Grade 11 Unit 10

Grade 11 Unit 10

BIBLE 1110 CONTENTS

I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

THE UNIQUENESS OF THE BIBLE • • • • • • • • The Means and Purpose of Revelation • • • • The Formation and Canonicity of the Bible • The Findings of Archaeology • • • • • • • • • • • THE BOOK OF ROMANS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The Historical Backdrop to Romans • • • • • • The Structure and Content of Romans • • • • THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL • • • • • • • • • • • • • The Nation and a People • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The Unbelief of Israel • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The Influence and Significance of Israel • • • THE REVELATION OF GOD IN THE BIBLE • • • The Revelation and Dimensions of God’s Faithfulness • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The Revelation of God’s Righteousness • • • The Person and Work of Jesus Christ • • • • • PRINCIPLES FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING • • • • • Principles for Social Interaction • • • • • • • • • Principles for Spiritual Maturity • • • • • • • • • Principles for Defending the Christian Faith GLOSSARY • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • • •

2 4 8 16 20 20 21 31 32 35 36 41

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42 45 46 53 53 58 60 65

Author:

Steve Sexton

Editor:

Alan Christopherson, M.S.

Graphic Design:

Alpha Omega Staff

804 N. 2nd Ave. E., Rock Rapids, IA 51246-1759 © MM by Alpha Omega Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. LIFEPAC is a registered trademark of Alpha Omega Publications, Inc.

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BIBLE 1110 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” You have also studied the person and work of Jesus Christ and have learned that He was both God and man. You have discovered that God’s faithfulness was extended to the nation of Israel and to Abraham, the faithful patriarch. Your knowledge and understanding of the information and of the Scriptures in this LIFEPAC will prove to be invaluable and will help prepare you to live for the Lord Jesus Christ now and in the future. In this LIFEPAC you will review information about how the Bible was prepared and formed and how God has revealed Himself to man. You will also review Paul’s letter to the Romans, the history of Israel, God’s faithfulness and righteousness, the person and work of Jesus Christ, the book of Ecclesiastes, and principles for living and for defending the Christian faith.

Second Timothy 3:16 and 17 declares that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” These words tell us of the benefits of God’s Word its importance for living a true and victorious Christian life. Through your study of this Bible LIFEPAC® curriculum, you have learned that the Bible, the inspired Word of God, is unique not only in its content, but in its formation. You have also read that the Bible testifies of God’s faithfulness and righteousness. Psalm 89 is a testimony of God’s faithfulness, whereas Paul’s letter to the Romans is a testimony of His righteousness. In Romans 1:16 and 17, Paul expresses his own convictions concerning the Word of God by saying, “…I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

OBJECTIVES

Read these objectives. The objectives tell you what you will be able to do when you have successfully completed this LIFEPAC. When you have finished this LIFEPAC, you should be able to: 1. List the doctrines that relate to bibliology. 2. Explain the reason for written revelation. 3. Describe the formation of the Old and New Testaments. 4. Describe the process by which God’s written revelation became recognized by man. 5. Identify major literary discoveries and archaeological findings related to the Old and New Testaments. 6. Briefly describe the historical circumstances surrounding Paul’s letter to the Romans. 7. Describe the purpose, theme, and fundamental doctrines of salvation in the book of Romans. 8. Briefly outline each chapter of Romans. 9. Tell key verses found in Romans. 10. Define covenant and explain the promises and conditions involved in the Abrahamic Covenant and how it was given. 11. Describe the main events of the Jewish nation and its history from the time of Abraham through the New Testament. 12. Explain the influence and significance that Israel has played in the world and the example that Old Testament leaders have left to the world. 1

13. Describe the characteristics of God’s faithfulness and righteousness from the Bible and from biblical history. 14. Explain how Jesus Christ can be both God and man. 15. Describe Jesus’ human nature and personality. 16. Summarize Jesus’ earthly ministry and the consequences of His atoning work. 17. Describe evidence for Jesus’ bodily Resurrection and describe His present ministry. 18. Describe the characteristics of friendship and its role and importance to Christians. 19. Explain the role and purpose of dating. 20. Summarize the nature, scriptural purposes, and conditions of the marriage relationship. 21. Describe Solomon’s search for happiness and relate his search to the present day. 22. Explain Solomon’s message and theme from the book of Ecclesiastes. 23. Summarize the principles for spiritual maturity found in Ecclesiastes and in the book of Romans. 24. Explain the validity of the Christian faith according to 1 Peter 3:15.

Survey the LIFEPAC. Ask yourself some questions about this study. Write your questions here. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

I. THE UNIQUENESS OF THE BIBLE One of the ways that God has presented Himself to man is through His Word, the Bible. God used more than forty men over a period of fifteen hundred years to record in the sixty-six books of the Bible His dealings with man. The Bible consists of various writings that cover such areas as history, poetry, and prophecy in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. In

the midst of the various minor themes of the Bible flows the major theme of the promised Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. People who have put their personal trust in Jesus Christ also claim that the Bible is the Word of God. Others, however, regard the Bible as another ancient book. Many people agree that the Bible contains valuable history and literature, but they refuse to acknowledge it as the 2

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the Word of our God shall stand forever. Isaiah 40:8

Word of God. Knowing how the Bible was formed and why God revealed Himself to man will help you to defend its authenticity and reliability. In this section you will review the doctrines of bibliology: revelation, inspiration, authority, illumi-

nation, interpretation, and canonicity. You will also study some major literary discoveries that will increase your understanding of the Old and New Testaments.

SECTION OBJECTIVES

Review these objectives. When you have completed this section, you should be able to: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

List the doctrines that relate to bibliology. Explain the reason for written revelation. Describe the formation of the Old and New Testaments. Describe the process by which God’s written revelation became recognized by man. Identify major literary discoveries and archaeological findings related to the Old and New Testaments.

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VOCABULARY

Study these words to enhance your learning success in this section. Apocrypha atonement authenticity cuneiform demotic exegesis hermeneutics

hieroglyphic ideographs Incarnation inerrant martyrdom Pentateuch

phonograms pictographic Pseudepigrapha Septuagint theophanies Torah

Note: All vocabulary words in this LIFEPAC appear in boldface print the first time they are used. If you are unsure of the meaning when you are reading, study the definitions given.

✞

Read John 20:31 and 1 Corinthians 2:7–13.

THE MEANS AND PURPOSE OF REVELATION Because God is holy and man is sinful, man has difficulty obtaining a clear understanding of God. God chose to make Himself known to man through both specific and natural means. Through divine revelation God has “unveiled” Himself to man.

majesty of God in nature (Psalm 19:1), “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” The creative power and sovereignty of God can be witnessed by all mankind through nature. This form of revelation can bring man to an awareness of the existence of God, but it does not reveal how man can enter into an eternal relationship with God. Another means that God has used to reveal Himself is through man’s conscience. Man intuitively knows what is right and what is wrong. Paul stated in Romans 2:15 that even men who have not heard about the law “…shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another.”

Natural revelation. God has revealed Himself to man in three ways: through nature, in man’s conscience, and through His Word that reveals the Lord Jesus Christ. In Romans 1:20 the apostle Paul recorded how nature reveals God: “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” David, the psalmist, wrote about the power and

➲

Answer true or false.

1.1

___________ The Bible contains sixty books written over a period of four hundred years.

1.2

___________ The central theme of the Bible is man’s sinfulness and corruption.

1.3

___________ Man has been able to obtain a clear understanding of God through his own efforts.

1.4

___________ God has revealed Himself to man in three ways.

1.5

___________ A Christian needs to know how the Bible was formed.

➲

Complete these statements.

1.6

God has made Himself known to man through a. ________________ and b. ________________ means.

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1.7

Man has great difficulty understanding God clearly because of God’s a. _______________________ and man’s b. ________________________ .

1.8

The natural means of revelation can only bring man to an __________________________________ of the existence of God.

➲

Complete these activities.

1.9

List the three ways that God has revealed Himself to man. a. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ b. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ c. ______________________________________________________________________________________________

1.10

Give two scriptural references that describe God’s revelation through nature. a. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ b. ______________________________________________________________________________________________

1.11

Explain why God made Himself known to man by revelation. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

Specific revelation. Man may know about God through nature; or he may understand that an absolute standard of right and wrong exists; but, until he realizes that he needs Jesus Christ, he cannot obtain eternal life. The Bible tells us of the life and work of Christ; the written Word of God states that man can have a personal relationship with God. Before the Incarnation of Christ, God continued to reveal Himself to man. The Messiah was promised to man by God at the time of the Fall (Genesis 3:15), and since that time God has used supernatural or specific means to make Himself known. The Old Testament contains numerous accounts of God’s appearance before men through an angel or through man himself. Through these theophanies, God reinforced the promise of the coming Messiah. In 1 Kings 19, God appeared as the angel of the Lord to bring comfort to Elijah who was fleeing from Jezebel. In Genesis 17:1–22, God appeared to Abram to seal His covenant with him. In Genesis 18, God appeared as a man to Abram and his wife Sarai to confirm His covenant.

The angel of the Lord was the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, appearing before men. This fact is reinforced in John 1:18, “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” The purpose behind the various specific revelations culminated with the birth of Christ. The fulfillment of God’s promise to man concerning the Savior is recorded in Luke 2:11, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” The Word of God became flesh. The Lord Jesus Christ came to dwell with men, and through His death and Resurrection He made an atonement for man’s sin. God communicated to man through natural and specific means and has made things known about Himself that would otherwise be unclear. Man can gain an understanding of God by looking at creation and by the convictions of his conscience. However, a personal relationship with God will come only when man looks at Jesus Christ and accepts Him as Savior and Lord.

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➲

Match these items.

1.12

______________ the angel of the Lord

a. saw the Lord as a man

1.13

______________ Elijah

b. natural revelation

1.14

______________ birth of Christ

c. promised to man at the Fall

1.15

______________ Abram

d. appearance by God as an angel or man

1.16

______________ the Messiah

e. made an atonement for man’s sin

1.17

______________ Jesus Christ

f. fled from Jezebel g. fulfillment of God’s promise of the Savior

➲ 1.18

Complete this activity. Explain why God used specific revelation to reveal Himself to man. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

Inspiration. By examining the Bible, man can learn the message of salvation. God moved faithful men to record His Word so man could be brought to redemption in Christ. The character and nature of God has been revealed within the pages of God’s inerrant Word, the Bible. The Bible is varied in form and authorship but is the complete and final message of salvation in Christ. The content of God’s written revelation is the concern of the doctrine of inspiration. The translation of the Greek word for inspiration, theopneustos, literally means God-breathed. God chose to use human writers and their distinct personalities to record His revelation to man. These faithful men, moved by the Holy Spirit, wrote and recorded without error the original manuscripts of the Bible. Both the Old and New Testaments make claims about their own inspiration. Jesus and His disciples accepted the Old Testament as being the Scriptures (Matthew 21:42). In Mark 12:26, Luke 16:31, and Luke 24:44 Jesus also referred to the Old Testament and recognized it as being inspired. The Old Testament speaks of its own inspiration in Exodus 20:1, Judges 1:2, Jeremiah 1:1 and 2, and many other places. Almost three hundred New Testament citations of the Old Testament indicate the authenticity that the New Testament writers saw in the Old Testament.

The revelation of the doctrines of Christ in the New Testament confirms the inspiration of these Scriptures. The testimony given by Peter in 2 Peter 3:15-16 tells of the inspiration of Paul’s Epistles. Paul’s letter to Timothy (1 Timothy 5:18) attests to the inspiration of Luke’s writing in Luke 10:7. God did not directly dictate the writing of His Word, but He did control and move human writers in what should be recorded. Through the influence and overshadowing of the Holy Spirit, the Bible was recorded without error. Authority. Since the Bible is God’s Word to man, it is also the final authority upon which man should base his life. The book of Genesis records the fact that God established the order in which creation would function and grow. For the Christian the Bible must be the rule of faith and practice in every area of life. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 reminds us that the Bible is profitable in all areas of the Christian life and that it will equip the man of God for every good work. Illumination. Another concept that is important for understanding the Bible is illumination. The term illumination pertains to the meaning of the biblical record. Through the work of God the Holy Spirit, Christians can learn from the Bible and grow. John 16:13 says that the Holy Spirit will

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guide us into all truth. The things that Christians have learned about God through the Bible have come as a result of the illuminating ministry of the Holy Spirit. Another aspect of the Holy Spirit’s work, taught in John 16:8–10, is one of convicting the world of sin and bringing unbelievers unto a proper understanding of the decision they must make concerning Christ and salvation. The Holy Spirit works in the world, not only to bring Christians to maturity in the Word, but also to bring unbelievers to salvation. Without the illuminating ministry of the Holy Spirit, unbelievers would remain in their present state of blindness and darkness (John 1:5 and 1 Corinthians 4:3-4). The Christian would also be unable to grow in the knowledge of Christ without the help of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:13). These examples stress the importance of the ministry of illumination and the fact that Christians have not received the spirit of the world, but the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity. Interpretation. The illuminating work of the Holy Spirit does not provide immediate understanding of the Bible for every Christian. Through interpretation of the Scriptures, man is able to learn God’s truth and can then teach this truth to others. Proper interpretation of the Bible takes certain skills and good study methods. You have learned

that the study of the doctrine of interpretation, hermeneutics, is not only a science but is also an art. You also learned that the critical analysis and explanation of a word within a biblical passage is called exegesis. The proper application of the skills of interpretation will allow any Bible student to arrive at a correct understanding of the Scriptures. The two methods of Bible interpretation are the allegorical method and the literal method. The allegorical approach to the Bible considers the supposed hidden meaning of a passage. The allegorist may attempt to locate analogies, types, or extended figures rather than concentrating on the literal meaning of a passage. The literalist, however, is concerned with the literal meaning of a passage. The literalists view the inspiration of the Bible in the sense that the Scriptures are without error, not contrary to fact, and accurate in their entirety. You will need to apply discipline, wisdom, and diligence to your study of the Bible. You must remember that, although a passage may have many applications, it has only one true interpretation. All passages should be studied in relation to their contexts. Introductory studies, or isogogics, must also be done to place a passage in its proper historical setting. Each individual writer, his character, and his intended audience should also be studied.

➲

Answer true or false.

1.19

____________

The doctrine of inspiration is concerned with the content of the written revelation of God.

1.20

____________

The Bible is both inerrant and authentic.

1.21

____________

Illumination refers to the meaning of the record of the Bible.

1.22

____________

The literalist believes the words of the Bible were dictated to the writers by God.

➲

Complete these statements.

1.23

The apostle who wrote of the inspiration of Paul’s Epistles was ______________________________ .

1.24

The Greek word theopneustos literally means ________________________________________________ .

1.25

God did not a. __________________________ the writing of His Word but did b. ___________________ what was recorded.

1.26

The proper placement of a biblical passage in its historical setting is known as _____________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ .

1.27

One aspect of the Holy Spirit’s work in the world is to bring ______________________ to maturity in the Word of God.

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➲

Complete these activities.

1.28

List three principles of interpretation that any Bible student should apply. a. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ b. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ c. ______________________________________________________________________________________________

1.29

Explain why Christians should make the Bible the rule of faith and practice in every area of life. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

THE FORMATION AND CANONICITY OF THE BIBLE The Bible is not only unique in its content and message of salvation in Jesus Christ, but it is also unique in its formation and preparation. As a Bible student, you will appreciate and better understand the Bible when you have carefully recognized why God used man to record His Word. By reviewing the material on the formation and preparation of the Bible, you will also be able to explain why God waited for many generations before he had man record His revelation. In this portion of the LIFEPAC you will restudy God’s plan for His revelation to be recorded, the history of the formation of the Word of God, and the formation of the Old and New Testaments. You will do an overview of the New Testament writers and the recipients of each book of the New Testament. Preparation of the revelation. The reason God waited until the time of Moses to have His Word recorded can be traced to the fact that man’s ability to record his spoken language progressed slowly throughout history. Before God used Moses to lead His faithful people from their 430-year captivity in Egypt, God’s Word was communicated orally from father to son within a patriarchal family environment. Within the framework of the close family environment, God’s Word was passed orally from one family to the next. As the Hebrews grew from the small family unit of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to a nation of 2.5 million people, a need emerged for a written revelation from their God as well as a record of laws and regulations. God would

use Moses, a man trained in the universities of Egypt, to record these laws in the Torah, or Pentateuch, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. This written record would become Israel’s constitution. Ancient discoveries, such as the Amarna Letters of 1400 to 1350 B.C. and the Ras Shamra epic of the eleventh century before Christ, demonstrate that alphabet writing, or the use of phonograms, existed at the time of Moses. The phonogram, or alphabetic writing, developed from the use of ideographs, which used thousands of symbols to illustrate ideas and objects. The use of ideographs was derived from the practice of representing single symbols with material objects. This pictographic system was adaptable for keeping track of transactions used by traders in the ancient business world. Many scholars have speculated that since the Hebrews were slaves they probably could not read or write. Archaeological records from a turquoise mine in the Sinai, however, indicate that the Hebrews did know how to read and write. On the cavern walls where the Hebrew slaves worked are numerous phonograms that speak of Israel’s one true God. The materials that were used in the preparation of the Bible included papyrus made from the papyrus plant that grew in the shallow lakes and rivers of Egypt and Syria. The papyrus reeds were cut into thin, narrow slices and then pressed 8

together to form large sheets. One side of these sheets was polished smooth to provide a surface for writing. Rolls or scrolls were also prepared by gluing sheets of papyrus together and then winding these sheets around a stick. Writing was usually done on only one side of these scrolls. Other materials used in the preparation of the Bible were ink and the calamus, an ancient and widely used pen that was hollow and sharpened to a point. Because the pen had to be sharpened periodically, the writer would carry a small knife to cut a new point. The ink that filled the hollow cavity of the calamus was usually made from a compound of charcoal, gum, and water. The ancient pen was used on parchment as well as on papyrus. God waited until man had reached a time where he could easily record His Word. God also waited until Israel had emerged as a nation and needed written laws to guarantee individual freedoms and demonstrate national responsibilities. God used faithful men to record His Word.

➲

Answer true or false.

1.30

_______________

God waited until His people had emerged as a nation to have His revelation recorded in written form.

1.31

_______________

Archaeological evidence indicates that the Hebrew slaves in Egypt could not read or write.

1.32

_______________

Alphabet writing was an extension of the pictographic system of representing individual material objects.

1.33

_______________

The ancient pen used in the preparation of the Bible was called a stylus.

1.34

_______________

The first five books of the Hebrew Bible would become Israel’s constitution.

➲

Complete these statements.

1.35

For keeping track of transactions in the ancient business world, the __________________________ system was adaptable.

1.36

Before Moses wrote the Torah, God’s Word was communicated _________________________________ from family to family.

➲

Complete this activity.

1.37

Give two reasons why God waited until the time of Moses to have His Word recorded. a. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ b. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 9

➲

Match these items.

1.38

_____________

ideograph

a. educated in the universities of Egypt

1.39

_____________

Moses

b. the time Israel spent in captivity in Egypt

1.40

_____________

Pentateuch

c. 1400 to 1350 B.C.

1.41

_____________

Amarna Letter

d. an ancient pen

1.42

_____________

calamus

e. located in shallow lakes and rivers of Egypt and Syria

1.43

_____________

papyrus

f. charcoal, gum, and water

1.44

_____________

ink

g. the first five books of the Hebrew Bible

1.45

_____________

phonograms

h. alphabet writing

1.46

_____________

scrolls

i. glued sheets of papyrus

1.47

_____________

430 years

j. represents a material object k. represents an idea

Formation of the Old Testament. The Lord Jesus Christ referred to a threefold division of the Hebrew Old Testament. He said (Luke 24:44), “…all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.” The Jewish historian, Josephus (A.D. 37-95), referred to the same divisions of the Old Testament when he wrote (Conra Apionem, 1, 8) that the Hebrew Scriptures contained these books: “…five belonging to Moses …the prophets who were after Moses, wrote that which was done in their time…The four remaining books…hymns to God and precepts.” The prologue of the apocryphal book, Ecclesiasticus (about 190 B.C.), gives further evidence that the Old Testament had three distinct divisions. When the Hebrew text was translated into Greek by the Jews of Alexandria, Egypt, around 250 B.C., the three divisions of the Hebrew Old Testament were expanded to four in order to include an added section for the poetical books. The extra section was necessary because more space was needed to write a passage in Greek rather than in Hebrew. Unlike the Hebrew language, the Greek language is written with vowels and requires more room than Hebrew to record a piece of information. The translators of the Septuagint, therefore, divided each of several Hebrew scrolls into two books (for example, Chronicles became 1 and 2 Chronicles). The Hebrew division of the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings are given in Bible LIFEPAC 1106, page 21.

The history of man from Creation to 1400 B.C. is covered in the Law of Moses, the Torah. The Law includes the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. All these books were written by Moses during the forty-year wilderness wanderings and speak of the coming Messiah. Genesis 3:15 is the first mention of the coming Saviour. The book of Leviticus gives a detailed revelation of how God restores lost men to Himself; and, with its description of various sacrifices, it provides a picture of the anticipated sacrificial death of Christ for the sins of mankind. The book of the prophets, the Nabhiim, is the second and most extensive group of books found in the Hebrew Old Testament. This group is divided into the Former Prophets and the Latter Prophets. Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings are included in the Former Prophets; Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve are included in the Latter Prophets. We know the Twelve as the Minor Prophets. The books in the Nabhiim were written by men who had the gift and office of prophet. The Talmudic writers diligently studied to affirm the authenticity of each book of the Old Testament and recognized the authorship of each book assigned by the Jews of antiquity. The following charts give a summary and overview of the Former and Latter Prophets and will help you in your review of the formation of the Old Testament. Refer to Bible LIFEPAC 1106, page 24, for the details of the Former and Latter Prophets. 10

The Former Prophets Scope: 1400-587 B.C. History covered: over 900 years—time of Joshua to the time of the Babylonian Captivity. Some New Testament passages referring to the Former Prophets: Matthew 5:17; Luke 16:29 and 31, 24:27; Matthew 11:13; Hebrews 13:5, 11:32; and Romans 11:4

The Latter Prophets

Prophecy:

Often referred to as the Major and Minor Prophets; concerned with the Messiah, His Incarnation, and His ministry

The third section of the Hebrew Old Testament is the Writings, or the Kethubim. These Writings have enjoyed a wide use within the Jewish culture for thousands of years and were read to the people during such occasions as the feast of Passover and the feast of Tabernacles. The Writings include these three groups:

These books were included as part of the Writings because the writers possessed the gift of prophecy, but they did not hold the office of prophet. Refer to the chart on the Writings, found in Bible LIFEPAC 1106, page 25, for the scope of these books. After the completion of the historical books by Ezra and the prophecies of Malachi, God gave no written revelation for the next 400 years. With the appearance of John the Baptist, this silent period of time ended. The prophecy of Malachi 3:1 had been fulfilled; God had sent His “…messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his Temple…”

1. The poetical books: Psalms, Proverbs, and Job; 2. The five rolls, or Megilloth: The Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Esther, and Ecclesiastes; and 3. The historical books: Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles.

➲

Complete these activities. You can use the charts provided in this section or the ones in Bible LIFEPAC 1106.

1.48

List the three divisions of writings found in the Hebrew Old Testament. a. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ b. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ c. ______________________________________________________________________________________________

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1.49

List the four books of the Former Prophets. a. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ b. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ c. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ d. ______________________________________________________________________________________________

➲

Answer true or false (use the charts for some answers).

1.50

_____________ The Lord Jesus Christ and other believers spoke of and referred to the three-fold division of the Hebrew Scriptures.

1.51

_____________ The history of man from 1400 B.C. to the time of the Babylonian Captivity is covered in the Torah.

1.52

_____________ Both the Torah and the Latter Prophets refer to the coming Messiah.

1.53

_____________ The Writings are the second and most extensive group of books found in the Hebrew Old Testament.

1.54

_____________ The Writings were written by men who held the office of prophet and had the gift of prophecy.

1.55

_____________ The books of the Nabhiim were written by those had both the gift of prophecy and held the office of prophet.

➲

Complete these statements.

1.56

The Law was written by_______________________________________________________________________ .

1.57

The prophecy concerning the forerunner of Jesus Christ, John the Baptist, is mentioned in the book of_________________________________________________________________________________________ .

1.58

The five rolls of the Writings are called the ___________________________________________________ .

1.59

During special occasions like the feasts of Tabernacles and the Passover, the ________________ were read.

➲ 1.60

Answer this question. Why was the Hebrew Old Testament expanded into four sections when it was translated into Greek by the Jews of Alexandria, Egypt? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

Formation of the New Testament. The books of the New Testament were written within a period of about fifty years and contain a record of the person, purpose, work, and plan of the Lord Jesus Christ. The New Testament is divided into these sections: the four Gospels; the book of Acts; the twenty-one Epistles; and the book of Revelation. The New Testament books were written by those

men who were apostles or delegates of apostles. Luke, for example, traveled with Paul and wrote his Gospel and the book of Acts. Mark traveled with Peter; and Jude mentioned James, his brother, in his Epistle. All these men were not called apostles, but they still wrote with the same authority as those who were commissioned apostles. 12

The recipients of each New Testament book were either the local churches or individuals within a local church. Many of the writings were written for encouragement to Jewish Christians who were suffering persecution; some, to church leaders for the teaching of the doctrines of Christ; and others, to inform individuals about Christ and the Christian life. You may wish to refer to the chart in Bible LIFEPAC 1106, page 27, to enhance your understanding of each New Testament book.

The last division of the Hebrew Old Testament was not finally organized and completed until after the Jews had returned from the Babylonian Exile (586-536 B.C.). During this period, the rabbis met to approve the Writings as part of God’s Word. The Writings consisted of poetical, historical, and prophetic books; and, after careful examination and supervision by the rabbis, they passed the test for being part of the Hebrew canon. All the books of the Hebrew canon had to pass these criteria:

Canonicity of the Old Testament. The main concern of the study of canonicity is when man recognized the Scriptures that God formed, not when man formed the canon of the Scriptures. The word canon comes from Greek. The Greek word kanon refers to a reed that was used as a measuring rod. The term has come to mean the standard by which the books of the Bible were measured. In Luke 11:51 Jesus confirmed the extent of the canonicity of the Hebrew Old Testament. His statement covers the martyrdom of Abel (Genesis 4:8) and of Zechariah (2 Chronicles 24:21). Other statements made by Jesus in the New Testament, as well as evidence from the Jewish historian Josephus, support the fact that the Hebrew Scriptures were recognized in their entirety before the Resurrection. The first books to receive recognition by God’s people were those of the Pentateuch. These books speak of the inspiration of God (Exodus 24:3-4) and therefore testify to their own acceptance as Scripture. Other writers in both the Old and New Testaments refer to the Pentateuch, providing further support for their canonicity. The second division of books in the Hebrew canon, the Prophets, also speak of their own inspiration. 1 Samuel 3:11 and Joshua 24:26 are two verses which indicate that the text was the Word of God. Because this second division of books had many authors and covered a period of nine hundred years, their recognition by God’s people required a greater period of time. All the known writers of the Prophets had the gift of prophecy and held the office of prophet; these conditions gave support for their writings as Scripture. The book of Isaiah, found in the Prophets, gives an excellent example of fulfilled prophecy concerning the Messiah. Isaiah 7:14, 9:6 and chapter 53 all speak of the Messiah. The New Testament writers also referred to these books and often used passages from them to build upon certain doctrines. One example is Habakkuk 2:4, which is repeated in Romans 1:17: “…The just shall live by faith.”

1. Is the book authoritative? 2. Is the book prophetic: was it written by a man of God? 3. Is the book authentic? 4. Is the book dynamic: did it come from the life-changing power of God? 5. Was the book received, read, collected, and used by the people of God? The books that did not pass these criteria included the Pseudepigrapha and the Apocrypha. In the Pseudepigrapha are books that have no authenticity and that conflict with prophecies from the Hebrew canon. Even though the Apocrypha included such interesting historical books as Esdras and Maccabees, certain doctrinal differences with the Scriptures made them unacceptable. Second Maccabees 12:41-46, for instance, mentions prayers and offerings that were made on behalf of saints who have died. This teaching is contrary to the teaching found in John 3:18 and 36 of salvation by grace through faith. Canonicity of the New Testament. The formation of the twenty-seven New Testament books took a relatively short time in comparison to the formation of the Old Testament. The books were received by God’s people between A.D. 45 and A.D. 93, but their recognition as Scripture extended into the fifth century after Christ. Six questions were asked by the church fathers concerning accepting the books of the New Testament: 1. 2. 3. 4

Did the text claim inspiration? Was the text apostolic in origin? Was the book received by the churches? Was the text consistent with other inspired works? 5. Was the work recognized as being from God? 6. Did the writing contain exhortation for its public use?

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gists and the theologians. This chart will help you review these periods surrounding the canonicity of the New Testament.

From the age of the church fathers, the acceptance of the New Testament as God’s revelation to man progressed through the periods of the apolo-

Period

Time

Major Contributions

Age of the apostles

A.D. 32-93

writing of the New Testament; writings recognized as the Word of God and used in the local churches

Age of the Church Fathers

A.D. 100-150

frequent references to the Gospels and Epistles; Old and New Testaments used as part of the worship service

Age of the Apologists

A.D. 150-300

aided the formation of the canon by constant defense of the Christian faith with reference to the New Testament

Age of the Theologians

A.D. 300-590

Council of Laodicea confirmed all the books of the New Testament, except Revelation, as part of the canon; Revelation was placed into the canon in A.D. 419

Throughout the age of the theologians, attempts were made to destroy the Scriptures and the Christian faith. The Scriptures, however, survived these attempts and remain with us today. The early church leaders so thoroughly accepted

the canon of the New Testament that no book has been removed from the canon. God’s Word, as Christ said in Matthew 24:35, “…shall not pass away.”

➲

Define these terms.

1.61

canonicity _____________________________________________________________________________________

1.62

kanon__________________________________________________________________________________________

1.63

authenticity ___________________________________________________________________________________

➲

Answer true or false.

1.64

______________

The Pentateuch was the first division of the Old Testament to be accepted by God’s people.

1.65

______________

Both the Pentateuch and the Prophets speak of their own inspiration from God.

1.66

______________

The fulfillment of prophecy found in the Prophets did not help to give support to their recognition as Scripture.

1.67

______________

Isaiah 50, is only one of the many passages in Isaiah that refers to the Messiah.

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➲

Complete this chart. Write the correct information in the blanks.

1.68

Period

Time

Major Contributions

Age of the Church Fathers

A.D. a. ____________________

frequent references to the Gospels and b. ____________________________

➲ 1.69

Age of the c. ________________ A. D. 150-300

constant defense of the canon with reference to the d. ____________________________ ____________________________

Age of the Theologians

Council of f. _________________ confirmed all the books of the canon except Revelation

A.D. e. _________________

Complete these activities. List three of the five questions asked by canon scholars pertaining to the canonization of the books of the Old Testament. a. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ b. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ c. ______________________________________________________________________________________________

1.70

List four of the six questions asked by the church fathers pertaining to the canonization of the books of the New Testament. a. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ b. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ c. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ d. ______________________________________________________________________________________________

➲ 1.71

Answer these questions. Why were the historical books of Esdras and Maccabees not accepted into the canon of the Old Testament? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

1.72

In what early period of the formation of the New Testament were attempts made to destroy the Scriptures? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

➲

Complete these statements.

1.73

The Hebrew Scriptures were recognized in their entirety before the _________________________ .

1.74

To build upon certain doctrines, the New Testament writers often referred to the books of the ________________________________________________________________________________________________ . 15

1.75

The last division of the Old Testament was finally organized and completed after the Jews returned from the _____________________________________________________________________________ .

1.76

The books that did not pass the questions asked by the canon scholars included the a. _______ ______________ and the b. _______________________________ .

THE FINDINGS OF ARCHAEOLOGY Some important archaeological findings have substantiated the historical reliability of the Bible and have confirmed God’s declaration concerning the infallibility of His Word. Archaeology is the scientific study of the life and culture of ancient people. With the help of other sciences and professions, the archaeologist’s job is to reconstruct the environmental conditions (geological, geographical, and climactic) that influenced the vocations and overall living conditions of ancient people.

Old Testament discoveries. Through the work of dedicated scholars, Bible cities have been rediscovered and have provided modern man with a better understanding of the lands and people of the past. Most of the archaeological findings that have related to the Bible have been made within the twentieth century. Earlier discoveries, however, helped prepare the way for the modern era of archaeology. Some of the major discoveries made in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries include

Major Archaeological Discoveries Discovery

Discovery Date

Place

Description

Significance

Rosetta Stone

1799

Nile River Valley

slab of black basalt measuring 3’9” x 2’4”x 11’–bears the inscription of Greek, hieroglyphic, and demotic writings

key to the language and literature of Egypt

Behistun Inscription

partially deciphered over a decade by Sir Henry C. Rawlinson starting in 1837

old caravan route between Babylon and Ecbatana

a large outdoor panel with columns of inscriptions of three ancient languages

records the exploits of Darius the king of Persia

Ancient Hur– rian city of Nuzi

1925–1931

city dated around four– teenth and fifteenth cen– turies B.C.

several thousand cuneiform texts uncovered

Nuzi tablets provided insight into the patriarchal era

Dead Sea Scrolls

1947

Dead Sea region of Wadi Qumran

scrolls containing 600 inscriptions of Hebrew and Aramaic writings

provided arch– aelolgists the most ancient Old Testament manuscripts

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era. J. L. Starkey’s findings of a group of twentyone letters at the ancient city of Lachish provided an independent view of the conditions in Judah before the fall of Jerusalem, which is described in the book of Jeremiah.

the Rosetta Stone, the Behistun Inscription, the Amarna Letters from Egypt, and the Moabite Stone, or Mesha Stone. Important discoveries of the early twentieth century include the code of Hammurabi in 1901, and the Ras Shamra tablets excavated between 1929 and 1937 by Claude F. Schaffer. From 1925 to 1931, a joint expedition of archaeologists discovered the ancient Hurrian city of Nuzi. The expedition uncovered several thousand cuneiform texts that have considerable insight into the lives of the Hurrians, or Horites, often mentioned in the Old Testament. The texts also gave information about the patriarchal era and historical evidence to support the customs surrounding Abraham and later patriarchs described in the book of Genesis. Excavations in 1933 by Andre Parrot, and from 1932 to 1938 by J. L. Starkey, exposed invaluable knowledge of the Old Testament. Andre Parrot’s excavation of clay tablets at the ancient city called Mari provided more insight into the patriarchal

➲

New Testament discoveries. In 1947 the Dead Sea Scrolls were accidentally found by two Bedouin goat herders in a region of the Dead Sea called Wadi Qumran. The leather scrolls contained over six hundred fragmentary inscriptions of Hebrew and Aramaic writings. These scrolls provided archaeologists with the most ancient Old Testament manuscripts. The scrolls contained fragments of all the books of the Hebrew canon, with the exception of Esther, and were the first major ancient biblical manuscripts to be discovered. In 1951 the Arabs discovered the ruin named Khirbet Qumran. The excavation of the ruin revealed the existence of a monastic Jewish community inhabited by the Jewish sect known as the Essenes.

On the space provided, write the discovery that the phrase describes. Rosetta Stone

Mari Tablets

Dead Sea Scrolls

1.77

_______________________________________

These clay tablets excavated by Andre Parrot provided more insight into the patriarchal era.

1.78

_______________________________________

This finding contained inscriptions of Hebrew and Aramaic writing.

1.79

_______________________________________

Discovered in 1799, this finding bore inscription of Greek, hieroglyphic, and demotic writings.

➲

Complete these statements.

1.80

From 1925 to 1931, the ancient city of the Hurrians, ______________________ , was uncovered.

1.81

The Dead Sea Scrolls were initially discovered in the year ______________________ .

1.82

The Essene community was found at the ruin which the Arabs called ______________________ .

1.83

Archaeology is the scientific study of a. ____________________________________ people and their b. ______________________ .

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OPTIONAL

➲ 1.84

.................................................................

Complete this activity. Read the article in the December, 1978 issue of National Geographic concerning the discovery of the Ebla Tablets in Syria. Write a three-page report explaining the significance of the Ebla Tablets and their impact on the Old Testament. Turn in the report to your teacher when you are finished.

✔

✞

Adult check ______________________ Initial Date

Review the material in this section in preparation for the Self Test. The Self Test will check your mastery of this particular section. The items missed on this Self Test will indicate specific areas where restudy is needed for mastery.

SELF TEST 1 Match these items (each answer, 2 points). 1.01

___________ the angel of the Lord

a. represents a material object

1.02

___________ ideograph

b. the first five books of Hebrew Bible

1.03

___________ calamus

c. introductory studies

1.04

___________ Nabhiim

d. from the patriarchal era

1.05

___________ kanon

e. critical analysis of a word

1.06

___________ Pentateuch

f. an ancient writing pen

1.07

___________ isogogics

g. represents an idea

1.08

___________ inspiration

h. book of the Prophets

1.09

___________ exegesis

i. God-breathed

1.010

___________ Rosetta Stone

j. an Essene community

1.011

___________ Mari Tablets

k. a reed used as a measuring rod

1.012

___________ Khirbet Qumran

l. work of the Holy Spirit

1.013

___________ illumination

m. an appearance by God as an angel or man

1.014

___________ Nuzi

n. scientific study of ancient people

1.015

___________ archaeology

o. Hurrian city p. Greek, hieroglyphic, and demotic writing

Complete these statements (each answer, 3 points). 1.016

The Bible contains a. __________________ books written over a period of b. __________________ hundred years.

1.017

God has revealed Himself to man through a. __________________ and b. __________________ means.

1.018

The study of the doctrine of interpretation is referred to as _____________________________ .

1.019

The Hebrew text was translated into Greek by the __________________ of Alexandria, Egypt.

1.020

The last division of the Old Testament was finally organized and completed when the Jews returned from the __________________ .

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1.021

The three ways that God has revealed Himself to man are a. ________________________________ , b. _________________________________ , and c. _______________________________ .

1.022

The three divisions of the Hebrew Old Testament are a. _____________________________________ , b. ___________________________________ , and c. ________________________________ .

1.023

Three of the questions that all the books included in the Hebrew canon had to positively answer were a. ___________________________________ , b. ___________________________________ , and c. __________________________________________ .

Answer true or false (each answer, 1 point). 1.024

____________ God waited until His people had emerged as a nation to have His revelation recorded in written form.

1.025

____________ The Hebrew Scriptures were recognized in their entirety before the Resurrection.

1.026

____________ The first division of the Old Testament to be recognized as Scripture was the Pentateuch.

1.027

____________ The Council of Laodicea confirmed all of the books of the canon.

1.028

____________ The Dead Sea Scrolls contain inscriptions of Greek and Aramaic writings.

Answer these questions (each answer, 5 points). 1.029

Why did God use written revelation? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

1.030

Why did God wait for many generations before He had man record His revelation? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

1.031

Why was the Apocrypha not accepted into the Hebrew canon? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

1.032

What is the major significance of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

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82 103

19

Score Adult check

______________________ ______________________ Initial Date