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2/12/2017 ALTS American Lutheran Theological Seminary www.taalc.org Biblical Inerrancy 1 2/12/2017 All scripture references are taken from the English Standard Version (ESV) What is Biblical Inerrancy? 1) My English translation of the bible is 100% without error. 2) The King James Version of the bible is 100% without error. 3)Theoldestmanuscriptcopywe can find is without error. 4) God’s word is without error. 5) See next page 2 2/12/2017 What is Biblical Inerrancy? 5) God has given us His word by the prophets, by Christ Himself, and by the apostles. God preserves His word so that we might be saved and strengthened in the faith by it. God calls us together each week to hear Hiswordandreceiveit.Hisworddoes not err. Why does Biblical Inerrancy Matter? 3 2/12/2017 What are the issues? How is the bible attacked? Why it matters 1) It’s how God communicates with us. 2) It’s how we know God beyond what is revealed in general revelation. 3) God’s promises must be true. 4) If it’s not true, we’re lost. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. 1 Cor 15:19 5) Given for our salvation. John 20: 30-31 4 2/12/2017 Why it matters John 20: 30-31 30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Attacks on the Bible 1) Copies of copies of copies 2) Canon thrown together for political reasons 3) Many differences between manuscripts 4) Authorship and dates uncertain 5) Conflicts between different books 5 2/12/2017 Let’s talk about purpose. John 5: 39 – 40 39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; anditistheythatbearwitnessaboutme, 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. 6 2/12/2017 Let’s talk about the development of the bible. Hebrews 1: 1 – 3a 1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. 7 2/12/2017 Old Testament Old Testament New Testament Approximate Date Approximate Date Approximate Date Book Written Book Written Book Written Genesis 1446 BC Hosea 740 BC Matthew AD 50 Exodus 1446 BC Joel 848 BC Mark AD 50 Leviticus 1445 BC Amos 792 BC Luke AD 55 Numbers 1445 BC Obadiah 587 BC John AD 90 Deuteronomy 1407 BC Jonah 790 BC Acts AD 60 Joshua 1406 BC Micah 750 BC Romans AD 55 Judges 1000 BC Nahum 663 BC 1 Corinthians AD 55 Ruth 1000 BC Habakkuk 605 BC 2 Corinthians AD 55 1 Samuel 970 BC Zephaniah 640 BC Galations AD 51 2 Samuel 970 BC Haggai 520 BC Ephesians AD 60 1 Kings 560 BC Zechariah 520 BC Philippians AD 60 2 Kings 560 BC Malachi 430 BC Colossians AD 60 1 Chronicles 430 BC 1 Thessalonians AD 51 2 Chronicles 430 BC Septuagint 300 - 132 BC 2 Thessalonians AD 52 Ezra 440 BC 1 Timothy AD 65 Nehemiah 445 BC 2 Timothy AD 68 Esther 400 BC Titus AD 68 Job 300 BC Philemon AD 60 Psalms 1100 BC Hebrews AD 70 Proverbs 1000 BC James AD 50 Ecclesiastes 931 BC 1 Peter AD 67 Song of Solomon 970 BC 2 Peter AD 68 Isaiah 740 BC 1 John AD 85 Jeremiah 628 BC 2 John AD 85 Lamentations 587 BC 3 John AD 85 Exekiel 593 BC Jude AD 68 Daniel 605 BC Revelation AD 95 8 2/12/2017 World History Event Date Creation, Fall, Flood, Tower of Babel Many years ago (6000?) Egypt, Africa, Syria, Canaan, Israel Civilizations 3100 BC Abram Born 2166 BC Joseph sold into slavery 1901 BC Isaac died 1886 BC Moses birth 1526 BC The Passover 1446 BC Saul reigns over Israel 1048 BC Nebuchadnezzar besieges Jerusalem 605 BC Temple destroyed 587 BC Temple rebuilt 536 BC Peloponnesian War 431 BC Punic Wars / Start of Roman Conquest 264 BC Angel appears to Zechariah 4 BC The anunciation 3 BC Jesus birth 2 BC Death of Herod the Great 1 BC World History Event Date Revolt against Rome; Roman province of Judea formed AD 6 Jesus in temple before elders AD 11 Empereror Tiberius AD 14 Baptism of Jesus AD 29 Crucifixion AD 33 Paul's conversion AD 36 Paul's first missionary journey AD 47 Jerusalem conference AD 49 Paul's second missionary journey AD 49 Paul's third missionary journey AD 52 Paul's journey to Rome AD 57 Paul in custody in Rome AD 58 Martyrdom of James AD 62 Paul in Ephesus AD 65 Jewish Revolt against rome AD 66 Temple destroyed by Titus AD 70 Peter martyred AD 68 Paul martyred? AD 68 9 2/12/2017 Old Testament 1) Compiled over many years from around 1500 BC to 400 BC 2) Translated into Greek starting in the 300’s BC and being completed 132 BC (this is what is called the Septuagint) 3) When Jesus refers to the Scriptures (“it is written”) he is referring to the Old Testament 4) The canon of the OT was universally accepted Old Testament Jesus refers to the OT many times. Here are a few examples: 1) Matthew 12:40 2) Mark 10: 2 – 9 3) Matthew 10: 14 – 15 4) Luke 4: 1 – 12 5) John 5: 39 – 40 10 2/12/2017 Old Testament What was Jesus’s view of the Old Testament? Old Testament JesusspeaksoftheOldTestamentas though it is true! He speaks of it as historical. Adam and Eve, Sodom and Gomorrah, Noah, Jonah, are all historical accounts. The Word is powerful! He uses it to defend against Satan. The Scriptures speak of Him! That we may have life! 11 2/12/2017 Old Testament What was Jesus’s view of the Old Testament? True word of God How do we know that? What is our source of this information? The New Testament Attacks on the Bible 1) Copies of copies of copies 2) Canon thrown together for political reasons 3) Many differences between manuscripts 4) Authorship and dates uncertain 5) Conflicts between different books 12 2/12/2017 Biblical Criticism Textual criticism – analysis of manuscript evidence to evaluate the correct text. Source criticism – what sources were used to write various books. For example, did Mark have access to Matthew’s gospel when he wrote his gospel? Form criticism – the development of the textcanbeevaluatedbasedonthe literary form. Certain forms of speech are connected to particular groups, places, times. Biblical Criticism Tradition criticism – attempts to show that books were compilations of traditions that were essentially cut and pasted. Redaction criticism – like tradition criticism, but edited or redacted to satisfy the author’s own theological objectives. Literary criticism – attempts to determine the motives of the writer. What is a gospel? Are there recognizable patterns? What lies beneath the actual text? 13 2/12/2017 Biblical Criticism Is any of this criticism valid? Mark 16: 9 – 20 This footnote appears in the ESV: Mark 16:9 Some manuscripts end the book with 16:8; others include verses 9–20 immediately after verse 8. At least one manuscript inserts additional material after verse 14; some manuscripts include after verse 8 the following: But they reported briefly to Peter and those with him all that they had been told. And after this, Jesus himself sent out by means of them, from east to west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation. These manuscripts then continue with verses 9– 20. 14 2/12/2017 John 7: 53 – 8:11 This note appears in the ESV: The earliest manuscripts do not include 7:53 – 8:11. Canon of Scripture TheNTscriptureswerecirculatingin the early church as soon as they were written. Church fathers refer to the approved scriptures in numerous cases starting in late 1st century (Clement, Iranaeus, Papias). All of the NT books were circulating and read in the early church. 15 2/12/2017 Canon of Scripture In adopting the canon of scripture, these books were universally accepted: The Old Testament The New Testament except seven books that were disputed or the “antilegomena.” Antilegomena Word was used by the church historian, Eusebius in AD 325. He was referring to those books which were disputed. The dispute was not concerning whether these books were read in the church and valued. The dispute was whether they had canonical status. 16 2/12/2017 Antilegomena The antilegomena: Hebrews James 2John 3John 2 Peter Jude Revelation Antilegomena These books were ultimately accepted and included within our canon of scripture. The canon was memorialized in AD 397 at the Council of Carthage. 17 2/12/2017 Canon of Scripture How do we respond to the antilegomena? Not used as the sedes doctrinae (seat of doctrine) Canon of Scripture Sedes Doctrinae Term applied to clear passages of Scripture that treat individual doctrines and hence are proof passages for that doctrine. The view that doctrine is to be based on such individual passages is often opposed to the view that doctrine is to be determined by the entirety of Scripture.
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