Wednesday, March 28, 2012

B - WALKING WITH JESUS - 2

B – WALKING WITH JESUS – 2

Our walk is the way we behave and conduct our daily life.  This is not just a casual stroll.  When we walk with Jesus we have chosen Him to be our guide.  Ps.31:3   He alone knows the way.  Ps.1:1,6   Man thinks He knows the way but he deceives himself when he follows his own way.  Prov.14:12; Gal.6:3   Jesus said, “I am the Way…”.  Jhn.14:6   Surely, we want to walk with someone that knows the way.  The life of the early Christian was so well known that it was spoken of as “The Way”.  Acts 22:4   Paul spoke of the Way before Felix as he explained his conversion.  As we walk with Jesus, is the way we behave and the conduct in our daily life so obvious to the world that they can see we are walking with Jesus?

So much sin and darkness surrounds us in this world.  We need to walk with a Light.  Jesus is that Light.  Jhn.8:12   The Corinthian Christians lived in the midst of idolatry and darkness of sin, Paul quoted from Leviticus and told them to come out and be separate.  Then God could walk with them.  2 Cor.6:16,17   Jesus cannot walk with us when we are walking in sin.  Sin separates us from God.  Isa.59:2   This is serious.

The Colossians had once walked in terrible sin (all sin is terrible).  Their lives had shown anger and wrath.  Malice, slander and abusive speech had come from their mouth.  They had lied to one another.  Now they had put all of these things aside and had put on a brand new self.  Col.3:7-10   They were changing their lives from darkness to Light.  Such should be our renewal.  Do we still have things which need to be “put off”?  If we intend to walk with Jesus, sin cannot be in our lives.  Do we sin?  Of course we do.  The difference is found in Heb.10:26.  After we learn what sin is, we cannot willfully go on doing those things and expect to be able to walk with our Lord.

If we are walking in the Light of Jesus, our sins can still be forgiven and cleansed as we have fellowship with one another in Christ.  1 Jhn.1:7   These sins would not be willful and continuous when we know better. 

One detriment to our walking with Jesus is hate.  We cover this up.  “Oh, we don’t hate”, we say; yet we do not love them.  This blinds our eyes so we are deceived.  1 Jhn.2:11   The Greek word for “hate” often means “detest or love less”.  This probably involves a lack of forgiveness as well.  This person may have said something, done something, or have had an attitude that rubbed us the wrong way.  We are never guilty of these things, are we?  Or maybe we are!  At any rate, we detest them or don’t love them—especially if they are a brother or sister in Christ.  We can’t walk with Jesus with these blind eyes as to what we are doing.  1 Jhn.2:6   Let us walk in the same way Jesus walks.  We cannot hold a grudge.  This leads to bitterness.  Heb.12:15   Our heart becomes damaged with this attitude. 

If we are walking with Jesus, we need to walk in Truth.  Ps.86:11   As John begins his gospel, he states that Jesus, the Son of God, was full of grace and truth.  Jhn.1:14   Thomas asked Jesus how they would know the way to the place where Jesus was going.  Jhn.14:6   Jesus is not only the way but He is the Truth.  When we walk with Jesus, we walk with  the Truth.  Innumerable times through the gospels, Jesus says, “I tell you the truth”.  As Jesus was explaining the Holy Spirit that would be sent after He left, He called the Holy Spirit the Spirit of Truth.  Jhn.14:16,17  

Paul warned the elders of Ephesus as he was departing for Jerusalem that false teachers would come from within the congregation and distort the Truth.  Acts 20:30   Self-seeking is associated with rejecting truth and following evil which will incur the wrath and anger of God.  Rom.2:8   Truth and self-seeking do not walk together.  When we seek what we deem important for self or that which self desires, we have disassociated our walk with Jesus.

Pilot asked, “What is truth?”  Jhn.18:38   This question is answered in Eph.1:13.  From obeying this Truth, the gospel of our salvation, we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit.  This enables us to walk with Jesus. 

We speak of the fruit of the spirit.  When we follow the Light or we walk with Jesus, there is fruit that is shown in our lives.  Eph.5:9   Along with goodness and righteousness truth is also a fruit.  This pleases the Lord with whom we walk.  Truth is part of our armor as a Christian against the temptations of the devil.  Eph.6:14  

Paul commends the Colossians in that they had learned of the hope in Christ from the Word of Truth, the gospel, and this knowledge caused them to understand God’s grace in its Truth.  Col.1:5,6   A real understanding of our salvation and the hope that is in us takes both grace and Truth.  Truth defines grace but grace cannot come without Truth.

We purify ourselves by obeying the Truth.  1 Pet.1:22   This enables us to have a sincere love for each other—a love that comes from the heart.  This love shows the world that we are walking with Jesus.  Jhn.13:35




Wednesday, March 21, 2012

A-WALKING WITH JESUS-1

A – WALKING WITH JESUS – 1

Are we actually walking or are we just sitting still?  In 1877 J.H. Sammis wrote these words:
When we walk with the Lord
In the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will,
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

This idea sums up our series—Walking With Jesus.  What a glory we experience when we do the will of our Lord in the light of His Word.  As we obey our Master, we can trust that He will ever abide with us through good times and difficult times.  Jhn.15:7,10   Too often problematic times come and people turn away from the Lord.  It is like the time many disciples were turning away from Jesus and He turned and asked the twelve if they would go away as well.  Peter had an answer that we always want to remember.  Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Jhn.6:66-68

Many times a person is anxious to become a Christian in the “light of His Word”.  Then after a time, they fall back..  We may have obeyed as the Scripture teaches to become a Christian but that is only the beginning of the “course”.  It is not the end.  Phil.3:12,14   Paul realized this as he “pressed on”.  This is what we must be doing, not just for awhile or ever so often.  We press on until we obtain that home in heaven as promised to those who are faithful to the end.  Matt.24:12,13  

A person who joined the armed forces had a choice as to whether he would join or not.  Then when he joined, he had to commit to follow orders.  He lost many of his freedoms.  He was told where he would live, what hours he would keep, where he would go.  As a Christian we have made our choice.  We have joined a spiritual army.  We walk with our commanding officer—Jesus.  Jhn.18:36   We have weapons of warfare but they are not of this world.  2 Cor.10:3-5   As Paul admonishes Timothy, so we need to take that same message to heart.  1 Tim.6:12   It lasts as long as we are on earth and then we are awarded an eternity with our Lord.

Prov.3:6   As we recognize God as Truth, He will make our paths straight.  If we walk in sin (darkness) we will not be able to see that path.  Jesus lights the way for us.  Jhn.8:12   Satan knows how to cast shadows and darken our way.  Sin is like quick sand.  It is hard to get out of it.  “Just once more” becomes the plea of one in sin.  What we say and what we do is sometimes a different thing.  We may say we are walking with Jesus and we may even think we are.  2 Jhn.6   Love and following His commandments is the path in which we need to walk.  There are those that say they believe in God and yet never worship or pay any attention to His words of Truth.  We cannot expect to be walking with Jesus without truly following in His steps.  1 Jhn.2:6   God gave the Israelites instructions.  Walking with Jesus should be the same.  Lev.26:3,4

How we walk affects others.  John wrote his third letter very late in life.  He had great joy as other brothers came to tell him of the way these Christians were walking in truth.  He considered them his children in the faith.  3 Jhn.3,4   More than pleasing men, it is very pleasing to God and we are to excel more and more.  Don’t stop!  1 Thess.4:1

Whether you think so or not, someone is following you.  Your example, your walk, is being watched.  Paul recognized this as he wrote to the Corinthians.  1 Cor.10:31,32   Paul follows with the exhortation to follow him as he follows Christ.  1Cor.11:1   Paul was not wanting Christians to follow him but to follow him as he followed in the pattern that Christ gave.  Phil.3:17  

No doubt you have heard the saying, “The only sermon many will hear is the one you live.”  People should be able to see a difference in our lives.  Timothy may have been young but Paul told him to be an example in speech, life, love, faith, and purity.  1 Tim.4:12   Should we do less?  Christ set the ultimate example for us and we are to follow in His steps.  1 Pet.2:21

2 Thess.2:13,14   We were called by the gospel because we believed and then acted in obedience to be sanctified or saved through Christ and the work of His Spirit.  Now Paul implores us to walk in a manner worthy of that calling.  Eph.4:1   We are told that our calling is a holy calling and that He has a purpose for us.  2 Tim.1:9   We also have that grace or favor which we don’t deserve and can’t earn that is granted us in Jesus.

Solomon stretched his arms before the heavens in front of the congregation and stated that there is no God like You and You provide help for those who walk before You with all their heart.  1 Kgs.8:23   He then spoke to the people to be wholly devoted and walk in His statutes and keep His commandments.  1 Kgs.8:61   This is an example for us today.

We might be calling out, “How can I accomplish this”.  We don’t walk the walk with Jesus without His help.  2 Pet.1:3   The power of Jesus will help us through all the obstacles that we may meet – if – we remain in Him.  Eph.1:19   Our weaknesses simply show His strength.  He is all that we need.  2 Cor.12:9









Friday, March 16, 2012

HOW WE GOT OUT BIBLE - 2

 HOW WE GOT OUR BIBLE – 2

As has been mentioned, there were no chapters or verses in the first Bibles.    Chapter divisions seem to have been added in the 13th century.  The first Hebrew Scriptures to be in verse form was in the 9th century.  The first Latin Scriptures that were in verse form was 1528 and the English was in 1557 (N.T.)—complete Bible in verses in 1560.

The canon of the Bible needs to be explained.  Canon means “straight rod or rule.”  With scriptures it is “that by which anything is tested as a rule.  To us it means books having divine authority and accepted as inspired words of God.  After captivity, the Word of God was given in its final form by Ezra.  Nehemiah founded a library in which were gathered together the “acts of the kings and the prophets, and those of David.”  In 131 B.C. we have a distinct compilation of the O.T.  Josephus, a Jewish historian, states that since the death of Artaxerxes (424 B.C.) no one had dared add anything or take anything away from the scriptures.  This indicates that the canon of the O.T. was settled during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah such as we have it today.  It is logically separated into 5 books of the law, 12 books of history, 5 poetic books, 5 major prophets, and 12 minor prophets.  Part of the time some of the books that are separated today were considered one book.  It should be noted that the major prophets are not so named because of importance but for the fact that they are longer books.  The minor prophet books are very short in comparison.

The list or catalogue of N.T. books of Origen (A.D.185-254 ), an early Christian writer, listed all of the N.T. books as did Eusebius (A.D. 260-340), another early Christian writer.  In the 4th century 10 lists or catalogues were identical to the N.T. books as we have them today.  Many of the early authors are few because of the perishable nature of the writing material and because persecution was trying to destroy them.  Those we do have contain many quotation and references to the N.T. canonical books.

Legendary books called Apocrypha sprung up in the 2nd century.  They were attempts to fill in the life of Jesus and add stories of the apostles.  They were mostly forgeries and were so recognized from the beginning.  It is said the Mohammed got his ideas largely from these books.  It is also the origin of many of the dogmas of the Catholic church.  Fourteen of the Apocrypha are included in the Catholic Bible.  These books are not recognized as an authentic part of the N.T. canon.

The New Testament did not have the professional scribes to copy as the O.T. did.  Two of the Gospels and Acts were written as letters.  Lk. 1:1-3;  Acts 1:1;  Jhn. 21:24,25  We know the epistles, both those of Paul and the General Epistles, were letters.  Copies were made for other churches and then copies were made from copies and began to be gathered together. 

The writing material was mostly Papyrus, made of the water plant that grew in Egypt.  Two slices, one vertical and one horizontal, were pressed together and polished.  Ink was made of charcoal, gum and water.  Single sheets were used for short compositions.  For longer ones, sheets were fastened, side to side, to form rolls.  A roll was usually about 30 feet long and 9 or 10 inches high.  In the 2nd century A.D. the Codex form was used.  This is the modern book form.  Any number of leaves or pages could be put together and pages numbered.

In the 4th c. A.D. Vellum was used which was parchment made from skins.  This was much more durable than the Papyrus which deteriorated quickly.  What a blessing when the printing press was invented by Gutenberg in 1456 in Germany.  The Bible was the 1st  book printed.  It was translated into Latin.

Before we go further into this study, it is important to understand what a translation is.  The O.T. was written in Hebrew.  The N.T. was written in Greek.  None of us could understand the Bible in either Hebrew or Greek.  Consequently, translations have been made into our language and into 1000 languages at least.  Translating is saying in one language what was said or written in another language.  It is not changing the meaning.  In translating there are 2 goals:  accuracy and readability.  The translator wants to accurately say in English for us exactly what was said in Hebrew or Greek.  This is difficult at times because our language may not have a word that means exactly the same thing.  Also in that day a word might have more than one meaning just as some of our words do today.  It is up to the translator(s) to determine exactly what was meant.  It is also important for the translation to be readable.  For instance, King James is written in the English that was spoken in 1611 in England.  That is far different from our English today.  That is why newer versions have been made to make the Bible more readable or understandable.  That will suffice for now.  Later we will note modern translations.

The Greek Septuagint is the oldest version.  It is the O.T. Hebrew translated into Greek.  Jesus used this translation when He quoted the O.T. more than the Hebrew.  It is said to be translated by about 70 Jews of Alexandria, Egypt.  It took a period of years to complete but was thought to be completed in 285 B.C.  It enabled the people of Jesus’ day to read the prophecies concerning Him in the O.T.  in preparation for His coming.

The Latin Vulgate was a Latin translation from Hebrew (O.T.) and Greek (N.T.) by Jerome.  The entire Bible had been completed by A.D. 404.  This has become the basis of the Catholic Bible.  Except for the Apocrypha, it is not all that different.  The Latin Vulgate was the 1st Bible to come off the printing press mentioned earlier.

We will now skip many years to the Bible translations in English.  John Wycliff was a strong advocate of the Bible being for the people.  Previously, the bible was in Latin and could not be read by anyone but scholars.  Wycliff did not do all of the work himself but was the force behind what is called the Wycliff Bible which was translated into the vernacular of the common man.  The church authorities were completely against him.  After he died, his Bible was ordered to be burned and his bones were exhumed and scattered into the River Swift.  His Bible lived on in the hearts and minds of men for 150 years.  The Wycliff Bible is dated 1380-84 A.D.  It was translated from Latin Vulgate.

William Tyndale completed his translation in A.D. 1525.  He was a scholar of 7 languages so his translations are straight from the Hebrew and Greek rather than from the Latin.  He was forced to move from city to city to save his work from angry authorities.  He found safety for awhile near Martin Luther who was translating the Bible into German.  When he finally went back, he was safe in Antwerp but not if he left.  He was finally kidnapped and taken away from the safe zone.  He was arrested and burned at the stake.  His dying words were, “Lord, open the eyes of the King of England.”  His work was already circulating through England.   King Henry VIII approved eventually.  His prayer was answered.  The Tyndale Bible was the 1st printed N.T. and the Pentatauch.

Myles Coverdale gave us the first complete Bible in print in 1535.  He aided in the publishing of Matthew’s Bible (1537) and the Great Bible (1539).  A lot of conflict in history came about during this time.  Geneva, Switzerland, became a safe mecca for Bible translators and printing.  The Geneva Bible (A.D. 1560) in English became one of the most popular because it was smaller and the cost was within reach of the common man.  The Bishops’ Bible (A.D.1568) was beautifully printed.  All cathedrals and bishops were required to have a copy.  There was another printing in 1602 and it became the basis of the King James version.

King James had a dilemma.  The Great Bible and the Bishops’ Bible were being used in the churches but the common people were using the Geneva bible.  There was conflict in the translations.  It was difficult to reconcile them for the Book of Common Prayer.  So King James proposed using scholars from Church of England and Oxford, Cambridge, and Westminster to make a translation which he would then authorize and everybody would use that one.  54 men were assigned to the task.  They followed many rules. It took several years but finally came to be the Bible of the English-speaking world.  It was printed in 1611—the King James Version.

Around 250 years passed and again the need to revise was important for several reasons:  early manuscripts had been found since King James Bible;  better scholarship with the knowledge of Biblical languages;  many words of the King James had become obsolete  or had changed meaning altogether.  Again many scholars were gathered and in 1881-1885 the Revised Version was published.  It never did replace the King James Version.

In 1901 the American Standard Version was published which was the American version of the Revised Version of England.  There have been many translations since.

Now there are many types of versions.  Paraphrases are usually written by one person and would be like putting the Bible in your own words.  My suggestion would be to not use these as your main study Bible.  It may aid in understanding of a word or phrase.  We used a few in “Purpose Driven Life.”  Some translations are made word by word from the Hebrew or Greek.  Other translations translate other versions.  Some are made by a single person and others by a group of scholars which usually provides greater accuracy.  Other Bibles are from a certain religious group and liberties are taken with accuracy that will substantiate their doctrine.

The NIV or New International Version is the only one that has outsold the King James.  For the most part it is accurate.  A few times rather than letting the words speak for themselves, it interprets it rather than leaving it open in cases where we just don’t really know and there are differences of opinion.  An example would be when Jesus told Peter, “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”  Flesh could be physical or could be the lower nature that strives against the spirit.  That prevailed as he denied Christ.  The NIV renders that passage, “The body is weak.”

Here is a list of the major Bible translations. 
v     Amplified – 1965 – literal or word for word.  “Amplified” adds additional words and phrases within brackets to clarify meaning.
v     ESV – English Standard Version – 2001 – word for word accuracy with readability.
v     KJV – 1611 – Elizabethan English
v     The Message – 1994 – Free paraphrase.  Converts words and ideas into everyday English language.
v     NASB – New American Standard Bible – 1995 – Modern language version of the 1901 American Standard
v     NIV – New International Reader’s Version – 1984 – Modern English translation
v     NKJV – New King James Version – 1982 – Modern language update of King James
v     NRSV – New Revised Standard Version – 1990 – Word for word English translation
v     NLT – New Living Translation – 1996 – Modern English translation – “the closest cultural equivalent of the message expressed by the original language text.”

Many of the popular authors of today have published one of the above versions with their own study notes.  A person must realize that the notes at the bottom of any study Bible are not the inspired words of God.  They are the ideas of a man.  They may be accurate but they may involve false teaching or false interpretation.  We must verify with Scripture and not be taken in.

In this day of age, we have many religious publishing companies.  Many of these have assigned groups of scholars to write study notes for one of the versions above.  The NIV Study Bible is published by Zondervan.  Nelson has published Nelson’s Study Bible.  The Kirkbride Bible Company publishes the Thompson Chain Reference Bible in various versions.

Other than study notes, several attributes that are helpful in Bibles:  Concordance (which gives you other Scriptures which are associated with a particular word.), Cross-Reference (usually in the center of each page or under each verse)  These are other Scriptures which might give other information to help understand or interpret.  Some Bibles have Dictionaries which are very helpful as well.  None of these would be unabridged but they have enough to be of great usefulness and are worth the effort of using in your Bible study.

As Christians, we want to take the Bible and the Bible only for our rule book.  We may use other books to help us but we always come back to the Bible to see if these books are following God’s way.  We don’t want to follow “cunningly devised fables.”  2 Pet. 1:16  We must follow God—not man.  Acts 5:29  Neither do we want to follow our “own righteousness.”  Rom. 10:3  There are serious consequences if we do not follow the Truth.  Gal. 1:8  It is sometimes easy with so many beliefs surrounding us to “be blown about by every wind of doctrine.”  Eph. 4:14  We find the scriptures may be used which sound good but they may be distorted.  2 Pet. 3:16  These “private interpretations” are not to be followed.  1 Pet. 1:20  God’s Word alone is Truth.  We will be called into account some day if we follow or teach that which is not absolutely God’s Word.
Rom. 14:12

The Word of Truth was given by revelation of God.  Every word is truth.  Prov. 30:5;  Ps. 119:140;  Ps. 12:6;  Jhn. 17:17; 1 Thess. 2:13;  2 Tim. 3:16; Rev. 2:7;
Rev. 22:18,19

When we know that we have followed Christ in the Truth of His Word—and we can know (1 Jhn. 5:13), then we can say with the Apostle John—“Come, Lord Jesus.” 
Rev. 22:20 




 been

Friday, March 9, 2012

THE BIBLE IS GOD'S WORD 1

HOW WE GOT OUR BIBLE – 1
THE BIBLE IS GOD’S WORD

We know the Bible is a “lamp unto our feet.”  It shows us God’s way.  Ps. 119:105  We know that to be approved of God, we must study the Bible.  2 Tim. 2:15  There are those that doubt the Word of God and there may be times we don’t really understand how it came to us as complete, perfect, and inspired.  We want to satisfy our questions as well as to be able to answer the questions of those who doubt.  1 Pet. 3:15

Even in New Testament times some men were devising fables or myths or stories that were inaccurate.  2 Pet. 1:16  This happens today as men make up their own religion or follow a man-made religion of the past.  Luke wrote of those things “most surely believed among us.”  Lk. 1:1,2  Eyewitnesses are important to any witness.

If 40 people were put in their own hotel room and asked to write upon the same subject, there would not be the unity that 40 men in 5 continents ranging in almost 1500 years had in writing the Bible.  The Bible does not contradict itself in any way that cannot be explained.  It was definitely inspired by God.  Heb. 1:1,2  The poetic and prophetic books are consistent with the writings of Moses.  The books of history correspond to each other in complete unity.  The four books that tell of life of Christ are united in message.

Today there are many so-called prophets.  How many times has the end of the world been predicted and yet it did not come to pass.  We know it will but no man knows when.  Mk.13:32  Bible prophecies contain many predictions that have come to pass.  Some were long-range.  Isaiah predicted that Jerusalem and its temple would be rebuilt when at the time neither one had been destroyed.  Isa. 44:28  Daniel predicted the succession of empires from his time on for several centuries—Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek, and Roman.  These were all represented by the large figure described.  Daniel 2:31-35  

Predictions that we know came to pass:
·        Abram – offspring strangers in foreign land (Egypt) – Gen. 15:13-16
·        Israelites put into bondage 400 yrs. – Ex. 12:40
·        Judgment (10 plagues) would come on that nation and they would exit with great wealth.  Ex. 12:35,36
·        Abram would die before this happened.  Gen. 25:7,8
·        They would come out of Egypt in 4th generation-Levi – 1st; Kohath-2nd; Amram-3rd; Moses, Aaron, and Miriam – 4th.

There are many others that could be given in the O.T. 

God coming to the Gentiles.  Mal. 1:11  The church was predicted and that all nations would come into it.  Isa. 2:2  Many detailed facts of Christ’s life were predicted.  Some are:
  • Isa. 9:6 – Born as a baby—not come as a full grown man
  • Isa. 7:14 – Born of a virgin
  • Micah 5:2 – Born in Bethlehem
  • Mal. 3:1 – a forerunner would precede Him to prepare the way
  • Psa. 22:18 – cast lots for pieces of clothing at Christ’s death
  • Isa. 53:6 – Christ would bear the sins of the world.  This chapter gives many details of Christ’s life.
  • Ps. 22:1 – Gives some of the words said by Jesus on the cross.

The Bible contains many scientific facts written long before man discovered them.
  • Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) declared 5 components that make up the world.  Time, force, action, space, matter.  They are all contained in Gen. 1:1  “In the beginning” – time;  “God” – force;  “created” – action;  “heavens” – space;  “earth” – matter.
  • Long before Christ people thought stars could be counted.  Strong telescopes now declare the stars to be innumerable.  Gen. 15:5
  • Until the time of Columbus, the earth was considered flat.  Isa. 40:22; Prov. 8:27
  • Wm. Harvey (1578-1657) thought he had discovered the importance of blood.  Lev.17:14
  • Matthew F. Maury was founder of the science of oceanography and is called the “pathfinder of the seas.”  He received the idea from Ps. 8:8.

Another testimony of the truth of the Bible is archaeology.  Many discoveries have been made that at first were thought false.  Nothing has been found that would come to the conclusion that something in the Bible is false.  Everything substantiates Scripture.
  • Nineveh was thought to be non-existent.  It has been found through archaeological diggings.
  • Nobody could read early clay tablets that were a key to so many things.  Sir Henry Rawlinson found an inscription high on the face of a tall rock 400 ft. above the road.  (Behistum Rock)  It was made of Persian conqueror Darius’s conquests.  It had writing in 3 languages.  By knowing Persian, Rawlinson was able to decipher the key to the Babylonian writings.  The Rosetta Stone was found in mud near the Nile delta town Rosetta.  It also had parallel writing in 3 languages.  This unlocked the hieroglyphics of Egypt.

There are many books on Archaeology telling of hundreds of sites that are cited in the Bible.  One of the books that tells a lot with pictures accompanying the articles is “Halley’s Bible Handbook.”

Donald Hunt explains inspiration in his book, “Simple, Stimulating Studies about the Bible.”  He gives the function of inspiration as the special operation of the Holy Spirit on the minds of the inspired men prompting them as to what to speak or write.  2 Pet. 1:21;  Acts 2:4  

Matthew, Mark, and Luke were not present at the transfiguration yet they could write about it from inspiration.  Peter was present and he wrote from experience but guided by the Holy Spirit.  2 Pet. 1:17-21  Other scriptures indicate guidance by the Spirit: 
1 Cor.2:9,10;  Gal. 1:11,12  Paul was not present when the Lord’s Supper was instituted but see how he speaks of it in 1 Cor. 11:23,24  John  was directed by the Holy Spirit even though he was with the Lord during all His ministry.  1 Jhn.1:3    Jesus had told the apostles that the Holy Spirit would bring to their remembrance.  Jhn. 14:26  As they remembered, they felt compelled to speak.  Acts 4:20 

Prophets and apostles were inspired in their messages, but they were still human in their lives.  Solomon wrote 3 books of the Bible but that did not keep him from backsliding in old age.  1 Kgs. 11:4  Peter brought the Gentiles to the Lord in Acts 10, but in Gal. 2:11,12 he took the wrong attitude toward them.

There is no other book that has lasted like the Bible.  We live 3.500 years from when the first book was written and 1,900 years after the last book (Revelation) was written.  Jesus said His words would never pass away.  Matt. 24:35  Men have tried to destroy the Bible
The men that tried to destroy it have died but the Word still stands.  Isa. 40:8  Bonfires of Bibles have been made to burn them.  Men have died because they were caught in possession of a Bible.  Man has not been able to destroy the Bible even during the Dark Ages.

There seems to be no comparison with the early manuscripts of the Bible and those of other early authors.  The New Testament books were the most frequently copied and widely circulated books of antiquity.  There are now more than 5,300 known Greek manuscripts of the New Testament.  Add over 10,000 Latin Vulgate (early Roman church translated N.T. into Latin) and at least 9,300 other early versions of manuscripts which make more than 24,000 manuscript copies of portions of the N.T. in existence today.  The Iliad by Homer who wrote in 900 B.C. is 2nd with only 643 manuscripts that still survive.
Many other B.C. writers have earliest manuscripts dating as long as 1500 years later than when written. 

Men that want to destroy the inerrancy (total inspiration from God) of the Bible try to find mistakes in the manuscripts.  Upon further examination many are misspelled words.  There are not many of those considering the entirety of the Bible.  Philip Schaff notes that there are only few variant readings that caused any doubt about the textual meaning and those are made clear by other undoubted passages so that an article of faith or a precept of duty is not changed.

For the most part, ancient literature was rarely translated into another language.  Since Christianity is to be spread to the world, the Bible was translated into other languages to spread the gospel.  The Syriac (Armenian) was the first at 150-250 A.D.  Remember that the last book of the N.T. was written around 100 A.D. so this is not very long.  The Latin Vulgate is dated 300-400 A.D.

J. Harold Greenlee says that the quotations of the Scripture in the works of the early Christian writers “are so extensive that the N.T. could virtually be reconstructed from them without the use of N.T. manuscripts.”  Memory of early Christians was also used as a means of preserving in case the Bible would be taken away.

The history of the O.T. is very different from that of the N.T.  Until the recent discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest complete Hebrew manuscript was around 900 A.D.  The Hebrew O.T. was completed about 400 B.C. so this left a gap of 1300 years.  With the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, a number of O.T. manuscripts have been found which scholars date before the time of Christ.  There are many reasons why these early manuscripts of the O.T. were not found earlier.

First, the scribes took extreme care in copying the Scriptures.  There were many rules regarding the copied work.  1. It had to be written on skins of clean animals. 2. It must be done by a Jew. 3. The copies from the scrolls must be fastened together with strings taken from clean animals.  4.There must be an equal number of columns. 5.Each column must be between 48 and 60 lines and the breadth must consist of 30 letters.  6. Nothing—not even one letter—must be written by memory.  On and on the rules went.    If these regulations were not met, the copied work would be burned or buried or perhaps used as reading books, but not Scripture.  The copies were as near perfect as could be.

Because the copies were so perfect, they were considered as authentic as the work from which it was copied.  Therefore, the new copy became the authentic one and the old one could be stacked away.  As research became more prevalent, stacks of these older manuscripts have been found that date far back.  As they are studied, it is found that they are the same as the newer ones. 

In 1947 the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in Qumran Cave I.  These scrolls were a thousand years earlier than the oldest dated manuscript previously known.  They proved to be word for word identical with our standard Hebrew Bible in more than 95% of the text.  The 5% of variation consisted chiefly of obvious slips of the pen and variations in spelling but no differences in doctrine or teaching.  They do not affect the message of revelation in the slightest.

The Massoretic Period (A.D. 500-900) brought exceptional editing of the text.  Their headquarters were in Tiberias.  Their work is called the Massoretic text.  They would count every thing that could be counted to make sure it was done correctly.  They added vowel points to insure proper pronunciation.  It became the standard text for today.

 Jesus quoted from many books of the O.T. which gives great weight to their authority.  Up until the 800’s the text of Bible books was in solid capital letters and without spaces or intervening punctuation.  We know they had no chapter or verse divisions.  Following is a sample of what you would have had to read or copy.
HAVINGTHEREFORETHESEPROMISESDEARLYBELOVEDLETUSCLEANSEOURSELVESFROMALLFILTHINESSOFTHEFLESHANDSPIRITPERFECTINGHOLINESSINTHEFEAROFGOD.  Difficult?  We can be so thankful for the work that has gone on before us and the watchcare of our great God who has overlooked the preservation of His Word for us to have—even in the personal possession of each one of us.