The Living Word Jesus Christ John 1:1, 14 “In the beginning was the Word…” “And the Word became flesh…” “Word” = Logos Logos in the cultures Jesus “speaks” God to us. Written Word flows from the living Word.

The Written Word The First Christians Scripture = “Old Testament,” the Hebrew Bible Oral Tradition Apostolic teaching Holy Spirit/prophetic activity

The Written Word Early Christianity Decline of Oral Tradition and Prophetic Revelation Rise of Written Scriptures Collection was a process of time, common use, and consensus Result was a fixed list of Scripture – ratified and affirmed rather than imposed

The Canon

The Canon Addressed problems What should be read in worship? What will be translated? What about lists like Marcion’s? Which books will be protected in the midst of persecution?

The Canon Beginnings – “universal acceptance” Hebrew Scriptures used by Jesus and Apostles Four Gospels Writings of Paul Acts General epistles and Revelation

The Canon Dates Core accepted by 150 A.D. “Muratorian Canon” 170 A.D. Origen 240 A.D. Athanasius 367 A.D. (complete list) Councils of Hippo, Carthage 393 A.D. Muratorian fragment is 7th century but speaks of 2nd century pope as current. Has 4 Gospels, Paul, Acts, 2 letters of John, Jude, Revelation.

The Canon Criteria Apostolic authorship or connection Accepted universally in the church Used in worship at Lord’s Table Consistent theological message

The Canon The Church did not create the Canon. By the leading of the Holy Spirit, the Canon imposed itself upon the Church in the form of universal acknowledgement of its authority.

What is Your “Canon?” To which books of the Bible to you pay most attention in your own teaching, preaching, personal study, etc.? To which do you pay the least attention?

The Middle Ages Developments Latin becomes common, then sacred language Scriptures are preserved by copying Art and architecture teach biblical truths Laity generally does not hear Bible in their own language

Reformation Protestant changes New Scripture translation Sola scriptura – by scripture alone Response to perception that the medieval church had elevated tradition above Scripture Printing press Eventual outcome was Scripture in the hands of the laity

Reformation Protestant Results Wider study of the Bible Diversity of interpretation Elevation of Scripture’s authority Individualism in interpretation Sometimes subjectivism

Understanding the Bible Modern Discussions Single meaning   Multiple meanings Simple literal meaning   Symbolic meaning Individual interpretation   Communal interpretation Bible apart from tradition   Bible within tradition

Understanding the Bible Modern Discussions Objective meaning   Subjective impact Unity of witness   Diversity of witness Divine aspect   Human aspect Bible = Word of God   Bible contains Word of God Inerrancy   Infallibility Propositional truth   Personal truth Universal truth   Contextual truth

Understanding the Bible Background theology Role of Holy Spirit in interpretation Understanding of inspiration (where in the process, different models) Understanding of authority Theological frameworks = “Lenses” Dispensationalism Covenant theology Law and Grace

The Covenant Stance “Where is it written?” “What do the Scriptures say about that?” “Do you accept the Holy Scriptures, the Old and New Testaments, as the word of God and the only perfect rule for faith, doctrine, and conduct?”

The Covenant Stance NOTE: what is authoritative is the Scripture, not our interpretation of it - the Scriptures must be interpreted to be authoritative, but individual interpretations are not in themselves exclusively authoritative

The Covenant Stance Seeing the Scriptures as the living, breathing word of God Recognition of the tentative nature of human interpretations - Avoiding the danger of bibliolatry - Avoiding the danger of subjectivism

To believe the Bible is more than believing everything in it, from cover to cover. One can do that and yet be a stranger to the Bible’s message and unmoved by the Bible’s purposes. A living faith in the Bible as God’s Word is the same as faith in God. The Bible’s promises and threats, the whole content of the Bible becomes real when God becomes real. It is possible to believe in the Bible instead of believing in God. That is not only possible but common in countries which have the Bible. The holiest objects are the first to become idols.

Doubtless there are altogether too many in Protestant Christendom who imagine that they believe in God because they never doubted the Bible and have a sure and comprehensive knowledge of Christianity… But no institutions and no book, no matter how holy it may be, can replace a living faith in the living God. And a man cannot lose his Bible in a more frightening way than in this way: that it becomes an idol. David Nyvall