiration and divine character. The verbal/plenary model of inspiration accounts best for the Bible’s own claim and a� rms a balance of the divine-human authorship of Scripture.” 4
–David Dockery and David Nelson
Voices from the Church“Inspiration—the process by which God directed individuals, incorporating their abilities and styles, to produce his message to humankind.” 5
–J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays
3737Session 3
So God directed the authors to write His words, the exact words He purposed to be written, and yet the experiences, perspective, personality, and style of the human authors were preserved. � at’s why Paul has a distinctive style. Peter doesn’t sound like Luke. John writes diff erently than Matthew. God used the personalities of the human authors in order to get His message across.
Because God chose not to override the personalities of the Bible’s authors, how might God use our own personalities and circumstances for His purposes?
� ere’s another picture the word “God-breathed” gives us. In the creation story, God breathed into the nostrils of humanity (an image molded from dirt) and gave Adam life: “� en the L God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being ” (Gen. 2:7). Adam’s life was God-breathed. � e “livingness” and vitality of human life came directly from God Himself.
Now let’s return to the picture we see when Paul described the Bible as God-breathed. Because the Scripture is breathed out by God, it has power and vitality. No wonder the writer of Hebrews could say, “For the Word of God is living and eff ective ” (Heb. 4:12)!
In what ways is it proper to say Scripture is “alive”? How does the life-giving nature of Scripture give us hope in the power of Scripture to guide our daily lives?
2. Canonization: The Holy Spirit guided the early church to recognize the inspired Word of God. In addition to inspiration, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 points us to another
answer to the question “How did we get the Bible?” While the apostle Paul was not making this point directly, he nevertheless implied that Scripture is diff erent from what is not Scripture. In other words, there is a distinct set of writings considered inspired while other writings are not.
Paul called these writings “Scripture,” which means “sacred writings.” When Paul referred to “all Scripture,” he was pointing to a collection of writings that share specifi c qualities.
At this point, we should remember that Paul had in mind the Old Testament, although it’s possible he may have been referring to some New Testament writings as well. Regardless, whatever collection of books Paul referred to as “Scripture,” it is clear they are sacred because they are breathed out by God. Inspiration is the quality that makes the writing sacred. But canonization is the next step—recognizing which books are inspired.
Voices from Church History“The Bible contains truth found nowhere else. Human reason may discover certain truths about God. But the revealed truth of the Bible exceeds these so as to defy comparison. One may exhaust the meaning of the contents of other books, but not that of the Bible.” 6
–Herschel Hobbs (1907-1995)
Further Commentary“The early church displayed surprising unanimity about which books belonged to the inspired collection. Although it is true that a few books such as Jude, 2 Peter, and Revelation were the subjects of considerable debate, no book whose authenticity was doubted by a large number of churches was later accepted. The persecution of the church helped distinguish the canonical books from other helpful writings as the people were forced to decide what books should be protected during times of oppression.” 7
–David Dockery and David Nelson
38 Leader Guide | Winter 2013-14
If you had to come up with a set of characteristics necessary to recognize a book of the Bible as “sacred,” what would it include? How do you think the early Christians came to agreement on which books were inspired?
“You just don’t measure up.” Has anyone ever said this to you before? Maybe it was a boss who was letting you go. Maybe it was a parent expressing disappointment in you. Maybe it was the guy at the theme park saying you weren’t tall enough for a ride! No one wants to hear these words. Why not? Because the idea behind measuring up is an objective standard of some sort and you don’t reach it.
� e question of measuring up brings us to the issue of canonization. You see, just as the Jewish people recognized the books of the Old Testament as sacred Scripture, the Christian church came to recognize the New Testament to be sacred Scripture as well. Over time, the church recognized the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments as the church’s canon.
A canon is a collection of books received as the authoritative “rule” for faith. � e word canon comes from the Hebrew word for reed and stalk (1 Kings 14:15; Job 40:21). In ancient times, reeds were used as a measuring stick—a rule or standard. So, as this word developed, the Greeks began to use the word more broadly as any type of standard or guideline. In Galatians 6:16, Paul used it in this way when he called the cross the “rule” or “standard” for faith.
Around the year .. 352, the word canon was associated with the authoritative and sacred list of books for the Christian faith. 8 What qualifi ed a book to be included in the canon was not that the church determined it belonged in the collection but that the book had God’s authority in what it taught.
� e precedent for a canon comes from Scripture itself. Moses wrote the fi rst fi ve books of the Old Testament during the 40 years in the wilderness and presented it to the priests for them to store beside the ark of the covenant in the tabernacle (Deut. 31:9,26). � e Israelites revered the Word that Moses recorded (Josh. 8:35). Centuries later, having been ignored in the temple, these books were found by King Josiah (2 Kings 22:3-20). As the history of Israel unfolds, additional books were added to the books of Moses. So we see in Daniel 9:2 the collection of books endured and the Book of Jeremiah had been added to them.
� e writing of the Old Testament would not be completed until around 430 .. with the Book of Malachi. By 100 .., the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Old Testament, was completed. It became common to reference the Law, Prophets, and Writings as a three-fold division of the Old Testament. Jesus referred to the Old Testament Scriptures by the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms (Luke 24:44). � ese facts point to a settled Old Testament canon more than 100 years before Jesus’ birth.
Further Commentary“How do we know, then, that we have the right books in the canon of Scripture we now possess? The question can be answered in two di� erent ways. First, if we are asking upon what we should base our confi dence, the answer must ultimately be that our confi dence is based on the faithfulness of God…Just as God was at work in creation, in the calling of his people Israel, in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, and in the early work and writings of the apostles, so God was at work in the preservation and assembling together of the books of Scripture for the benefi t of his people for the entire church age…[Second], a thorough investigation of the historical circumstances surrounding the assembling of the canon is helpful in confi rming our conviction that the decisions made by the early church were correct decisions.” 9
–Wayne Grudem
Further CommentaryJosephus, a Jewish historian in the late fi rst century A.D., described how the Old Testament was cared for and preserved:
“But now as to our forefathers, that they took no less care about writing such records…and that they committed that matter to their high priests and to their prophets, and that these records have been written all along down to our own times with the utmost accuracy…I shall endeavor briefl y to inform you.” 10
3939Session 3
By the time Jesus started His ministry, there must have been a settled Old Testament canon. Of all the disputes He had with the Jewish religious leaders over the proper interpretation of the Old Testament, they never debated which books were authoritative. Before the close of the fi rst century .., the Jewish historian Josephus referenced a completed canon of Old Testament books. 11
In the New Testament, the collection of sacred books expands. Paul wrote with awareness that he was writing Scripture (1 Cor. 14:37-38; 1 � ess. 2:13). Peter considered the letters of Paul on par with the rest of Scripture (2 Pet. 3:15-16). John attributed God’s authority to the writing of Revelation, with the threat of judgment to those who add to or take away from it (Rev. 22:6-8,18-19).
Before the close of the fi rst century .., a number of the early church leaders treated the New Testament books as possessing divine authority for the church. � e church continued to affi rm the New Testament books as canonical through the fi rst four centuries of the church.
In .. 367, a complete list of the New Testament books was provided by Athanasius in a letter to his parishioners. 12 � ese books were recognized as being divine based on four principles: 1. Was the book written by an apostle or someone recognized as
having authority? 2. Does the book agree with the apostolic teaching?3. Was the book universally accepted by the church?4. Does the book have a self-authenticating divine nature?
Were you aware of all that went into putting the Bible together? How does it help to know the care that went into the establishment of a biblical book as sacred?
3. Preservation: The Holy Spirit has providentially preserved God’s Word throughout history.We’ve used 2 Timothy 3:16-17 as our main text for answering the
question “How did we get the Bible?” We’ve answered this question so far in two ways: claiming that God inspired His Word and recognizing that only certain books have divine authority for what we should believe and how we should live. But we still have to answer how that collection of sacred writings got into our hands and into our language. While we do not have a full history of how the Bible has been transmitted to us in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, this text points us to the theological basis for answering the question.
Consider the function of Scripture, described in verse 17—to prepare all of God’s people (from every time and place) to be “complete , equipped for every good work.” � e Word of God is suffi cient for this task. Why? Because it is inspired by the Spirit. Likewise, the Word accomplishes this task by penetrating the hearts of Christians from one generation to the next.
Voices from the Church“The canon is not an authorized collection of writings (in that the church conferred its authority or approval upon a list of books). Rather, the canon is a collection of authoritative writings. The biblical writings have an inherent authority as works uniquely inspired by God. Canonization is the process of recognizing that inherent authority, not bestowing it from an outside source.” 13
–Robert Plummer
Further CommentaryThe Apocrypha
“Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christians…have some additional books in their Old Testaments…Protestants do not consider the Apocrypha as Scripture for a number of reasons.
1. The Jews who authored the books never accepted them into their canon…
2. The Apocrypha contains clear factual errors and, from the standpoint of Protestants, theological errors…
3. The Roman Catholic Church did not o� cially recognize the books in the Apocrypha as canonical until the Council of Trent in 1546…
4. New Testament authors nowhere cite the Apocrypha as Scripture…
[Still,] the Apocrypha is helpful for understanding the historical and cultural changes that lead up to the New Testament.” 14
–Robert Plummer
40 Leader Guide | Winter 2013-14
At every point in history, God’s Word has been protected for and provided to God’s people. � e message of God’s grand plan of salvation—through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ—is the same message we have today. As we read our Bibles, the promise of 1 Peter 1:22-25 is being fulfi lled. Grass withers and fl owers die, but the Word of God will last forever (see Isa. 40:8).
While it does not directly address how the Bible is preserved for all of God’s people across time, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 points us to the function of God’s Word, which presupposes the truth that God will preserve His Word in order to equip His people to accomplish His mission.
How do each of the functions of God’s Word in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 relate to our mission as believers?
When we hold our English Bibles in our hands, we should recognize that we are the benefi ciaries of selfl ess men and women who committed to preserve God’s Word by copying manuscripts, translating it into the common language, and ensuring that God’s people would benefi t from hearing His voice.
God’s providence in preserving the Scriptures is remarkable to consider. � e Old Testament was transmitted by a special group of priests, called scribes, who meticulously made new copies of the Scriptures when older copies wore out. Tradition tells us that these scribes were so painstaking in their work that they devised a system to count every word on a scroll to verify that the manuscript they copied was an accurate copy. With this care, they believed the newer copies would actually be more accurate then the tattered and aged older copies.
� e scribes then placed the older copies in jars of clay and buried them so they would not be used. Because of this practice, we don’t have a huge collection of ancient copies of the Old Testament. In 1947, Bedouin shepherds discovered Old Testament manuscripts in the Qumran caves near the Dead Sea. � ese manuscripts had been lost for 2,000 years. Over the next decade, many other scrolls were discovered in caves. Every book in the Hebrew Bible, except Esther, was represented in this discovery. Numerous copies of most books were discovered. � irty copies of Deuteronomy were found. � ese texts have verifi ed the accuracy and consistency of the copies of the Hebrew Bible. � e Great Isaiah Scroll, a copy of the Book of Isaiah, was found in the caves and is nearly word-for-word identical to our standard Hebrew manuscripts. � e slight variations that exist are explainable through slight slips of the pen or variations in spelling.
Further Commentary“The ancient manuscripts possess an astounding consistency and integrity…In the case of the New Testament alone, 24,947 ancient manuscripts have been discovered written in several di� erent languages, the oldest copy dating back to AD 150 or earlier. By studying the subtle variations in these manuscripts and doing a lot of hard thinking, contemporary scholars have come closer to reconstructing the original texts. We have more reason to believe in the accuracy of our New Testament now than ever, and every small issue as to their accuracy has been examined in exhaustive detail.” 15
–Charles Colson and Harold Fickett
Voices from Church HistoryOn October 6, 1536, William Tyndale was executed for translating the Bible into English. He was “tied to the stake, and then strangled fi rst by the hangman, and afterwards with fi re consumed in the morning, at the town of Filford, A.D. 1536; crying thus at the stake with a fervent zeal and a loud voice, ‘Lord! open the king of England’s eyes.’ ” 16
41Session 3
What about the New Testament? Unlike the Old Testament scribes, the people who copied the New Testament did not see the need to bury worn out copies. � us, we have over 5,600 manuscripts of various portions of the New Testament. � e total number of manuscripts is amazing compared to a work like Homer’s Iliad, one of the most famous ancient books in history of which we have less than 700 copies.
Biblical manuscripts contain rare, minor variants. In most cases, we can discern what is correct from context, parallel passages, and the credibility of other manuscripts. Among these manuscripts there is 99 percent consistency. 17 In no instance does the variant aff ect the doctrine of Scripture or question core doctrines of the Christian faith.
Variants don’t aff ect the message of the Bible and don’t undermine the reliability of the Bible. We know from text messaging and the auto-correct feature on our smart phones that we can still understand 100 percent of the message of a text even when there is a minor variant. In fact, one must make a distinction between the text and its intended message, for one can receive a text with variants and still receive 100 percent of the message.
When you look at how the Bible has been preserved over centuries, how does this a� ect the way you value it as God’s Word? How might your view of Scripture change if it were extremely di� cult to obtain a copy?
ConclusionIf we believe Jesus’ words as He quoted Deuteronomy 8:3, that no
one lives by bread alone “but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4), then we will give the Word a place of prominence in our lives. If we believe Moses when he said the Word of God is our very life, then we will demonstrate our dependence on the Word by reading it with great eagerness and expectation. � e apostle Peter believed we should approach the Word the way a newborn baby approaches milk—as the very source of life (1 Pet. 2:2). � ank God for His Word that gives us life and power to accomplish His mission!
Hymn of Response“Precious Bible! What a treasure,Does the word of God afford!All I want for life or pleasure,Food and medicine, shield and sword;Let the world account me poor,Having this, I want no more.”–John Newton
References1. Charles Spurgeon, “The Infallibility of Scripture,” in The Essential Works of Charles Spurgeon, ed. Daniel Partner (Uhrichsville, OH: Barbour, 2009), 928.2. Adrian Rogers, Adrianisms: The Wit and Wisdom of Adrian Rogers, vol. 1 (Memphis: Love Worth Finding Ministries, 2006), 35.3. Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998), 227.4. David S. Dockery and David P. Nelson, “Special Revelation,” in A Theology for the Church, ed. Daniel L. Akin (Nashville: B&H, 2007), 154.5. J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays, Grasping God’s Word (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012), 443.6. Herschel H. Hobbs, The Baptist Faith and Message (Nashville: Convention Press, 1971), 23.7. David S. Dockery and David P. Nelson, “Special Revelation,” in A Theology for the Church, ed. Daniel L. Akin, 169.8. Robert L. Plummer, 40 Questions About Interpreting the Bible (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2010), 57.9. Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), 65-66.10. Josephus, Against Apion, in The Life and Works of Flavius Josephus, trans. William Whiston (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1960), 861.11. Ibid.12. Robert L. Plummer, 40 Questions About Interpreting the Bible, 61.13. Ibid., 57.14. Ibid., 63, 65.15. Charles Colson and Harold Fickett, The Faith (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008), 52-53.16. John Fox, Fox’s Book of Martyrs, vol. 2, ed. John Cumming (London: George Virtue, 1844), 400.17. Matt Slick, “Manuscript evidence for superior New Testament reliability,” CARM [online; cited 23 April 2013]. Available from the Internet: carm.org.
42 Leader Guide | Winter 2013-14
Devotional MaterialEncourage your group to read the three devotional readings included in the Personal Study Guide.
Study Material - “Were the Ancient Manuscripts of the Bible Transmitted Accurately?” and “Who Determined What Books Would Be Included in the Bible?”—Chapters 5-6 from 40 Questions About Interpreting the Bible by Robert L. Plummer
- “� e Preservation of the Revelation: Inspiration”—Chapter 10 from Christian � eology by Millard J. Erickson
- “� e Word Acts”—Chapter 2 from Reverberation by Jonathan Leeman - “Why the ‘Lost Gospels’ Lost Out”—Article by Ben Witherington III ; fi nd a link to this article at gospelproject.com/additionalresources
- “How Were the Books of the New Testament Chosen?”—Article by Timothy Paul Jones ; fi nd a link to this article at gospelproject.com/additionalresources
The Bible (Part 1)
Tip of the WeekStaying in Touch During the Holidays
We all get busy during the Christmas season. Parties, family gatherings, and Christmas events tend to pull our attention away. As a result, many people with needs get overlooked unintentionally. Make sure your class is aware of the importance of staying in touch with each other and holding each other accountable for paying attention to the needs of all individuals included on your class ministry list (some people call this their roll).
Videos
D. A. Carson: “How can we trust the Canon created by the early Church?”
Kimyal Tribe of West Papua, Indonesia: Watch as they receive the Bible in their own language
Find links to these at gospelproject.com/additionalresources
