How We Got The Bible

1111

Romans 10:17“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” NKJV

Introduction

• What is faith?

• Let’s look at the biblical definition of faith

2

• Hebrews 11:1

• “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

DO CHRISTIANS BELIEVE USING

BLIND FAITH?

DO CHRISTIANS BELIEVE USING

BLIND FAITH?

“…And if the blind leads the blind, both will “…And if the blind leads the blind, both will “…And if the blind leads the blind, both will “…And if the blind leads the blind, both will

fall into a ditch.”Matthew 15:14fall into a ditch.”Matthew 15:14fall into a ditch.”Matthew 15:14fall into a ditch.”Matthew 15:14

5

Introduction6

• There are no original copies of

the books of the Bible in

existence todayexistence today

• How do we know that what we

have is accurate?

Introduction7

• “The story of how we got our

English bible demonstrates the

power and providence of God.” power and providence of God.”

Transmission

• There is a chain of transmission

from God to man

• The chain that connects man to

8

• The chain that connects man to

God is his word!

9God

What

Bible

about

the links

in the middle?

Transmission

• 1. First link is God

• 2 Tim. 3:16-17

10

2 Tim. 3:16-17

• All scripture is given by inspiration

of God, and is profitable for

doctrine, for reproof, for correction,

11

doctrine, for reproof, for correction,

for instruction in righteousness:

That the man of God may be

perfect, throughly furnished unto all

good works.

Transmission

• 2. Second link is Jesus, the Son

of God

• Heb. 1:1-2

12

• Heb. 1:1-2

Heb. 1:1-2

• God, who at sundry times and in

divers manners spake in time past

unto the fathers by the prophets,

13

unto the fathers by the prophets,

Hath in these last days spoken unto

us by his Son, whom he hath

appointed heir of all things, by

whom also he made the worlds;

Transmission

• 3. The third link in the chain is

the Holy Spirit

• Jn. 14:26

14

• Jn. 14:26

Jn. 14:26

• But the Comforter, which is the

Holy Ghost, whom the Father

will send in my name, he shall

15

will send in my name, he shall

teach you all things, and bring all

things to your remembrance,

whatsoever I have said unto you.

Transmission

• 4. The Holy Spirit revealed the

Word to inspired men, the

fourth link

16

fourth link

2 Pet. 1:20-21

• Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old

17

the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Transmission

• 5. These men delivered God’s

message through preaching and

writing – and these original

18

writing – and these original

writings became the fifth link

1 Cor. 14:37

• If any man think himself to be a

prophet, or spiritual, let him

acknowledge that the things

19

acknowledge that the things

that I write unto you are the

commandments of the Lord.

Col. 4:16

• And when this epistle is read

among you, cause that it be read

also in the church of the

20

also in the church of the

Laodiceans; and that ye likewise

read the epistle from Laodicea.

Transmission

• 6. Copying of the original letters

became the next link

• This led to a series of other links

21

• This led to a series of other links

like early translations, the

printing press, collection of

manuscripts etc.

Transmission

• Each of these helped complete

the chain that connects our

modern English Bible to heaven

22

modern English Bible to heaven

Books

• God chose to preserve His Word

in a book (scroll form and codex

or book form)

23

or book form)

• God did speak to the fathers and

prophets directly

Books

• When it came to completing the

revelation and preserving it for

all time – God chose to put it in

24

all time – God chose to put it in

a book

Ex. 17:14

• And the LORD said unto Moses,

Write this for a memorial in a

book, and rehearse it in the ears

25

book, and rehearse it in the ears

of Joshua: for I will utterly put

out the remembrance of Amalek

from under heaven.

Hab. 2:2

• And the LORD answered me,

and said, Write the vision, and

make it plain upon tables, that

26

make it plain upon tables, that

he may run that readeth it.

Books

• Books are:

• Durable

• Easily passed around

27

• Easily passed around

• Dependable

• We can look up what is written

Acts 17:11

• These were more noble than

those in Thessalonica, in that

they received the word with all

28

they received the word with all

readiness of mind, and searched

the scriptures daily, whether

those things were so.

Manuscripts

• Manuscripts were hand written

copies

• Before Gutenberg invented the

29

• Before Gutenberg invented the

moveable type press in the

1400’s, all copies of a document

were done by a scribe’s hand

• “The New Testament was written

between approximately A.D. 35 and

A.D. 100. Among the books in the

New Testament are letters that

were sent to congregations of the

Lord’s church from the apostle Paul.

30

Lord’s church from the apostle Paul.

Those letters were priceless to

those who received them. Because

of that, copies sometimes were

made.

• Unlike the scribes who copied the Old Testament, people who copied the New Testament books did not see the need to bury or burn old, worn-out copies of the Scriptures. As a

31

copies of the Scriptures. As a result, we still possess literally thousands of manuscripts of the New Testament” Kyle Butt

Deut. 17:18

• And it shall be, when he sitteth

upon the throne of his kingdom,

that he shall write him a copy of

32

that he shall write him a copy of

this law in a book out of that

which is before the priests the

Levites

Col. 4:16

• And when this epistle is read

among you, cause that it be read

also in the church of the

33

also in the church of the

Laodiceans; and that ye likewise

read the epistle from Laodicea.

Mt. 2:4

• And when he had gathered all

the chief priests and scribes of

the people together, he

34

the people together, he

demanded of them where Christ

should be born.

The N.T. & Other Ancient BooksTitle of Book Date

Written

Date of

Earliest

Manuscript

Number of

Manuscripts

Iliad 700 B.C. unknown 643

35

Josephus’

Jewish

Wars

A.D. 70 A.D. 400 9

New

Testament

A.D. 35-

100

A.D. 125 5735

Manuscripts

• “More than 5,300 Greek

manuscripts (in part or whole) of

the NT are available to scholars

36

the NT are available to scholars

today. Some of these go back to

the very shadows of the first

century.” Wayne Jackson

Early Christian Writings

• Christians of the early 2nd

century and beyond produced a

large number or written works

37

large number or written works

• Commentaries, sermon books,

harmonies of the Gospels etc.

Early Christian Writings

• They were not inspired but they

often quoted lengthy portions of

Scripture. Their writings provide

38

Scripture. Their writings provide

another witness to the inspired

text

Translations

• Older translations of the Bible

help identify the early text of the

Bible

39

Bible

• Besides manuscripts of the Bible

we also have manuscripts of

early translations of the Bible

Translations

• “Translations are versions of the

Greek NT rendered into other

languages. There are more than

40

languages. There are more than

10,000 copies of the NT in

various languages…” Wayne

Jackson

Conclusion

• Acts 14:17

• Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from

41

good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

Conclusion

• “Here (The Word of God) God

revealed His mind, His Son, and

Himself. In the pages of the

42

Himself. In the pages of the

Bible we find the means by

which we can know Him ---

Obedience”

References

• From God’s Mind To Man – The Bible,

Wayne Jackson

(http://www.christiancourier.com/)

43

• How We Got The Bible, Sam Dilbeck,

Southwest Lectures, 2011

(http://swcofc.org/lectureship/)

Further Proofs of the Accuacy of God’s Word

• Archeology

• Ancient Writers

44