The Learn to Read the Bible Effectively Seminar Week 4

Last Week Last week we looked at….  Study Tools - Part 1  Overview of the Books of the Bible - Part 3  Bible Terminology - Part 2  Using Cross References

Overview Overview Week 4  Critics of the Bible  The Purpose of God Revealed  Overview of the Books of the Bible - Part 4  Study Tools - Part 2  Versions of the Bible

Section 15 Critics of the Bible

Criticism  Bible written by primitive man  Compilation of crude facts, fiction, folklore The Facts  Archaeology  Geology  History

Critics of the Bible Criticism  Scientific progress disproves the Bible  Predictions could have be due to coincidence The Facts  Prophesy  Fair application of scientific methods and principles

Critics of the Bible Criticism  The original has become corrupted over the centuries The Facts  Bibliographical Test  Dead Sea Scrolls

Critics of the Bible Criticism  Different accounts of the same event The Facts  Harmony of facts  Consistent message  Different accounts give credibility  Proximity of events

Section 16 The Purpose of God Revealed

Why did God Create Man? Purpose revealed to Moses “But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.” (Numbers 14.21)

Why did God Create Man? Purpose revealed to Moses “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” (Revelation 4.11)

Why did God Create Man? Purpose revealed to Moses For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, But formed it to be inhabited), "I am the LORD, and there is none else…” (Isaiah 45:18)

Why did God Create Man? God created the earth to be inhabited Those inhabitants are created for the glory of God His purpose involves filling the earth with His glory.

What is God’s Glory? Read Exodus God’s glory is himself, his character God = Glory Glory Faithful Forgiving Slow to anger Loving CompassionateGracious

What is God’s Purpose? To fill the earth with his glory To fill the earth with his character HOW?  By filling it with men and women like Him  We will be in his image (echo….)

What is God’s Purpose? “He who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14.9) We will be given the family name in that day - Yahweh Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. (Revelation 3.12) of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. (Revelation 3.12)

Section 17 Overview of the Books of the Bible (Part 4)

(Part 4 - Southern Exile to Christ) Overview of Books of the Bible Southern Exile to Christ Pre-Exile Jeremiah Zephaniah Habakkuk Lamentations Post-Exile Ezra Nehemiah Esther Haggai Zechariah Malachi 70 Years Captivity Joel Daniel Ezekiel Obadiah

A Timeline

The Northern & Southern Kingdoms Northern Kingdom Southern Kingdom

The Captivity ASSYRIANS BABYLON

Zephaniah Author - Zephaniah Time BC Overview  Responsible for great reform  Warning of impending Judgement  Exhorts to repent immediately  Promise of future blessing

Jeremiah Author - Jeremiah and Baruch Time BC Overview  Warns of Babylonian captivity & 70 year exile  Warns against false prophets  Prophecies against nations  Account of Judah’s fall

Habakkuk Author - Habakkuk Time BC Overview  Complaint about Babylonian violence and wickedness  God’s answer  Vision of Judgement  Triumph of faith

Lamentations Author - Jeremiah Time BC Overview  “To express suffering”  Sorrow over fall of Jerusalem  Emphasizes result of divine judgment for sin  Learn from affliction

Joel Author - Joel Time BC Overview  Impending judgement on Judah  The locust plague  Averting the judgement and future blessings

Daniel Author - Daniel Time BC Overview  Destiny of two kingdoms Kingdom of man vs Kingdom of God  Prophecies regarding nations that control Israel from Babylon until Kingdom age

Ezekiel Author - Ezekiel Time BC Overview  Speaks to Jews who remain behind  Exhorts them to be obedient  Prophecies against foreign nations  Prophecy of restitution of Israel  Vision of the new temple

Obadiah Author - Obadiah Time BC Overview  “Servant of Yahweh”  Pronounces judgement against Edom  Edom to be punished because of violence against Israel

Ezra Author - Ezra Time BC Overview  Return of Jews from captivity  Temple building  Getting the nation back on track

Nehemiah Author - Ezra and Nehemiah Time BC Overview  Nehemiah returns from Babylon  Supervises rebuilding of the city wall  Religious and civil reforms

Esther Author - Not known for certain Time BC Overview  Written while in captivity  Beauty contest - Esther wins  Plot by evil Haman to wipe out Jews  Haman disgraced and killed  Jews victorious

Haggai Author - Haggai Time BC Overview  Writes to Jews who have returned  Exhorts Jews to “consider their ways”  Tells them to finish the temple Foundation laid 18 years before!

Zechariah Author - Zechariah Time BC Overview  Younger contemporary of Haggai  Encourages people to build temple  Apocalyptic visions  References to coming Messiah

Malachi Author - Malachi Time BC Overview  80 years after temple rebuilt  Spiritual decline - because Messiah not come  Casual attitude towards worship  A few will be saved  A very REAL message for us today!

Section 18 Study Tools (Part 2)

More Study Tools Bible Dictionaries  Unger’s Bible Dictionary Bible Atlases  The Oxford Bible Atlas History  Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah  Josephus

More Study Tools Commentaries  Speaker’s  Barnes’ O.T. and N.T. General  Treasury of Scriptural knowledge  Nave’s Topical Bible  Study Bible

A Word Of Warning Commentaries, dictionaries, etc. are the work of uninspired men. Never place total confidence in man’s writings – only use them as guides!

Using the Computer More powerful searching Easier to do word studies Less space to store more Easily integrate with word processor etc.

Section 19 Versions of the Bible

English Versions of the Bible Hebrew / Greek Latin Vulgate (Translated by Jerome in AD 400) Wycliffe (1384) Rheimes NT (1582) Dobal OT (1609) Tyndale (1526) Great Bible (1539) Geneva Bible (1560) Matthew (1537) Bishops Bible (1568) Authorised / King James Version (1611) Coverdale (1535)

Types of Translations Literal  Directly from Hebrew and Greek e.g. King James Version, NIV, RSV Paraphrased translation  Restatements of the text e.g. Living Bible

Modern Translations King James Version  1611 Revised Standard Version  1946 and 1952  Wanted to keep good quality of KJV New International Version  1972 and 1979  International team  Tradition of earlier versions

Modern Translations New English Bible  1961 and 1970  Completely new translation New King James Version  1982  Revision of KJV to update language New American Standard  1988  Academically Accurate

An exercise Find 2 Kings 3.9 Let’s compare some of the translations Find 1 Corinthians 16.22

An exercise – 1 Cor 16:22 (NIV) - If anyone does not love the Lord-- a curse be on him. Come, O Lord! (NKJ) - If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come! (RSV) - If any one has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! (ASV) - If any man loveth not the Lord, let him be anathema. Maranatha. (KJV) - If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha. (NAS) - If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be accursed. Maranatha.

Which Translation? Reading version  Easy and comfortable with language  NIV Study version  User friendly  Links to lexicons and concordances  KJV

Conclusion This week we looked at….  Critics of the Bible  The Purpose of God Revealed  Overview of the Books of the Bible (Part 4)  Study Tools (Part 2)  Versions of the Bible

Conclusion Next week we look at….Next week we look at….  Mystery?  Bible Terminology (Part 3)  Overview of the Books of the Bible (Part 5)  The Jews and the Law of Moses