Introduction to the Bible II

Introduction to the Bible II Bryan College Thanks for not leaving!

Review • General and Special Revelation It’s better than gold and honey. • The Three Big “I’s” • Canonicity • Interesting figures in Bible history • Bible translations

Honest Questions 1. What is the Bible? (I) 2. How did we get the Bible? (I) 3. How do we know that the books in the Bible truly belong there? (I) 4. Which translations are appropriate to use? (I) 5. What is in the Bible (II)? 6. How should we study the Bible? (III) 7. What constitutes good preaching? (III) 8. How else should we use the Bible? (IV)

What is in the Bible? • G.U.T. Grand Unified Theory

What is in the Bible? • Overarching story (meta-narrative): Group work One main theme Other major themes Main character and characters

What is in the Bible? • The overarching theme (the meta-narrative) of the Bible: Themes suggested by people (OK—I’ll admit it) smarter than I: Redemption (Book: The Unfolding Drama of Redemption by Scroggie).

“What is a Metanarrative? If you were to read Tolstoy’s novel War and Peace and someone asked you what it was about, there are several answers you could give. You could say it is a book about many individual people and their stories. Just being introduced to all the names in the beginning is a chore in itself. On another level you would say that it concerns the Napoleonic Wars. On still a higher level, you might give a reply about what the author was trying to say on a grand scale by writing his book. Similarly, the Bible may appear to be just a collection of random stories. On a higher level, though, a unity appears. What is God trying to say through all the individual stories and events recorded? This is where the word metanarrative comes into importance. At its simplest, the word means "Big Story." The metanarrative of the Bible is its story about God. Like Tolstoy’s War and Peace, with its many plots and subplots, the Bible contains many stories, all woven together by the one grand theme of God's self-revelation to the world. This Story of God does not come to us in the neat packaging of systematic theology. It comes to us in the stories of a chosen people who experienced God. So, if someone were to ask you, "What is the Bible all about?" you could answer, "the Bible is the story of God's self-revelation to the world through a chosen people" (www.postmodernpreaching.net).

What is in the Bible? • Overarching story (meta-narrative): What statement did your group come up with?

What is in the Bible? • God’s Big Picture. Vaughan Roberts “Tracing the storyline of the Bible” His answer: The kingdom of God.

What is in the Bible? • The Pattern of the Kingdom • The Perished Kingdom • The Promised Kingdom • The Partial Kingdom • The Prophesied Kingdom • The Present Kingdom • The Proclaimed Kingdom • Perfected Kingdom

What is in the Bible? • The overarching theme (the meta-narrative) of the Bible: Finally—my official statement! The overarching theme—the meta- narrative of the Bible is the glory of God proclaimed and illustrated in all His dealings with mankind.

What is in the Bible? • Other themes. What your group come up with?

What is in the Bible? • Major themes: Jesus. His person and His works (From creation and the first Messianic promise [3:15] in Genesis to the description of His glorious victory in Revelation). Types. Christophonies. Prophecies. Detailed description of His incarnation. Four helpful, though incomplete biographies of His public ministry years. Doctrinal teachings about His nature and works. Very descriptive account of His second coming.

What is in the Bible? • Major themes: The future. Prophesies related to Israel and the Church. The coming of the Christ and the second coming of the Christ. The Judgment. The eternal existence of the saved and the unsaved.

What is in the Bible? • Major themes: The Church. Her birth at the call of Abraham. Her preservation. Her redemption through the sufferings, death and resurrection of Christ. Her expected behavior. Her order. Her leadership.

What is in the Bible? • Major themes: The nation of Israel before and during the time of Christ. Abraham and the Patriarchs. Moses and the deliverance. Joshua and the conquest. Period of the Judges. United Monarchy. Divided Monarchy. Exile. Restoration. 1st Century under the Romans. Rise of outward religion.

What is in the Bible? • Major themes: Sin. How awful it is in essence and consequence. Fall. Brothers not keeping brothers. Flood. Forgetful grumbling. Everyone doing what was right in their own eyes. Unholy priests. Not going to war in Spring. Foreign wives leading to foreign gods. Corrupt kings. Loveless legalism.

What is in the Bible? • Major themes: Sin—Salvation—Sanctification Ephesians 2:1-10 in (2:1-3) alvation (2:4-9) anctification (2:10)

What is in the Bible? • Main character: Who is it? • Other important characters: Who did you list? • Other than God or Jesus Christ, do you have a favorite character?

What is in the Bible?

The Old Testament

What is in the Bible? • Basic information about the Protestant Old Testament. Number of books: 39. Number of authors: More the 22. Dates covered: Creation-400 B.C.

What is in the Bible? • Historical books. • Poetic books. • Prophetic books. Which of the above categories comprises the largest block/chunk of the OT? • Historical books (47%) 17 books • Poetic books (22%) 5 books • Prophetic books (31%) 17 books

What is in the Bible? Thomas Nelson 2004

What is in the Bible? • History is in the first seventeen books of the Bible. The others are plugged into that history at the appropriate time. • Example: David’s psalms fit historically into 1 & 2 Samuel. • 2 Samuel 11:1-12:13. • Psalm 51.

The New Testament

What is in the Bible? • Basic information about the New Testament Number of books: 27. Number of authors: At least 8. Dates covered: 1 B.C.-90 A.D.

What is in the Bible? • New Testament connections. Jesus and the Apostle John. A teaching passage in the gospels: Matthew 6:19-24 A historical event in the gospels: Matthew 19:16-26 “the disciples asked…” A teaching passage in the epistles: 1 John 2:15-17

THE BIBLE KNOWLEDGE GAME

The Bible Knowledge Game • What is the difference between inspiration and inerrancy? • What is the G.U.T. (grand unified theme) of the Bible? • Name one of the big/major themes of the Bible.

The Bible Knowledge Game • How many books are in the Protestant Bible? • How many books are in the Protestant Old Testament? • How many books are in the New Testament? • How many books did the Apostle John write?

The Bible Knowledge Game • What Bible verse must appear in the stands of every football stadium (preferably the end zone area)? • Where does Paul state, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”? • Who was Jerome? • Why does Martin Luther make my list of interesting figures in the history of the Bible?

The Bible Knowledge Game • Where did Tischendorf find Codex Siniaticus? • How were the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered?

The Bible Knowledge Game • Why was the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls important? • What translation is closer to the original languages in both word order and meaning: The KJV or NIV?

The Bible Knowledge Game Truth. Name one. Interesting stories. Name one. Convicting statements. Name one. Encouraging sayings. Name one.

Introduction to the Bible II