Session TwoBible Basics

How We Got Our Bible

Originals

Reliable Manuscripts

God’s word accepted by God’s people

God’s word kept intact in

English:The King

James Version

Inspiration

PreservationThou shalt keep them, O

LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation

for ever. (Psa 12:7)

Copying

Canonization

Translation

GodThe

Author

ManThe

Instrument

Textus Receptus

All scripture is given by

inspiration of God (II Tim

3:16)

How We Got Our Bible – Inspiration

Originals

Reliable Manuscripts

God’s word accepted by God’s people

God’s word kept intact in

English:The King

James Version

Inspiration

PreservationThou shalt keep them, O

LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation

for ever. (Psa 12:7)

Copying

Canonization

Translation

GodThe

Author

ManThe

Instrument

Textus Receptus

All scripture is given by

inspiration of God (II Tim

3:16)

Inspiration

II Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:II Peter 1:21 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.• The scripture was “God-breathed”

Inspiration

• Verbal – applies to the very words

• Plenary – extending to all parts alike

• Inerrant – correct in every detail

• Confluent– the scriptures are a

product of two agents – God used man to give

us His word

Inerrant

Plenary

Confluent

Verbal

Revelation vs. Inspiration vs. Illumination

• Revelation – God revealing Himself to man• Inspiration – the Holy Spirit moving human

writers in such a way that they recorded the very words of God though couched in their own literary style

• Illumination – the Holy Spirit giving understanding of revealed truth

Revelation

Inspiration

Illumination

• Disclosure

• Documenting

• Discovery

How We Got Our Bible – Copying

Originals

Reliable Manuscripts

God’s word accepted by God’s people

God’s word kept intact in

English:The King

James Version

Inspiration

PreservationThou shalt keep them, O

LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation

for ever. (Psa 12:7)

Copying

Canonization

Translation

GodThe

Author

ManThe

Instrument

Textus Receptus

All scripture is given by

inspiration of God (II Tim

3:16)

Preservation

Psalm 12:6, 7The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.• No original exists today

Preservation

• Many copies of the original languages do exist

• These copies represent a critical link in the transmission of the biblical text from the originals to the Bible we have today

• Not all manuscripts are true copies of the original

• Manuscript evidence is a field of study by which we discern which are trustworthy and which are corrupt

Materials used in Preservation

• Papyrus–Made from papyrus reed by layering, pressing,

gluing– Pros: cheap, easy to transport– Cons: fragile, easily damaged

• Parchment– Prepared leather: tanned, scraped, stretched,

polished– Pros: very durable– Cons: very expensive– Vellum is the highest quality parchment

Terms Used

• Manuscript – a hand-written document• Scroll, or Roll – a continuous roll of papyrus or parchment– usually held between two sticks– Typical Old Testament scroll: 18-27” high,

100’ long

• Codex (Codices is plural)– Simply a book– Easier to carry than a scroll

Terms Used

• Lectionary – collections of scripture lessons arranged for congregational reading

• Palimpset (also Rescriptus)– Parchment which has been rescraped– Technology can decipher the original writing

• Uncial – upper case letters• Cursive (also Miniscule) – lower case

letters

Manuscripts

UncialCodex Alexandrinus

John 1:1-7

Miniscule 481Luke 1:1-7a

Manuscripts

• Each biblical manuscript discovered is given a unique identifier

• Not all manuscripts contain the same portions of scripture– The oldest known manuscript of the New

Testament (p1) contains only 18 verses from Matthew chapter 1

– Sinaiticus (א-Aleph) contains almost the complete New Testament

How We Got Our Bible – Canonization

Originals

Reliable Manuscripts

God’s word accepted by God’s people

God’s word kept intact in

English:The King

James Version

Inspiration

PreservationThou shalt keep them, O

LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation

for ever. (Psa 12:7)

Copying

Canonization

Translation

GodThe

Author

ManThe

Instrument

Textus Receptus

All scripture is given by

inspiration of God (II Tim

3:16)

Canonization

• Canon comes from the Greek word for “a rule”

• Reasons–Maintain purity of “word”– Combat heresy– Confirm doctrine

• The Bible is our all-sufficient rule for faith and practice

Process of Canonization – Acceptance

• Old Testament – whole-hearted acceptance by the churches of that which has already been accepted by the Jews

• New Testament– Gospels, Pauline epistles readily accepted– I Peter and I John (140-220 A.D.)– Hebrew and Jude (220-360 A.D.)– James, II Peter, II John, III John, Revelation

(400 A.D.)

Process of Canonization – Rejection

Old Testament• Mentioned in the Old

Testament– The Wars of the Lord (Num

21:14)– Jasher (Joshua 10:13)– The Book of Shemaiah (II Chr

12:15)– The Book of the Prophet Iddo (II

Chr 13:22)

• Apocrypha (c. 200-30 B.C.)– Wisdom of Solomon– Ecclesiasticus– Tobit– I and II Maccabees– Bel and the Dragon

New Testament• False gospels –

Andrew, Barnabas, Thomas, etc.

• False Acts – The Acts of John, Paul, Peter, Philip, etc.

• False Epistles• False Apocalypses –

Revelation of Peter, Paul, Thomas, Stephen, etc.

Tests of Canonization

• The Writer–Was the writer God’s man (prophet or apostle)?

• The Contents– Are they credible?– Do they add to without taking away from

doctrine?

• Acceptance– Is there a universal acceptance by God’s people– This test was especially significant for the New

Testament

How We Got Our Bible – Translation

Originals

Reliable Manuscripts

God’s word accepted by God’s people

God’s word kept intact in

English:The King

James Version

Inspiration

PreservationThou shalt keep them, O

LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation

for ever. (Psa 12:7)

Copying

Canonization

Translation

GodThe

Author

ManThe

Instrument

Textus Receptus

All scripture is given by

inspiration of God (II Tim

3:16)

Translation

• Reason– To present the word of God in the

reader’s own language– Replace earlier attempts, due to• Incompleteness• Faulty source manuscripts• Faulty (Catholic) influences

• Result – God’s word kept intact in the King James Version