1. How We Got The
INTRODUCTION

2. The Story of the Bible
“Living in a day when books are written and printed by the thousands, we are apt to overlook the fascinating drama that lies behind our Bible.” (Lightfoot)
Several Thousand Years of History
Doubt: Created and Destroyed
Myths & Misrepresentations

3. Inspiration 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Principle: A Word Has Two Parts
The Living Word: Jesus is every bit divine and every bit human.
The Written Word: The Bible is every bit divine in origin and yet is still very human.
Working Definition: Inspiration is the process whereby God enables a human to communicate a divinely given message.

4. Canon kanon (Greek) / qaneh (Hebrew) – “reed”
A canon is a standard rule of measuring.
R.T. Beckwith: “With respect to the Bible, it speaks of those books that met the standard and therefore were worthy of inclusion. Since the fourth century kanon has been used by Christians to denote an authoritative list of the books belonging to the Old Testament or New Testament.”

5. Bible biblia – “the books” Two Covenants/Testaments
Old Testament
New Testament
At least 40 humans participated in the writing of the Bible
Around 1500 years transpire from the first writing to the last

6. The Bible’s View of Itself
Daniel 9:2, Daniel consulted “the books” which included “word of the LORD” to Jeremiah
Matthew 21:42, The Psalms are “Scripture”
2 Peter 3:15-16, Paul’s writings are “Scripture”
1 Timothy 5:18, Deuteronomy and Luke are “Scripture”

7. Hebrew Designations Hebrew Scriptures or tanak TORAH – Law
NEVI’M – Prophets
KETHUVIM – Writings
Matthew 5:17

8. Hebrew Designations
Josephus (Against Apion 1:8): For we have not an innumerable multitude of books among us, disagreeing from and contradicting one another, [as the Greeks have,] but only twenty-two books, which contain the records of all the past times; which are justly believed to be divine; and of them five belong to Moses, which contain his laws and the traditions of the origin of mankind till his death. …

9. Hebrew Designations
Josephus (Against Apion 1:8): … This interval of time was little short of three thousand years; but as to the time from the death of Moses till the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, who reigned after Xerxes, the prophets, who were after Moses, wrote down what was done in their times in thirteen books. The remaining four books contain hymns to God, and precepts for the conduct of human life. …

10. Hebrew Designations
Josephus (Against Apion 1:8): … It is true, our history hath been written since Artaxerxes very particularly, but hath not been esteemed of the like authority with the former by our forefathers, because there hath not been an exact succession of prophets since that time; and how firmly we have given credit to these books of our own nation is evident by what we do; …

11. Hebrew Designations
Josephus (Against Apion 1:8): … for during so many ages as have already passed, no one has been so bold as either to add any thing to them, to take any thing from them, or to make any change in them; but it is become natural to all Jews immediately, and from their very birth, to esteem these books to contain Divine doctrines, and to persist in them, and, if occasion be willingly to die for them.

12. Hebrew Designations Hebrew Scriptures or tanak
Law: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
Prophets:
Former Prophets: Joshua, Judges/Ruth, Samuel, Kings
Latter Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah/Lamentations, Ezekiel, Book of the Twelve
Writings: Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra/Nehemiah, Chronicles

13. Hebrew Language Hebrew Language
Hebrew originally had consonants and no written vowels.
Vowels were added in the 7th Century AD.
Hebrew reads from right to left.
Hebrew is a lyrical, poetic language.
A small portion of the Old Testament is written in Aramaic, as used in the Captivity.