Biblical Foundations Study
When it comes to learning about the nature of God, the history of creation, the fall of mankind, determining truth and error, right and wrong, understanding the devil and demonic forces, the kingdom of God, understanding our great salvation, and how we are to follow Jesus (our Lord and Savior), we, as Christians, have one collection of 66 books known as the Bible that we use for our authority. This collection of books is broken into 2 major sections: The Old Testament (or Covenant) and The New Testament (or Covenant). The Old Testament includes 39 books from the history of creation to the point of prophetic biblical history in the late 5th century B.C. The New Testament includes 27 books covering the history of the late 1st Century B.C. until the late 1st Century A.D. and is completely centered around the story and fulfillment of the long-awaited, promised messiah, Jesus.
The books of the Bible were originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek. Almost all of the Old Testament was written in Hebrew, with a few sections that were written in Aramaic (a large portion of the book of Daniel, multiple chapters of Ezra, and a few verses in Genesis, Jeremiah, and Proverbs). The New Testament was originally written in Koine Greek (the common Greek language of the 1st Century A.D.). With this in mind, we must understand that this can present challenges when translating into the English language. So, choosing an English Bible translation is an important task, and we recommend reading from multiple translations, since we can’t be truly certain which translation is the most accurate. We’ll later cover examples of English translations that we recommend.
Though the Bible has one inspiration (that of the Holy Spirit), it has many authors who were guided by the Holy Spirit. We must recognize that the authors were not receiving word-for-word dictation from the Holy Spirit (except in some cases where God is specifically speaking), but inspiration from the Holy Spirit, which allows the authors to use their style of writing and grammar. This type of inspiration is in contrast to that of the claims of Islam, where Mohammed was reported to receive direct revelation from the angel Gabriel, who dictated the words of the Quran to him over the course of 2 decades. It also contrasts with Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, who is reported to have put a seer stone in his hat, placed his head in the hat, and dictated the words of the Book of Mormon to scribes.
The Old Testament, which both Orthodox Jews and Christians recognize as scripture, is comprised of 39 books in a variety of genres (historical writing, law writing, poetry & wisdom writing, and prophetic writing). There are many authors of the content, such as Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, Ezra, Nehemiah, many prophets, and others. As you read scripture, it is very important to understand the genre that you are reading so that you can better understand the context. We should note that the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox church include books from what we call the Apocrypha (which they call deuterocanonical, 2nd canon, books) among their Old Testament scriptures. Those books (e.g., the books of the Maccabees, the books of Enoch, Sirach, the Wisdom of Solomon, Additional Esther, etc.) are often of pseudo-authorship (the writing is attributed to a specific author, such as Enoch, Solomon, or Mordecai, but written centuries after the time of the author named). This was a common practice of that time, but it is one of the primary reasons why Protestants and Orthodox Jews don’t view the Apocryphal writings as scripture.
It is important to recognize that neither the Old nor the New Testaments are written in chronological order (though some books and sections of books include chronological history). For example, Esther is one of the latest writings of the Old Testament, estimated to have covered a historical time between 483-473 B.C. The very next book is Job, which is estimated to have occurred somewhere around 2100 – 1800 B.C. In addition, when it comes to the prophetic books such as Isaiah or Jeremiah, you’ll find chapters that touch on happenings that occurred before content that was already recorded. Even material in the historical books themselves can jump to a prior period in a later chapter. The epistles and letters are also not arranged in chronological order. For example, Philemon is the last of Paul’s letters listed in the New Testament, but 2 Timothy is widely known by scholars to be Paul’s last in chronology (shortly before his execution), but is listed before Philemon in the New Testament.
The New Testament’s books include the genres of historical writing (the four gospels and the book of Acts), epistles (letters to churches or a group of people), individual letters, and prophetic writing. The book of Revelation is uniquely an epistle as well as a prophetic writing, also understood to be in the genre of apocalyptic (note that the second half of Daniel and small portions of Ezekiel in the Old Testament, as well as books from the Apocrypha, such as 2nd Esther, 4 Ezra, Enoch, and the Book of Baruch include writings from the apocalyptic genre). Apocalyptic language uses symbolic writings to proclaim physical realities, and much of the text in that genre should not be interpreted literally.
The determination of biblical books that were to be included in the New Testament includes material that was written by the first-century apostles of Jesus Christ (such as Matthew, John, Peter, and Paul), as well as some who directly worked with the apostles (such as Luke and Mark). Jesus’ half-brothers James (a leader in the Jerusalem church and not to be confused with one of the 12 disciples who was the brother of John) and Jude are also among the authors of the content of the New Testament, who were closely connected to the apostles. There is one epistle in the New Testament, called Hebrews, that is of unknown authorship (scholars continue to debate as to whether Apollos, Barnabas, Luke, or some other author may be likely).
Skeptics and liberal scholars will often indicate that multiple centuries after the time of Jesus, Christian leadership deliberately excluded books that should have been included, such as the Gnostic material (Gospel of Judas, Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Philip, Gospel of Mary, Apocalypse of Peter, etc.), because the content didn’t align with their perspective. This is simply not true. When studying the early church fathers (such as Irenaeus and others), it has been confirmed that those writings were of pseudo-authorship (written after the death of the authors they claimed to have penned them). In addition, the early church fathers regularly quoted from the New Testament as scripture before it was “officially” canonized in the early 4th century. The books that were debated the most and finally included in the official canon of the New Testament were Revelation, 2 Peter, and Jude. Interestingly enough, 2 Peter and Jude have a lot of similar content.
Skeptics and liberal scholarship also often reject the apostles as authors of some or much of the New Testament. They will note the obvious stylistic differences in the writing of the various Epistles of Paul and the difference in style and skill of the Greek writings attributed to the Apostle John. What liberal scholars quickly forget or are unaware of is that some authors of the New Testament used amanuenses (those who would take dictation and write the epistle or letter in their own style) to write their material. This is easily verified when looking at Paul’s letter to the Romans, which is credited to Tertius as the writer (Romans 16:22). So Paul likely used other amanuenses (perhaps, even Luke for some of the material) to write his letters, as well as writing some himself.
When considering the Greek style of John’s Gospel and the book of Revelation (to which he is also credited), we must understand that it is extremely likely that he, due to exile, was forced to write Revelation himself with poor Greek grammar, since he was not well-educated like Paul. But when John had his gospel and 3 epistles written, it is extremely likely that he used an amanuensis in each case. We know from the reading of the scriptures that John, James, Peter, and Andrew were not educated like some other apostles, such as Matthew (a tax collector) or Paul, an educated Pharisee. Though they likely knew oral Greek, they were not well-educated when it came to Greek writing. This helps us understand why they would have the need for an amanuensis. When considering the content (phrases, ideas, and even specific Koine Greek words), and not the skill and grammar, any educated reader can recognize significant similarities in what’s included in John, 1, 2, & 3 John, and Revelation.
All of this is important information, but it begs the question. Why do we consider this material scripture? In other words, why do we consider it to be the inspired words of the living God? As we go through this first section, we’ll take a deeper look at why we, as Christians, recognize the 66 books of the Bible as the word of God for understanding our faith, our Lord, and our call to obedience.
Understanding literary genres and which books are tied to which genre:
As previously noted, it is important, when reading scripture, to recognize the genre in which you are reading so that the content can be best understood in its literary context. The historical and cultural context also greatly aids our understanding as we read scripture. So, let’s look at the various genres of both the Old and New Testaments.
Historical writing genre: When reading this genre, it is important to recognize that although this conveys biblical history, it is not necessarily condoning or condemning the activities included in the writing. We must take into consideration that it is recording the actions and thoughts of those involved, but that God doesn’t approve of every action or thought that is recorded. This genre is to be understood primarily in a literal manner, but can include poetic and prophetic language that is better understood symbolically.
Books that entirely or partially include the historical writing genre:
Old Testament: Genesis, portions of Exodus, small portions of Leviticus, large portions of Numbers, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Nehemiah, Ezra, Esther, portions of Job, and some portions of the major and minor prophets.
New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts.
Law writing genre: When reading this genre, it is important to recognize that this was part of the Covenant (the Sinaitic Covenant) that God made with the nation of Israel while exiting and after they exited slavery in Egypt. This genre is mostly to be understood literally and conveys how both priests and the general people under the Sinaitic Covenant (Mount Sinai) are to act in community and how to worship God.
Books that include the law writing genre:
Old Testament: Large portions of Exodus, most of Leviticus, portions of Numbers, and most of Deuteronomy. Though Genesis is included in what Hebrews would consider the “books of the law”, it is better understood in the historical writing genre. This law is often referred to as the Mosaic law (Moses being the one to deliver the law from God to the people). It’s important to note that the law was brought with blood (animal’s sacrificial blood), which is why we refer to the Old Covenant as a “Testament”. The law is also often referred to as the Torah (the Hebrew word for instructions).
New Testament: Sections of the New Testament refer to the law, mostly in how it is to be understood in the light of Jesus’ finished work. Jesus declared that he came to fulfill the law and the prophets. So, the animal sacrificial laws and the food laws are among what no longer apply due to the fulfillment of Jesus’ finished work. Jesus’ blood and death sealed the New Testament and Covenant that brought fulfillment to the Old. The Old Covenant was with national, ethnic Israel. And in order for one who was not an Israelite to become part of the Old Covenant, they needed to become a Jew (observing circumcision and all the other Jewish laws). The New Covenant considers all who follow Jesus to be of the “Seed of Abraham” (in Galatians 3, Paul indicates that those are true Israelites). As Paul said in Romans 2, one is not a Jew from the outward but the inward.
Poetry/ wisdom writing genre: When reading this genre, it is important to recognize the symbolic language that is often used and to understand the specific context that is in view in each passage. For example, when reading Ecclesiastes, which is part of this genre, we must recognize that it is written with a mind that is in despair as to the monotony and emptiness of much of life’s experiences. Or when reading the Psalms, you’ll find frequent hyperbolic (poetically exaggerative) and symbolic language, which is very common in poetry and wisdom literature. Of course, some of what is written in this genre can be understood literally, but the context helps best determine when to do so.
Books that include the poetry/ wisdom writing genre:
Old Testament: Large portions of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs/ Solomon, and Lamentations make up this genre. We must also note that some of this language is also found a little in the historical writings (e.g., Psalm writing found in 2 Samuel 22) and some of the prophetic writings (e.g., portions of the 3rd chapter of Habakkuk, the 2nd chapter of Jonah, and the 38th chapter of Isaiah).
New Testament: Though there are no sections of scripture in the New Testament that are classified as poetry/ wisdom writings, the New Testament quotes from the book of Psalms more than any other book of the Old Testament. Also, the book of James is often referred to as the book of Proverbs for the New Testament due to its many allusions to the wisdom writings.
Prophetic writing genre: This is a genre that has much material that is best understood symbolically. For example, when reading Isaiah 13 about how the Medes and Persians conquered Babylon, the scriptures indicate that all the stars (including the sun) will not show their light. If we were to take that literally, all life would stop existing everywhere. However, when understood symbolically, we reflect and realize that there was much fire (from the destruction) that produced smoke that, when you were in that specific region, you wouldn’t have been able to see the sun, moon, or stars. This genre includes the writings of specific prophecies (some that were soon to take place, while others were to take place much further in the future). Most are written in highly symbolic language, with some, such as Daniel and Revelation, being written in what has been defined as apocalyptic language. So, though there are sections in this genre that can be understood literally, we should tread carefully, considering each context, to determine when to do so.
Books that include the prophetic writing genre:
Old Testament: The Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel) and the Minor Prophets – so named for the length of content – (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Jonah, Obadiah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi).
New Testament: Though the New Testament includes many quotes from the Old Testament prophets, the only book that is in this genre is Revelation. Though Revelation doesn’t really include any direct quotes from the Old Testament prophets, it includes many allusions or references to them. Some scholars recognize hundreds of Old Testament allusions found in Revelation. Revelation can be understood to be both in the prophetic and the apocalyptic genres.
Apocalyptic writing genre (subgenre of prophetic): Though all prophetic writings use imagery, the apocalyptic style is one that often uses the most significant symbolism and imagery, bringing another element of mystery to this writing genre. For example, in one of the writings of the Apocrypha (which we don’t consider scripture, but serves as a solid example of this style), 2 Esther (or Additional Esther), writes of this worldwide war taking place in fantasy imagery (dragons fighting, every nation fighting), yet the interpretation is found to be that of the battle between Haman and Mordecai and the edict that resulted in the people of Persian’s kingdom fighting against the Jews and the Jews fighting against them. We should consider this rather than trying to interpret the apocalyptic genre literally.
Books that include the apocalyptic writing genre:
Old Testament: Daniel and a few portions of Ezekiel.
New Testament: Revelation.
Epistle writing genre: This genre should be read with the understanding that it was sent to a specific group of people (either a church location or a group of believers in a region), and was to be read aloud to the entire congregation or group. We are to recognize that the content, though relevant today, was written for specific purposes, during a specific time, to the church or group of people addressed. For example, in 1 Corinthians, part of Paul’s letter addresses the dissension that was brought to his attention, as well as the sexual immorality that some were revelling in (a mistaken way they had been expressing the freedom they had in Christ).
Books that include the epistle writing genre:
New Testament: Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians (to multiple churches in the region of Galatia), Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1 John, Jude, and Revelation. Possibly 2 John, if the “Chosen lady” or “Elect lady” is synonymous with the church of Jesus Christ.
Individual Letter writing genre: This genre should be read with the understanding that it was sent to a specific individual for specific reasons (similar to the reasons why the epistles were written). This helps us, when reading the letters, to understand that there were specific purposes in mind, and though they also have relevance today, we should read them in their proper context. For example, when Paul writes Philemon concerning his runaway slave, Onesimus, we should note that some of what is written is specifically to address the context of that situation.
Books that include the letter writing genre:
New Testament: Philemon, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, and 2 & 3 John (again, if 2 John’s “Chosen lady”/ “Elect lady” is referring to the church, then it would be best understood as an epistle).
How does fulfilled prophecy help us to put trust in the authority of scripture?
- As we read the New Testament, it becomes clear that Jesus brings fulfillment to so much of what is found in the Old Testament. Indeed, he makes this statement in the Gospel of Matthew:
Matthew 5:17 (NKJV) 17 Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
- So when we read the entire Bible, we must do so with the understanding that Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of the Old Testament. Though this class isn’t set up to deal with every prophetic fulfillment found in Christ, we would be amiss to not at least cover some of that material. For it is fulfilled scripture that sets the Bible apart from any other writing since the history of the world, and helps secure our trust and faith in God’s Holy Word.
- Consider these verses from Psalm 22:
Psalm 22:1, 7-8, 11-18 (ESV) 1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
7 All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; 8 “He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
12 Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; 13 they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; 15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. 16 For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet— 17 I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me; 18 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.
Now, look at excerpts from Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross:
Mark 15:34 (NIV) 34 And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
Mark 15:29-31 (NASB1995) 29 Those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying, “Ha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save Yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes, were mocking Him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself.
John 19:23-24 (NKJV) 23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. 24 They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: “They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.” Therefore the soldiers did these things.
Matthew 27:35 (HCSB) 35 After crucifying Him they divided His clothes by casting lots.
- What fulfillments do we find recorded in the gospels that are directly from Psalm 22?
- Now consider the prophecy in the book of Daniel (6th century B.C.) concerning various world kingdoms and ultimately a kingdom that would be supernatural in nature:
Daniel 2:31-45 (ESV) 31 “You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. 32 The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
36 “This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation. 37 You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, 38 and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are the head of gold. 39 Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. 40 And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these. 41 And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. 44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, 45 just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”
- When we consider the world’s history, it is easy for us to determine the kingdoms: The 1st kingdom is Babylon (of which Daniel was serving at the time). The 2nd kingdom is the Medo-Persian Empire. The 3rd kingdom is Greece, and the 4th kingdom is Rome. According to Daniel’s description of the vision, at what part of the body of this great image did the stone (not created by human hands) strike?
- How does this demonstrate that God is perfect in fulfilling revelation?
- Look at the following verses from scripture (the first being at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry and the second being in the middle of his ministry):
Matthew 4:17 (KJV) 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
- How does this help demonstrate that hundreds of years before Jesus’ ministry, God’s prophecy revealed through Daniel was 100% accurate?
- Now, consider another prophetic revelation from scripture during the 6th century B.C. and how it continues to be accurate today:
- For those who remember history, until the time of the 5th century B.C., how was Egypt viewed by the neighboring nations when considering their military might? How are they viewed now?
- Another simple test as to the Bible’s power and as to the ministry of Jesus Christ, ask yourself the following questions:
- What collection of writing has impacted the world more than any other?
- What person, in history, has impacted the world more than any other?
The answer to those 2 questions helps us understand the power of Jesus, His Kingdom, and the supernatural power of God’s word.
How does Jesus’ ministry help us identify the Old Testament as scripture?
- There is no one whose trust is better placed in than Jesus. So, as we consider His words, we can better understand why we can trust the holy scriptures:
Luke 4:3-12 (NIV) 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” 5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” 9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; 11 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” 12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
- In combating Satan, Jesus quoted from several passages in Deuteronomy. How does this give us clarity that we can trust this book in the Old Testament?
Matthew 21:42 (NKJV) 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD’S doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
- Jesus directly quotes Psalm 118 as being “in the scriptures”. How does this help us to understand that we can trust the Psalms and recognize them as God’s word?
Mark 12:18-27 (ESV) 18 And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying, 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no offspring. 21 And the second took her, and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. 22 And the seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman also died. 23 In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.” 24 Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.”
- The Sadducees, who don’t believe in resurrection, tried to trap Jesus. How did Jesus effectively answer their question and, in the process, demonstrate that the book of Exodus (which He confirmed was written by Moses) is scripture?
- Even in Jesus’ death, He was fulfilling scripture. Look at the following passages. The first was written over 700 years before Jesus was born, and the 2nd was written concerning how his dead body was handled:
- How do these passages help demonstrate the power of prophetic scripture?
Why should we understand the New Testament as scripture?
So, we’ve discovered that there are many reasons why we should understand the Old Testament as scripture. But what about the New Testament?
When we consider the New Testament, we know that the first 4 books (the gospels) are concerning the ministry, death, and resurrection of the promised Messiah (as well as the proclamation and the initial establishment of His kingdom). So, Jesus, being divine Himself, is a perfect reason for us to trust the gospels and the words of Jesus. But the majority of the New Testament includes the history, epistles, and letters that were written after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Can we trust them?
When reviewing the history of Jesus’ work, we find that He specifically anointed Apostles as those who were directly sent by Him with His authority. While we have authority from Jesus that is over the enemy and the authority to baptize and make disciples who follow Jesus, there was a higher layer of authority that those apostles had, and it is repeated throughout the scripture. Though the Apostles were men who were not perfect, they’d received inspiration from the Holy Spirit to instruct, build, and direct the church. In addition, they were given extraordinary power from the Holy Spirit to confirm their authority. Let’s look at various passages that help us understand that they were sent, specifically to lead, teach, and direct the church.
- First, what was the authority that Jesus gave to all his disciples, as well as the 11 apostles?
2 Corinthians 12:12 (NKJV) 12 Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds.
- What (in the Acts’ passage) indicates that the Apostles were leading this movement?
- In looking at these passages, what was indicated that helped to identify a true apostle of Jesus?
- Look at the passages below and see how Jesus also used the same type of evidence to confirm that He had the authority directly from God:
John 5:36 (NIV) 36 I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me.
John 10:37-38 (HCSB) 37 If I am not doing My Father’s works, don’t believe Me. 38 But if I am doing them and you don’t believe Me, believe the works. This way you will know and understand that the Father is in Me and I in the Father.”
- Now let’s look at Paul, who was also chosen as an apostle directly by Jesus:
Galatians 1:1-2 (ESV) 1 Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia:
2 Corinthians 12:12 (NKJV) 12 Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds.
- The churches in the Galatian region had been contacted by Judaizers who had tried to discredit Paul’s teaching and authority. How did Paul identify his apostleship?
- In 2 Corinthians, there were those in this congregation who also tried to discredit his authority. What did he point them to as proof of his apostleship?
1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NKJV) 13 For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.
- What does Paul indicate to the church in Thessalonica that also helps support the authority given to him by God?
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV) 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
- What does Paul instruct Timothy in this passage that ties to the entirety of God’s word?
- Consider Paul’s words to Timothy. How did he indicate that the New Testament Doctrine, when believed and followed, produces salvation?
- Let’s look at this important passage written by Peter that shows the authority of New Testament writings.
- What did Peter indicate people were doing with Paul’s writings?
- What did Peter write that elevates Paul’s writings to the rest of the scriptures?
- Finally, let’s look at how Peter indicated that prophecies in scripture were received:
2 Peter 1:19-21 (HCSB) 19 So we have the prophetic word strongly confirmed. You will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dismal place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 First of all, you should know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation, 21 because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
- We must understand the true inspiration of God’s word. Who did Peter indicate is the true inspiration of God’s prophetic word?
What Bible versions should I read?
2. Septuagint (Greek) Manuscripts
3. Byzantine (Greek) Manuscripts
4. Alexandrian (Greek) Manuscripts
The Masoretic Manuscripts were written 6 to 9 centuries (by Jewish Masorete scholars) after the time of Jesus’ ministry, and comprise the Old Testament. The Masoretes were not creating new texts but meticulously writing them from older manuscripts. There are thousands of Masoretic text manuscripts. The Septuagint (translated by Jewish priests from Hebrew to Greek) also includes the Old Testament and was written 100 to 300 years before the time of Jesus’ ministry. There are a little more than 2,000 manuscripts of the Septuagint. Almost all English translations pull primarily from the Masoretic texts for the Old Testament, with some passages from the Septuagint. Though when considering the quotes of the Old Testament (in the New Testament), about two-thirds come from the Septuagint (since that was the prominent Old Testament writings used in that century). These manuscripts did not include punctuation, which is another important reason to read multiple translations.
The Byzantine texts contain, by far, the largest number of manuscripts of the New Testament, numbering about 5,300, as well as about 24,000 fragments. These groups of manuscripts date as early as the 300s A.D. The Alexandrian texts are the oldest collection of New Testament manuscripts, dating as early as the 100s and 200s A.D., with a total of approximately 30 manuscripts. Not only do the New Testament manuscripts not include any punctuation, but also they also don’t include any spacing between words (hopefully, you’re beginning to see the importance of reading multiple translations). Chapters were first introduced in the 13th century A.D., and verses were introduced in the 16th century. The Geneva Bible was the first Bible to include both chapters and verses. With this said, the verses among Bibles are usually consistent in the Old Testament, but in the New Testament, the verses are based on the Byzantine manuscripts. This means that there will be some verses (over a dozen full verses and some partial verses) that are blank in Bibles based on the Alexandrian manuscripts.
So, this is helpful information to understand when choosing a Bible to read since they don’t all pull from the same groups of manuscripts, and we are uncertain as to which manuscripts are the most accurate (scholars continue to vigorously debate this topic). Thankfully, when it comes to the New Testament, there is 95% commonality between the Byzantine and the Alexandrian manuscripts, and the 5% of differences do not affect any major doctrines. Still, with the tools and technology available today, it is very helpful to have multiple English translations side by side on your smartphone, tablet, PC, or laptop to get a more thorough perspective (or get a side-by-side Bible translation in print). In addition, when we note that the manuscripts usually don’t contain punctuation or even spacing between words, it is important to look at how different translations render each passage of scripture (e.g., some may have statements or exclamations vs. a question from another translation).
With most English translations primarily including Masoretic texts for the Old Testament, it becomes important to look at different translations for the sake of the New Testament, as well as for the sake of the variety of ways the entire Bible has been translated. With that in mind, note that the Revised Geneva Translation (RGT) , New King James Version (NKJV), and the original King James Version (KJV) use the Byzantine collection of New Testament Manuscripts, while the English Standard Version (ESV), Legacy Standard Bible (LSB), Christian Standard Bible (CSB), New International Version (NIV), New American Standard Bible (NASB), New Living Translation (NLT), and most other modern translations use the Alexandrian manuscripts of the New Testament (with the LSB and the NASB including a few bracketed passages from the Byzantine texts).
Then there is the style in which the Bible is translated. For example, the 3 primary stylistic groups of translations include the following, or a combination of the following:
2. Thought-for-thought (Dynamic equivalence)
3. Paraphrase
The word-for-word translations will try to render the language as literally as possible to closely preserve the original writing (most often choosing specific English words to replace the Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic words). The thought-for-thought or dynamic equivalence versions will try to render the writing as close to what the author intended, often using phrases instead of just one word to convey the meaning of the passage. This can be helpful in cases when one word may not effectively convey the translation of a specific Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic word. Paraphrase translations are often used to help make the passage easier to understand, but can also lend themselves to being a Bible commentary more than a translation (e.g., telling the reader what they think the passage means rather than just allowing the passage to speak for itself).
The word-for-word translations (listed in their abbreviated form) that we recommend are as follows: ESV, LSB, NASB, and NKJV. When reading the LSB, NASB, or NKJV, they will italicize words that are not in the original language, helping you to better understand the most literal rendering of the text (though we should note that the NKJV also italicizes phrases in the New Testament when they are quoting from the Old Testament).
The thought-for-thought or dynamic equivalence translation that we recommend is the NIV. The versions that are between word-for-word and thought-for-thought translations that we recommend are the CSB or the HCSB. Though we don’t recommend paraphrase versions of the Bible because they can be too far from the original text, they can be helpful for those who struggle with reading or those who are younger. In that case, you might try the NLT or the NIrV (the NIrV is usually branded as a thought-for-thought translation, but due to how significantly they amend the text in simple language, it can be viewed as a paraphrase).
Remember, this is God’s word, and for us to better understand His character, His call in our lives, and the incredible grace, love, and truth demonstrated through the work of Jesus, it is important that we make reading His word of the utmost importance. When you encounter passages that are difficult to understand, feel free to write down your questions and email Chris Bender at c.bender@lwccr.com – or consider listening to a faithful Bible teacher such as Steve Gregg expound on the passage (check out thenarrowpath.com and the “Verse by Verse” section to look up teaching on any chapter of the Bible). It is also helpful to look at a variety of Bible Commentaries from faithful expositors of scripture, such as Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, and Barnes Notes. With that said, we must recognize that any Bible commentator, preacher, or teacher is not God and that they can be fallible in their interpretations.