Back to Basics - The Bible: the word of God

Back to Basics

Introduction to the Bible The Bible: the word of God

Derrick Harrison 28/10/2020

The Bible: the word of God 1. What is the Bible? You can’t get a more basic or more complex question than this! – How did it come together and how was it written?

2. Where did the books of the Bible get their names?

3. How was the Bible brought together?

4. How did we get so many translations 5. How should I read the Bible? - How does the Bible interact with me as I read it and how do I interact with the Bible?

1). What is the Bible?

The “Holy Bible” itself claims to be inspired by God. It is a library of 66 books (39 in the OT and 26 in the NT), written by many different authors and it contains several different types of books (prophecy, history/narrative, poetry, wisdom, psalms, laments, apocalyptic, autobiography/biography, letters etc.). The Lord speaks to you through all these different types of literature but it does help to be able to recognise them.

The classification of the books: Old Testament books:    

5 Books – Law — Genesis to Deuteronomy 12 books – History — Joshua to Nehemiah 5 books – Poetry/Wisdom — Job to Song of Solomon 17 books – Prophecy — Split between major and minor prophets

New Testament books:

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    

4 Gospels 1 book – History – Acts 13 Letters of Paul 8 General Letters 1 book – Apocalyptic – Revelation

2. Where did the books of the Bible get their name?

Most of the books can be catalogued by author: Moses (the Pentateuch – Genesis to Deuteronomy). Most Psalms have the name of the person who wrote them and most were written by David. Other books are named by a central figure – Joshua, Ruth, Job, Esther and Daniel (this does not mean that they wrote the book). The Prophets have their names at the top of their books. These are divided into major and minor prophets, listed according to their length.

There are historical books written as narrative and therefore easy and quick to read (compare Leviticus which raises different challenges for the reader). It is important to recognise these differently types of books. Historical books include 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles, these books record the history of the kings of Judah and Israel. They are followed by Ezra and Nehemiah, which continue the history of Judah following the Exile to the end of OT history (400 years before the coming of Jesus).

The 4 Gospels are named by their authors, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - see also Paul, Peter, John, James and Jude whose names are at the top of their letters. The birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus are recorded in the four Gospels which provides the foundation for the NT and the church. The Gospels record the events of Jesus’ life, His work of salvation and His teachings but New Life Radio – Talk No 3

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they also teach who Jesus is and the full content of His teaching. Jesus is the foundation of everything - not Paul, he builds on the foundation of Jesus Christ who is the cornerstone (Eph.2:20). Jesus is the key to Scripture and the focus of all truth. The history of the early church begins with Acts and continues beyond the NT to the present day. The letters written by Paul, John, Peter, James and Jude follow Acts.

Paul’s letters have the name of the particular city dwellers where his churches were planted (he did not plant the church at Rome) and their order is based on the length of the letter so that his smallest letter to Philemon comes last (this letter was not written to a church).

If you look carefully at our library of books you will notice that there are a couple of books left which I have not mentioned – the letter to the Hebrews is attributed to Paul, but is so different from his other letters that it took longer to be included in the canon. Revelation belongs to a genre called “apocalyptic” - from the Greek word which means “unveiling,” the title of the book of Revelation is “the Apocalypse” which is correct. It is strategically placed at the end of the Bible, just as Genesis is strategically placed as the first book. The unveiling refers to the “End Time” events which climax history – the second coming of Christ and the final judgment. “Apocalyptic” also refers to a special type of writing which employs symbols (e.g. numbers and animals), prophetic visions and where angels dialogue with the apostle John (the author) throughout. The book does not follow the normal rules of chronological narrative and it has a unique, powerful and climactic/apocalyptic impact on the reader.

3. How did the Bible come together?

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The compilation of the Bible and its translations: The method of writing - how did Moses “write” the Pentateuch? (We will look at this in our survey of each book). Our only source of information is from within the books themselves or from outside testimony. The various books were preserved and then brought together as a recognised collection of books. Similarly, we can ask ourselves – how, when and why were the NT books written?

The coming together of Scripture and the adding to Scripture with further inspired books is a fascinating story. The compilation of these various books into a recognised corpus of books is the end of the process. What were the criteria for including these books in the Bible? (some books took longer to be accepted into the canon of Scripture e.g. Esther in the OT (there is no reference to God in the book, but He is everywhere present!), in the NT Hebrews was slower to be accepted because there were questions about its authorship. If the author was an apostle or someone closely linked to an apostle (Mark, Luke) then acceptance came more easily. Were there any further criteria for inclusion? There was the obvious one regarding the authentic stamp of the Holy Spirit – this yardstick applies to all books in the Bible.

The Bible is totally unique because it is God’s book. How is the Bible unique? God is the author, the Bible claims for itself the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, He is also the overseer/editor of a host of different authors who have put their own unique stamp upon each book – each book is both divine and human. Each author has a particular vocabulary, thought patterns, cultural background, individual outlook, calling and message.

What do we recognise as the evidences of the Spirit’s authorship? The obvious one is the word of God, spoken/prophesied/preached/ by God New Life Radio – Talk No 3

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or his servants. He originates Scripture by speaking the words of God orally - a word of revelation of truth or a word foretelling what will happen in the future. The word may be a message for the present, a call to repentance, a challenge to believe God, a call to transformation, a warning, a rebuke or an encouragement – the word of the Lord comes in a multitude of ways and impacts not only our behaviour but changes circumstances, produces miracles, determines history and impacts the inner heart, “For the word (logos) of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb.4:12).

This same prophetic word of God, the authentic speaking forth the word of the Lord from the mouth of the Holy Spirit is the central feature of Scripture, both in the OT and in the NT church, “But he that prophesies speaks unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort” (1Cor.14:3). As Paul says, there is one Holy Spirit (Eph.4:4) who speaks throughout Scripture, we call this the Spirit of prophecy.

Paul always takes us from the inside of the church to engage with his call to mission outside of the church. We have focused on the utterance of the Holy Spirit which originates Scripture, but he concludes his letter to the Ephesians by asking for prayer that the Holy Spirit will give him utterance, – not to write Scripture but to proclaim the word of the Lord to those who have never heard the gospel, “And for me, that utterance (logos) may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel” (Eph.6:19).

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It is important to point out that in v17; Paul refers to the word of God as rhema – the word that comes on His breath, pointing to the immediacy of a particular word. He says, “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word (rhema) of God” (Eph.6:17). We may also take this word rhema and apply it to our devotional reading when we encounter the Holy Spirit breathing Scripture freshly into our heart and mind. Jesus also spoke of the immediacy of God’s breathed word, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word (rhema) that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Mat.4:4). The rhema word of God comes to us purposefully through Scripture with the same authority as the Lord’s prophetic word. We know that God has spoken to us and that He will fulfil the word He has spoken.

4. How did we get so many translations?

The method of translation – the documents of the OT and NT require translation into known languages if they are going to be available for reading by all people groups throughout the world. The history of Bible translation: from the Hebrew OT and the Greek NT, to the Latin translation of Jerome (the Vulgate), the Greek NT by Erasmus, the translation of the Bible into English by Wycliffe and finally the translation from the Hebrew OT and the Greek of the NT directly into English by Tyndale, the translation on which subsequent English translations are based. We call the 1611 translation, the Authorised Version (AV), the Americans call it the King James Version (KJV). A further modification of this version (based on the same Greek manuscripts is called the New King James Bible (NJKV).

Recent translations are the product of a collective team of scholars. At the beginning of your Bible the translators explain the principles which New Life Radio – Talk No 3

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influenced their work. They also list their primary manuscripts they employed in their translation. The NIV was translated on the principle of “dynamic equivalence” which is the principal of translation which is used by Wycliffe Bible Translator’s when they make a new translation in a foreign language. For example, if the oral language being translated does not have a word for salvation or a word for God another word is found which is equivalent in meaning to the Biblical word. For many scholars and translators this method has compromised the true meaning of Bible words and thus undermined the revelation of Scripture.

The ESV is the latest version (remember that modern translators have access to many more manuscripts than earlier translators but the significant point is which manuscripts are chosen as primary ones for a particular translation). Each translation has to be examined carefully for bias or mistranslation.

In focusing attention on translations of the Bible we must keep in mind that the Bible Societies were set up to print new Bibles for people who did not have a Bible in their language. Missionaries, who were evangelizing and planting churches of new believers devoted a lot of time to Bible translation, from an oral language to a written one, thus facilitating the power of the Bible to establish, instruct, feed and direct the church.

There are several translations to choose from, in addition to the KJV and the NKJV, there is the NASV (New American Standard Version), the ESV (the English Standard Version) and the NIV (New International Version). These are serious translations based on different manuscripts of the Bible. Other so called “Bibles” are often paraphrases, where liberties are taken with the text to give a more descriptive or New Life Radio – Talk No 3

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contemporary translation. The “Message” and “The Passion” fit into the category of paraphrase. The “Amplified Bible” fits into a category of its own by amplifying the Greek words it gives multiple meanings to each word and becomes almost a commentary. Some Bibles have “Study Notes,” one must always remember that the notes are the comments of scholars and do not share the authority of Scripture. They are helpful, especially when we do not have access to study books. The ESV has notes compiled by the translator’s themselves. Similarly, comments in the margin or at the foot of a page are not the work of the original translators. If you follow these later comments which intrude into the text of Scripture you will cut out Mark ch.16 from your Bible and the confession of the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts, “And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (Acts 8:37).

5. How should I read the Bible? - How does the Bible interact with me as I read it and how do I interact with the Bible?

This is the most powerful book you will encounter in your life and you must learn how to read it. Reading the Bible is a two-way encounter God is always present with you as you read, commenting on the verses and speaking to your heart and mind, calling for faith and obedience.

(1) Read the Bible systematically You should read book by book. You will have noticed that the OT is about twice the size of the NT, so that if you read from Genesis to Revelation you are going to spend a lot more time in the OT. You need to compensate for this by reading each day some chapters from the OT and some from the NT and make sure you spend more time in the NT. The Bible consists of the two Testaments but the Bible is one complete

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unified book. If you have a “Study Bible” you will refer often to these notes for back-ground information and for word meanings. The Bible can also be read chronologically and you can buy a chronological Bible.

You can buy a Bible for athletes, veterans, leaders, women, youth, children, or one with theological interests. Other Bibles include commentary material from the Church Fathers, the Reformers, John Wesley, Matthew Henry, Schofield, Charles Stanley, John MacArthur, Oswald Chambers, and so on – I suggest that your primary reading of the Bible can be described as devotional (by that I mean that you are engaging with your heart and mind on God alone as you read Scripture) – read the Bible for its own content and read through your own eyes instead of someone else’s glasses! I would also suggest that you journal as you read. Interlinear Bibles will give you the Hebrew/Greek with the English text underneath. There are also literal translations (Young’s) or translations by one person (Darby, Philips, and Weymouth). The paraphrase versions are the “Message” and the “Passion” - each are written by one person.

(2) Read the Bible devotionally Let’s call it – “back to basics,” but let’s stay basic and simple (minimalistic). Begin by uncluttering, minimalizing, removing yourself to your private devotional space and simply read unhurriedly your Bible stripped of Study notes - just you, God and the text of Scripture before you. This is where Bible reading begins. You have a Bible which you can whole-heartedly trust. You have done your home-work, you are informed and you are ready for every eventuality that will arise from your reading. Shelve questions and come back later to them. Stay for a while here (however short the time may be), stay in simplicity,

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focus on that which is of eternal worth and listen to the Lord as He speaks to you in His word.

“Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law” (Ps.119:18; KJV).

Paul says to Timothy, “Until I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to teaching” (1Tim.4:13).

We may call this devotional reading, when we are reading the Bible as a love letter from God to us. I am in an atmosphere of personal prayer and worship and time does not intrude into my devotions. We may also call this prophetic reading – we are focused on the Scriptures, we are reading and listening and attuned in our hearts to listen, in love, to what the Lord is speaking and revealing through His word. You may be led to read a particular verse or a few verses which come into your mind. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would be given in order for us to recollect what He had spoken. Recollection is based upon true facts and words. When you have a reservoir of verses stored in your heart then the Holy Spirit has a vast resource of God’s words to recall from the memory-base stored in your heart. The Lord teaches us how to read Scripture. The Bible in the hands of the Holy Spirit has a powerful influence on the reader. He makes Scripture fresh and revitalizing. We have high-lighted the meaning of LOGOS in our last talk but there is another Greek word associated with the word of God, rhema (Heb. Ruach) describing the breath of God, so we can hear God speaking His word, which comes to us fresh on His breath.

In my pamphlet, The Bible and the Child” I mentioned about the Lord Jesus hiding at a turn in the pathway and jumping out to surprise us, it is like Moses at the backside of the desert, after 40 years treading the

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same old paths, suddenly a bush bursts into flames of fire capturing his attention – and then God speaks!

The Holy Spirit is not mundane, ordinary, predictable, boring … He is the living, illuminating, energising, pulsating Spirit of the living God! How could the Bible ever be boring, - never! It challenges us, our routines, our patterns of reading, our formed thinking which straightjackets the Spirit who will not be confined or restricted by our limited theology or our pet doctrine.

“Holy Spirit let me mind be transformed by the living word of God.” In the first apostolic prayer of Paul, he prays for the Lord Jesus Christ to give to the church, “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him …” The Holy Spirit imparts revelation through Scripture, “For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that

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is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all� (Eph.1:15-23).

(3) Read the Bible diligently In the exercise of (1) and (2) something will catch your attention which requires more in-depth study: it may be a word, a phrase, a teaching, a chapter or even a whole book! Consider Bible study as an essential part of your life but something which is additional to your regular habit of Bible reading. You will need a concordance, because by comparing Scripture with Scripture you can gain all the insights you need when you begin and continue to read the Bible. The Bible has a great ability to explain itself when you compare Scripture with Scripture. This may be supplemented by a Dictionary of Bible words (these study aids are all now accessible on the internet). Finally, if you are studying a book in detail you may eventually wish to consult a good commentary. When you study your Bible always make notes (these may be typed on your laptop), more insights will come to you on the subjects you have studied so add them to your notes.

There are themes and doctrines which weave and run through the Bible like unbroken threads and we must identify them, these themes begin in Genesis and meet in Jesus Christ and they give unity to the varied books and authors. The Bible is encyclopaedic - look up almost any subject and you will find it there. The Bible impacts the formation of language; the English language is a perfect example of this. The Bible is sufficient for our understanding of God, our own humanity and the world of creation. The Bible is crucial to the survival of humankind

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on the earth, the Bible is crucial for evangelism and mission, for the life of the church and for your personal salvation and spiritual growth.

Conclusion - The Bible is the truth of God for the nations It is no surprise that the devil and evil men hate the Bible and have done and are doing everything to destroy God’s word. The great strategy of satan is to discredit the Bible, in the Garden of Eden his attack was to question the word of the Lord. Even when he tempted Jesus, he twisted God’s promises. Satan has attacked the fundamental truths of the Bible: God and His eternal co-equal Son (all the heresies familiar to us: Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Deists, Humanists, all question the deity of Jesus Christ -thus undermining His Person and His work of salvation). The second target of attack is the truth of God as creator - the Genesis creation account is totally rejected for the theory of evolution. Undermine the truth of God as creator and the truth that Jesus is God and the only thing left to undermine is the personhood of men and women. Humans have come to a place where they are no longer sure about their own identity. The Bible nowhere seeks to argue the existence of God because God wrote the book and He has no doubts about Himself as God, the Bible is also clear that God created humankind in His own image, male and female.

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