BNEW Review
📖 Canons of the Bible
Canon – The official collection of books recognized by a religious community as sacred Scripture.
TaNaK – Acronym for the Hebrew Bible: Torah (Law), Nevi’im (Prophets), Ketuvim (Writings).
Septuagint (LXX) – Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (3rd–2nd c. BC); includes some books not in the Hebrew Bible.
Deuterocanonical/Apocryphal – Books included in the Catholic/Orthodox Old Testament (e.g., Tobit, Maccabees) but not in the Jewish or Protestant canon.
Canon of Athanasius – The 39th Festal Letter (367 AD) by Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, lists the 27 New Testament books we still use today — the first time they appear together in that exact form.
📜 Textual Criticism and Translations
Masoretic Text (MT) – The authoritative Hebrew text of the Jewish Bible, standardized by Jewish scribes (Masoretes) around the 7th–10th centuries AD.
Dead Sea Scrolls – Ancient manuscripts (3rd c. BC – 1st c. AD) found near Qumran; include biblical texts that confirm and sometimes vary from the MT.
Textual Criticism – The scholarly discipline of comparing ancient manuscripts to reconstruct the most accurate text of the Bible.
General principle: earlier and more widely attested manuscripts are generally closer to the original.
Languages of the Bible –
Old Testament (OT): Hebrew (mostly), some Aramaic.
New Testament (NT): Greek (Koine).
🎨 Reading as Artists
Reading Gospels “vertically” – Reading each Gospel on its own terms, as a self-contained story.
Reading Gospels “horizontally” – Comparing across the Gospels (e.g., looking at parallels and differences in the Synoptics).
Ancient biography (Plutarch) – Aim was not to give exhaustive life details but to capture a person’s character and moral example.
The Gospels as portraits – They are theological, narrative “portraits” of Jesus, based on memory and testimony, but they are not the person himself.
🏛 Reading as Historians
Roman Empire as NT context –
Political unity and Roman law
Pax Romana (relative peace)
Roman roads/trade (facilitated spread of Gospel)
Imperial cult (emperor worship) as religious-political backdrop
Jewish independence dynasty in Hellenistic Period – The Hasmonean dynasty (from the Maccabean revolt, 2nd c. BC).
✝ Reading as Theologians
Creed – A short, formal statement of Christian belief.
Nicene Creed (significance) – Formulated at Council of Nicaea (325 AD); affirmed Jesus’ full divinity and equality with the Father, central for Trinitarian orthodoxy.
The Trinity – God’s equality, diversity, unity in Father, Son, Spirit.
Errors about God:
Polytheism → denies unity (too many gods).
Modalism → denies diversity (God only appears in different “modes”).
Arianism → denies equality (Son is less than the Father).
⛪ Reading as Pastors
Pastor – A shepherd of God’s people; leads, teaches, cares, and guides spiritually.
William Willimon’s image – Pastor as a poet of the ordinary (helping people see God at work in everyday life).
Lectio Divina – An ancient Christian practice of prayerful Scripture reading in four steps: lectio (read), meditatio (reflect), oratio (pray), contemplatio (rest in God).
Heather Holleman’s 6 dimensions of being human –
Loved
Called
Created
Fallen
Redeemed
Gifted
Canons of the Bible
Q: What is a canon?
A: The collection of writings recognized as authoritative Scripture.
Q: What does TaNaK stand for?
A: Torah, Nevi’im, Ketuvim.
Q: What is the Septuagint (LXX)?
A: The Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible.
Q: What does Deuterocanonical/Apocryphal mean?
A: Books included in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles but not in Jewish or Protestant canons.
Q: What is the Canon of Athanasius?
A: The first list (367 AD) that matches our 27 New Testament books.
📜 Textual Criticism and Translations
Q: What is the Masoretic Text (MT)?
A: The authoritative Hebrew text of the Old Testament.
Q: What are the Dead Sea Scrolls?
A: Ancient manuscripts that include some of the oldest biblical texts.
Q: What is textual criticism?
A: The study of manuscripts to determine the most accurate wording of the biblical text.
Q: The NT and OT are written in what languages?
A: Old Testament → Hebrew and some Aramaic.
New Testament → Greek.
🎨 Reading as Artists
Q: What does it mean to read the Gospels vertically?
A: To read each Gospel on its own terms.
Q: What does it mean to read the Gospels horizontally?
A: To compare across Gospels, noticing similarities and differences.
Q: What was the purpose of ancient biography (according to Plutarch)?
A: To show the character and moral example of a person, not just facts.
Q: The Gospels are portraits/memories of Jesus, but they are not what?
A: They are not Jesus himself.
🏛 Reading as Historians
Q: What is the name of the dynasty that won political independence for the Jewish people during the so-called Hellenistic Period?
A: The Hasmonean dynasty.
Q: What is meant by “The Roman Empire as a Context for the New Testament”?
A: The NT was written in a world shaped by Pax Romana, Roman law, trade networks, and emperor worship.
✝ Reading as Theologians
Q: What is a creed?
A: A formal statement of Christian belief.
Q: What is the significance of the Nicene Creed?
A: It affirmed Jesus’ full divinity and equality with the Father.
Q: The Trinity emphasizes what three things about God?
A: Equality, diversity, and unity.
Q: Polytheism neglects what about God?
A: His unity.
Q: Modalism neglects what about God?
A: His diversity.
Q: Arianism neglects what about God?
A: His equality.
⛪ Reading as Pastors
Q: What is a pastor?
A: A shepherd of God’s people.
Q: What image does William Willimon use to describe the role of a pastor?
A: A poet of the ordinary.
Q: What is Lectio Divina?
A: A prayerful reading of Scripture (read, reflect, pray, rest).
Q: What are the 6 dimensions of what it means to be human according to Heather Holleman?
A: Loved, Called, Created, Fallen, Redeemed, Gifted.