Episode #4 (How We Got The Bible)

Recording Soon

Information From The Class
"How We Got The Bible"
Why Do You Believe The Bible?

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be equipped, having been thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Peter 1:16-21 For we did not make known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, following cleverly devised myths, but being eyewitnesses of His majesty.  For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”⁠—  and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.  And we have as more sure the prophetic word, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.  Know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes by one’s own interpretation.   For no prophecy was ever made by the will of man, but men being moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

Genesis 42:16 Send one of you that he may get your brother, while you remain confined, that your Words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.”

1 Kings 17:24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know this: that you are a man of God and that the Word of Yahweh in your mouth is truth.”
 
2 Kings 20:19 Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The Word of Yahweh which you have spoken is good.” For he said, “Will it not be good, if there will be peace and truth in my days?”
 
Psalm 119:160 The sum of Your Word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments is everlasting.
 

Isaiah 39:8 Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The Word of Yahweh which you have spoken is good.” For he said, “For there will be peace and truth in my days.”

Hosea 4:1 Listen to the Word of Yahweh, O sons of Israel, For Yahweh has a contention against the inhabitants of the land, Because there is no truth or lovingkindness Or knowledge of God in the land.
 

John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth.

Ephesians 3:14-21 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that He would give you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being firmly rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or understand, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

  1. “Every other book out there can change your mind, but the Word of God can change the heart and destiny.”- John MacArthur
  2. “If our faith is to grow, we must maintain constant communication with God.” — Charles Spurgeon
  3.  Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
    • Read God’s Word
    • Study God’s Word
    • Meditate on God’s Word
    • Obey God’s Word
    • Be transformed by God’s Word (remember, it’s the standard)

    * Repeat daily until God calls you home.

  4. Martin Luther stated, “The Holy Scriptures require a humble reader who shows reverence and fear toward the Word of God, and constantly says, ‘Teach me. Teach me, teach me… The Spirit resists the proud.” ( Luther’s Works, vol. 54, 379, Table Talk, 5017.)

  5. “The Bible is the best lantern for a dark and cloudy time.  Let us beware of traveling without it’s light.”  JC Ryle

  6. “Let God teach you, and He will lead you into all truth.” George Whitefield

  7. “God only speaks inside His Word (The Bible). He doesn’t speak to anyone outside of the scriptures.” Sinclair Ferguson

  8. Give me a candle and a Bible and shut me up in a dark dungeon, and I will tell you everything that the whole world is doing.” JC Ryle

  9. “If the Bible is to get into us, we must get into it.” – Joel Beeke

  10. “I have no greater joy, than to hear that my Christian friends walk in the truth.” George Whitefield

  11. Happy is that man who possesses a Bible! Happier still is he who reads it! Happiest of all is he who not only reads it, but obeys it, and makes it the rule of his faith and practice! -@JCRyle

  12. “The Reformation was about one primary task. It was centered upon the goal of bringing the people back to God’s Word and God’s Word to the common man.” Josh Buice
  13. “The Bible was not given for our information but for our transformation.” – Dwight L. Moody
  14. “Avoid a sugar-coated gospel. Seek that gospel which rips up, tears and cuts, and even kills, for that is the gospel that makes alive again.” Charles Spurgeon
  15. “As more manuscripts are discovered and unearthed from the soil and caves of this world, the more evidence we have that God’s Word is accurate, trustworthy, and reliable.” – Josh Buice
  16.  
  1. Bible – How we got it – MacArthur.pdf
  2. What is Inspiration? by Kevin Bauder
  3. How We Got the Bible by Making Life Count Ministries
  4. How We Got the Bible (THE GREAT STORY OF SACRED SCRIPTURE) From by Article by Dirk Jonkind
  5. ANCIENT MANUSCRIPT COMPARISON CHART 
  6. Case-Making 101: How does the Bible compare to other ancient documents? Posted on  by truthfaithandreason 
  7. How We Got The Bible by Bible Study Center
  8. Timeline of Bible Translation History
  9. Is The Bible True? by Answers in Genesis
  10. Map – When did the Old and New Testament (Bible) writing happen?  
  11. Can We Trust What the Bible Says? by Josh Byce
  12. A Brief Timeline of Bible History
  13. WHY IS THERE A THREEFOLD DIVISION OF THE HEBREW CANON? (LAW, PROPHETS, WRITINGS) written by Don Stewart 

  14. How We Got the Old Testament (The Content and Extent of the Old Testament Canon) by Wayne Stiles

  1. BiblePlaces.com– Photos of biblical sites
  2. The Center FOR THE STUDY OF NEW TESTAMENT Manuscripts
  3. The God Who Speaks | FULL MOVIE | Alistair Begg, Erwin Lutzer, Norman Geisler, & R.C. Sproul
  4. How We Got The Bible by Capital Ministries
  5. HOW WE GOT OUR BIBLE by MIKE VLACH
  6. FORGOTTEN BOOKS Library of the Theological Seminary by Mr. Hoel Lawrence McQueen (available online)
  7. Why Trust The Bible by Greg Gilbert (available online)
  8. Luther: The Life and Legacy of the German Reformer video: (Full Documentary)
  9. Fox’s Book of Martyrs
  10. The Life of John Knox by Thomas M’Crie
  11.  
  1. Day of Discovery “The Bible, Why Does it Endure” Pt. 1
  2. Why you can believe the Bible – Lecture by Voddie Baucham
  3. “Why I Choose To Believe The Bible” sermon by Voddie Baucham
  4. “Our God-Breathed Bible” by John MacArthur
  5. Watch The Wonder of the Word  (Sermon Series) from Grace Media
  6. Steven Lawson: Is the Bible Just Another Book? 
  7. H.B. Charles Jr.: God’s Word to Us   
  8. (Ligonier Ministries) Handout Church History by John Gerstner – 39 sermons
  9. Expository Apologetics: Part I  / Part 2 by Voddie Baucham 
  10. You Can Trust The Bible by John MacArthur
  11. The Fullness of God (Eph. 3:14-20) Part 1,  Part 2,  Part 3,  Part 4 by John MacAthur
  12. The God-Breathed Word by Steven Lawson
  13. Fulfilled Prophecy Demonstrates the Divine Inspiration of Scripture by Steven Lawson
  14. Full Sermon on Fulfilled Prophecy by Steven Lawson
  15. Does God Still Give Prophecies? by John MacArthur
  16. Is the Bible Just Another Book? by Steven Lawson
  17. How can we trust the Bible we believe have today – James White
  18. New Testament Reliability – Can you trust the Bible? Alpha & Omega Ministries
  19. How We Got Our Bible by Dr. James White
  20. “Confidence in God’s Word, as it is written” 2012 Shephard’s Conference by John MacArthur 
  21. Evangelical Deconstructionism by Just Thinking Podcast 
  22. How Can We Trust That the Bible We Have Today Is What God Originally Inspired? Dr. James White
  23. Learning Church History by Dr. James White
  24. Ephesians 4 (The Lowly Walk Sermons) Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, and Part 6 
  25. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 | The Bible: Why Does It Endure? | Day of Discovery presented by @ourdailybread
  26. Heroes of the Christian Faith by R.C. Sproul 
  27. Steven Lawson: The Importance of the Word of God (Seminar)
  28. The Road to the Reformation: Wycliffe to Luther by Dr. Steven Lawson
  29. Bloody Mary’s HORRIFIC Burning Of Bishops Latimer and Ridley At The Stake  (6-minute video)
  30. The Preservation of Scripture: The Story of Tyndale and the English Bible
  31. The Need for Reformation in Evangelical Ecclesiology | Voddie Baucham
  32. Luther: The Life and Legacy of the German Reformer (Full Documentary) by Ligonier Ministries
  33. High Theology Produces High Doxology | Steven Lawson sermon
  34. 2012 Shepherds’ Conference: Confidence in God’s Word, as It Is Written by John MacAthur
  35. The Amazing Truth About The Bible by John MacArthur 

Week 1 – How We Got The Bible / Why Do We Believe The Bible

Whether you have been a believer in God for a long time or if you are seeking answers, this class will be good for you. The goal is to help you (no matter where you are) dive into God’s Word, learn about how we got the Bible, and trust why you believe the Bible.  

  • Canon: What does “canon of Scripture” mean? For those of us who aren’t natural scholars, it isn’t a term you hear much in Christian circles these days.  The literal meaning of the Greek term kanon, from which we derive the English word canon, is “reed”.  In Bible times a reed was used as a Hebrew unit of measure.  So, the word came to mean, in a metaphorical sense, a measuring rod or standard.  Pg 75 of Why we believe the Bible: “The Bible is our standard-efficient, sufficient, infallible, inerrant, and authoritative.  As God’s standard, it is binding and determinative in evaluating any other writing, concept, or idea”.  The Bible is complete!
 
  • Why I believe the Bible…

    • Because the Bible is a reliable collection of historical documents (written over a period of 1500 years) by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They recorded supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of hundreds of specific prophecies, and they claim that the writings are divine (“Thus says the Lord…”) rather than human in origin. All the books in the world can change your mind, but the Bible is the only one that can change your heart

    •          2 Peter 1:16-21 For we did not make known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, following cleverly devised myths, but being eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an
      utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved
      Son with whom I am well-pleased”      ⁠— 18 and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven
      when we were with Him on the holy mountain.       19 And we have as more sure the prophetic word, to which you do well to pay
      attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the
      morning star arises in your hearts.       20 Know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture
      comes by one’s own interpretation.        21 For no prophecy was ever made by the will of man, but men being moved by
      the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

 Institute for Creation Research – Manuscripts

Week 2 – Beginning of Bible History / Writing of the NT (Written by eyewitnesses) /  and the Spread of the Gospel

  • “The Bible Is God’s Word” by GTY.org John MacArthur “Scripture that it is the sure, safe, reliable, eternally true rule and guide in all matters, in total.  Let’s use infallible to speak of the totality of scripture.  It is the whole truth.  We’re looking at it from the bird’s eye view, the big picture.  It is an infallible document.  That is, what it affirms in full is true.  Psalm 19:7, “The law of the Lord is perfect.”  Psalm 18:30, “As for God, His way is perfect,” or “blameless.  The word of the Lord is tried,” or “tested,” “proven.” 

    Psalm 119, “Thy word is very pure.”  “Thy law is truth.”  “All Thy commandments are truth.”  “The sum of Thy word is truth.”  “Every one of Thy righteous ordinances endures forever, for all Thy commandments are righteous.”  Psalm 111:7, “All His precepts are sure.”  Romans 7:12, “God’s word is holy, righteous and good.”  And you have in Deuteronomy 4:2, Do not add to Scripture.  You have in Revelation 22:18 and 19, Do not add to Scripture, do not take away from Scripture.  It is, in total, complete and infallible.  In John 10:35, these words are given, and they are significant – if brief and to the point – and as always, the Lord’s economy of words is stunning. 

    In the tenth chapter of John’s gospel, verse 35, Jesus says at the end of the verse, “The Scripture cannot be broken – The Scripture cannot be broken.”  It is like a chain; all the verses are linked, all the chapters are linked, all the 66 books are linked, the testaments are linked, and there is nowhere where it can be broken.  There is no place where the chain could be broken.  It is in toto the truth of God, true in total.  That is what it claims, that is what it demands from us, as to confidence and trust. 

  • Ocean view – (surface and then going deep).  The Bible and History have depth and it is important for us to study 

  • After Jesus was killed (sacrificed) for our sins, the Jewish people were scattered throughout the Roman Empire.  This opened the door for the spread of the gospel (Good News).  The disciples obeyed Jesus (Matthew 28:16-20)  The Great Commission began… The Spread of the Gospel HD watch video!

 

Week 3 – Can We Trust The Bible? / Fulfillment of prophecies

Sept. 27th:

Welcome… Prayer… Follow up on the challenge.

“I have no greater joy, than to hear that my Christian friends walk in the truth.” George Whitefield

How did we get the Bible, and can we trust it or did someone mess with it?      

  Watch video (Day of Discovery) – Part 1 How did we get the Bible?

Review: How We Got the Bible and Can We Trust the Bible?

  • Because the Bible is a reliable collection of historical documents (written over a period of 1500 years). (Week 1 and throughout each of the classes.)
  • … by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. (Week 2 – Old Testament and New Testament writers
  • … They recorded supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophesies. (Week 3 – Prophecies and the fulfillment of them)

Watch the video – Prophecy by Steven Lawson. Fulfilled Prophecy Demonstrates the Divine Inspiration of Scripture

  • Ezekiel 26:1—28:19 –  Tyre prophecy
  • PPT – 100 proofs for the Bible
  • The Bible is full of Messianic Mathematician Peter Stoner counted the probability of one person fulfilling even a small number of them. He concluded the chance of a single man fulfilling “just” 48 of the prophecies found in the Tanakh (Old Testament) would be one in (10 followed by 157 zeros)!  That is a lot of zeros!

Send: PPTs (Handout and Worksheet)

 

Week 4 – The Early “Universal” Church / Early Translation of the Manuscripts

Oct. 4th – The Early “Catholic” Church / Jerome and the early Translation of the Manuscripts and biblical archaeology

Happy is that man who possesses a Bible! Happier still is he who reads it! Happiest of all is he who not only reads it, but obeys it, and makes it the rule of his faith and practice! -@JCRyle

BE ON YOUR GUARD:  2 Peter 3:14-18 Therefore, beloved, since you are looking for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless,15 and consider the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you,16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard lest you, having been carried away by the error of unprincipled men, fall from your own steadfastness,18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Pass-out paperwork

 

Week 5

Oct. 11th – A look into Church History Part 2 – Translation of those Manuscripts and the beginning of the Reformation.

  • Martin Luther stated, “The Holy Scriptures require a humble reader who shows reverence and fear toward the Word of God, and constantly says,‘Teach me. Teach me, teach me… The Spirit resists the proud.” (Luther’s Works, vol. 54, 379, Table Talk, 5017.)

Part 1 | The Bible: Why Does It Endure? | Day of Discovery video

  • Quote: Martin Lloyd-Jones – “Some people think about studying church history as being kind of like a visit to a sausage factory: the finished product might be great, but the way it was made wasn’t pretty. On the contrary, I would say that church history should cause us to be filled with wonder and amazement that in spite of human folly, errors, and mistakes, God has providentially guided and protected His Bride, because He loves her and is devoted to her.”

Part ppt class #5 “How We Got The Bible.”

Go through Pg. 2 of the Church History and of those who changed history.

FOX’S BOOK OF MARTYRS

Luther: The Life and Legacy of the German Reformer (Full Documentary)

 

Week 6

Oct. 18th – The Reformation (Men that Rocked the Church)

  • The Bible was not given for our information but for our transformation. – Dwight L. Moody 

Reformation:

  • Josh Buice “The Reformation was about one primary task. It was centered upon the goal of bringing the people back to God’s Word and God’s Word to the common man.”
  • The reformers rejected the authority of the pope as well as many of the principles and practices of Catholicism of that time. The essential tenets of the Reformation are that the Bible is the sole authority for all matters of faith and conduct and that salvation is by God’s grace and by faith in Jesus Christ.
  • The goal is that this theology would produce this doxology—that the theology of Romans 1–11 and all that’s contained in that would produce God-centered worship and giving glory to God.  “High theology produces high doxology. The higher our view of God, the higher our praise will rise to Him.” Dr. Steven Lawson  – Romans 11:36: “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To God be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
  • Ligonier Ministry: Ask the question What is the goal of reformation?

The Preservation of Scripture: The Story of Tyndale and the English Bible

5 Solas of the reformation – [Dr Steven J Lawson]

Steven Lawson teaching on William Tyndale

William Tyndale’s Significance | Steven Lawson

High Theology Produces High Doxology | Steven Lawson sermon

The Need for Reformation in Evangelical Ecclesiology | Voddie Baucham

The Five Solas of the Reformation Ligonier Ministries R.C. Sproul

High Theology Produces High Doxology | Message by Steven Lawson

Week 7

Oct. 25th – Discovering Manuscript.

Handouts:
Ancient Manuscripts of the Bible – Drive Thru History
Ancient manuscript comparison chart

“As more manuscripts are discovered and unearthed from the soil and caves of this world, the more evidence we have that God’s Word is accurate, trustworthy, and reliable.” – Josh Buice

Play:

Part 2 | The Bible: Why Does It Endure? | Day of Discovery presented by @Our Daily Bread

Go to webpage: The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts

            Show: Manuscript Search Page look at different digitally scanned manuscripts

            Show: Google search – ancient biblical manuscripts / Israel Museum – Dead Sea Scrolls

            Show: Bible Archaeology Report – The Earliest New Testament Manuscripts

            Show: Catalogue of New Testament Papyri and Codex 2nd – 10th Centuries

Play:  Can I Trust the Bible? By Steven NicholsShow

Mesha Stele – ancient Moabite inscription that might reference the “House of David”
Museum of the Bible – Collection Highlights
 
Class #8
Nov. 1st – The Reformation (Men that Rocked the Church)
Part #3 Day of Discovery – The Bible, Why Does it Endure Pt 3
1537: The Matthews Bible: Pastor John Rogers assembled in 1537 a volume that contained, for the first time as part of a complete Bible, all of William Tyndale’s translation work.  Archbishop Thomas Cranmer saw to it that the Matthew’s Bible was shown to King Henry VIII, who then licensed the complete Bible in English. Thomas Cromwell, Henry’s Vice Regent for church affairs, subsequently encouraged bishops to order copies of the Matthew’s Bible for their churches. Such official sanction sparked tremendous demand for the book.
1539: The Great Bible was Completed
1555: John Rogers and archbishop Thomas Cranmer were burned at the stake. Article
1555: Oct. 16 – Latimer and Ridley “Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man; we shall this day light such a candle by God’s grace in England as shall never be put out”
1559: John Knox makes a final return to Scotland  “A man with God is always in the majority.” “I have never once feared the devil, but I tremble every time I enter the pulpit.”
1560: Geneva Bible was completed the Bible was first printed by Rowland Hall of Geneva in 1560. Royal permission was obtained from Queen Elizabeth for its printing in England. In the eighty-four years of its publication, some 140 editions of the Geneva Bible or New Testament were produced.
1563: Foxe’s Book of Martyrs published – We should read it at least once in our life.
1611: King James Bible was completed 
1678: Bunyan writes The Pilgrim’s Progress (2nd best seller of all times) “You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.”  “Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer.”
 1729: Jonathan Edwards becomes pastor at Northampton“You contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary.”  “Resolution One: I will live for God. Resolution Two: If no one else does, I still will.”
“How can you expect to dwell with God forever, if you so neglect and forsake him here?”
 1739: George Whitefield starts open-air preaching “If you are going to walk with Jesus Christ, you are going to be opposed… In our days, to be a true Christian is really to become a scandal.” “Be humble, talk little, think and pray much.” “Study to know Him more and more, for the more you know, the more you will love Him.”  Banner of Truth Article
Class #9 – Nov. 8th 
What is the greatest gift you can give the next generation?  A solid foundation about God’s Word and its truth. Preach the Word!
“Turn to the Bible, for there is in it the very word you need.” — Charles Spurgeon
Why do we believe the Bible? 
  • Because the Bible is a reliable collection of historical documents 5,600+, written over a period of 1500 years) 40 different authors, 3 continents, 3 languages.
  • … by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses.
  • … They recorded supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophesies.
nomen sacrum (pl. nomina sacra) Holy names, especially in biblical texts, are rendered by standard abbreviations and lines above the names of God.
Making Sense of Manuscripts by Dr. James White (YouTube video)
What are Nomina Sacra?
https://static.crossway.org/excerpt/why-trust-the-bible-complete-ebook-pdf..pdf
“Thy Word Is Truth” from Ligonier Ministries http://www.ligonier.org/learn/conferences/pillars_of_the_christian_faith_2009/thy-word-is-truth/
Class #10
Nov. 15th – Title: God’s Word is a… ?

Handout PPT and G3 – Tune My Heart Catechism handout

Watch:  Shepherds’ Conference the Inerrancy Summit, March 4-6, 2015. The Word of God is…
Always Ready: Apologetics 101