A Short History of the Scriptures

Week 1: Revelation and Inspiration Week 2: Overview of the Development of

the Bible Week 3: The WORD and the Hebrew Bible Week 4: Septuagint and Talmud Week 5: Christ and the Second

Testament Week 6: The Developing Bible Week 7: The Reformation and Historical

Criticism Week 8: What Does it All Mean?

For Week 2: Handout For Week 3: Pelikan: Intro, Ch. 1 & 2 For Week 4: Pelikan: Ch. 3 & 4 For Week 5: Pelikan: Ch. 5 & 6 For Week 6: Pelikan: Ch. 7 & 8 For Week 7: Pelikan: Ch. 9 & 10 For Week 8: Pelikan: Ch. 11, 12 &

Afterword

Do you have a study Bible? Does it have “introductions” to each book

of the Bible? Read introductions which correspond to

Pelikan’s chapters. Meditate upon at least one scriptural text with which you are unfamiliar.

Each week there’s 20-50 pages to read.

Should take you 1-2 hours at the most.

Mark in your books, write down questions!

It’s going to be unfamiliar, but don’t be daunted.

When you study and read scripture, you will be amazed.

Read the assignment and scripture for that week.

Email me and I will send you the power point file for the lesson you missed.

Email me if you want an audio file of the discussion.

What IS it?Write down your own understanding of

what the Bible IS.

I know, this sounds pretty basic! It is!

Write down your ideas of what the Bible is (or should be) FOR?

Purpose? Use?

Scripture Tradition

Sola Scriptura !!!

Scripture Tradition

Reason Experience

Holy Spirit

Scripture Tradition

NOTE HOW SCRIPTURE IS IN ALL OF THESE

TRADITIONAL AND HISTORICAL MODELS OF

REVELATION

Write down your ideas about how the Bible is inspired.

How might this have happened?

Automatic WritingDictation Theory

Verbal Plenary InspirationIlluminated by Holy Spirit

Inspired and Thoroughly HumanDevotional text

Religious Classic

How much was directly from God?

How much was distinctly human?

How would we know?

The human author becomes possessed by God and loses consciousness of self, surrendering to the divine spirit and its communicatory powers.

The Holy Spirit predetermined each word that the authors wrote. The authors were thus performing the function of secretary.

The authors expressed their thoughts in their own style and words, while the Holy Spirit only intervened as needed, in order to keep them from making mistakes.

Authors inspired by Spirit so their normal powers of observation and writing were heightened. Called ‘inspiration by illumination’.

Not inerrant.

‘Both-and’ in the way of the incarnation of Christ. Fully human and fully divine.

A largest percent of Presbyterians (48%) opted for this choice of their view of inspiration in a poll done in the 1980s

Portions of the Bible, including some of its theological and ethical positions, may not be the inspired word of God.

Examples: Slavery, Levitical Laws, Women Silent in Church

The Bible speaks only to individual salvation and private piety . It is to be used for my own private devotions only.

The view that the Bible is “great literature”: no more, no less.

Not inspired, not inerrant.

Automatic WritingDictation Theory

Verbal Plenary InspirationIlluminated by Holy Spirit

Inspired and Thoroughly HumanDevotional text

Religious Classic

All of these focus upon the AUTHORSHIP of the Bible.

Paradigm shift in the 1960s to Scriptureas normative witness to Christ.

The Bible is a MEANS rather than the END, of the process of inspiration.

A focus NOT on FactsBut on WITNESSAnd on Christ, The Living WORD.

Week 2: Overview of the Development of the Bible

For Week 2: Handout

Who Else Needs a Book?