Apologetics Unit 3 Test Study Guide

Internal Evidence

Evidence contained within the pages of the bible

External Evidence

Evidence outside the bible

Revelation

The disclosure of truth from God to mankind that man could not otherwise know

General Revelation

God makes Himself known through nature, conscience, and providence

Special Revelation

God makes Himself and His redemptive work through Jesus Christ known to His people

What is the nature of God's Self-Revelation

- Speaks with his final authority

- Speaks from an eternal and transcendent perspective

How does Scripture justify knowledge?

Because God has complete and perfect knowledge, true knowledge is possible for man. He reveals truth to humanity through His Word and His creation.

How does Scripture justify man's personal significance?

We are image-bearers of God, created to reflect His character and represent Him in the world

Are the Dead Sea Scrolls internal or external evidence?

External

What are some common themes that run throughout each book of the OT? (Only need to know 4)

- God desires to bless his people

- God is full of mercy and grace

- God detests sin

- Sins must be atoned for

- God demands obedience from his people

- God uses those who aren't necessarily qualified

How does Jesus affirm the authority of the OT?

- Jesus submitted to the Word of God

- Considered the OT to be completely reliable

- Understood His own life and mission as a fulfillment of the OT Scripture

- Claims the OT scriptures testifies about Him and is the authoritative word of God

What were the ways that historical events (creation, flood, tower of Babel, etc.) were handed down from generation to generation prior to being written down by Moses?

Songs, narratives, and poetry with great detail and accuracy

What three aspects of the Holy Spirit's work in overseeing the apostles in described in John 14 and 16?

- He will bring to remembrance all that I have said to you

- He will declare to you the things that are to come

- He will guide you into all truth

What materials were the first copies of the OT written on?

Papyrus, parchment, animal skins (leather), clay, and metal

What are three characteristics for Biblical inspiration? (Requirements for a book to be included as NT Scripture)

- Apostolicity: Written by an Apostle or an associate of an apostle

- Universality: Used in public worship for centuries

- Veracity: Orthodoxy of content / consistency of truth

What were the qualifications to be an apostle?

- Saw the resurrected Jesus

- Was specifically chosen by Jesus or the Holy Spirit for a specific ministry

- Was given miraculous powers by the Holy Spirit

What is the number of years over which the Bible was written?

1500 years

What is the number of authors that wrote the Bible?

40

What is the number of books in the OT?; NT?; Whole Bible?

39; 27; 66

Name the three languages that the bible was written in and the parts of the bible that each language was used

- Hebrew (OT)

- Aramaic (Daniel 2-6, Ezra 4-7)

- Greek (NT)

Summarize the overarching story of the Bible

God redeems a people out of fallen humanity for Himself through the person and work of Jesus Christ to the glory of His own Name

OR

Creation, Fall, Redemption, Glory

What is the significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls to the reliability of the OT?

The scrolls pushed the date of the earliest manuscripts of the OT back 1200 years to 200 BC, with 95% of the old scrolls matching the modern-day text, with almost all differences being only minor textual variants, and all others being openly acknowledged in biblical copies and not impacting theology. This showed that the OT has been carefully and accurately preserved, validates the faithfulness of Jewish scribes, supports the historical reliability of scripture, and shows that God has preserved His word through time (just as the bible says he would)

What is the significance of the manuscript evidence to the reliability of the NT?

The reliability of manuscripts is broken into two factors: the number of manuscripts and the time gap between events and the first recovered manuscripts. The NT, with over 20000 copies found and the earliest full manuscript found being copied less than 300 years from the original text, far outweighs in both manuscript number and time gap many ancient texts which are accepted as fact.