Lesson 2
Scripture

Study Compiled by Kevin L. Ziegler, Evangelist
at South Side Church of Christ, Danville, IL 61832
 southside.restorationplea.com

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Introduction
  • II Timothy 3:16-17
  • All Scriptures.
  • Are inspired by God (God breathed).
  • Able to make it's readers adequately equipped for every good work.
  • II Peter 1:20-21
  • Scripture is not an act of human will.
  • Men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
  • Hebrews 1:1-2
  • The cause of inspiration - God spoke!
  • The agents of inspiration - the prophets (and apostles).
  • The modes of revelation - varied: dreams, visions, angels, theophanies, miracles, etc.
  • The result of inspiration - a message that is the authority!
  • Myths about the Bible
  • The Bible is a dead book.
  • The Bible is outdated.
  • The Bible is a level book.
  • The Bible is insufficient, so more revelations are needed today.
  • The Bible has errors in the originals because the writers were imperfect.
The Local Church and the New Testament (the connection between Scripture and Church)
  • Wrong concepts
  • Neo-orthodoxy
  • The church as primary revelatory event, created and shaped DIRECTLY by the Holy Spirit.
  • Scripture as secondary testimony of limited authority, a fallible human witness to "Jesus event" as expressed in the faith of the apostolic church; Scripture as "a norm, a guideline and a boundary" of the church; Scripture subject to validation by the historical-critical method.
  • Roman Catholic
  • The church created and shaped DIRECTLY by the Holy Spirit moving in progressive revelation.
  • Scripture as a product of the church and subject to the interpretative authority of the church (tradition emerging from church fathers, councils, and popes).
  • John Calvin
  • Church as dominant institution in the theocratic society of the elect.
  • Scripture as the handbook of the theocratic society; the "level Bible"; the language of the Bible homogeneous and prescriptive.
  • The Biblical concept
  • The church created by the Holy Spirit BY MEANS OF THE APOSTOLIC WORD (spoken and written). I Thessalonians 2:13; Ephesians 2:20.
  • Scripture, the words of God and the Word of God; the absolute authority in, for, and over the church; the positive, apostolic design for the local church.
The place of the Apostles' Doctrine
  • What Jesus promised to the Apostles:
  • Guidance in speaking: Matthew 10:17-20; Luke 10:16; Mark 13:11; John 14:26; Luke 24:47-49.
  • Guidance in teaching: Matthew 28:19-20; John 14:26; 16:13.
  • What the Apostles claimed for themselves:
  • Claimed their message was foundational: Ephesians 2:20; Acts 2:42.
  • Claimed their message was authoritative: I Timothy 4:11; Titus 2:15; II Thessalonians 3:14; II Peter 3:2.
  • Claimed their message was prophetic: Revelation 22:9, 18; Hebrews 1:1-2; 2:3-4.
  • Claimed their books were Scripture: II Peter 3:16 (referring to Paul's writing); I Timothy 5:18 (quoting Luke 10:17; Deuteronomy 25:4.
  • Claimed their message came from God: I Corinthians 1:18; 2:9-10; 7:25-26.
  • What the church acknowledged about the Apostles:
  • The church devoted themselves to the "Apostles' doctrine" (Acts 2:42).
  • Pseudo-Barnabas (AD 70-130): Cites Matthew as "Scripture" and as what "God said".
  • Clemet of Rome in his epistles to the Corinthians (AD 95-97): Quotes the synoptic gospels as "Scriptures" and "as what God said".
  • Polycarp (AD 110-135): Cites Ephesians as "Scripture".
  • Papias (AD 130-140): Included the books of the New Testament under the title "oracles of God".

14 Reasons that the Bible is from God 
The Bible cannot be destroyed.
It is the most popular book of all time in all of history.
It has one message.
It makes many predictions (prophecies) and they come true.  
The odds of 48 prophesies coming true are 1 x 10157
10, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000		  
When it comes to science, it is accurate.  
The testimony of great men and women.  
The sacrifices of great men and women for what is written in the text.
The power it has to change lives (called transformation).
Archaeology continues to prove it true.
The old manuscript copies are accurate and consistent.
The testimony of Jesus.
The eyewitness testimony of the resurrection.
Scripture says it is from God.

Scriptures in General

Who is the ultimate source of the Bible?

  

About how many human writers of the Bible were there?

  

Through how many years was the writing done?

  

How can we account for the perfect harmony of all these writings?

  

Since we have no Bible books in the handwriting of their authors, what two kinds of documents help us to know what was in the books as they were originally written?

In what languages was the Old Testament originally written?

In what language was the New Testament originally written?

The oldest known Bible manuscripts are among the Dead Sea Scrolls. About when were they made?

  

What version became the official Bible of the Roman Catholic Church?

  
When was the King James Version first published?  

Name some English versions besides the King James Version.

  

Old Testament Scriptures

How many books are in the Old Testament?

Name the books of the Law:

Name the books of history:
Name the books of poetry:

 
Name the books of the major prophets:

 
Name the books of the minor prophets:

 

New Testament Scriptures

How many books are in the New Testament?

  

Name the four gospels:

  

Name the book of church history and who wrote it:

Which books did Paul write?

Who wrote the other letters?

Name the book of prophecy in the New Testament:

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Unity of the Bible