1.  Did you bring your book Knowing the Bible 101? If not, go get it RIGHT NOW!  Write down your homework in your planner  After getting your book and writing down your homework, write in your journals:  Read Page 7: which of these different impressions best matches your impression of the Bible? Why?

2. The main point or statement to be defended by the essay. The thesis answers the question of the prompt.

3.  Sample Thesis: I most see myself like Rudy because (1) I am searching for the truth, but (2) there have been people who have tried to hide the truth from me. (contains two clear supporting points)  Re-worded: The similarities between Rudy and me are evident based on our journey for truth and the obstacles that have gotten in the way at times.

4.  Sample Thesis: I think I am most like the Mayor because although I can’t literally see God like he couldn’t see Horton, (1) I have felt and heard Him in my life, and (2) I have faced obstacles along the way when people have doubted God and thought me to be crazy for believing in Him.  Restatement: The Mayor and I have clear similarities in our belief in the unseen because of smart faith despite those who have doubted us and thought us senseless.

5. - Broad context for introduction. - Narrow context: state thesis. - Body - Supporting Paragraphs. - Narrow context: restate thesis. - Broad context to wrap up your discussion.

6. A Guide to God’s Word in Plain Language

7. When you see text in bold orange font, highlight it in your book because there is a REALLY REALLY good chance it will be on your reading quiz on Friday.

8.  More than 6 billion copies of the Bible have been printed since the invention of the printing press in 1455.  The Bible has been printed in more than 2000 languages.  The first book known to be translated into another language was the Old Testament (p. 29).

9.  The Bible is a great story. (We will learn how to see it all as ONE connected story.)  The Bible is a great literary achievement.  The quality of writing is unparalleled.  The Bible is a great history book.  No other book of antiquity has survived to the present with such integrity.  The Bible is a great book of prophecy.  No other book comes close to predicting the future in such detail and with such amazing accuracy.  Of the approximate 2,500 prophecies in the Bible, nearly 2,000 of them have already been fulfilled. Click here for more on prophecies.here  The Bible is a great holy book.

10.  Most importantly, the Bible is God’s Message.  The Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to people.  Divine Revelation: God has revealed Himself to us in various ways, most directly through the Bible (p. 19).  You can know about God because He has left you a message. He is talking to you through the Bible.

11.  Only God could have created a book that 1. Has been transmitted accurately from the time it was originally written. 2. Is correct when it deals with historical people and events. 3. Contains no “scientific absurdities.” 4. Remains true and relevant to all people for all time. Josh McDowell

12. God chose the written word for a simple reason: for reliability!

13. 1. Inspiration: God-breathed words  God used the Holy Spirit to inspire 40 different writers to write down His words.  They wrote the Bible over a period of 1,500 years.  Inspire: “to breath or blow into”  Inspiration: “a divine influence” 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right.”

14. 2. Canonicity: the Words Measured Up  The process by which church leaders recognized individual books of the Bible as being inspired by God. Strict Guidelines to determine which books qualified as Scripture: Does it speak with God’s authority? Is it written by a man of God speaking to us as a prophet of God? Does it have the authentic stamp of God? Does it impact us with the power of God? (Ex: letter from friend—you can tell if it is a hoax or if it is genuine if you know your friend well enough) Was it accepted by the people of God? Dr. Geisler *A key point to remember is that the canon councils did not declare a book to be from God. They simply recognized the divine authority that was already there.

15. 3. Transmission: Writer’s Cramp and Beyond  The total process of transmitting the Bible from the early writers to us today using the most practical and reliable materials available at the time.  The total canon of Scripture—that is, all 66 books of the Bible—was recognized as the authoritative Word of God by the fourth century A.D.  The original documents were copied by hand. (read Details, Details…p. 26)

16. Hebrew  Old Testament  Principle language of the Jewish (or Hebrew) people  Precise, pictorial, and personal language. Greek  New Testament  Language spoken by most of the world at the time of Christ.  Intellectual language—perfect for the expression of the “propositional truth” of the New Testament.