Survey of the Old Testament Chapter 1 Approaching the Old Testament Self Revelation Objective is to know God better Experiencing his attributes Invitation to hear God s story The Plan: God with Us Stages of God s Presence Eden Covenant Exodus (Bush/Sinai) Tabernacle/Temple Incarnation (Immanuel means??) Incarnation (Immanuel means??) Pentecost New Creation 1
The Covenant Testament = Covenant Through covenant God reveals himself and obliges himself to a particular course of action Hesed God is the source of Old Testament The New Testament refers to the Old Testament as Godbreathed is vested in what the author intended We accept what it says as truth We need to respond 2Tim 3:16 (NIV) All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2Pet 1:19 (NIV) And we have the word of the prophets p made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2
Inspiration is the mysterious process by which the divine causality worked through the human prophets without destroying their individual personalities and styles to produce divinely authoritative and inerrant writings. Scripture is infallible and inerrant in the original autographs. Those who wrote were guided by the Holy Spirit 2Pet 1:21 (NIV) 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. Passive verb form of Greek phero: to be driven, moved, guided. Those who wrote were guided by the Holy Spirit 2Pet 1:21 (NIV) 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. Passive verb form of Greek phero: to be driven, moved, guided. Acts 27:15, 17 (NIV) The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. 17 When the men had hoisted it aboard, they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. Scripture is infallible and inerrant in the original autographs. Those who wrote were guided by the Holy Spirit God s Word was perfectly expressed through the words andpersonalities of the authors (not always literal dictation). Luke 1:3 (NIV) Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 2Pet 1:21 (NIV) 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 3
Inspiration is Verbal : Every word, not just the big ideas. John 16:12 (NIV) I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. Matt 5:17 (NIV) "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Matt 24:35 (NIV) Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Inspiration is Plenary : All of the Bible is equally inspired. Hence: verbal, plenary inspiration of Bible. The Bible is to be taken in its plain or normal sense It speaks authoritatively (in history, science, etc.) Scripture is sufficient. i 2Tim 3:16 (NIV) All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. The Perspicuity of Scripture. Challenges to Inerrancy. Miracles (against Naturalistic Science) Apparent Contradictions. Other views place man above God as the judge of Scripture. Liberalism. Neo orthodoxy. Limited Inerrancy. 4
The Canon of the Bible Introduction to the Issue: What is the Bible? 66 books = 39 in OT, 27 in NT Which books belong? Apocryphal books of RCC? Definition of Canon Derived from Heb. qāneh, Greek kanōn: reed, measuring stick measuring standard for faith/practice list of authoritative books by which to measure all other things Tests for Canonicity Written by prophet or Spirit led person Written with application to all generations Written in accordance with prior revelation The Canon of the Bible Formation of Canon Bible attests to or make claims for itself God s people acknowledge its claims 1The 2:13 (NIV) And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. Synod / Council of Jamnia (AD 90): Did it officially close the canon? Scholars admit that it did not; a canon was already in existence at the time. The Canon of the Bible Order of OT Books Hebrew Order: 3 Parts Law Prophets Writings English Order: 4 or 5 Parts Four fold division : (1) Law, (2) History, (3) Poetry/Wisdom, and (4) Prophets Five fold division : (1) Law, (2) History, (3) Poetry/Wisdom, (4) Major Prophets, and (5) Minor Prophets [see list in EOT, 23] Content: Identical! [see EOT, p. 23] 5
Texual Transmission: How we got the Bible Scribal Care for the Old Testament Transmission of important texts by manuscript in the ancient world: the scribe Masoretes (AD 500 1000): preserved OT text. Masora? System for writing vowels in a consonantal text System of accentuation (pronounce words, group phrases together) System of detailed notes on the text of Scripture Heb. word for scribe = counter Counted everything! Knew middle letters and words of books. Purpose: accurate preservation of God s word. Texual Transmission: How we got the Bible Transmission in Original Languages Original languages of the OT: mainly Hebrew and few places Aramaic; in Semitic family (includes Akkadian from Assyrians and Babylonians, Amorite, Phoenician, Ugaritic, Ammonite, Moabite, Arabic) Masoretic Text (MT): preserved by Masoretes, dates to around AD 1000, textual tradition may date to 1 st Century BC; generally reliable text; used by Jews and Christians Samaritan Pentateuch Just first 5 books of Moses Originated with Samaritans: half Jews (due to intermarriage between Jews and foreigners after 722 BC). Oldest mss date to around AD 1100, but the tradition preserved may date to 200 100 BC. Samaritan slant is evident in some differences with the MT Samaritan Pentateuch Dead Sea Scrolls 6
Texual Transmission: How we got the Bible Transmission in Original Languages Masoretic Text (MT): Samaritan Pentateuch Dead Sea Scrolls First scrolls discovered by shepherd boy on 1947 Qumran area on the Dead Sea; multiple caves with scrolls Some of the scrolls date as early as to 200 100 BC. Contain portions of every OT book Did not overturn reliability of the MT, but did demonstrate that several textual families of the OT were used in Palestine. Texual Transmission: How we got the Bible Transmission in Other Languages Septuagint/Old Greek (LXX): Translation of Hebrew into Greek language 300 200 BC in Alexandria, Egypt (see map) Tradition (acc. to The Letter of Aristeas): 72 translators (adapted to 70) of the Pentateuch agreed Degree of literalness as translation of Hebrew uneven Targums Aramaic paraphrases of Hebrew Bible Date to early Christian era (some may preserve earlier trad) Transitional time: Hebrew less commonly spoken, Aramaic more Some places literal; usually very expansive; not reliable witness to the Hebrew text 7
How to Read the Old Testament Facts People, places, dates, and events Real key is an understanding of God and his plan, plotline How to Study the Old Testament Aspects of Bible Interpretation Let the Bible speak for itself Recognize presuppositions Evaluate validity of presuppositions Subordinate presuppositions to Scripture Procedures of Interpretation Determine genre Discover information about intended audience and circumstances of writing Identify authors purpose Application of the Old Testament What can I learn from what from what the text is teaching? Application tied to interpretation 8