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The Word of God Relating to God Part 1

The Word of God Relating to God Part 1. Steve McClure & Stephen Hartwell. SPRING TERM PLAN. Thurs 7 th Jan – Christ at the Centre: Obedience to Christ (Steve) Thurs 28 th Jan – Witnessing – Relating to the Lost (Pieter) Thurs 11 th Feb – Word of God: Relating to God 1 ( S&S )

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The Word of God Relating to God Part 1

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  1. The Word of GodRelating to God Part 1 Steve McClure & Stephen Hartwell

  2. SPRING TERM PLAN • Thurs 7th Jan – Christ at the Centre: Obedience to Christ (Steve) • Thurs 28th Jan – Witnessing – Relating to the Lost (Pieter) • Thurs 11th Feb – Word of God: Relating to God 1 (S&S) • Thurs 25th Feb – Prayer: Relating to God II (Adam) • Thurs 10th Mar – Fellowship: Relating to the Body of Christ (Lydia) • Thurs 17th Mar – Recapping the series / Easter Party (Steve) THE WORD OF GOD – RELATING TO GOD PART 1

  3. WHEEL ILLUSTRATIONOVERVIEW I Purpose: To clarify the ‘motion’ of the Christian life; each part representing a key component of a vibrant Christian life… How we relate to ourselves (Christ at the centre/Obedience) How we relate to God (Bible/Prayer) How we relate to one another (Fellowship/Witnessing). THE WORD OF GOD – RELATING TO GOD PART 1

  4. WHEEL ILLUSTRATION OVERVIEW II The Volitional Dimension: How you relate to yourself The Hub is Christ at the Centre (2 Cor 5:17, Gal 2:20) The Rim is the Obedient Christian life (John 14:21, Rom 12:1) The Vertical Dimension: How you relate to God The Word Spoke (Joshua 1:8, 2 Tim 3:16) The Prayer Spoke (John 15:7, Phil 4:6-7) The Horizontal Dimension: How you relate to others The Witnessing Spoke (Matt 4:19, Rom 1:16) The Fellowship Spoke (Heb 10:24-25, Matt 18:20) THE WORD OF GOD – RELATING TO GOD PART 1

  5. WHERE WE ARE GOING TONIGHT… PART I – BIBLE QUIZ (SH) PART II – THE WORD OF GOD (SM) • Relative truth and Biblical Inspiration • Implications of truth and authority of Scripture • Bible Metaphors & the Hand Illustration PART III – RELIABILITY OF THE BIBLE (SH) • An Apologetic • History of the Canon • Manuscript and external evidence PART IV – BIBLE HANDLING SKILLS (SM) • Principles of Interpretation (Stott) • How to read theBible for all its worth – different types of literature • Resources PART V – GETTING PRACTICAL (SH/SM) • Sacred Pathways • Lectio Divina THE WORD OF GOD – RELATING TO GOD PART 1

  6. THE WORD OF GOD: WHAT IS THE BIBLE? • 66 Books (39 Old Testament and 27 New Testament) • 40 Authors • Written over a period of approx.1500 years • Its Purpose is not to be a history or science textbook… • But rather it claims to be the “Word of God” • “For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:21 THE WORD OF GOD – RELATING TO GOD PART 1

  7. THE WORD OF GOD: A LIBRARY OF BOOKS • OT History & Law – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers & Deuteronomy • OT History – Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1&2 Samuel, 1&2 Kings, 1&2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther • OT Drama, Poetry & Proverbs – Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon • OT Prophecy, Poetry, History – Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi • NT Biography & History – Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts • NT Letters – Romans, 1&2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1&2 Thessalonians, 1&2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1&2 Peter, 1,2&3 John, Jude • NT Letters & Prophecy – Revelation THE WORD OF GOD – RELATING TO GOD PART 1

  8. THE WORD OF GOD: RELATIVE TRUTH? • “In our universities two ideas about truth come across loud and clear: (1) It is relative – any truth is stated within the context of culture and is shaped by its culture and environment. Truth is personal, not transcendent or absolute. (2) It is plural – because truth is relative, all claims to truth are equally valid. Judging between competing truth, claims become meaningless by this definition, and is replaced by a pick-and-mix approach to belief.” • UCCFbriefing paper no.3 ‘Students & Truth’ by Marcus Honeysett • “Authority is the power or weight which scripture possesses because of what it is, namely a divine revelation given by divine inspiration. If it is a word from God, it has authority over men. For behind every word that anybody utters stands the person who speaks it. It is the speaker himself (his character and position) who determines how people regard his words. So God’s word carries God’s authority. It is because of who he is that we should believe what he has said.” • John Stott, Understanding the Bible, 1984, Scripture Union, p139 THE WORD OF GOD – RELATING TO GOD PART 1

  9. THE WORD OF GOD: RELATIVE TRUTH? THE WORD OF GOD – RELATING TO GOD PART 1

  10. THE WORD OF GOD: BIBLICAL INSPIRATION ““All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.” 1 Thessalonians 2:13 THE WORD OF GOD – RELATING TO GOD PART 1

  11. THE WORD OF GOD: METAPHORS • What metaphors does the Word of God describe itself? • Jeremiah 23:29 Hammer • Psalm 119:103 Honey • James 1:23-24 Mirror • Psalm 119:5 Lamp & Light • Ephesians 6:17 Sword of the Spirit • Hebrews 4:12-13 Alive & Active / double-edged sword • Psalm 119:24 Counsellor • Jeremiah 20:9 Fire • Psalm 119:127 Pure Gold • Psalm 119:162 Great Spoil THE WORD OF GOD – RELATING TO GOD PART 1

  12. THE WORD OF GOD: HAND ILLUSTRATION Romans 10:17 … faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. Rev 1:3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. Acts 17:11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Psalm 119:9,11 How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word... I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalm 1:2-3 …but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither – whatever they do prospers. THE WORD OF GOD – RELATING TO GOD PART 1

  13. RELIABILITY OF THE BIBLE: AN APOLOGETIC • 1. We would expect God’s word to be widely available & distributed: • - Evidence: Many versions/translations of the Bible in so many languages • 2. We would expect God’s word to be well preserved through time: • - Passed on by Oral Tradition, manuscript Evidence (more on this next) • 3. We would expect God’s word to be historically accurate: • - Many place names and names of Kings which we can verify (e.g. Hittites) • 4. We would expect God’s word to be scientifically accurate: • - Asking very different questions to science; not so much how but why • 5. We would expect God’s word to answer the key questions of life: • - Why are we here?, Who am I?, Where am I going?, What’s the meaning of life? • “The quotations of scripture in the early work of Christian writers are so extensive that the NT could virtually be reconstructed from them without the use of NT manuscripts.” J. Harold Greenlee THE WORD OF GOD – RELATING TO GOD PART 1

  14. RELIABILITY OF THE BIBLE: OLD TESTAMENT CANON • Completed before the time of Jesus (Luke 24:44-45). • Pentateuch was officially recognised at an early stage (Dt 31:11, Jos 1:7, 2 Chron 23:18) • The Grounds for acceptance of the whole OT not known. • However Jesus and his apostles acknowledged it • There are no recorded disagreements between Jesus and the authorities over it • There is little historical dispute among the Jews concerning the content of the canon and even today the Jews still regard only our present OT books as Scripture (not the Apocrypha). THE WORD OF GOD – RELATING TO GOD PART 1

  15. RELIABILITY OF THE BIBLE: NEW TESTAMENT CANON • Minimal need for written accounts in apostolic period due to oral tradition and the apostles were still alive. Assembly and recognition of the NT canon thus took time! • There was however a concern to preserve the traditions about Jesus and the church also held the letters in high regard. • The Muratorian Canon (AD 175) is the earliest attempt at a NT canon and includes most of the 27 NT books of Scripture • By the end of the 2nd century there was a consensus that the gospels, acts and the NT letters had the status of inspired Scripture. • The church council at Carthage (AD397) drew up a list of books already accepted by the Churches to makeup the NT based on the following criteria. • (a) Books written by an apostle or close associate. • (b) Books used and accepted by most churches. • (c) Books measuring up to the standards of sound doctrine (not the apocrypha). • From the start of the 5th century there’s no evidence of further debate until the reformation. THE WORD OF GOD – RELATING TO GOD PART 1

  16. RELIABILITY OF THE BIBLE: NT MANUSCRIPT EVIDENCE "There is no body of ancient literature in the world which enjoys such a wealth of good attestation as the NT.” F. F. Bruce Source: Adrian Holloway (www.adrianholloway.com) THE WORD OF GOD – RELATING TO GOD PART 1

  17. RELIABILITY OF THE BIBLE: OT MANUSCRIPT EVIDENCE THE WORD OF GOD – RELATING TO GOD PART 1

  18. RELIABILITY OF THE BIBLE: EXTERNAL SOURCES There is much evidence about the historical Jesus in the writings of Religious and Secular figures. For example; • Cornelius Tacitus, a Roman Historian mentions that Jesus was the founder of the Christians and was put to death by Pilate 112 AD) • Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian (born in 37 AD) mentions that Jesus' brother James was stoned after he was brought before a council assembled by Ananus. • Thallus, one of the first Gentile writers, wrote to try and explain away the darkness that occurred when Jesus died (52 AD). • Pliny the Younger, Governor of Bithynia, wrote a report on how he was killing both Christian men and women, boys and girls. There were so many being put to death that he wondered if he should only kill certain ones (106 AD). THE WORD OF GOD – RELATING TO GOD PART 1

  19. BIBLE HANDLING SKILLS DUTY OF CARE • “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” • 2 Timothy 2:15 • “God’s Word is infallible, for what He has said is true. But no Christian individual, group or church has even been or will ever be an infallible interpreter of God’s Word.” • John Stott, Understanding the Bible THE WORD OF GOD – RELATING TO GOD PART 1

  20. BIBLE HANDLING SKILLS - INTERPRETATION • Principles of Interpretation • 1. Principle of Simplicity (natural meaning) • God spoke in order to be understood • 2. Principle of history (original meaning) • God spoke in precise and particular contexts • 3. Principle of harmony (general meaning) • God spoke a coherent and unified message without contradicting Himself • 4. Principle of Modernity (todays meaning) • God still speaks today through what He said in the past. THE WORD OF GOD – RELATING TO GOD PART 1

  21. BIBLE HANDLING SKILLS – TYPES OF LITERATURE How to read the Bible for all its worth (by Fee & Stewart) How differently might we approach the different kinds of literature within the Bible? Old Testament Narratives • New Testament Narratives • Gospels • Parables • Epistles • Old Testament Laws • Prophecy • Psalms • Wisdom Literature • Revelation THE WORD OF GOD – RELATING TO GOD PART 1

  22. BIBLE HANDLING SKILLS – RESOURCES • What resources are on offer to help us read and interpret the Bible accurately? • - Different versions (www.biblegateway.com) • - Bible Dictionary/ Exhaustive Concordance (e.g. Vines, Strongswww.blueletterbible.org) • - Commentaries • - Cultural Helps (“Jesus through Middle Eastern Eyes”, “Paul through Middle Eastern Eyes”, “In the Steps of Paul”, “In the Steps of Jesus”) • - Daily Bible Reading Plan / Journal • - Bible Study or Reading Notes THE WORD OF GOD – RELATING TO GOD PART 1

  23. Discovering your soul’s path to god Sacred pathways

  24. Summary of the book • This book looks at the different ways that we relate to God, and how we draw near to him. • There are 9 given temperaments, or “sacred pathways” • The core focus of the book is threefold: • Exploring the different temperaments, and how each leads to God. • Understanding our own unique “pathways” to God. • Learning how to master our “pathways” so as to avoid the unique temptationsof each. “The goal here is not self-actualisation or spiritual self-absorption, but to feed our souls so we can know God in a new way, love Him with every cell of our being, and then express that love by reaching out to others.” Chapter 2: ‘Where is Your Gethsemane?’ p. 31-32

  25. Locating your “garden of gethsemane” • Where do you go to seek God? • What helps you to meet with Him? • How do you tend your ‘garden’? “The experience of Gethsemane is unique to Jesus. None of us will ever have a moment like that. But in using this sacred space, Jesus leaves an example to follow. When you need to hear from God, when you need to be strengthened by God, when you need to receive your marching orders from God, where do you go?[…] Where is your Gethsemane?” Chapter 2: ‘Where is Your Gethsemane?’ p. 33

  26. My strongest temperaments 1) Intellectual(26/30) 2) Ascetic(22/30) 4) Contemplative(18/30) 3) Enthusiast (22/30) • My leading temperament is INTELLETUAL, i.e. loving God with my MIND. • I also rank quite highly in the ASCETIC and ENTHUSIAST temperaments, i.e. loving God in SOLITUDE & SIMPLICITY, as well as with MYSTERY & CELEBRATION. • The final Temperament in which I rank highly is CONTEMPLATIVE, i.e. loving God through ADORATION. “Discovering our strong tendencies and predominant spiritual temperament gives us the information we need to construct a comprehensive plan for spiritual growth” Chapter 12: ‘Tending the Garden of Your Soul’ p. 234

  27. Temptations i face • Looking at my strongest temperament for a moment, the INTELLECTUAL, there are three major temptations for me: • Loving Controversy • Knowing Rather Than Doing • Being Proud • I must therefore be careful in over-emphasising this pathway when I come into the presence of other Christians, and when seeking God. “Someone with a beautiful voice can still be obnoxious if he sings at inappropriate times, and someone with a superior mind can still be offensive if she doesn’t learn the time and place to engage others in proper discourse.” Chapter 11: ‘Intellectuals ’ p. 226

  28. Room for Growth 1) Activist(6/30) 2) Caregiver(7/30) 4) Naturalist(12/30) 3) Sensate(12/30) 5) Traditionalist(13/30) • These five temperaments are ones which I am not adept at in relating to God. • ACTIVIST: loving God through CONFRONTATION. • CAREGIVER: loving God by LOVING OTHERS. • SENSATE: loving God with the SENSES. • NATURALIST: loving God OUTDOORS. • TRADITIONALIST: loving God through RITUAL & SYMBOL. “I’m not suggesting that we feed our souls only what they want –and thus risk shrinking them. There is a time and a place for stretching into new experiences, but few of us want to experiment with a new exotic meal every night.” Chapter 12: ‘Tending the Garden of Your Soul’ p. 235

  29. What have i learnt? • I have learnt three main things from reading this book: • I am in the process of re-evaluating my times with God. • I have in past limited God down to fit my own ends. • I have gained new insights/goals in how to develop in my relationship with God, and I look forward to applying them. • There is a great sense of tolerance in this book, that there is no “right” pathway or temperament for us to have, and that we can pursue our relationship with God in many unique and individual ways. • In conclusion, then: • This is a book about finding out how to LOVE God in new and different ways, while also maintaining the older favourites which we are individually prone to.

  30. LECTIO DIVINA (SACRED READING) • Lectio (Read): Listen to God as you are reading the passage and for which word or phrase from it He gives you • Meditatio(Think):  What is it causing you to feel? What is it causing you to think? Slow down and let God speak in the silence. • Oratori(Speak):  Converse with God, ask Him why He has given you this word, listen to Him. • Contemplatio(Consideration): Rest in God’s presence, quieting your body and mind. Contemplate what God has been saying to you. THE WORD OF GOD – RELATING TO GOD PART 1

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