The Uniqueness of the Bible - Part 1
Introduction - Lesson 3
Observe & Consider
The Bible is the most quoted, most translated, most published book in human history,1 completely unique in its creation, content, and accuracy. And while the uniqueness of the Bible does not irrefutably prove that it is the revelation of God, when one truly considers the nature of this book, it takes more faith to believe that it was simply written and compiled by humans than to believe that it is a work of God. Let's think about this.
The Bible is unique in its diversity and harmony.
Written over a span of 40 generations and about 1600 years, by more than 40 authors from varying walks of life, on three continents (Asia, Africa and Europe) and in three languages (Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek), the Bible is unlike any other book in the world. It includes history, poetry, prophecy, law, parables and preaching, and covers a broad range of subject matter (including hundreds of controversial topics) from the nature of God to the origin of man.2
Considering this diversity, one might expect at least some conflict or inconsistency in the content and themes presented in the Bible, and yet . . .
the Bible centers around one complete epic story featuring one extraordinary character.
the Bible addresses numerous topics and themes throughout the text with incredible harmony and resolution. (For instance, the paradise lost of the first book of the Bible becomes the paradise regained of the last book of the Bible. The access to the Tree of Life, which was closed in the first book of the Bible, is opened forevermore in the last book of the Bible.)
Like the instruments in a symphony, each writer of the Bible is quite different from the others. When you hear an orchestra playing with flawless harmony, you naturally assume that it is being directed by an accomplished conductor. Why should we think any differently in regard to the Bible, which is far more complex in content and scope than any symphonic score?
The Bible is unique in its textual reliability.
Because original manuscripts rarely (if ever) exist for the world's most important ancient literary works, the question must be asked of any ancient book, "Do the earliest copies in existence accurately convey the content of the original document?" Scholars consider several factors when determining what is known as textual reliability. These include:
The method by which copies were made
The time between the earliest known copy and the original manuscript
The number of early copies in existence
The comparative consistency of the earliest copies
Measured by these standards, there is no other book in the world that even comes close to the textual reliability of the New Testament of the Bible.3 Note in the chart below4 that those who made the earliest copies of the New Testament were either contemporaries of, or only a few generations removed from, the original writers. Notice also the number of copies that were made within that period of time. The difference between the New Testament of the Bible and other ancient works is astounding.
AUTHOR
When Written
Earliest Copy
Time Span
No. of Copies
Caesar (Gallic Wars)
100-44 B.C.
900 A.D.
1,000 yrs.
10
Plato (Tetralogies)
427-347 B.C.
900 A.D.
1,200 yrs.
7
Tacitus (Annals)
100 A.D.
1100 A.D.
1,000 yrs.
20
Pliny the Younger (History)
61-113 A.D.
850 A.D.
750 yrs.
7
Thucydides (History)
460-400B.C.
900 A.D.
1,300 yrs.
8
Suetonius (De Vita Caesarum)
75-160 A.D.
950 A.D.
800 yrs.
8
Herodotus (History)
480-425 B.C.
900 A.D.
1,390 yrs.
8
Sophocles
496-406 B.C.
1000 A.D.
1,400 yrs.
193
Catullus
54 B.C.
1550 A.D.
1,600 yrs.
3
Euripides
480-406 B.C.
1100 A.D.
1,500 yrs.
9
Demosthenes
383-322 B.C.
1100 A.D.
1,300 yrs.
200
Aristotle
384-322 B.C.
1100 A.D.
1,400 yrs.
49
Aristophanes
450-385 B.C.
900 A.D.
1,200 yrs.
10
Homer (Iliad)
900 B.C.
400 B.C.
500 yrs.
643
New Testament
40-100 A.D.
125 A.D.
25 yrs.
over 24,000
(5,300 ancient Greek, 10,000 Latin Vulgate, over 9,300 other)
Unlike the New Testament, there is no abundance of early copies of the Old Testament of the Bible. So, when one considers the textual reliability of the Old Testament, it is important to understand the method by which these ancient manuscripts were copied.
The copying process5 itself was reserved for a special group of people in Jewish culture known as scribes. Scribes were professional penmen who copied manuscripts using a strict systematic process to achieve the highest accuracy possible. For example:
The scribes were not allowed to copy sentence-for-sentence or even word-for-word. They copied letter-for-letter.
A scribe had to copy the original page so that the exact number of words on the page remained unchanged. If an original page had 296 words, then the page being copied must contain the same 296 words.
Each line on a new page had to be the exact length as the line on the old page. If the first line on the original page had nine words, the first line on the copy page had to have nine words.
After each page was copied and checked by another, still a third person would check to verify that the middle letter on the copied page was the same as the middle letter on the original.
If a single mistake was made, the copy was destroyed.
These steps insured that copies of Old Testament manuscripts accurately conveyed the content of their originals. As is the case with the New Testament, no other ancient manuscript in the world surpasses the textual reliability of the Old Testament.
Ask & Reflect
Does the information you have studied today change the way you view the Bible?
If so, how? If not, why not?
What would it take for you to look at the Bible in a different way, or perhaps to see something you've not yet seen? (This question is for those who are already familiar with the Bible as well as those who are not.)
Decide & Do
Today's lesson was a little longer than most of the lessons in this study. If you didn't feel that you were able to digest all of the information here, set aside some time to come back to it.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
BIBLE STUDY 2
The Need for a Reference Point
Introduction - Lesson 2
Observe & Consider
In Lesson 1 we considered the question of life's meaning and purpose. We also recalled this line from The HOPE: "For those who seek answers, for those who are listening, there is a voice." (The HOPE, Introduction). And finally, we concluded with the question, "Am I listening?"
Perhaps you are listening for answers to questions about life and meaning. The problem is there are so many competing voices. Beyond the major world religions (i.e. Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Christianity), there are hundreds of religions and world views. All of these advocate a particular approach to life. In many cases, each of them claims to be the way to find God. However, none of them fully agree (and most radically disagree) on the nature of God and how He may be found. With so many conflicting teachings, how can a person know which way is the right way? It would help to have a reference point.
Every traveler needs help to find his way through a strange land. Some might rely on a trusted guide - one who has successfully completed the journey and is able to help others do the same. Some might use a map or instructions from one who knows the way. Others have depended upon a landmark or a star as a fixed reference point by which they can know their position and measure their progress.
Like a traveler in a strange land, we also need help to find our way in this journey called life. We need a source of help that has been tested by others and proven to be trustworthy. We need a reference point - something constant and true by which we can set our course. Without such a reference point, we will be like a man in a small boat, in a dense fog, on an infinite sea - lost, drifting...and without direction.
Ask & Reflect
Imagine that you are blind-folded and standing on the goal line of a soccer field. Now imagine that someone points you toward the opposite end of the field and instructs you to walk in a straight line until you reach the far goal. A person in this situation will almost always veer off to one side of the field or the other before he ever reaches the midfield.
This happens because everyone has a dominant leg with which he takes longer strides, causing him to veer in that direction.1 In other words, we are all physically "biased" toward our dominant side. (This is also why people who are lost in the wilderness usually end up walking in circles.)
The basic principle of this illustration can also be applied to matters of the soul. When it comes to how we view the world around us, we are all biased in one way or another by our unique emotional, mental, and spiritual dispositions. Many people walk through life unaware of the degree to which their bias influences their course.
To further complicate things, imagine that as you walk blind-folded on that soccer field, voices all along the sidelines are beckoning you to come this way or that way. The many religions and worldviews of our day are like those voices on the sidelines beckoning you to follow. Your attempt to walk the length of the field would not only be influenced by your personal bias, but by the biased influence of those around you as well.
But what if someone lifted your blind-fold and you could see clearly the goal at the other end of the field? That goal would serve as a reference point by which you could set your course. You could walk in a straight line and not be misled by the voices all around you. Many have set the course of their life toward a goal without ever reaching it; or after reaching it, have discovered that it was not what they thought. Like the traveler in a strange land, in the journey of life we need a reference point that has been tested and proven trustworthy by many others, one that will not disappoint.
In your life, do you have a trustworthy reference point for your soul? One by which you can set the course of your life, and correct your direction if necessary?
If so, what is that reference point?
What are the main influences (voices) that have shaped your views about God, i.e. voices from childhood, family, teachers or educators, friends, role models or heroes?
Decide & Do
In the Bible we find a verse in the book of Proverbs that says, "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death" (Proverbs 14:12).
Take an inventory this week of the voices in life that have beckoned you their way. Were they reliable, trustworthy, and safe to follow? If not, why did you follow? Take time to process where your views about God have been shaped and by whom.
Today's lesson on our need for a reference point was not just an abstract exercise. It is very true that your perception determines your path, and your path determines your destiny. Take care in choosing the way you will go. Your choice will have significant, eternal consequences.
There is another verse that says that God's Word (the Bible) is "a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105). The remaining lessons for this week will offer reasons to make the Bible your reference point as you journey through life. Decide not to rush through these sections. Set aside the time you need to consider carefully what you will read. You'll be glad you did.
Introduction - Lesson 2
Observe & Consider
In Lesson 1 we considered the question of life's meaning and purpose. We also recalled this line from The HOPE: "For those who seek answers, for those who are listening, there is a voice." (The HOPE, Introduction). And finally, we concluded with the question, "Am I listening?"
Perhaps you are listening for answers to questions about life and meaning. The problem is there are so many competing voices. Beyond the major world religions (i.e. Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Christianity), there are hundreds of religions and world views. All of these advocate a particular approach to life. In many cases, each of them claims to be the way to find God. However, none of them fully agree (and most radically disagree) on the nature of God and how He may be found. With so many conflicting teachings, how can a person know which way is the right way? It would help to have a reference point.
Every traveler needs help to find his way through a strange land. Some might rely on a trusted guide - one who has successfully completed the journey and is able to help others do the same. Some might use a map or instructions from one who knows the way. Others have depended upon a landmark or a star as a fixed reference point by which they can know their position and measure their progress.
Like a traveler in a strange land, we also need help to find our way in this journey called life. We need a source of help that has been tested by others and proven to be trustworthy. We need a reference point - something constant and true by which we can set our course. Without such a reference point, we will be like a man in a small boat, in a dense fog, on an infinite sea - lost, drifting...and without direction.
Ask & Reflect
Imagine that you are blind-folded and standing on the goal line of a soccer field. Now imagine that someone points you toward the opposite end of the field and instructs you to walk in a straight line until you reach the far goal. A person in this situation will almost always veer off to one side of the field or the other before he ever reaches the midfield.
This happens because everyone has a dominant leg with which he takes longer strides, causing him to veer in that direction.1 In other words, we are all physically "biased" toward our dominant side. (This is also why people who are lost in the wilderness usually end up walking in circles.)
The basic principle of this illustration can also be applied to matters of the soul. When it comes to how we view the world around us, we are all biased in one way or another by our unique emotional, mental, and spiritual dispositions. Many people walk through life unaware of the degree to which their bias influences their course.
To further complicate things, imagine that as you walk blind-folded on that soccer field, voices all along the sidelines are beckoning you to come this way or that way. The many religions and worldviews of our day are like those voices on the sidelines beckoning you to follow. Your attempt to walk the length of the field would not only be influenced by your personal bias, but by the biased influence of those around you as well.
But what if someone lifted your blind-fold and you could see clearly the goal at the other end of the field? That goal would serve as a reference point by which you could set your course. You could walk in a straight line and not be misled by the voices all around you. Many have set the course of their life toward a goal without ever reaching it; or after reaching it, have discovered that it was not what they thought. Like the traveler in a strange land, in the journey of life we need a reference point that has been tested and proven trustworthy by many others, one that will not disappoint.
In your life, do you have a trustworthy reference point for your soul? One by which you can set the course of your life, and correct your direction if necessary?
If so, what is that reference point?
What are the main influences (voices) that have shaped your views about God, i.e. voices from childhood, family, teachers or educators, friends, role models or heroes?
Decide & Do
In the Bible we find a verse in the book of Proverbs that says, "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death" (Proverbs 14:12).
Take an inventory this week of the voices in life that have beckoned you their way. Were they reliable, trustworthy, and safe to follow? If not, why did you follow? Take time to process where your views about God have been shaped and by whom.
Today's lesson on our need for a reference point was not just an abstract exercise. It is very true that your perception determines your path, and your path determines your destiny. Take care in choosing the way you will go. Your choice will have significant, eternal consequences.
There is another verse that says that God's Word (the Bible) is "a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105). The remaining lessons for this week will offer reasons to make the Bible your reference point as you journey through life. Decide not to rush through these sections. Set aside the time you need to consider carefully what you will read. You'll be glad you did.
BIBLE STUDY
The Universal Question
Introduction - Lesson 1
The HOPE video begins with these words...
Throughout time people have considered the world in which we live; the complexity and beauty of nature, the mystery of life and death, the depth of human joy and pain . . . and they have wondered, 'How did it all come to be?' Is this world the result of chance . . . or design? Is there something, or someone, behind it all? And if there is such a being, then what is He like? Does He have a purpose for this world? Does He have a purpose for me in this world? Does He have a purpose for me beyond this world?
-The HOPE, Introduction
Observe & Consider
These questions from the beginning of The HOPE are not new. People have long pondered the meaning and purpose of their lives, and they have questioned the presence of a divine creator. For many, questions about purpose and the existence of God are inseparable. Even the prominent 20th century atheist Bertrand Russell once said, "Unless you assume a God, the question of life's purpose is meaningless."1
Why would an avowed atheist make such a statement? Because purpose implies intent, and intent implies design. And if there is a design to this world, then there must be a designer. Perhaps then, there are questions even more basic than that of life's purpose.
Is there a Designer . . . and is this Designer knowable?
Please understand that it is not the intent of The HOPE to prove God...but rather to reveal Him. As the narrator says at the outset of the video, "for those who seek answers, for those who are listening, there is a voice."
What about you? Are you listening? Maybe you've already made up your mind that God does not exist, or maybe you believe there is a God, but you're unsure about what He is like. For the purpose of our study, perhaps you should ask yourself before you go further, "Am I really listening? Is it possible that there is something about God I've not yet heard or understood?"
In the Bible we find a verse that tells us God has long been speaking, but that man has not always listened to Him or received His message.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened (Romans 1:20-21).
God is not silent. Since time began He has spoken through his creation. And for just as long, rather than simply receiving this revelation and honoring God, people have determined for themselves what they think He is like. As we see from the Romans 1 verse, the results of such speculation are futile. If we were to read further in Romans 1, we would see that such speculation is ultimately disastrous.
For the course of our study, will you consider God (or determine to discover more about Him) as He would reveal Himself? Will you listen, instead of holding on to your own ideas or speculations about God? If you will, this study guide could become quite an adventure in faith.
Ask & Reflect
Some people hear only what they want (or need) to hear...and some do not want to hear anything at all. Consider a few of the things that might keep someone from listening, and really hearing from God:
Pride - the need to be in control
Lifestyle - behavior we intuitively know is unacceptable to God, but do not want to change
Woundedness - painful experiences from our past that keep us from trusting others
What else might keep a person from listening to, and really hearing, the truth of God?
How would you answer the question, "What is the purpose of life?" Or more specifically, "What is the purpose of your life?"
Decide & Do
Another Bible verse in the book of Jeremiah reads: "And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13). Regardless of where you are in your journey with God, this verse is for you. You may be asking questions about the existence of God, or you may already consider yourself a believer, but you want to know God more intimately. He promises to be found when we search wholeheartedly for Him.
As you begin this study, be prepared to let God show you who He is, and to discover new things about God and yourself. Determine that you will "search for Him with your whole heart," and write a purpose statement to that effect:
As I begin this study of The HOPE, I will...
Introduction - Lesson 1
The HOPE video begins with these words...
Throughout time people have considered the world in which we live; the complexity and beauty of nature, the mystery of life and death, the depth of human joy and pain . . . and they have wondered, 'How did it all come to be?' Is this world the result of chance . . . or design? Is there something, or someone, behind it all? And if there is such a being, then what is He like? Does He have a purpose for this world? Does He have a purpose for me in this world? Does He have a purpose for me beyond this world?
-The HOPE, Introduction
Observe & Consider
These questions from the beginning of The HOPE are not new. People have long pondered the meaning and purpose of their lives, and they have questioned the presence of a divine creator. For many, questions about purpose and the existence of God are inseparable. Even the prominent 20th century atheist Bertrand Russell once said, "Unless you assume a God, the question of life's purpose is meaningless."1
Why would an avowed atheist make such a statement? Because purpose implies intent, and intent implies design. And if there is a design to this world, then there must be a designer. Perhaps then, there are questions even more basic than that of life's purpose.
Is there a Designer . . . and is this Designer knowable?
Please understand that it is not the intent of The HOPE to prove God...but rather to reveal Him. As the narrator says at the outset of the video, "for those who seek answers, for those who are listening, there is a voice."
What about you? Are you listening? Maybe you've already made up your mind that God does not exist, or maybe you believe there is a God, but you're unsure about what He is like. For the purpose of our study, perhaps you should ask yourself before you go further, "Am I really listening? Is it possible that there is something about God I've not yet heard or understood?"
In the Bible we find a verse that tells us God has long been speaking, but that man has not always listened to Him or received His message.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened (Romans 1:20-21).
God is not silent. Since time began He has spoken through his creation. And for just as long, rather than simply receiving this revelation and honoring God, people have determined for themselves what they think He is like. As we see from the Romans 1 verse, the results of such speculation are futile. If we were to read further in Romans 1, we would see that such speculation is ultimately disastrous.
For the course of our study, will you consider God (or determine to discover more about Him) as He would reveal Himself? Will you listen, instead of holding on to your own ideas or speculations about God? If you will, this study guide could become quite an adventure in faith.
Ask & Reflect
Some people hear only what they want (or need) to hear...and some do not want to hear anything at all. Consider a few of the things that might keep someone from listening, and really hearing from God:
Pride - the need to be in control
Lifestyle - behavior we intuitively know is unacceptable to God, but do not want to change
Woundedness - painful experiences from our past that keep us from trusting others
What else might keep a person from listening to, and really hearing, the truth of God?
How would you answer the question, "What is the purpose of life?" Or more specifically, "What is the purpose of your life?"
Decide & Do
Another Bible verse in the book of Jeremiah reads: "And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13). Regardless of where you are in your journey with God, this verse is for you. You may be asking questions about the existence of God, or you may already consider yourself a believer, but you want to know God more intimately. He promises to be found when we search wholeheartedly for Him.
As you begin this study, be prepared to let God show you who He is, and to discover new things about God and yourself. Determine that you will "search for Him with your whole heart," and write a purpose statement to that effect:
As I begin this study of The HOPE, I will...
Friday, July 27, 2007
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