SPLENDID Surprisingly Stunning Super Summer Sunday Seminar Series Welcome

Schedule June 10, 17, 24 – Hello Bible July 1, 8 – The New Testament and Presbyterian, for sure! July 15 – August 26 – What’s the Church for anyway

GOAL Learn something you did not know before! About the Bible About being a Christian About being a Presbyterian Christian Come as much as you can Don’t have to be here every Sunday

How Did We Get the New Testament and the Church

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 70 AD - - - - - - - - - - - - - 100 AD James, Peter, John, Jude, Hebrews 4 BC to 30 AD - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Writing Complete - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 70 AD - - - - - - - - - - - - - 100 AD

Who wrote the New Testament and why?

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ… Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ… Romans 16:22  I Tertius, the writer of this letter, greet you in the Lord.

Galatians 6:11 See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand!

1 Thessalonians 5:26 - 27 Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss.  I solemnly command you by the Lord that this letter be read to all of them.

Colossian 4:16 And when this letter has been read among you, have it read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you read also the letter from Laodicea.

1 Peter 5:12 Through Silvanus, whom I consider a faithful brother, I have written this short letter to encourage you and to testify that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.

2 Peter 3:15 - 16 So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures.

The Gospel writers tell us why they wrote their Gospel’s

Luke 1:1 - 4 Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed.

John 20:30-31 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

Irenaeus (130 – 202) A Greek cleric noted for his role in guiding and expanding Christian communities in what is now the south of France is the earliest surviving witness to recognize all four gospels. Brown, Raymond E. An Introduction to the New Testament, p. 14. Anchor Bible; 1st edition 

Diocletianic Persecution In 303, the Roman Emperor Diocletian declared it illegal to be a Christian, murdered an estimated 20,000 believers, and burned many manuscripts of the Bible.

323 The Roman Emperor Constantine proclaimed that Christianity would be the official religion of the Roman Empire.

Augustine Bishop of Hippo (354-430) (The city in Africa not the animal!) A prolific Christian author whose writing exerted a profound affect on the church that can still be felt today. On Christian Doctrine Confessions The City of God On the Trinity On Free Choice of Will

Thomas Aquinas (1225 - 1274) A Dominican Frias, Catholic Priest and Doctor of the Church who attempted to synthesize Aristotelian philosophy with the principles of Christianity.

Martin Luther (1483-1546) Born in Germany Studied law became a Catholic monk Wrote 95 thesis in response to the Churches practices Got excommunicated and started the Lutheran Church.

JOHN CALVIN (1509-1564) Born in France Studied Latin, logic, philosophy, and classical literature Wrote “INSTITUES OF THE CHIRSTIAN RELIGION” while in his early twenties

Central themes of “Institutes” The sovereignty of God The priesthood of all believers The Bible as the only infallible rule for faith and practice Two true sacraments

JOHN KNOX (1513-1572) Studied under Calvin in Geneva, Switzerland Took ideas home to Scotland Outlined concepts of church government in The First Book of Discipline Led in writing The Scots Confession of Faith

Led first General Assembly of Church of Scotland in 1575 ANDREW MELVILLE (1545-1622) Led first General Assembly of Church of Scotland in 1575 Led in writing The Second Book of Discipline

Organized many Presbyterian Church in the colonies FRANCIS MAKEMIE (1658-1708) Ordained in Ireland in 1682 Organized many Presbyterian Church in the colonies Helped form first Presbytery in 1706 Known as the “Father of American Presbyterianism”

President of the College of New Jersey A.K.A. Princeton JOHN WITHERSPOON (1723-1784) President of the College of New Jersey A.K.A. Princeton Served in U.S. House of Representatives Only clergy to sign Declaration of Independence