Bible and Gospel Final - Dr. Couser

What is the big three of bibliology

- Revelation

- Inspiration

- Inerrancy

The doctrine of revelation

answers the question, What is the Bible?

The doctrine of inspiration

answers the question, how was special propositional revelation produced?

The doctrine of inerrancy

answers the question, What is the nature of the bible in view of its being revelation and having come about by inspiration?

Major topics in Bibliology

- What is the Bible?

- How was the Bible produced?

- What is the nature of the Bible?

Additional topics in Bibliology

- What is the extent of the Bible?

- What was the text produced by the authors of the Bible?

- How do I respond to different English translations?

The importance of Bibliology

- It is an issue of authority

- It determines how we interpret Scripture

- A contemporary challenge to Biblical authority

Definition of Revelation

Is God's disclosure of knowledge to humanity

God's disclosure includes

- Knowledge of Himself

- Knowledge of His world

- Knowledge of humanity

- Knowledge of His plan and will for Humanity

General Revelation

- What creation reveals about God

- Given to ALL people in ALL places at ALL times

- Non-propositional

Key verses for general revelation

- Psalm 19:1-6

- Romans 1:18-21

- Romans 2:14-15

- Hebrews 1:1-3

General, or natural Revelation may be divided into what two categories?

(1) Internal, the innate sense of deity and conscience

(2) External, nature and providential history

Definition of Special Revelation

is the disclosure of knowledge of God and His redemptive plan through his special activity in human history

Special Revelation

- Occurs at God's initiative

- Given to a particular people at particular times (read psalm 147:19-20)

- Focus on what we could never know

Two forms of Special Revelation

Scripture and Incarnation

Special Revelation in Scripture

God's disclosure of himself and his redemptive purposes through prophetic and apostolic spokesmen in human words

Special Revelation in Incarnation

the disclosure of God and his redemptive plan through the words, work and person of Jesus Christ in his life and ministry in history

- Both propositional and non-propositional

Why is special revelation necessary?

- Human depravity

- Human estrangement from God

Definition of inerrancy

- the bible is entirely without error

- defines the character of the bible

- is a consequence of the Bible being revelation and produced by inspiration

Definition of Inspiration

The process by which God provided an error-free record of some revelation.

II Timothy 3:16-17 describes the ________ of in inspiration (fill in the blank)

product

II Peter 1:20-21 describes the _________ of inspiration (fill in the blank)

extent

Plenary Inspiration:

- extends to every part

- (the NT regards the entire OT as scripture)

Verbal Inspiration:

- The words

- the result of inspiration is the author's words and God's words are the same words

Extra thoughts on Inspiration

- God is the ultimate source of the scriptures by virtue of their being God-breathed.

- All of the scriptures find their origin with God.3.God initiated the process of inspiration.

- The Holy Spirit influenced the authors of scripture while preserving their individual styles.

- The influence of the Holy Spirit extends to the details of the text.

What the scriptures say, ____says

God

Definition of textual criticism

the study of the copies of a written document of which the original autograph is lost for the purpose of determining the original text

The ________ is the original inscribed document (fill in the blank)

autograph

The copies are _______ (fill in the blank)

manuscripts

A lost original document ______ ______ mean the original text is lost (fill in the blank)

does not

deals with (fill in the blank)

textual criticism ____________ varient readings

What is the problem original texts?

We have no original texts and there are variations in the copies

We over _____ish manuscripts for the NT making the NT the best attested ancient document in existence (fill in the blank)

1500

Of all the variants in reading, what is the percentage of variants are insignificant matters and what do they include

95% of variants are insignificant matters of word order, spelling, or synonymous words

Percentage of variants that significantly change the texts?

1%

No ________ or _______ is effected by any variant (fill in the blank)

teaching or doctrine

Unintentionally: Common transcription mistakes include...

- Repetition

- Omission of the passage

- Omission of a line

- Confusion of letters

- Marginal notes

Intentional: Copyists would sometimes

- Correct (errors)

- Clarify difficult readings

- Harmonize with another passage

- Conflation

manuscripts are dated by the

- material that they were written on (i.e. papyrus, vellum, paper)

- Also what type of writing instrument was used (reed, quill, pen)

Three families of manuscripts

- Alexandrian text

- Western Text

- Byzantine Text

Alexandrian Text

- type of text which probably originated from Egypt

Western Text

- Type of text which probably originated around Rome and North Africa

Byzantine Text

Type of text which probably originated around Syrian Antioch and Asia Minor

Which family of manuscript should have priority in deciding between variant readings?

None of the families should have absolute priority

What family of texts would be preferred?

- Earlier rather than later

- Widest geographic area

- the more difficult

- which explains the others

- which conforms to the know style snd vocabulary of the author

Thoughts about Textual Criticism

- We should praise God for the preservation of his word.

- We should have confidence in the words of God that we have.

- No translation is inspired in an unqualified sense. Each translation involves decisions regarding text and interpretation.

- All of the translations used by Evangelicals adequately convey the truth.

- Textual Criticism is motivated by a desire to know and live God's truth.

Types of Translation

- Literal

- Dynamic Equivalence

- Paraphase

literal translation

- Attempts to follow the original text in word order and meaning of individual words. Translation is sometimes stuff, and at times harder to follow

- the King James Version (KJV) is a good example of this type of translation

Dynamic Equivalence Translation

- Translates phrases and ideas rather than just individual words. Translation flows more naturally and is easier to read.

- NASV, NIV, and NLT are good examples of this type of translation

Paraphrase Translation

- Author freely introduces his interpretations and writes to communicate his understanding of the intent of the text

- Ex. The Message Translation

Thoughts on Translation

- Different translation of the NT have more to do with the audience they are for and the philosophy of translation used than the slight differences in Greek texts behind them. Translations differ because they are done with different purposes in mind

- Of the translations used by Evangelicals (NIV; ESV; CSB; NKJV; KJV), all get the essential truths across

Guidelines for Translation

- Chose one for regular use---study and memorization (NIV; ESV; NET; NLT)

- Use a more literal translation for detailed bible Study (NASB; NIV; ESV; NET)

- Compare translations in your Bible study

- Illustrate with the free translations and paraphrases (e.g. The Message). after determining the meaning with a more literal translation

Definition of Canonicity

- is the recognition of the Bible as God's inspired and authoritative revelation to humanity.

- is the identification of inspiration by God's people.