How did our Bible come to be? How is it that we have the 66 books we know as the Bible? This presentation delves into how the canon was formed.

<p>How did our Bible come to be? How is it that we have the 66 books we know as the Bible? This presentation delves into how the canon was formed.</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

East Ridge SDA Church

The Word of God

Steven Grabiner

The Flawed Word, Part 1

I was listening to a radio program and somebody was being interviewed and they were talking about schedules and how oftentimes the schedules in our life really control us.

Sometimes when we're really busy we make schedules to do different things, but this person, as they were being interviewed, had a very different take on schedules.

And they said, make your schedule so that the schedule helps you become the person you want to be.

I thought, well, that's really interesting.

Rather than just trying to fit in all the important things I need to do, who do I want to be?

And to make my schedule so that if I live that schedule, I will become like that person.

And as I was thinking about that, I came across something else where somebody was saying if you read a half an hour a day, someone said an hour a day, but let's say a half an hour a day, if you read a half an hour a day on any topic for a couple of years, you'll become an expert in that field.

So if you want to read about physics, and you start reading half an hour a day, you know, in a couple of years, you'll be an expert in that field.

Certain things you're not going to learn simply by reading.

You can read about swimming and after 3 years of reading about it, you're really not going to be a very good swimmer unless you get in the water.

But if you really want to get better at something, there needs to be intentionality about how we live our life.

In fact, some people that really want to get better was at the pool the other week and met Seth there and a couple of his friends.

And what was really intriguing to me is Seth brought, Seth's not here, is he?

He brought his GoPro camera with him and put it up at the end of the swimming pool so that he could film himself on a couple of laps for what purpose?

To improve, he's not just being vain about it.

He wants to see how he's swimming so that he can improve his strokes.

Do we really want that kind of feedback where we're becoming more like Jesus?

Turn with me to 1 Peter chapter 2, a scripture reading we looked at.

1 Peter chapter 2, Where Peter really focuses on some very important aspects of life and we need to think and we need to experience kind of a self-examination and encounter with the word of God that reveals to us, are we really becoming molded into the image of Christ?

First Peter chapter 2 is a great passage starting in verse 22.

Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere, Greek would mean unhypocritical, love of the brethren, fervently Love 1 another from the heart.

You know what I love about making mistakes in public?

Since you have, in obedience to the truth, purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love 1 another from the heart.

Not with a seed, negative firth, which is perishable, not just a physical birth, but we've had a birth that comes from an imperishable seed.

That is through the living and enduring Word of God.

The Word of God has power, transformative power to make major changes in our life.

And so if I go back to my first thing, you know, if we read a half an hour a day, we become experts in something.

So many of us have been reading the scripture for more than a half an hour a day for a really long time.

Are we really loving the way this passage is calling us to?

Or Is there some kind of a disconnect that happens?

It's not just the reading, it is the reading, but it's also the work of the Holy Spirit, and there needs to be an application to the life.

And that's what Peter brings out to us, that the Word of God can do this.

But really the question that I want to begin thinking about this morning is, can you really trust the Bible?

When I was on Facebook and a friend of mine who usually has some very interesting article posts.

He posted something so I thought I would read it and I was completely disappointed.

And notice the heading, so misunderstood it's a sin.

And here the author was saying, he had 2 main points.

His first main point was, atheists don't know the Bible, obviously, but more alarming than that, Christians don't know the Bible.

And then his second main point was Christians pick and choose what they want to emphasize out of the Bible.

And there's a lot of truth in the second point.

But is there an ignorance in our own lives of the Word of God which is supposed to transform us?

And Is it possible that we think we know the Word of God, but really we don't know the Word of God?

I believe there is a lot of truth to that.

For certainly all of us, we need to know the Word of God better.

We need a deeper experience in understanding the Word of God.

So I'd like to do something this morning and explore some difficulties with the Word of God because this author was very antagonistic.

Don't bother, well you can if you want to, I wouldn't recommend reading the article.

What I'd like to do is in a warm, safe environment this morning is explore some of the questions about the Word of God.

And I'd like to say this in the beginning, that 1 of the reasons I think that there is an ignorance in the word of God in churches, in Christianity today, is because there has been a shift in preaching over generations.

People used to preach content heavy sermons and we're not a content heavy generation.

And sermons, It's a good thing and a bad thing, but sermons have moved toward, and this is a good thing, being much more applicable, maybe more relational, maybe directly helpful, and that's a good thing.

It's a bad thing if That is so much the point that we're not learning what the Word of God says and that there's no real thinking about the Word of God.

So let's try to remedy that a little bit this morning.

And there's a couple of things that came out in the article.

First of all, the person said, if the Bible is inspired, there would be no contradictions, errors, or discrepancies in the Bible.

There are contradictions, errors, or discrepancies in the Bible.

If it's inspired, if it comes from God, which we would suggest or argue that it does, then their view would be there would be no contradictions errors or discrepancies because there are and we'll look at some of them this morning you cannot trust the Bible.

Another point the author made was this because we do not have the original writings of scripture None of us has the original book of Isaiah or the original book of Daniel or the original book of Matthew.

We don't have these original writings and we find differences in the copies that we do have, therefore the Bible is not reliable.

Since we don't have the originals and the copies don't match up 100%, therefore the Bible's not reliable.

And we'll look at that at a different day.

But if you were to encounter somebody who brought this out, how would you respond?

Somebody says, you know, you really can't trust the Bible.

And if it's inspired, there shouldn't be.

The Flawed Word, Part 2

That's what I want to study again with you this morning is this whole question about really trusting the Word of God.

Last Sabbath we began to explore that and we looked a little bit at some of the apparent contradictions in scripture, But how many of them are easy to be explained if we'll take a little time to look at the full picture.

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying all of them are that easily explained.

But as we look at things in the Word of God, we really can come away with a sense of the arguments that people make for not trusting it really don't carry a lot of weight.

Now sometimes we might ask or somebody might ask us, you know, why do you think I really should depend on the Word of God?

And oftentimes we'll respond with an appropriate response, which might be something like this, because the Word of God has changed my life.

I think that each 1 of us, I pray at least that each 1 of us, and if it's not true, I appeal to you to open your hearts to the Holy Spirit and to the Word of God and let Him change your life.

But there is power in the Word of God to transform us and that power is through the Holy Spirit which Inspired the Word of God and so oftentimes will respond like that and say you know I sense God speaking to me and that's true.

However, a Muslim might say the same thing.

Or a Mormon, 1 of their main tenants, if they would come to visit you in your home, they would share something, and then they would say, you know, don't you really sense something moving in your life?

And so there's a little bit of a danger of the subjective personal side.

Now that's not to say the subjective personal isn't important, it is, but how do we really say the word of God is reliable?

And there are lots of answers to this question.

Certainly the Bible is very different than, say the Quran or the Book of Mormon, in terms of its, how it communicates actual historical events.

I mean, The Bible claims to deal with events that took place in history.

Particularly the greatest event which was what?

The cross, the death, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the greatest event where we really see what God is like.

Rooted in history, but comes to us through the Word of God.

We begin to explore this question, is the Bible reliable?

Again, and I appreciate Richard reading that.

He's got a great reading voice, doesn't he?

I think like the next time he's elder in charge he should preach.

Revelation chapter 22 starting in verse 18.

The end of this great prophetic book where John says, I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy.

It's interesting, Revelation opens, Revelation 1-3 with a blessing on those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things which are written in it for the time is at hand.

So John ends the same way, I'm testifying to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book And then he gives this warning.

If you want to add something to the book, if you want to embellish, we could say, what will be added to you?

So the warning is, well, Don't add anything.

There's a warning for us to be very careful how we interpret prophecy.

And then he goes on to say in verse 19, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, In other words, if we want to lessen the meaning of it, what will be the result?

You will, your part in the tree of life and the holy city and all the things that are written in here will be taken away as well.

Verse 20, he who testifies these things says, yes, I am coming quickly.

It's interesting, in this 1 chapter, 7 times, the word come is used.

You jump back to verse 7, and behold, I am coming quickly.

Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.

Verse 17, the spirit and the bride say, let me hear it, come and let the 1 who hears say come and let the 1 who is thirsty come.

Let the 1 who wishes take the water of life freely.

So this great invitation to come in the setting of the return of Jesus Christ.

Behold, I'm coming quickly, he's coming quickly, even so come Lord Jesus.

And so in this setting at the end of the book where it's talking about the second coming and urging us to be ready, inviting us, entreating us to take the water of life is this two-verse warning.

Really important, especially as we're drawing closer to the end of time.

More important, as we see the day of Christ approaching, and as I mentioned last week, there are many people that do question, can you really have confidence in the word of God?

So let's kind of continue to explore that.

But before we do, let me just give you some background about this don't add or don't take away.

John is really referencing 3 passages in the book of Deuteronomy.

And if you're interested, you can jot those down or turn there.

But in the first 2 passages, Moses, as he wrote the book of Deuteronomy, said something very similar, don't add And don't take away.

And turn with me to Deuteronomy chapter 12.

There's also Deuteronomy 4, verses 1 and 2, and Deuteronomy 29, 19 to 20.

But let's look at Deuteronomy 12, verse 32.

Notice how God recounts the words of Moses, Deuteronomy 12 verse 32, whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do it, to follow it, Deuteronomy 12, 32.

But what's really intriguing is the next verse.

And in some of the ancient Hebrew manuscripts, Chapter 13 actually begins with the last verse of chapter 12 because there's a connection here.

Chapter 13 begins to talk about false prophets and false teachings.

And so the setting, this warning, Don't take, don't add, in its setting in the scripture is really talking about false prophetic teachings, misrepresentation of God's Word.

It's talking about a false idolatry, a false worship.

All of these things John is warning against.

So let's turn back to chapter 22 of Revelation as we look at this verse a little more closely.

Again in this passage, Revelation 22 verse 18, you know, there's a, in the whole passage rather, there's the blessing for hearing the word of God, verse 18, I testify to everyone who hears the word of the prophecy, There's a blessing there, but then there's that negative warning.

Now it's interesting as we read through Revelation, 13 times John is told to write.

Sometimes it's the Father speaking and sometimes it's Jesus speaking.

But 13 times through the book he's told, write, write this, write this, write this, write this.

It's not as if, or at least if we believe John, and that's a good question for us.

But John's telling us, I didn't make this up.

And in 1 of the great places, in chapter 21, he says, write because these words are faithful and true.

There is gonna be an end to this world of sorrow.

God's people are gonna see him face to face.

And it's almost like, I can't hardly believe that.

And then it says, right, because these words are faithful and true.

And so over and again, as we read through Revelation is this insistence that this is really God's word and it is dependable.

The Rule of Faith

The last 2 Sabbaths we were examining the Scripture.

I'm just noticing that my title doesn't show through so clearly on the slide.

And the title for the sermon, the rule of faith, has to do with really the question, how did our Bible come to be?

We spent 2 Sabbaths kind of looking at critiques that people make about the Word of God and we've explored them And see now the Bible really gives us a foundation for depending upon it.

But do you know there's like all sorts of other books?

You know, like there's the Epistle of Barnabas.

There's a host of it, there's the Acts of John and all sorts of different books and sometimes people ask the question, well why those books that you have in your Bible and not other ones.

You know, did some arbitrary person or a group of people, council people, they say, look, these are the ones we want because they agree with us, or was there something else at play?

So this morning let's kind of study together.

I'm going to begin there with Jesus' response or how Jesus looked at scriptures.

But before we do, let me just share something that was interesting in the news this week.

Those of you that are tech savvy, please don't start Googling right now.

They found an early fragment of the Gospel of Mark.

I guess in those days, the material, papyrus, that they used to make these masks was valuable.

They would cut them apart and they would kind of glue them together and make these masks.

And there had been a group of people taking them apart and trying to find out what these documents originally were.

And they found what is supposedly a copy of the Gospel of Mark that goes all the way back to the first century, around 95 AD.

Now there's still some study that needs to be done, but if this turns out to be true, it will give us a copy of the Gospel of Mark about 100 years earlier than the 1 we currently have.

And if it's true, and if it matches up to what we have, which is what the scholars are thinking, that's really good evidence, bringing us very close back to that first copy that Mark wrote.

Didn't make the headlines in the New York Times, but it still was very interesting.

And Luke 24 is the account after Jesus has died and raised again, was risen, And 2 of his disciples are walking back to their village, the village of Emmaus.

And as they're walking, a stranger comes alongside of them.

And the stranger notices that the 2 disciples are downcast, they're discouraged, they're downtrodden, their hopes have been dashed.

And so the stranger comes up and says, what's wrong with you guys?

And these 2 men are like, are you the only person that doesn't know what's been happening in Jerusalem?

And the stranger says, well, what things?

And then the 2 disciples begin to describe the crucifixion and how they had put their hopes on Jesus.

And now their faith was completely shattered.

And then the stranger says something very intriguing.

Luke chapter 24 in verse 25, and he said to them, O foolish men and slow of heart, to believe in all that the prophets have spoken, was it not necessary for the Christ, the Messiah, to suffer these things and to enter into his glory?

And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, he explained to them the things concerning himself in all the scriptures.

It is a tremendously interesting thing that's happening here.

The very event that brought discouragement, despondency that seemed to destroy their faith was actually the event that should have encouraged their faith.

And rather than Simply just saying, look, I am the risen Christ.

And could you imagine walking that 8 miles from Jerusalem to Emmaus as they're going along and the stranger Jesus just continually pulls passage after passage after Old Testament text.

And he begins to explain to them how this is pointing to the death of the Messiah.

That would have been a Bible study, amen?

Just to hear Jesus go through that and this passage continues that you know they could tell that is they felt their hearts burning within them as he explained all these things and they urge him to stay and as he breaks bread they realize this is Jesus and their excitement contains no bounds they jump up they start going back another 8 miles, 8 miles, 8 miles, how many is that?

16, because they wanna get back to the disciples to let everyone know Jesus is raised.

Before revealing himself, he points them where?

And he explains everything from beginning with Moses when he comes to this meeting when they are describing their experience to the other disciples, let's drop down to verse 36.

The 2 disciples have come back And Jesus came back with them, unknown to them.

But in verse 36 it says, while they were telling, these are the 2 disciples to the others, while they were telling these things, he himself stood in their midst and said to them, peace be to you.

I like the way the Gospel of Luke opens up with a message of peace from the angels and it ends with a message of peace from Jesus Christ.

But they were startled and frightened, thought they were seeing a spirit.

And he said to them, why are you troubled?

See my hands and my feet that it is I myself.

For a spirit does not have flesh and bones.

And then in verse 44, now he said to them, these are my words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about me, where?

In the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.

And so again, verse 45, then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures and he said to them, thus it is written that the Christ, the Messiah, should suffer and rise again the third day and he continues giving them their commission.

I just want to 0 in on Jesus' reaction or relation to the Hebrew Scriptures.

We call it the Old Testament, the Hebrew Scriptures.

Jesus clearly saw that they pointed to him.

Now notice that expression, everything written in the law of Moses, that would be the first 5 books of the Bible.

So there's this division that Jesus identifies.

1 more verse for you if you're interested you can look at this later Luke 16 31.

Jesus this is the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, and at the end of the story, Jesus says, they have Moses and their scriptures, their writings, let them believe them.

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The Word of God

The Rule of Faith

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Recorded

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25 The Feast of Tabernacles

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