INERRANCY AND THE CHARATER OF SCRIPTURE

The Scriptures: Revelation, its Nature and Content “the Scripture of Truth”, Daniel 10:21 Section 1: A Primer on Inerrancy and Authority Section 2: A Primer on The Bible – Its Character Section 1: A Primer on Bible Inerrancy and Authority PART I: Beginning Thoughts on Biblical Inerrancy Introduction The introductory idea of the doctrine of the Bible, the Scriptures, and the issue of inerrancy (that the Scriptures are without error), is that truth which is everywhere believed and assumed in the history of the church. This is where we must start. Regardless of Catholic or Protestant; Sadducees or Pharisee; friend or foe; angel or Devil – the Old and New Testaments as received in the centuries has always been understood as being inerrant. Analogous to attacking inerrancy, ultimately, is akin to undermining the laws of logic and reasoning (if we presuppose the accuracy of Scripture’s own testimony – which is unique). If one undermines the very fabric and basis for truth and logic, how shall one ever get back to deductions unto fact? There is no way to “get back inside” propositional truth(s). Again, Mathematical Law(s) is another example. There were questions of Newton and Einstein regarding the understanding of the data in the universe and how the information was to be interpreted and how it reflected the laws and details of the spheres and atoms. But there was never an assault on the nature of basic numbers; as well as the functions of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division axioms which undergird the calculations of such men. Those laws have never been assaulted. No mathematics professor has ever taken such a tact1. Or may I use both logic and Scripture at this point: “…if the salt has lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted” (Mt 5:13); or, if Scripture has lost its infallibility, how shall it be made perfect again for faith and practice, or how shall we determine any religious fact? By fallible sources? Indeed, if fallible man, with limited facts, and limited capacity, is called upon to decern, judge, and deduce inerrant ideas; how could this judgement ever occur – or be accurate? How would we test, and thus know? How could an uncalibrated thermometer take accurate temperatures? This can/shall never happen. Like natural law, man’s job is to understand what is already true – like any science. Nature and Biblical law are identical (as to the Author) in its scientific studies: We are to investigate the “already-true” facts. 1Actually, one has – to a degree. Paul Feyerabend, in his “Against Method”, comes nearest. He says in his summary of chapter one, “…The only principle that does not inhibit progress is: anything goes”. He did not have a huge fan base. Indeed, one wonders what Mr. Feyerabend would say about the English professor down the hall who, in typing Feyerabend’s thesis, decided to reject all laws of grammar and vocabulary in Feyerabend’s book? Anything goes?? History, and Inerrancy From Harold Lindsell’s “An Historian Looks at Inerrancy”, in “The Scriptures Cannot be Broken” ed. John MacArthur, 2015: “Nowhere in Scripture is there any reasoned argument along this line (e.g. the doctrine of inerrancy) such as will be found for justification by faith alone in Romans and for the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead in 1 Corinthians”. This is significant, because a brief perusal of the New Testament finds protracted expositions of gifts (1 Corinthians 12-14), holiness (Galatians 5), the church (Ephesians 4), the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11) and many other Christian doctrines. Yet the foundation for everything, the nature of Biblical inerrancy, is not touched upon. There is no examination of this seminal truth, any more than a lengthy discourse on the proof of creation by God or the legitimacy of revelation. It is stated, pre-suppositionally, as a fact. Let look at further quotes from Lindsell’s fine article. “There is no great apologetic for the existence of God or for the Trinity. Everywhere these truths are enunciated and taken for granted, however. Yet they are not the subject of formal treatment in the same sense that justification by faith and the resurrection from the dead are dealt with”. “Search the Gospels and you will find little that deals directly with this question of Scripture. Jesus Christ constantly refers to the Old Testament Scriptures, but nowhere does He speak with the view to defend them.” “One can read the balance of the New testament, and search in vain he must, for anything that suggests that the writers sought to formulate a carefully defined doctrine of an inspired, authoritative, and inerrant revelation”. “In the early centuries of the church, the theologians and church councils faced grave problems. But none of them devoted much time to the question of an inspired and inerrant Bible.” “The Reformation period did nothing to change the picture materially relative to inspiration and inerrancy. It is true that the Reformation involved the Scriptures, but never was it a question of either authority or the inspiration of Scriptures”. Summation Two excellent quotes to finish regarding a denial of inerrancy, which, since the late 18th century, has come upon, and at times into, the church: John Murray – “Those who those contend (for Bible errancy [errors]) should, however, be aware of the implications of their positions. If human fallibility precludes an infallible Scripture, then by resistless logic it must be maintained that we cannot have any Scripture that is infallible and inerrant. All of Scripture comes to us through human instrumentality. If such instrumentality involves fallibility, then such fallibility must attach itself to the whole of Scripture. For by what warrant can an immunity from error be maintained in the matter of “spiritual content” (a modern claim, DMT) and not in the matter of historical or scientific fact? Is human fallibility suspended when “spiritual truth” is asserted but not suspended in other less important matters? Furthermore, if infallibility can be attached to the “spiritual truth” enunciated by biblical writers, then it is obvious that some extraordinary divine influence must have intervened and become operative so as to prevent human fallibility from leaving its mark upon the truth expressed. If divine influence could thus intrude itself at certain points, why should not this same preserving power exercise itself at every point in the writing of Scripture? Again, surely human fallibility is just as liable to be at work in connection with the enunciation of transcendent truths as it is when it deals with the details of historical occurrence”. I believe there will be silence from any other position than the historic, Christian position of biblical infallibility. Almost as important, and as spiritually telling, id this comment by J. I. Packer: J. I. Packer - “A century of criticism has certainly thrown some light on the human side of the Bible – its style, language, composition, history, and culture; but whether it has brought the Church a better understanding of its divine message than Evangelicals of two, three, and four hundred years ago possessed is more than doubtful (Packer is overgenerous). It is not at all clear that we today comprehend the plan of salvation, the doctrine of sin, election, atonement, justification, [the] new birth, and sanctification, the life of faith, the duties of churchmanship and the meaning of church history, more clearly than the Reformers, or the Puritans, or the leaders of the eighteenth-century revival. When it is claimed that modern criticism has greatly advanced our understanding of the Bible, the reply must be that it depends upon what is meant by the Bible; criticism has thrown much light on the human features of Scripture, but it has not greatly furthered our knowledge of the Word of God. Indeed, it seems truer to say that its effect to date has been to rather to foster ignorance of the Word of God”. Never were words more accurate. The Historical View of Scripture - Confessions in Church History and the defense of Inerrancy: Westminster Of the Holy Scriptures: “…creation…[is] not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of His will, which is necessary unto salvation; therefore it pleased the Lord at sundry times, and diverse manners, to reveal Himself, and to declare His will unto the church; and afterwards, for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure established and comfort of the church against the corruption of the flesh, and malice of Satan and the word, to commit the same to writing; which maketh the Holy Scriptures”…[the confession now lists the canon of the Old and New Testaments]…part V; “…the Holy Scriptures…the majesty of the style, the consent, of all parts, the scope of the whole (which is to give glory to God), the full discovery it [Scripture] makes of the only way of salvation, the many incomparable excellencies, and the entire perfection thereof, are arguments whereby it doth abundantly evidence itself to be the Word of God; yet, notwithstanding, our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth, and Divine authority thereof, is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit, bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts”. Philadelphia [after listing the canonical books]… “…the Holy Scriptures…the full discovery it makes of the only way of man’s salvation, and many other incomparable excellencies, and entire perfections thereof…of the infallible truth, and the Divine authority thereof…” New Hampshire “We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired, and is a perfect treasure of heavenly instruction; that it has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of error for its matter; that it reveals the principles by which God will judge us; and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the world, the true centre of Christian union, and supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried”. Evangelical Free “We believe that the Holy Scriptures are entirely inspired of God in all their parts, and that they are the only and infallible Rule of Faith”. Chicago Confession [Parts 2 and 4]: [Part2] “Holy Scriptures, being God’s own Word, written by men prepared and superintended by His Spirit, is infallible divine authority in all matters upon which it touches: it is to be believed, as God’s instruction, in all it affirms, obeyed, as God’s command, in all that it requires, embraced, as God’s pledge, in all that it promises. [Part4] “Being wholly and verbally God-given, Scripture is without error or fault in all its teaching, no less in what it states about God’s acts in creation, about the events of world history, and about its own literary origins under God, than in its witness to God’s saving grace in individual lives”. What is interesting about the various creeds in “Creeds of Christendom” by Philip Schaff (volume 3), is that most confessions and creeds will simply state that Scripture is the only basis for faith and practice. They say this over against the Roman claim of Papal authority. But during the Reformation, there was no argument of Scripture inerrancy. Rome added the authority of the church, but their conviction that this was true was because they thought the Bible taught in its infallibility that this is the import of the Matthean text of Peter and the keys (Mt 16:16-19). But the confessions, more often than not, had nothing to say about the nature and details regarding inerrancy. It was assumed, because obviously this was the very claim of the text itself. PART II: Background to Bible Revelation – Why? Why the Bible at all? Text: 1 Corinthians 2:6-12 (NKJV): “6However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him”. 10But God has revealed them to us though His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God”. All the basics of the “Why” of Scripture are covered at the beginning of Section #2 of this work. Suffice to say that 1 Corinthians 2:11 is all the deduction anyone would need to understand the evident necessity for YHWH to make Himself known to men. To know a person in any context requires self-revelation by that person. That is infinitely true of God. You can look at creation and be assured that the Creator is powerful and wise – or as Romans 1:20 says, “the invisible things…are seen…even His eternal power and Godhead (e.g. wisdom displayed)”. As was noted in another work (Romans chapter one; Daniel Thompson) in Romans 1:20, Paul uses the word for “invisible”, aoratoV, which is the Greek word “see”, “opa”, with an a-privative; and then uses the same root word in “clearly seen”, kaqoraw”, “opa”, “to see”, again, the root of both. In creation, through what we behold, we clearly see/know (kaqoraw) the Creator - who is unseen (aoratoV). Although man can search out the power and wisdom of God, more is required to know God’s mercy, grace, and glorious goodness in forgiveness. Man has rebelled, and he has no evident grounds to think that anything, but the just hand of the Lord, will be upon him forever and ever. The revelation of infinite love and mercy must come from the Scripture, or it cannot be known. If we desire to know that the Person of Almighty God can and will be longsuffering and gracious to a sinner, God must tell us, otherwise hell is as sure as gravity. God is Love; but whether He chooses to grant pardon as the Governor of His creation to the insurrectionists in His “free-will” decree - He must reveal. We have no demands upon His mercy: we can demand His justice, which is an awful thought to mutineers. The captain of the ship can grant clemency, but every sailor knows there will be sure rectitude and justice in all his actions – as sure as the dawning of every day. Now, as 1 Corinthians 2:11 states, no one can know about another person’s heart and soul unless the other person reveals himself/herself to us. They must make known their inner heart. But that goes double for God. To know (and I speak with fear) God’s person, His Being; that is something He must do for us. This will be dealt with at length later, but suffice it to say that God’s love, which He is by nature, is something He must display to His created “offspring” (Acts 17:28). God is love, but we have no claim to a display of that love. He must give His will and “desires” in words – the Scriptures. God’s love, mercy, forgiveness, longsuffering, tenderness etc. must be announced, declared, and explained, or it is unknown and unknowable to finite man. And this is what He does in the Bible, the Word of God – infallibly. The Background and Goal of Biblical Revelation: The character and content of God’s revelation in Scripture is mandatory for at least two reasons: First, the fall has brought the disruption of fellowship that was Adam’s, and every man-to-be. But sin – that is transgression of God’s will – has brought physical and spiritual death upon Adam and all his progeny. Adam passes on the biological taint of sin which he received in eating from the tree he was told to avoid. As Augustine and others have said, for Adam, it was possible for him to stay in the immortal state he in which he was made, as well as possible to sin and forfeit the life given to him by God. Adam had a body as well as a spirit, and this made him a soul – the Hebrew word soul is not something Adam has, like his body or spirit, but it is the essential “livingness” of his state. He is a soul – he had a body and a spirit which made up his “livingness” (unlike animals who are body, and angels who are spirit). Adam in partaking of the fruit, damaged his physical frame, and this element of sin, or fallenness, is passed on through procreation. We are not responsible for Adam’s transgression, but we are responsible for dealing with sin, which like Cain, lays crouching at our every door (Gen 4:7). But even though we are responsible to obey God’s holy commands with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mk 12:30). We are like a man who is intoxicated on a bottle of gin – and driving. We are still responsible for the laws of the road, but are so incapacitated that, although responsible, we are not able to drive. In life, God has given us the straight road of His holy law, yet we clearly cannot live properly, and we see how very crooked our “driving” of life is. It is a hopeless state of being. But in the garden, the LORD made known that a seed of Eve, the very offspring of her humanity (Gen 3:15; thru Mary, Lk 3:23ff), would be born and destroy the power and works of the tempter (Heb 2:14-15) and reconcile us to God again (Heb 2:17). It was God’s purpose to manifest not just His power and glory, wisdom and greatness in the created order; but His eternal love, mercy, and kindness in redeeming the helpless and hopeless state of men. The seed of the woman would crush both the power of sin and pay the just wages of a broken law to the Righteous Judge. Therefore, we find God promising this Redeemer-seed to Adam and Eve, and through a covenant relationship with Abraham and a nation, Israel, God would bless all peoples (Gen 12:3; cf. Gal 3:16). God established a Theonomic covenant with Abraham’s twelve sons, the tribes of Israel; and through Moses, He gave them the law to live by and guide them unto the Messiah mentioned anew to Israel (“Shiloh”, Gen 49:10). He gave the sacrificial system to detail all the elements of this atoning Redeemer (Exodus-Deuteronomy; cf. Heb 9:1-14). But instead of following the spirit of the law and desiring mercy and not sacrifice (Hos 6:6; cf. Mt 9:13), the Israelites turned these types and shadows of Calvary’s reality into a system of works-righteousness (see Rom 10:4-9). They thought the law, which was to lead them to Shiloh, was somehow a giver of life. It was never that (cf. Gal 3:21b). But the “fullness of time” came, when all the promises to Adam, Abraham, David, and especially Daniel (Dan 9:24-27, where time, in weeks, is a centerpiece of the prophecy) came to be fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Scripture says that man would see YHWH Himself incarnate (Mal 3:1ff) pay the wages of sin (Rom 6:23) and grant a righteousness to sinful man - which also bestowed a new birth (Jn 3:1ff; Gal 3:21b; for the fulness of times, see Mk 1:15, also note the casting-off of the shadows of religion for the realities of Christ and eternal life, Gal 4:1-5). What this means in the study of God’s inerrant revelation is that the New Testament/Covenant is the full, final revelation to man; establishing the eternal kingdom of God in the gospel (for prophecy, see Dan 2:38-45 and the statue, and its parallel, Dan 7:1-14, where the everlasting kingdom of God is established in the 4th kingdom (the 4th beast) – Rome). God has brought eternal life and immortality to light in the gospel (2 Tim 1:10), and full fellowship in Jesus Christ which was lost through each man’s rebellion (cf. 1 John 1:1-4). Now we have a perspective to view two infallible revelations, the Old and New Testaments - the latter forming the foundation for the mature revelation of God’s gift in Christ. Hence, although the law was true and glorious (2 Cor 3:7b), it killed (2 Cor 3:6), condemned (2 Cor 3:9a); and because it killed, it would be nullified (Heb 8:13) because it was made impotent through the sinful weakness of men (Rom 8:3). The New Covenant grants regeneration (life), adoption (God is our Father), sanctification (holiness), and justification (a righteous standing), Heb 8:10-12. There is a ministry of God’s Holy Spirit (2 Cor 3:8b), and thus it has surpassing glory compared to Sinai (2 Cor 3:10). In the New Covenant there is life (2 Cor 3:6) in righteousness (Gal 3:21), and this covenant endures (Heb 12:25-28; 13:20-21). Thus, we must see the unfolding history of revelation. Both testaments are pure, but the former supports the latter. The New Covenant, like the Old, is Law (Ja 1:25; 2:12); and both Sinai and the New Testament law (as in the Sermon on the Mount) are expressed by the exact same term (nomoqetew, Heb 7:11 [Sinai], and 8:6 [Calvary]). In the New Testament, the revelations are commandments (1 Thess 4:2; 2 Pet 3:2), yet they are not a burden (1 Jn 5:3), because Christ carries the heavy part of the cross for mankind, whose conscience is cleared of guilt and shame (Mt 11:28-30). We partake of His Spirit (1 Jn 3:24; Rom 8:11-13), who helps us in our infirmities (Rom 8:26-27). This is the everlasting life (Jn 3:16) founded on an everlasting covenant (Heb 13:20-21). PART III: Details of Revelation, Inerrancy, and the Scriptures Revelation and The Triune God The Scriptural character of revelation is, at its core, a reflection of YHWH Himself. The nature of revelation mirrors the Author; that is, the Bible carries in it the same qualities as YHWH. God is both True, and unchangeably True – and the Bible is the same. God is true (Rev 6:10), and unchanging (Jam 1:18), as is Christ (Jn 14:6; Heb 13:8); and so also is His Word (2 Sam 7:28; Ps 12:6; 19:6; Jn 17:17). It endures forever (Lk 16:17; 1 Pet 1:25). God never deceives (Num 23:19; 1 Sam 15:29; Tit 1:2; Heb 6:18; 1 Jn 2:27) and never countenances deception (Ps 63:11; Jer 23:25ff; 1 Jn 2:21). Those who reveal the will of God claim the same veracity – even taking an oath by YHWH (2 Cor 11:31; Gal 1:20; 1 Tim 2:7; Jn 21:24). The naked Word is true, but unless that Word is attended by Divine power it will not avail. There is nothing “automatic” in the truth persuading men of its essential veracity. We have light as an analogy. Things may truly exist, but there is no apprehension by the eye without light reflecting off these existing things. All will be in darkness for us unless illuminated, and thus perceived, by the human eye. All is spiritually dark in the “mind’s eye” unless the Lord grants light. An excellent visceral illustration that Truth itself can be present but must be empowered by the LORD (and this illustration was probably desired by the apostle John to be read for this purpose, for John alone records this from the garden of Gethsemane), is when the soldiers and Judas come to take Christ into custody. Luke 4:32 becomes physically true, and comes to life, when the Roman cohort said, “(we seek) Jesus of Nazareth”. “I AM”, Jesus said, and John testifies, “…they went backwards, and fell to the ground” (kai epeson camai). Thus, Christ evidenced the truth of His statement in the garden, “…or do you think I cannot now pray to the Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels”? Scripture is true, and glorious; but unless God attends truth with power – just as Christ was just a man until He spoke in power - the word (and here, The Incarnate Word) will be a dead letter/truth to dead men (Eph 2:1-3; Jn 8:34-36). The power of God must attend the word, or it will fall on deaf ears. And what we desire to notice is that the power of Christ needs to attend the word of Christ. An example is Lydia and Acts 16:14, where we read, “The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken of by Paul”. It is no surprise then that the New Testament declares: “the gospel…is the power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16); “for the gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance…” (1 Thess 1:5); “as His divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness”. Such is typical of the New Testament. On the other side of the coin, the Demons know and believe the Scriptures, but only tremble; and multiplying fantastic proofs of Biblical truth are no more persuasive - even if one raises from the dead (Lk 16:31). Bare facts, without illumination, are just facts to men – even though they are real truths and are evidenced and witnessed as such. Now the way God revealed His New Testament Law is specific and purposeful. The Father is revealing Himself through His Son as opposed to the OT revelation through the prophets (Heb 1:1-2). This is the very point of the superiority of NT revelation, and why the book of Hebrews begins on this theme and uses the Greek word “better/superior” so often (kreittwn, Heb 1:4; 6:9; 7:7,19,22; 8:6; 9:23; 10:34; 11:16,35,40; 12:24). Christ reveals the Father (Jn 1:18), as He always has as the “Angel of the LORD” (Jud 2:1; also note: In the sending of the Redeemer, Isaiah 44:6 calls Him “YHWH of Hosts”. Christ is clearly YHWH, as the Father is called YHWH who sends the Redeemer; also note Zech 3:1ff; “And YHWH said unto Satan, YHWH rebuke you, Satan…”; and Gen 19:24, “Then YHWH rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from YHWH out of heaven…” [NKJV]). Now, in the NT, Christ sends the Holy Spirit, who inspires the apostles in their testimony of Christ. The Spirit glorifies Christ and reveals Him (Jn 14:26; 15:26). They are led by the Spirit into all truth (Jn 16:13a), and the Spirit centers in on Christ (Jn 15:26c) and honors Him (Jn 16:14a), just as all Scripture makes Christ the very heart of revelation (Jn 5:39,46; Lk 24:27,43-44). Moreover, Scripture makes clear that the apostles were unique - and once-for-all (note Paul’s phrase in 1 Cor 15:8, “last of all…”). Foundational to this one-time office, there were two absolute qualifications – as we see in the replacement of Judas (Acts 1:13ff): 1) you had to be taught directly by Christ Himself from the Baptism of John on (Acts 1:21a); and 2) you had to be a witness of the risen Lord directly (Acts 1:21b), as Matthias, Judas’ replacement did (Matthias is one of the “twelve” mentioned in 1 Cor 15:5). Thus, Paul was an unusual case as an apostle. He was personally taught by Christ in Arabia (Gal 1:11-17) and saw the risen Lord on the Damascus road (Acts 9:1ff; 22:6ff; 26:12ff). Also, the “apostolic” outpouring of the Spirit (not Pentecost) was an enduement for the apostles specifically (see Jn 20:19-23; and Paul, Acts 9:17). The great work of the Spirit through these apostles was not just the initial witness to Jew first (Acts 2), then Samaritan (Acts 8), then Gentile (Acts 10), which together constituted “the world” (Rom 10:18); but they were to write the NT canon (in Mark’s case, the direct associate of Peter; with Luke, the associate of Paul). As mentioned previously, the NT is the “Law of Christ” (Gal 6:2), and their words styled as “commandments” (1 Thess 4:2; 2 Pet 3:2), giving God’s will (1 Thess 4:3), and anyone who did not hear these words did not hear God (1 Jn 4:6). This was that type of authority the apostles had – which was for the establishment of the church (Eph 2:20; 4:11-16). And the giving of the initial revelation, the Sermon on the Mount, was clearly in juxtaposition to Sinai (like the two “Songs of Moses”, Ex 15; Rev 15:3ff). Even the imagery of the establishment of the New Covenant was a new world (Heb 12:25-28). The Results of God, His Will and Work – The Inerrant Scriptures – The Ground of Truth for Christ and the Apostles Jesus: Jn 10:35, “The Scriptures cannot be broken”. When it comes to the authority and inerrancy of the canon of the Old Testament and the New Testament, the evidence and testimony of the 1St century is unanimous. The Lord Jesus Christ testified when arguing about the Biblical doctrine of His Sonship – and thus His Deity – that “scripture cannot be broken” (Greek, luw, ‘loosed’). As important, Christ clearly was referring the whole canon, and not just the text from Psalms 82:6, for He used the singular “scripture” (grafh) in making His rebuttal. Further, there was no objection from His detractors regarding the source or grounds of His proof; that, for instance, the Psalm 82 text was ‘a copy, of a copy, of a copy…’, which it clearly was (and probably the LXX [Septuagint] at that!) – and thus looses its authority, veracity, or inerrancy. [Note: The other witnesses to Authority/Inerrancy are interesting – and telling too. The apostles, like Andrew, clearly drew from the OT and used it as a barometer of truth (Jn 1:45), and the apostles based their understanding of the Messiah on the details of the Old Testament (Mt 17:10). Further, Christ’s enemies also used Scripture as the plumbline of fact as they attempted to prove a point, rebut, or even trick the Lord (Mt 19:7; 22;23ff). Lastly, and most persuasive, and curious, is that the Devil was evidently convince that only reasoning founded in pure OT truth could rebuke the Lord, as his perverted use of Psalm 91:4 witnesses (Lk 4:9-11). Imagine, the greatest Enemy to truth bears witness infallibly to that very truth]. Two other key New Testament Texts regarding inspiration, infallibility, and authority: Paul: 2 Tim 3:15; “All Scripture is given by God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”. Here is Paul’s source for blessings to the NT assemblies at Ephesus and elsewhere as he exhorts Timothy an elder. Paul uses the Greek root word “artioV”1 when he speaks of a man of God being “complete” (NKJV). It was used to speak to youth about growth unto maturity; to be balanced unto maturity – or, as Paul goes on to say, “…thoroughly equipped for every good work”. The point made is that the implement that molds that leader(s) of an assembly is the Scriptures. Literature, culture etc., all have their place. But the central instrument to shape a man or woman to Christian maturity in the Word of God. And is the whole of the Word: History, Theology, etc; all of revelation. If there was some deficiency because of error or lack, Paul would certainly have pointed this out, for he speaks specifically to another teacher, Titus, about such unprofitable things (“avoid foolish disputes, genealogies…strivings about the law…”, Tit 3:9). Surely, if there were errors in the OT texts, he would have spoken to this. But we have no hint of anything but that Scripture is the foundation for faith and practice. 1The root Greek word is used with reference to our Lord’s body in the incarnation, kathrtisw, Heb 10:5, “prepared” (i.e. perfectly prepared). Peter: 2 Pet 1:19-21; “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto you do well that you take heed, as unto a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the say star arise in your hearts: knowing first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. For prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. Here is the man, whose confession was the bedrock of the church (Mt 16:18, “…on this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”. Peter opened the gospel to the Jew (Acts 2:14ff), the Samaritan (Acts 8:14ff), and Gentile (Acts 10:1ff). He was, when second Peter was written, nigh unto death by the Romans in martyrdom (2 Peter 1:13-14; Jn 21:18-19). Thus, he put into the Jews of the diaspora the essentials that were most important. And central was the infallible Word, which came by the work of the Holy Spirit through men; and, as noted previously, reflect the veracity and authority of YHWH. It was clear to the apostle the nature, mechanism, and character of Holy Writ. No private interpretation was intermingled in the text (which included Paul’s letters, which Peter had read, and equated with the OT Scriptures, 2 Peter 3:15-16). Whatever men say today about the Bible, Peter was sure of its truth and foundation. The New Testament Witness to the Old Testament Authority, and thus Inerrancy – Jesus Genesis: Mt 11:20ff Exodus: Mt 19:16ff Leviticus: Mt 19:19 Numbers: Jn 3:14 Deuteronomy: Mk 12:29 Ruth: David’s lineage (Mt 5:35) 1&2 Samuel: Mt 12:1ff 1&2 Kings: Lk 4:27; Mt 12:42 1&2 Chronicles: Mt 6:13 Ezra-Nehemiah-Esther: Temple familiarity, Jn 2:19-21 Job: (Thru half-brother James), Jam 5:11 Psalms: Mt 21:16 (Ps 8:2); Mt 5:3; Jn 13:18 (Ps 41:1,9); Mt 13:35 (Ps 78:2); Jn 10:34 (Ps 82:6); Mt 22:43 (Ps 110:1). Ecclesiastes: Mt 12:42 (Solomon’s Wisdom) Isaiah: Mt 8:17ff Daniel: Mt 24:15 Hosea: Mt 12:7 Jonah: Mt 12:39-41 Zechariah: Mt 23:35 Malachi: Mt 17:10ff The New Testament Witness to the Old Testament Authority, and thus Inerrancy– the NT Writers (Acts-Revelation) Genesis: Acts 7:2-17; Heb 11:4-22 Exodus: Acts 7:18-41; Heb 11:23-29 Leviticus: Gal 2:12; Rom 13:9 Numbers: Rev 2:14; Heb 9:13 Deuteronomy: Romans 10:5-8 Joshua: Heb 4:8 Judges: Acts 13:20 Ruth: Acts 13:22 1&2 Samuel: Heb 11:22 1&2 Kings: Heb 11:35 1&2 Chronicles: Acts 7:45 Job: Jam 5:11 Psalms: Heb 1:8-12 Proverbs: Heb 12:6 Isaiah: Acts 8:32-33 Jeremiah-Lamentations: Heb 8:10-12 Ezekiel: 2 Cor 6:16 Daniel: Heb 11:33 Hosea: Rom 9:25-26 Joel: Acts 2:16-20 Amos: Acts 15:15-19 Habakkuk: Rom 1:17 Haggai: Heb 12:26-27 Malachi: Rom 9:13 Further Proof of OT authority thru usage: Matthean Genealogy: Mt 1:1-17; Covering Abraham to Christ (Joseph’s lineage thru Solomon) Lukan Genealogy: Lk 3:23-38; Adam to Christ (Mary’s lineage thru Nathan) Jesus’ Statement: Lk 11:51 and Mt 5:17-18; covering Genesis-Malachi Secular Testimony to OT Canon: Books Josephus (approx. AD37-100) Philo (approx. BC25-AD50) Zadokite Fragments (1st – 2nd century) Septuagint (approx. BC200) FIRST THREE CENTURIES OF CHRISTIANS AND THE NT CANON PART IV: Details of the New Testament Text – Its Human aspects in Writing Style All the above is supernatural. Yet the Bible is very human. Scripture includes: Prayer, Praise, Poetry, Proverbs, different manner of prose styles, Petition, world history, national history, love poetry, didactic instruction, warning, doxology, prophecy, secular text, and on we could go. The language can be used in poetry and prose; and that prose uses metonymy (Lk 16:19); metaphor (Ps 18:20); personification (Mt 6:4); synecdoche (Lk 2:1), etc. Hyperbole was often used (cf. 1 Cor 13:1ff). More, notice that logic and argument for truth is everywhere. There were not just fiats given. The preachers of God reasoned about truth with others (Acts 17:2; 18:4,19); persuaded (Acts 26:28) and disputed (Acts 19:8). The reasonings and proofs included: A Fortiori (Mt 12:1-8); Reductio ad Absurdum (Mt 12:26); Implications (Mt 12:28); Excluded Middle (Mt 12:30); Non-Contradiction (Lk 6:39); Analogy (Lk 11:13); arguments from Greater to lesser (Mt 10:25), or Lesser to Greater (Mt 6:30); universal experience (Mt 5:15-17), and we could go on (note: a thanks to Bernard Ramm). Some Details in the Text Note some of the wide-range of particulars and details in Scriptural revelation – here are these ten aspects of Scripture and its information that speak to both the Divine and human aspects of the Word: The Scriptures are a whole cloth; nothing was to be taken away or added to the revelation – either in the OT or NT (Deut 4:2; 12:32; Rev 22:19). Every jot and tittle was crucial (Mt 5:18), even down to the individual letter (Gal 3:16), and what was included or excluded (Heb 7:1-31). There were books that were left out in the Old Testament (Josh 10:13; 1 Chron 29;29; 2 Chron 12:15; 20:34), and in the New Testament (Col 4:16; also, note previous Pauline letters; note 1 Corinthians 5:9 [the historic “1 Corinthians”], and 2 Corinthians 7:12 [the historic “3 Corinthians”]). Books are used for the first time, whose facts now are important and relevant (Jd 14). New Facts are brought to bear in the New Testament not in the OT canon (Jannes and Jambres, 2 Tim 3:8; Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, Mt 23:35). Secular sources the writer was aware of from secular writers were used (Acts 17:28), as well as well-known proverbs (Lk 4:23; 7:32; Tit 1:12). There are truths brought to light by the Spirit that were not applicable before, as in divorce and remarriage (1 Cor 7:10-12, “not the Lord but I”, regarding mixed, Christian marriges). Writers like Peter recognized the nature of authoritative writing in the New Testament writings of Paul (2 Peter 3:15-16), and we find Paul using Luke’s gospel (1 Corinthians 11:23-26, cf. Lk 22:17-20; 1 Tim 5:18, cf. Lk 10:7; Peter using Revelation, 1 Pet 5:13), and even Christ’s sayings not in the four gospels (Acts 20:35). Colloquial expressions were used, such as Luke’s “it seemed good to me” (Lk 1:3) and Paul’s “I have no commandment from the Lord” and “I think I have the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 7:25,40), which speak to the real humanity of the Scriptures. The writers, although inspired and infallible, wrote truly human letters with non-robotic expressions. Writings were compiled by others (Prov 11:1; 25:1), and others wrote on behalf of the author (Tertius, Rom 16:22). The writers themselves, although writing the very commandments of the Lord (Lev 27:34; 1 Thess 4:2; 2 Peter 3:2-3), did err in their lives – at times grievously (Num 20:11-12; Acts 23:2-5, cf. Ex 22:28; Gal 2:11-14). The writers made use of all available sources for their instructions to saints (2 Tim 4:13). 1Although the priesthood required a distinct genealogy: so that Melchisedec might be a type of Christ, Melchisedec’s birth and death is left out of Genesis to typify our Lord’s Deity as priest. People of the New Covenant The key different in the covenants is two-fold: 1) every partaker of the Old Covenant was physically the seed of Abraham – the twelve tribes (i.e. a seed of Abraham-Isaac-Jacob, Gen 50:24), or a proselyte; and 2) God’s presence, the Shekinah, was manifest in the tabernacle, and then the temple (Ex 40:34; 2 Chron 7:1-3). But the two-fold change in the New Covenant is: 1) those who sit with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – the seed - are those with faith in Christ (Mt 8:10-11; Gal 3:6-29); circumcised without hands (Col 2:11); and 2) [a] YHWH manifests Himself where two or three are gathered (Mt 18:20) – not in a geographic local; and they worship in Spirit and Truth unlike the Old Testament covenanters (Jn 4:20-24); and [b] all of them know God directly (Heb 8:11). A Last Issue regarding the Writing of the OT/NT Text - The Problem of Two Wills in the One Text. This is the universal problem of the Scriptures; the difficulty of: 1) the will of God determining revelation, and 2) at the same time, Moses, Paul, or any of the Old and New Testament writers, and their willing to write. The solution is in the person of Jesus Christ – both God and man, two natures yet one Person, one will. In theology it is called the Hypostatic Union. Scripture makes plain that Jesus of Nazareth is God (Is 9:6; Mt 1:23; Jn 1:1; 8:58; 20:28; Rom 9:5; Phil 2:6; Tit 2:13; 2 Pet 1:1; 1 Jn 5:20; Rev 5:13-14) and man (cf. genealogies; Mt 1:1ff; Lk 3:23ff etc.) – both in one Person (Lk 1:30; Phil 2:6-11), with one will. Thus, the supposed conundrum of the Scriptures being both fully Divine and fully human is no great mystery nor surprise at all. That God could say “I will” (Ezek 36:24,26-30,33,36), and yet have the prayers of Israel (man) be integrally involved (Ezek 36:37) is on every page of the Old and New Testaments. The book of Hebrews has no problem with Psalm 95:8 being ordained by both God the Holy Spirit (Heb 3:7) and written by David (Heb 4:7) in the same action. And this is the doctrine of revelation and Scripture. We even have a very practical and wonderful statement by Jesus that impinges upon this truth. In our Lord’s instructions and prayer to/for His disciples in John 13-17 prior to His passion, Jesus says, quite matter-of-factly, “You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you” (Jn 15:16). Now one need not prove that the disciples chose to follow Jesus (Mt 4:20, etc.). But it is equally clear that the effective reason that this occurred is because from the foundation of the world God had decreed the election of sinners into saints (1 Cor 1:27-28; Eph 1:3-4; 2 Thess 2:13 etc.), as Christ even chose those who did not follow Him ultimately (Lk 6:13-16; Jn 13:18; Mt 26:54)! Christ’s choice is the effective choice – yet man truly chooses, and that freely. We have the same truth stated about the Cross. God ordained, and men willed (Acts 4:27-28). The other very well-known texts that reflect this is Gen 45:5-8 and 50:20. Yes, Joseph did choose to be the man he was, but the fact that he was given to the Midianites as a slave was certainly not his doing (Gen 37:28ff). The combination of the numerous choices of many varied people (including Pharoah’s wife) had brought about Joseph’s words in Genesis 50:20. And ultimately, it was the work and will of Almighty God. Further, such texts and illustrations could be multiplied manifold times in both history, proverb, and doctrine in Scripture – both Old and New; Gen 20:6-7; 31:7; 35:5; Ex 4:11; 34:24; Jud 14:4; 1 Sam 2:25; 25:26,34; 1 Ki 12:15; 2 Ki 6:33; 2 Chron 22:7; 25:16,20; Ps 81:12; Pr 16:1,9; 21:1; Is 10:15; 19:14; Hos 2:6; Mt 10:19; 11:21,23; Acts 2:23; 4:27-28; 2 Thess 2:11; Rev 17:17. PART V: – Evidence for Biblical Accuracy1 BOOK OF JOHN – DETAILS IN JOHN’s GOSPEL VERIFIED (59 Points) Archaeology confirms the use of stone water jars in NT times (Jn 2:6). Given the early Christian tendency toward asceticism, the wine miracle is an unlikely invention (2:8). Archaeology confirms the proper place of Jacob’s well (4:6). Josephus (War of the Jews 2.232) confirms there was a significant hostility between Jews and Samaritans during Jesus’ times (4:9). “Come down” accurately describes the topography of western Galilee. (There is a significant elevation drop from Cana to Capernaum, 4:46,49,51). “Went up” accurately describes the ascent to Jerusalem (5:1). Archaeology confirms the proper location and description of the five colonnades at the pool of Bethesda (5:2). (Excavations between 1914 and 1918 uncovered that pool and found it to be just as John described it. Since that structure did not exist after the Romans destroyed the city in AD 70, its unlikely any later non-eyewitness could have described it in such vivid detail. Moreover, John says this structure “is in Jerusalem”, implying that he’s writing before [AD]70). Jesus’ own testament being invalid without the Father is an unlikely Christian invention (5:31); a later redactor would be eager to highlight Jesus’ divinity and would probably make His witness self-authenticating, The crowds wanting to make Jesus king reflects the well-known nationalist fervor of early first-century Israel (6:15). Sudden and severe squalls are common on the sea of Galilee (6:18). Christ’s command to eat His flesh and drink His blood would not be made up (6:53). The rejection of Jesus by many of His disciples is also an unlikely invention (6:66). The two predominant opinions of Jesus, one that Jesus was a “good man” and the other that He “deceives people”, would not be the two choices John would have made up (7:2); a later Christian writer would have probably inserted the opinion the Jesus was God. The charge of Jesus being demon-possessed in an unlikely invention. (7:20). The use of “Samaritan” to slander Jesus befits the hostility between Jews and Samaritans (8:48). Jewish believers wanted to stone Jesus is an unlikely invention (8:31,59). Archaeology confirms the existence and location of the pool of Siloam (9:7). Expulsion from the synagogue by the Pharisees was a legitimate fear of the Jews; notice that the healed man professes his faith in Jesus only after he is expelled from the synagogue by the Pharisees (9:13-19), at which point he has nothing to lose. This rings of authenticity. The healed man calling Jesus a “prophet” rather than anything more lofty suggests the incident is unembellished history (9:17). During a winter feast, Jesus walked in Solomon’s Colonnade, which was the only side of the temple area shielded from the cold winter east wind (10:22-23); this area is mentioned several times in Josephus. Fifteen stadia (less than two miles) is precisely the distance from Bethany to Jerusalem (11:18). Given the later animosity between Jews and Christians, the positive depiction of Jews comforting Martha and Mary is an unlikely invention (11:19). The burial wrappings of Lazarus were common for first-century Jewish burials (11:44); it is unlikely that a fiction writer would have included this theologically irrelevant detail. The precise description of the composition of the Sanhedrin (11:47); it was composed primarily of chief priests (largely Sadducees) and Pharisees during Jesus’ ministry. Caiaphas was indeed the high priest that year (11:49); we learn from Josephus that Caiaphas held the office from A.D. 18-37. The obscure and tiny village of Ephriam (11:54) near Jerusalem is mentioned by Josephus. Ceremonial cleansing was common in preparation for the Passover (11:55). Anointing of a guest’s feet with perfume or oil was sometimes performed for special guests in the Jewish culture (12:3); Mary’s wipig of Jesus’ feet with her hair is an unlikely invention (it easily could have been perceived as a sexual advance). Waving of Palm branches was a common Jewish practice for celebrating military victories and welcoming national rulers (12:13). Foot washing in first-century Palestine was necessary because of dust and open foot-ware; Jesus performing this menial task is an unlikely invention (it was a task not even Jewish slaves were required to so (13:4); Peter’s insistence that he get a complete bath also fits with his impulsive personality (there’s certainly no purpose for inventing this request). Peter asks John to ask Jesus a question (13:24); there’s no reason to insert this detail if this is fiction; Peter could have asked Jesus himself. “The Father is greater than I” is an unlikely invention (14:28), especially if John wanted to make up the Deity f Christ (as the critics claim he did). Use of the vine in a metaphor makes good sense in Jerusalem (15:1); vineyards were in the vicinity of the temple, and, according to Josephus, the temple gates had a golden vine caved on them. Use of the childbirth metaphor (16:21) is thoroughly Jewish; it has been found in the Dead Sea scrolls (1QH 11:9-10). The standard Jewish posture for prayers was looking “toward heaven” (17:1). Jesus’ admission that He had gotten His words from the Father (17:7-8) would not be included if John were inventing the idea that Jesus is God. No specific reference to fulfilled Scripture is given regarding the predicted betrayal of Judas; a fiction writer or late Christian redactor probably would have identified the Old Testament Scripture to which Jesus was referring (17:12). The name of the high priest’s servant (Malchus), who had his ear cut off, is an unlikely invention (18:10). Proper identification of Caiaphas’s father-in-law, Annas, who was the high priest from A. D. 6-15 (8:13) – the appearance before Annas is believable because of the family connection and the fact that former high priests maintained great influence. John’s claim that the high priest knew him (18:15) seems historical; invention of this claim serves no purpose and would John to be discredited by the Jewish authorities. Annas’ questions regarding Jesus’ teachings and disciples made good historical sense; Annas would be concerned about potential civil unrest and the undermining of Jewish authority (18:19). Identification of a relative of Malchus (the high priest’s servant who had his ear cut off) is a detail that John would not have made up (18:26); it had no theological significance and could only hurt John’s credibility if he were trying to pass off fiction as the truth. There are good historical reasons to believe Pilate’s reluctance to deal with Jesus (18:28ff); Pilate had to walk a fine line between keeping the Jews happy and keeping Rome happy; any civil unrest could mean his job (the Jews knew of his competing concerns when they taunted him with, “if you let his man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar,” (19:12); the Jewish philosopher Philo records the Jews successfully pressured Pilate in a similar way to get their demands met (To Gaius, 38.301-302). A service similar to the Stone Pavement has been identified near the Antonia Fortress (19:13) with markings that may indicate soldiers played games there (as in gambling for His clothes in 19:24). The Jews claiming, “We have no king but Caesar” (19:15) would not be invented given the Jewish hatred for the Romans, especially if John had been written after A. D. 70, (this would be like New Yorker’s today proclaiming, “We have no king but Osama Bin Laden!”). The crucifixion of Jesus (19:17-30) is attested to by non-Christian sources such as Josephus. Tacitus, Lucian, and the Jewish Talmud. Crucifixion victims normally carried their crossbeams (19:17). Josephus confirms that crucifixion was an execution technique employed by the Romans (Wars of the Jews 1.97; 2.305; 7.203); moreover, a nail-spiked anklebone of a crucified man was found in Jerusalem in 1968 (more on this in chapter 12). The execution site was likely outside ancient Jerusalem, as John says (19:17); this would ensure that the sacred Jewish city would not be profaned by the presence of a dead body (Deut 21:23). After the spear was thrust into Jesus’ side, out came what appeared to be blood and water (19:34). Today we know that a crucified person might have a watery fluid gather in the sac around the heart called the pericardium. John would not have known of this medical condition, and could not have recorded this phenomenon unless he was an eyewitness or had access to eyewitness testimony. Joseph of Arimathea (19:38), a member of the Sanhedrin who buries Jesus, is an unlikely invention (more on this in the next chapter). Josephus (Antiquities 17.199) confirms that spices (19:39) were used for royal burials; this detail shows that Nicodemus was not expecting Jesus to rise from the dead, and it also demonstrates that John was not inserting later Christian faith into the text. Mary Magdalene (20:1), a formerly demon-possessed woman (Lk 8:2), would not be invented as the empty tombs first witness; in fact, woman in general would not be presented as witnesses in a made-up story (more on this later as well). Mary mistaking Jesus for the gardener (20:13) is not a detail that a later writer would have made up (especially a writer seeking to exalt Jesus). “Rabboni” (20:16), the Aramaic for “teacher”, seems an authentic detail because it’s another unlikely invention for a writer trying to exalt the risen Jesus. Jesus stating thet He is returning to “my God and your God” (20:17) does not fit with the later writer bent on creating the idea that Jesus was God. One hundred fifty-three fish (21:11) is a theologically irrelevant detail, but perfectly consistent with the tendency of fisherman to want to record and then brag about large catches. The fear of the disciples to ask Jesus who He was (21:12) is an unlikely concoction; it demonstrated natural human amazement at the risen Jesus and perhaps the fact that there was something different about the resurrection body. The cryptic statement from Jesus about the fate of Peter is not clear enough to draw certain theological conclusions (21:18); so why would John make it up? It’s another unlikely invention. BOOK OF ACTS – DETAILS IN ACTS VERIFIED (84 Points) The natural crossing between correctly named ports (13:4-5). The proper port (Perga) along the direct destination of a ship crossing from Cyprus (13:13). The proper location of Lycaonia (14:6). The unusual but correct declension of the name Lystra (14:6). The correct language spoken in Lystra - Lycaonian (14:11). Two gods known to be so associated – Zeus and Hermes (14:12). The proper post, Attalia, which returning travelers would use (14:25). The correct order of approach to Derbe and the Lystra from the Cilician Gates (16:1; cf. 15:41). The proper form of the name Troas (16:8). The place of a conspicuous sailor’s landmark, Samothrace (16:11). The proper description of Philippi as a Roman colony (16:12). The right location of the river (Gangites) near Philippi (16:13), The proper association of Thyatira as a center of dying (16:14). Correct designations for the magistrates of the colony (16:22). The proper locations (Amphipolis and Apollonia) where travelers would spend successive nights on this journey (17:1). The presence of a synagogue in Thessalonica (17:1). The proper term (“politarchs”) used of the magistrates there (17:6). The correct implication that the sea travel is the most convenient way to reach Athens, with the favoring east winds of summer sailing (17:14-15). The abundant presence of images in Athens (17:16). The reference to a synagogue in Athens (17:17). The depiction of the Athenian life of philosopher debate in the Agora (17:17). The use of the correct Athenian slang word for Paul (“spermologos”, 17:18) as well as for the court (Areios pagos, 17:19). The proper characterization of the Athenian character (17:21). The alter to the “unknown god” (17:23). The proper reaction of the Greek philosophers, who denied the bodily resurrection (17:32). “Areopagites” as the correct title for a member of the court (17:34). A Corinthian synagogue (18:4). The correct designation of Gallio as proconsul, resident in Corinth (18:12). The bema (judgement seat), which overlooks Corinth’s forum (18:16ff). The name Tyrannus as attested from Ephesus in the first-century inscriptions (19:9). Well-known shrines and images to Artemis (19:24). The well-attested “great goddess Artemis” (19:27). That the Ephesian theater was the meeting place of the city (19:29). The correct title grammateus for the chief executive magistrate in Ephesus (19:35). The proper title of honor neokoros, authorized by the Romans (19:35). The correct name to designate the goddess (19:37). The term for those holding court (19:38). Use of the plural anthupatoi, perhaps a remarkable reference to the fact that two men were conjointly exercising the function of the proconsul at this time (19:38). The “regular” assembly, as the precise phrase is attested elsewhere (19:39). Use of the precise ethnic designation, beroiaios (20:4). Employment of the ethnic term Asianos (20:4). The implied recognition of the strategic importance assigned to this city of Troas (20:7ff). The danger of the costal trip in this location (20:13). The correct sequence of places (20:14-15). The correct name of the city as a neuter place (Patara) (21:1). The appropriate route passing along the open sea south of Cyprus favored by the persistent northwest winds (21:3). The suitable distance between these cities (21:8). A characteristic act of Jewish piety (21:24). The Jewish law regarding Gentile use of the temple area (21:28; Archaeological discoveries and quotations from Josephus confirm that Gentiles could be executed for entering the temple area. One inscription reads: “Let no Gentile enter within the balustrade and enclosure surrounding the sanctuary. Whoever is caught will be personally responsible for his consequent death”. The permanent stationing of a Roman cohort (chiliarch) at Antonia to suppress any disturbance at festival times (21:31). The flight of steps used by the guards (21:31,51). The common way to obtain Roman citizenship at this time (22:28). The tribune being impressed with Roman rather than Tarsian citizenship (22:29). Ananias being high priest at this time (23:2). Felix being governor at this time (23:34). The natural stopping point on the way to Caesarea (23:31). The jurisdiction Cilicia was in at the time (23:34). The provincial penal procedure of the time (24:1-9). The name Porcius Festus, which agrees precisely with that given by Josephus (24:27). The right of appeal for a roman citizen (25:11). The correct legal formula (25:18). The characteristic form of reference to the emperor at the time (25:26). The best shipping lanes at the time (27:5). The common bonding of Cilicia and Pamphylia (27:4). The principle port to find a ship sailing to Italy (27:5-6). The slow passage to Cnidus, in the face of the typical northwest wind (27:7). The right route to sail, in view of the winds (27:7). The locations of Fair Havens and the neighboring site of Lasea (27:8). Fair Havens as a poorly sheltered roadstead (27:8). A noted tendency of a south wind in these climes to back suddenly to a violent northeaster, the well-known gregale (27:13). The nature of a square-rigged ancient ship, having no option but to be driven before a gale (27:15). The precise place and name of this island (27:16). The appropriate maneuvers for the safety of the ship in its particular plight (27:16). The fourteenth night – a remarkable calculation, based inevitably on a compounding of estimates and probabilities, confirmed in the judgement of experienced Mediterranean navigators (27:27). The proper term of the time for the Ardriatic (27:27). The precise term (bolisantes) for taking soundings, and the correct depth of the water near Malta (27:28). A position that suits the probable line of approach of a ship released to run before an easterly wind (27:39). The severe liability on guards who permitted a prisoner to escape (27:42). The local people and the superstitions of the day (28:4-6). The proper title protos tes nestou (28:7). Rhegium as a refuge to await a southerly wind to carry them through the straits (28:13). Appii Forum and Tres Tabernae as correctly placed stopping points on the Appian Way (28:15). Appropriate means of custody with Roman soldiers (28:16). The conditions of imprisonment, living “at his own expense” (28:30-31). 1Both lists (John/Acts) from Norman Geisler’s “I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist”, c2004. VI: A Last Two Issues: 1] The Original Texts; and 2] The New Testament Use of The Septuagint (LXX) Why not the original documents of Paul. Peter etc: Why copies? I think there are two clear reasons which relate to man as man – responsible and free as to real choices from real situations. First, the non-use by God of the 20th century man’s view of “accuracy” (i.e. the only real “copy” of what we see is a picture, and of what we see is a xerox copy2), is reflected in the real copying and circulation of real letters taken to real churches – all of which bespeaks man’s real responsibility to treasure God’s word (in Josiah’s day, they finally found an old copy of the Law, 2 Chron 34:14ff), But the second reason is far more understandable as it relates to man – he would make an idol of the text! What would the average church do if, instead of having the 5th commandment from the text of Exodus 20:12 or Ephesians 6:2, we had the tablets in pieces from Sinai (I assume the B. Erhman’s of this world would not accept Deuteronomy 5:16, because it was not the original!). Man would put it behind glass, and, like the shroud, men would miss the forest for the trees and worship the steele. I think it is a blessing God removed such temptation. It should be noted that Jesus, in reading a copy of a copy of a copy of Isaiah, seemed to have no problem with the authority of that copy when He read Isaiah in Luke 4:14ff. It seems obvious that the OT documents Timothy was bringing to Paul in his Roman prison (membrana, “parchments”, 2 Tim 4:11) was not a stumbling block for him in the least. Everywhere there were copies. But the truth carried the same power in the eyes of Jesus, his enemies; Paul, and his enemies (Mt 4:1ff; 19:1ff; Acts 23:3ff). There is clearly a prima facie understanding of the New Testament that the copies of the 1st century were accurate, and therefore carried Divine weight in the eternal truths of Old Testament revelation. The truths therein were “God-Breathed” (2 Tim 3:16) – even being copies, although the copies themselves contained variants. 2Of course, two excellent examples of print errors of Bibles (which shows that printed works have variants) are: 1) the famous “Wicked Bible” of the 1631, where the word “not” is left off the 7th commandment in Exodus 20:14, and reads “Thou shalt commit adultery”; and 2) in one of the early editions of the Scofield Bible, which, as other Bibles divides in sections Psalm 119 by the Hebrew alphabet: in this early edition forgot the “yod” (Jot), which is an essential letter in our Lord’s point on Scripture in Matthew 5:18! NOW, would anyone say, because of these variants, that we cannot really know what the original says?? The Text of Scripture: Why does the New Testament quote overwhelmingly from the uninspired LXX? At times, a basic question has arisen about the NT use of the OT body of literature. The Hebrew Old Testament is inerrant in all it affirms; whether spiritual, geographical, social, or any other type of revelation. If this is so, and this is the claim of the writers and in the text itself, why would NT writers use the uninspired, fallible verses of the Septuagint (LXX) as a basis for positive evidence and doctrinal proofs? Why not just use the Hebrew text – infallible and inspired? I think there is a solid answer to this interesting issue – one that increases our love for the Lord too. Jesus and the New Testament writers did often quote the Septuagint (LXX)2? The New Testament was no longer an ethnic document for a specific ethnic people, the Jews, but was going to the ends of the earth. Therefore, the Word would be in many a language to the nations. We see this emphasis early on in John 1:29 and 3:16. Since the context of John 1:29 is a lamb, and 3:14-16 is the serpent in the wilderness (cf. Num 21:1ff), the message that should have gone out with those texts would be, “Behold! The lamb of God that takes away the sin of ISRAEL”, and “for God so loved ISRAEL…”. But Christ died, not for the nation of Israel only, but for the world of sinners (cf. note the parallel language and distinctions in Jn 11:49-52 and 1 Jn 2:1-2). Therefore, God: 1) both uses the text most conducive to the Gentile nations for proofs – and gives (writes) the New Testament in that “world” language1; and 2) as important, witnesses that a translation from an uninspired text – grounded in the infallible OT Hebrew text – is used to communicated truth with the same power (owned by the Spirit), and thus the power in that same truth when translated into English, Dutch, Japanese, Russian, and a myriad of translations down through time! This writer believes this is the reason why the Hebrew OT text is quoted far less often than the translated LXX in buttressing New Testament truths. The translation, based on the inerrant Hebrew, is empowered by the Spirit, as obviously seen this way by Jesus, Paul, Peter, etc. as a pattern of the use of translations would be as the gospel went, and is going, to those in darkness. We need not communicate God’s Word/Truth in Hebrew. The Word is a great light (Mt 4:13-16) going to the ends of the earth2. Note: I believe a great piece of evidence supporting the above thesis is the alteration in the language of Scripture from the Hebrew of Daniel chapters 1:1-2:3 to Aramaic in 2:4-7:28. The prophetic setting in the 5th century BC is moving towards the Messiah (cf. 9:24-27), but between the end of prophetic writing in Malachi to the Christmas star of Jesus Christ, we see the four Gentile kingdoms rule the lands in the mid-east from the Babylonian empire to the Roman empire in the parallel statue/beasts prophetic visions of Daniel 2 and 7 (Babylon -the head of gold [Dan 2:38] and the lion with eagle’s wings [Dan 7:4]; followed by Persia [Dan 2:39a; Dan 7:5]; then Alexander and Greece, [Dan 7:39b; Dan 7:6]; and finally Rome [Dan 2:40; Dan 7:7-8] – after which the kingdom of God is established in the midst of the Roman kingdom [Dan 2:44-45; Dan 7:9-14]. Now this period of the Gentile kingdoms saw God giving prophetic utterance in a different, but related, language. The rule of Gentile kingdoms unto Messiah saw God speaking in a more universal nation-language of that time and place (Cyrus to Herod the Great; 5th century to Herod’s death, 4BC.). I think this tells us God’s view of language and communication as the times move from Abraham’s seed and Israelite history/covenant-blessing to world speech/gospel in the spiritual seed of Abraham and the promise to all nations (Gen 12:3; Rom 4:13). The use of the LXX, in a parallel fashion, was utilized in communicating Divine truth, and makes all the more sense to quote, expound, and evangelize. 1An example is, since the NT saints were exhorted to examine and prove all things (1 Thess 5:21), and were commended for this (Acts 17:11), that a Gentile (for instance in the Galatian churches) could read Paul’s quote of Deuteronomy 27:26 in Gal 3:10 – a crucial verse in the Pauline argument of justification by faith and not works – and verify the power of the Biblical reasoning and proof. 2This use of the OT LXX by the New Testament tells us that translations of original texts, which is what the LXX is, carries the weight of truth and authority from the original Hebrew – and thus we can be assured our English translation does the same in the same manner. We run into issues when we translated from a translation (Latin Vulgate, from the Greek, into a second language like English. We should never settle for this [as the Reformers didn’t]). VI: A LAST, SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENT – FROM SCRIPTURE There are two Biblical issues I desire to bring up - as to the evidence and accuracy of science: Question#1: What does science say about the venomous snake of Exodus 7:5ff? I will tell you. A herpetologist would give the species, the approximate age, and the probable origin and place of the family of snakes in Egypt. The only thing the scientist would be correct on is the type of snake, which clearly, the attendees recognized - as Moses had, and fled (Ex 4:3). The snakes age(?); between one and two years old, the herpetologist says. Incorrect: It is three seconds old. And dear herpetologist; what of the origin (?). The Nile delta. Incorrect: Through the power of heaven, it came from a stick. Question#2: What does a sommelier say about the vintage wine at the marriage at Cana in John 2:1ff? What about the age, origin of grape of this vintage? The sommelier says a fine old wine (?). Incorrect. It is three seconds old. It is possibly from a Galilean source, he says. Incorrect. It was from the water drawn by the steward. The cut of grape vine (?). The Sommelier replies; A fine strain from near Cana. Incorrect. From the power of the Lord, as in Genesis one; that is, the very finger of God that also withered the fig tree (Mk 11:11-14,20-21). Science can only take a man so far – but no farther. Section 2: A Primer on the Doctrine of the Bible “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 (2 Tim 3:16-17). Part 1 – The Reasonableness and Necessity of Revelation (i.e., why is the Bible the medium of knowing truth about God) 1 Corinthians 2:6-13 6 However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 Which things we speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. Initially, we see that revelation from God to man is an absolute if man is going to “know” God in the way a person would know a person (cf. above). Linked to, and necessary in the knowing process, God has determined to establish that relationship of person-to-person knowledge (that is the point of 1Corinthians 2:11). In Rom 1:19-20, we read, Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His [i.e., God’s] invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made [i.e., man]… Thus, the infinite God makes clear that for man to know God is not just a priority in God’s eyes, but God has established both His means, and man’s ability to accomplish this goal – which is the second essential point. Thus secondly, because of God’s nature as well as man’s, there are at least three basic reasons why it is most reasonable and necessary for God to reveal Himself to man thru the Bible - His Word of Truth, and also to know that man is incapable of finding God by virtue of his unaided faculties; that is, the sheer force of his reason. 1. The Nature of Personhood First, in the previous quote from 1Cor 2, Paul states the obvious - that for one person to know another requires self-disclosure. As Paul says in v. 11a above, underlined on the previous page; “For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in [i.e., within] him.” Paul states the ‘spirit’ of man, the inner ego of man, is unknown and unknowable except to the person himself. Therefore, we must reveal our self if any other person is ever going to know our inmost being - our ‘spirit,’ our ‘ego,’ that is, our person. It is just a matter of everyday knowledge that for one person to really know another, because of the elegant symphony of notes we call personality, we must reveal ourselves to the person who wants to know us. Because we are not just facts, but we are surely more than the sum of chemicals and electrical signals, to understand us – to know us - requires self-revelation. It cannot be other. Man has not only arms to throw and legs to run measurable distances, but he has love, mercy, and compassion - the sum-total making up the person. He is not just brain but mind, not just conscious but self-conscious, and all these qualities make up the “ego” we call personhood. Thus, Paul says quite sensibly that the ego of one human is understood by another only when we make the effort to reveal ourselves. It is then for us, and Paul, to take the most natural and logical step in v. 11b with the Greek word “outoV” (even so, or in like fashion, v11b), that if this is true of the person “man”, this must be true of the person we call God. If to know a man, he must make himself known - God, the preeminent person, must do the same. He must reveal Himself. And therefore, we have the Scriptures. Conclusion To know God, in the same way we come to know any man, requires self-revelation from the source (God), so it is reasonable and necessary that God reveal Himself if He is ever to be known by man. 2. The Nature of God As the ultimate expression of God, great men throughout history have turned to the doxology to express the truth(s) about the living God in brief and dramatic form. Such doxologies reflect the best and highest expression in words most all people would write if we attempted to tell others about the nature and concept of God/Lord - Great, Wondrous, and Glorious. Note some of the Apostle Paul’s observations: O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unreachable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor? Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him?” For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. (Rom 11:33-36) Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Tim 1:17) “…He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has ever seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen. (1 Tim 6:15b-16) King David: Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In your hand is to make great and to give strength to all. (1 Chron 29:11) Jude 25: To God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen. It is this infinite greatness, holiness, and purity that man is unable to grasp unless that Great Being reveals the truth(s) about His nature and character. Historically, the best man-made expression of the God we seek is displayed by the great Westminster Confession (1648 A.D.), Chapter 2 – “Of God, and of the Holy Trinity”. Most appropriate and telling when we want to know if man, on his own intellectual steam, can find God. The Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 2 Of God, and of the Holy Trinity There is but one only, living, and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions; immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty; most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute; working all things according to the council of His own immutable and righteous will, for His own glory; most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him; and withal, most just, and terrible in His judgments, hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty. Can you find this God…this true, living God, so poorly and inadequately described in these scripture references by mere men? It must be of all truths most clear that the greater – God, must reveal Himself to the lesser - man. What is truly amazing is that man might grasp anything at all about God. To this one must say, as the Puritans did, that the reason man knows even the smallest truth regarding God, is that God has condescended to speak through His Word – the Bible. And noting the nature of God, we know this must be so. Let us give Jesus the final word when the subject is understanding truths regarding God. In one of the most famous quotes of the Bible (Mt 16:16), Peter the apostle confesses to Jesus that, …You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. But most enlightening is Jesus’ response regarding this confession (Mt 16:17). He replies to Peter’s statement of insight with, …Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. If Jesus were asked the religious question, “How does one know any truth about God?”, His answers would use language (found in many NT passages) such as, “the Father has drawn you” (so you might know God), and “the Father has given it to you” (so you might know God), and “the Father has revealed it to you” (so you might know God). See Jesus’ answer to the issue of unbelief in His day in Jn 6:36-40,43-44,64-65. When we are faced with the epistemology regarding God (i.e., the ideas and inquiries regarding truths about God); we will, if we are honest, stand in silent awe. If David would say of God, “Our God is in the heavens, and He does whatever He pleases,” and “Whatever the Lord pleases, He does”, we feel the distance between us and the Sovereign Creator. When Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, was confronted with the King of Kings, he confessed this truth in Dan 4:34b-35, For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation…He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, “What have you done?” [i.e., “justify your actions!”] Ultimately, Job is correct when he acknowledged (Job 37:23a); As for the Almighty, we cannot find Him; after which Job completes his thought, and gives us the needed insight as to why his comment is accurate (Job 37:23b), He is excellent in power, in judgment and abundant justice. Isaiah grants us the same insight by stating in Isa 55:8-9, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. If I may end with David’s poetic form of expressing God’s infinity in His dealings with man in Ps 139:6, Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it. Conclusion Thus, God being who He is (i.e., His nature so completely and uniquely different from man), man requires the condescension of God in revealing Himself to man. This is most reasonable and necessary. 3. The Nature of Man When Moses was expounding the doctrine of man to the recipients of the Torah, he let his readers understand even when man (Adam and Eve) came pure from the hand of God, the Almighty must make known His will to man (Gen 1:28; 2:17) Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” So, man, even in his pristine state, must understand God through God’s revelation to him. Why must God reveal Himself if man is to know the mind, will, and person of God Almighty? First, because man is creature, and God is the infinite Creator. But there is much more of note. Man is neither pure nor pristine any longer in heart for proper affection to love God, nor a mind so free from bias and error so as to think proper thoughts and to reason his way accurately to God. Thus, in his search for the “Infinite”, man not only has the wrong equipment, but it is damaged equipment. That is simply man’s true nature. It is not just that man is using a microscope mind to examine the sun-like glory of God, but his microscope has no lens, no dial to adjust; indeed, he has swapped it for a thermometer - in his wisdom thinking that the thermometer is the correct tool to examine ideas of God. As for man’s capacities in heart and mind, Paul speaks to this issue. Here he describes the state of Ephesians prior to God’s mercies (Eph 4:17-19), This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind (2), having their understanding darkened (2), being alienated from the life of God (1), because of the ignorance that is in them (2), because of the blindness (hardening) of their heart (3); who, being past feeling (3), have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness (4). Note the underlined ideas of Paul. He sees the order of man’s plight as being essential to the problem of knowing, loving, and following God. First, man has no vital relationship to the author of life, God, and thus because the plant is not tied to the root and soil for true life, man is dead to God – even as he is still a living person. That is, since God is Spirit and a real person, our spirits must be regenerate to know, relate, and in the truest sense – be alive. The primary tragedy in Paul’s reflections on why truths about God cannot be understood by man is that we all are “alienated from the life of God” (1). This is where all problems start. Because God is life and light, every stream of that life must have a vital connection to this ocean/source of life (God). Disconnected from this reservoir of all life, there is nothing but parched ground, and this is why in Acts 17:28a, we find such total-dependence-type statements regarding man as, For in Him we live and move and have our being… Further, this deadness toward God is not an isolated fact. Paul says because we are cut-off from the source of this true life, its primary affect is upon the mind. Our ignorance (2) reflects this, our darkness (2) and futility (2) of thought reflects this. There is no way to discuss and understand the issues of God and man if we have no spiritual life corresponding to God, who is Spirit! Deadness of relationship means deadness in thought; not true thoughts of all disciplines, but certainly true and living thoughts of God. How will we reflect accurately about God when God is light, and our thoughts are dark, ignorant – in a word, futile. Moreover, the mind is not isolated. The heart, the seat of man's affections, flows in the direction dictated by the mind. Man’s mind is darkened, and this darkness produces hardening in the heart (3), and a state so hopeless it is past feeling (3). What a circumstance! And this is man who thinks he, by searching, can find God. Now this is true ignorance! Does he (the seeker of God) really think with the description above delineating his state as a person, that the condition of his life/mind/heart can somehow be divorced? Does the condition of the searcher affect his searching? Can the fact that a man is blind affect his search for the North Star? As we might guess, Paul includes in his analysis the result of an alienated man (1), a darkened mind (2), and a hardened heart (3). What are the fruits of 1, 2, and 3? Is it the ability to seek and find God successfully? Paul is clear that the opposite is the case. The state of our nature biases the ways, methods, and perceptions in any search for God. And the result - Eph 4:19, our above (4), Who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to work all uncleanness with greediness.[4] In other words, far from the ability to search and find the True and Living God, man’s final state of seeking is summed up by the words of Jesus in Jn 3:19-20 [once again referring to the numbered items (1), (2), (3), and (4)], And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone [i.e., mankind, aliens to God (1), and thus having a darkened mind (2) and a hardened hart (3)] practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light [4], lest his deeds should be exposed. God is light. Man’s mind, and thus his will/desires/activities, is darkness. If God is to be found by man, God must take the initiative. Conclusion If God is ever to be known - God must speak, God must disclose, God must reveal Himself. This is evident: First, to us in experience when it comes to person-to-person knowledge; Second, because God is far beyond man in His nature and therefore His person; and Third, man is defective, even in his limited abilities. We must hear, we must listen, we must perceive, and we must trust/believe; and this faith is based, not on blind hope, but on the foundation of truth - the truth/fact(s) regarding God. This is both reasonable and necessary. Part 2 - Revelation as Word – Spoken and Written The saints have always inquired as to the revelation of the mind of God as it appears both in the truth as spoken by God and in its final form – written down. When the Lord wanted to reveal His truth to the saints of old, we read of its primacy both as recorded in Scripture and as quoted by the Savior, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” (Mt 4:4, quoting Deut 8:3) But we find that in God making His will known, He also makes clear the means, …the word of the LORD came by the prophet Jehu (1 Kings 16:7a) …according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which He had spoken through his servant Jonah (2 Kings 14:25b) …the words of the LORD which He spoke by the prophet Jeremiah. (Jer 37:2) This is why so often the books of revelation in the OT speak in this manner; … “Behold, I put My words in your mouth. (Jer 1:9) “…The word of the LORD came expressly to Ezekiel the priest” (Ezek 1:3) Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet” (Hag 1:3) Therefore, we find expressions reflecting the knowledge of God’s truth with the instrumentality of man clearly in the mind of the Jewish nation such as, … “Is there no prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of the Lord by him?” (2 Kings 3:11) … “Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of Him?” (1 Kings 22:7) … “Please inquire for the word of the LORD today.” (1 Kings 22:5) The result was the following types of statements in Scripture; Surely the LORD GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7) The LORD GOD has spoken! Who can but prophesy? (Amos 3:8) So the children of Israel inquired of the LORD…and Phinehas the son of Eleazar…stood…saying, (Judg 20:27-28a) followed by, And the Lord said, (Judg 20:28b) making it clear that Israel knew the prophet’s words were the Lord’s words. Yet there was more – a connection also to the written Word through the speaking prophet. Thus, we read, Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent (Jer 29:1) Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write these words…” (Exod 34:27) So Moses wrote this Law and delivered it… (Deut 31:9) And this is precisely the way other saints in OT times looked at prophetic writings, in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the LORD through Jeremiah the prophet… (Dan 9:2) Thus, we find in the NT concerning OT prophecies verses such as, …He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written… (Lk 4:1617) and our Lord, when speaking of various OT truth says in Lk 4:4 and 4:8, …“It is written…” and “…For it is written…” and this was equal, in the same breath, to, “It has been said…” (Lk 4:12) We thus read of the OT as “oracles of God” and “the Holy Scriptures” (Rom 3:2; 1:2). We read of Bible verses as “the Scripture says” (Rom 4:3; 9:17; 10:11). The power of these documents is rhetorically established by phrases such as, “do you not know”? (Rom 11:2) and, “Have you not read” (Mt 19:4). Indeed, for Jesus Christ and the answer to any issue - it was to the law and to the testimony – as our Lord makes clear to the rich young ruler when He says to him; “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” (Lk 10:26). Therefore, the Words and books of the OT prophets carried the final truth for any and all practices and doctrines – for it was the Word of God. The NT history is identical. Christ ended His earthly ministry stating that all the disciples who would follow Him would be taught to “…observe all things I have commanded you”, and these commands came through His NT prophets – the apostles. So, like the OT, we find that Peter (in 2Pet 3:2b) said, “…the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, John could say with inspired boldness like prophets of old (1 Jn 4:6); We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Further, the words of the apostles were not just commands of the Lord spoken, but also commands of the Lord written. Paul could say, …the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord. (1 Cor 14:37) And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person…” (2 Thess 3:14) And such was the command of Christ as we see with John in Rev 1:11, “…What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches…” Matthew could combine the inspired use of his own words he knew would take written form, and the inspired words of an OT prophet in spoken, then written form, “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation’, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place…” (Mt 24:15) Again, as we saw with Daniel and Jeremiah’s words in NT times, other saints recognized the words and authority of the Lord in the apostles by direct statement (e.g., see Jude 17), But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: And by the activity of circulating and exchanging these apostolic letters to other churches (see Col 4:16; 1 Thess 5:27). Probably the ultimate example of apostolic authority is the apostle Peter and his reflections on the writings of the apostle Paul. Peter considered Paul’s writings as being on a par with inspired OT revelation in 2 Pet 3:15b-16; …as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. Conclusion God must reveal Himself, or man cannot know God nor the truths regarding God. This revelation God has done - first spoken, then permanently written in His Word, the Bible. God’s truth about Himself, His glory, His will and His desires for the good for man, has been put down in His Holy Word. As 2 Tim 3:16-17 states, All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God man be complete [mature], thoroughly equipped for every good work. Part 3 – Revelation by the Holy Spirit Prior to our Lord’s work on Calvary’s hill, He made known to His disciples that although He was going away, He would send another, a Comforter, to abide with them forever (Jn 14:16). The third person of the blessed Trinity would guide them into all truth (Jn 16:13) for He is the “Spirit of Truth” (Jn 15:26; 16:13). It is the Holy Spirit which always both inspired the Word and indwelt saints to understand inspired truth, Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us of God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (1 Cor 2:12-13) It has always been a Biblical axiom that “All Scripture is inspired by God” (literally God breathed, qeopnumatoV). If Peter is speaking of the OT, he writes, knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation, for the prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. (2 Pet 1:20-21) …the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. (1 Pet 1:11, cf. Isa 53) and continuing with NT revelation from 1 Pet 1:12 (“them” are the OT prophets), To them…who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit That is why Peter could proclaim he did not devise cunning fables (2 Pet 1:16). The OT abundantly speaks along this theme, with David saying in 2 Sam 23:2, “The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue. and in the NT, speaking of Ps 110, we have Mk 12:36, For David himself said by the Holy Spirit… Since this was true we find in Num 23:5a, Then the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth… This also explains why the writer to the Hebrews could be so bold and exclude the instrument of man in the Word and just proclaim of Ps 95, Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says… (Heb 3:7) Nehemiah makes this truth clear by preaching in Neh 9:30, …You…testified against them by Your Spirit in Your prophets. Again, Peter declares regarding Ps 69, “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas…” (Acts 1:16) and Paul states in Acts 28:25, …“The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet…” The revelation of God stands sure as it has been revealed to and through man by the Spirit of God - being inscripturated by God in written form, which has both been guided by the Holy Spirit and understood by the same Spirit. As Job says, But there is a spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding. (Job 32:8) Conclusion God must reveal Himself, or man cannot know God nor the truths regarding God. This permanent revelation for man is in His Word – the Bible. But the means by which truth becomes real to the individual (i.e. in his/her heart or spirit) is through the work of the Holy Spirit, who takes the truth of the Word and makes it true in the heart of man. This is how the objective truth of God becomes objective truth personally understood and experienced. Part 4 – Revelation as Infallibly True “The Scripture cannot be broken” (literally, “loosed” luqhnai, Jn 10:35). Here is the witness of the Lord Jesus Christ to the OT (in this particular case, Ps 82). In Jn 10:30-36, our Lord claimed to be one with the Father, and on the heels of this statement the assembled Jewish leaders took up stones to kill Him for blasphemy (v. 31). Our Lord responds by quoting, then deducing, from Ps 82 – the cornerstone of His argument and defense being that Ps 82:5 must be sure because the Word of God is sure. Our Lord could summarize His thought on the Bible by simply stating in His High Priestly prayer, “Thy Word is Truth” (Jn 17:17). How much of the Scriptures are given to this fact – the infallibility of God’s Word/ Revelation. Just in one Psalm alone, Ps 119, David declares, Forever, O Lord, thy Word is settled in heaven; Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old you have founded them forever; thy Word is true from the beginning; and every one of your righteous judgments endures forever (Ps 119:89,152,160) Peter thought the truths of this Psalm so appropriate to his theme comparing God’s truth to man’s existence that he echoes Ps 119. He writes of man that; “all flesh is as grass…the grass…falls away…but the Word of the Lord endures forever” 1Pet 1:24-25 There is much more both in the above testimony of Scripture and its application to us. Daniel is blunt enough to use the phrase “the Scripture of Truth” (Dan 10:21), and the apostle John reflects upon both his witness of the events of the first century (in this context, the reality of the cross/death of Christ), and his penning these events by saying, And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. (Jn 19:35) “Your Words are true” (2 Sam 7:28). This dogmatism by both OT saints and our Lord is given the strongest confidence by the words of Scripture standing sure and coming to pass. Note how Daniel (in Dan 9:2) reflects on OT truth written down and reflecting the ministry of another OT prophet, …I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the LORD through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolation of Jerusalem. Thus, you find clear statements of confidence in Bible prophecies of old - such statements as Christ in Gethsemane, How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus? (Mt 26:54) and our Lord speaking of the imminent fall of the great Jerusalem temple, For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. (Lk 21:22) Note: in Greek (the original language of the NT), the word may/might in purpose clauses like the one above, does not like English imply may or may not, but rather is equal to shall. Therefore, we summarize the enduring truth of the Scriptures by our Lord Jesus who, speaking NT truth while reflecting on OT truth/fulfillment, said in Mt 24:35, Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. Conclusion God must reveal Himself to man for man to know God. This revelation is in His Word, the Bible. This revelation is written by men inspired by God and is without error in the original languages - Hebrew (OT) and Greek (NT). Part 5 – Revelation as Rational A prominent charge of those who do not believe Christian revelation and the Bible is that the faith exercised in trusting and believing its verities is equal to wishful thinking by Christians. Detractors say of Christians that faith in the Bible is not faith in facts/truths. Thus, the world believes and thinks of the Bible belief/faith as irrational. But this is far from the case. Indeed, as we shall see, it is much to the contrary. Through Isaiah, the Lord calls and appeals to a rebellious Israel in Isa 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together,” says the LORD… Note the context of v. 18 has as its subject the most religious of topics – sin. Later in Isaiah, when the challenge of issues arises before Israel, God entreats His Old covenant people to rationality in Isa 41:21, “Present your case,” says the Lord. “Bring forth your strong reasons,” says the King of Jacob.” Similarly, God speaks through Samuel in 1 Sam 12:7 saying, Now therefore, stand still, that I may reason with you before the LORD… It should thus be no surprise that the mind is always engaged when God gives commands regarding His Word and Truth. Note just in one verse of the Psalms how many mental demands are laid at the feet of any who would know and understand God. Readers are called upon to “take… heed…seek…teach…meditate…” (Ps 119:9, 10,12,15). This is why, just nine verses later, the same writer proclaims that the Scriptures are his counselors (Ps 119:24). In the NT, we have some of the strongest statements equating the truth of gospel ideas centered in Christ as demanding that we bring our minds to religious truth. The apostle Paul’s companion and physician Luke witnesses to Theophilus, an apparent high-born citizen of Rome, regarding the Savior, “Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us…which from the beginning were eyewitnesses…It seemed to me also, having a perfect understanding of all things from the very first…that you might know the certainty of those things” (Lk 1:1-4). Luke’s second treatise to Theophilus, in Acts 1:3, also deals in realities of those works of the church subsequent to the life and death of Christ, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs… Luke was interested in communicating historic, rational truth to Theophilus - appealing primarily to the mind. This rationalism of the gospel is clearly why we find the following evangelical work and witness when examining Paul’s “methods” in evangelism and communication. Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and…reasoned with them from the Scriptures, (Acts 17:2) And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and persuaded both Jews and Greeks. (Acts 18:4) “Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control…” (Acts 24:25) Thus, both Peter and Paul never exhorted to “cunningly devised fables” (2Pet 1:16), but rather were eyewitnesses. So Paul, when speaking of the resurrection of Christ, speaks of the Savior having eyewitnesses to the historic validity. In 1Cor 15:5-8, Paul avows Christ was, …seen by Cephas, then by twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once… After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also… Paul, Luke, and the other Biblical expositors established by their writings spiritual and historic truth – truth that was an appeal to the mind to persuade people of the reality and implications of the central verities of the Christian message. Conclusion God must reveal Himself, or man cannot know God nor the truths regarding God. Because man is a rational being, this revelation from God is directed to man’s mind, and thus God uses illustration, argument, proof, and all the normal means of communicative language to persuade rational man of rational truth. Part 6 – Revelation as True History (As displayed in Luke’s Gospel) This part of understanding the Bible will be a review of the gospel of Luke, examining all the past and present historic people and features both current and past. When the Bible expounded truth, it included truth about real people and events from the creation of Adam and Eve to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. This is to make clear the Bible is not myth or fantasy, but historic reality. Unfolding with the religious interests of Luke are many real past and present events. In the midst of the coming birth of the Savior, we read about Roman tax collection under Caesar Augustus, and Luke establishing historical context by also mentioning the governor of Syria, Cyrenius (Lk 2:1ff). At our Lord’s baptism, Luke records such men as Tiberius Caesar, Pilate as governor, Herod ruling Galilee, Philip and Lysanias – both tetrarchs (Lk 3:1ff). OT historical validity is part of our Lord’s first discourse in Nazareth (Lk 4:16ff) as He reflects on Israel’s history – which includes Elijah and Elisha the prophets, and their ministries to Zarephath the widow and Naaman the leper (1Kings 17; 2Kings 5). In Luke 10, Jesus speaks to the destruction of Tyre and Sidon by Alexander the Great (Ezek 26). In Luke 11, we have multiple events recorded: the historic reality of Nineveh, Jonah and the fish, as well as the Queen of Sheba and Solomon. Christ also compasses the whole of Scripture in Luke 11, bringing in the death of Abel in Genesis to the death of Zechariah (not the OT writer) who’s death is recorded in the last Jewish book of the Old Covenant (according to the way the Jews arranged their sacred texts - different an order, but the same books). There is mention by our Lord: of Noah and the flood; Lot and Sodom and Gomorrah; Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; Moses and the burning bush, as well as current events of non-Jewish history. In Luke 13, Jesus speaks to a tragedy of that day - a tower fell at Siloam killing eighteen and Pilate defiling the Jewish sacrificial laws by mingling unclean sacrifices. All this is to testify and get a correct perception of the many facets of the Word of God. It is a book that speaks to gospel issues while not passing over the details of events that have affected the history of God’s covenant people as well as the world’s history of events, people, and nations. For example, the OT spends time declaring historically and prophetically parts of the history of Babylon, Assyria, the Persian Empire with Darius and Cyrus and the Greek Empire with Alexander and much more. Indeed, in the form of a statue in Daniel 2, and the form of multiple beasts in Daniel 7, the Bible speaks to the above nations in the order of their rise and fall in history: Babylon, Medo-Persian, Greek, Roman…a true history of events from the 6th century to the times of Christ. Conclusion God’s revelation is not just rational truth, but in every way is an account of true historic facts, events and figures which occurred in the history surrounding the events of the Moses, David, Jesus, Paul; in short, the events surrounding the gospel. Part 7 – Revelation as Personal When the Word of God reveals the grand truth of personal salvation – that revelation to an individual person that results in knowledge of the Living and True God – Scripture tends to use the greatest of historical illustrations and the most magnificent of metaphors. To communicate properly the glorious nature of redemptive work (which the Scriptures refer to as “calling”), it is as if the Bible spares no imagery to communicate the power, glory, and splendor of God’s sovereign act in delivering a sinner from death to life. It is both glory and sweetness that meet when a sinner is freed from the bondage of sin. As Col 1:13-14 declares, He [God] has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. The subject of gracious forgiveness and pardon is sweet in ways without number. For Peter, it is the sovereign act expressed in Mt 16:17, Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. For the apostle Paul, it is eternal sovereignty (Gal 1:15-16a), But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me… With the seller of purple, Lydia, it is a simple yet profound (Acts 16:14b), The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. With the saints as a whole, the Bible witness comes to each as 1 Thess 1:5 speaks, For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance… For the Corinthians, Paul draws on the power of creation as he speaks of the grace that came to them (2 Cor 4:6), For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness [literally “’who said ‘let there be light’”], who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. And all of this mighty work is the work of the Son (see Mt 11:27), All things are delivered to me by My Father, and no man knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. It is the Son alone who declares the Father (Jn 1:18). He who has seen the Son has seen the Father (Jn 14:9), and it is Christ and Christ alone who makes the Father known (Jn 17:6). All this is because He is the Son - He is in the bosom of the Father and can thus declare Him (Jn 1:18). Jesus alone can make the astounding statement (Jn 17:25), “…O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You”. The doctrine of knowing God is a work of Jesus through the Spirit (Jn 17:3); “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. Conclusion God must reveal Himself, or man cannot know God nor the truths regarding God. This permanent revelation for man is in His Word – the Bible. But it is not just truth understood, but a relationship with the Living Savior that is experienced. The Gospel is the good news of reconciliation between God and His creatures – individual creatures. Each Christian, being born again, walks and journeys in this world with God as his own Father. He is God’s child, and, and Christ said in John 10:3, “…and He calls His own sheep by name” (emphasis added). Part 8 – Jesus Christ, the Center of All Divine Revelation The Bible is a book about Jesus Christ. Of all errors in the act of reading and/or teaching the Scriptures, there is none greater than to read and by teach in a way that makes ethics, morality, history, or any other theme rival the preeminence of Jesus Christ in the Book of books. As Jesus Himself said to the detractors of His day (in John 5:39); “You Search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. Throughout the length and breadth of the NT, whereas the Jews saw history and revelation as culminating in Judaism, the Scriptures declare that Jesus Christ is the center of history, the types and sacrifices of the OT, the prophetic, priest, and kingship of Israel’s history; in short, all of Revelation and truth as revealed by God from Adam to Malachi. In the gospels, Luke quotes our Lord on the road to Emmaus saying; And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. (Lk 24:27) Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” (Lk 24:44) Philip, in Jn 1:45, states, “…We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote…” Jesus spoke condemnation to the leaders of His day for not recognizing this (see Jn 5:46), “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.” One could go straight through the authors and books of the NT and find the identical witness. Peter proclaims (in Acts 3:24), “Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days.” (i.e. days of the Messiah) Stephen, in the first great message after Pentecost, preached on the whole history of Israel and the OT revelation in Acts 7, concluding with v. 52, “Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers,” Rom 1:1-2 follows suit in Paul’s introduction, Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ…which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures Note in Rom 9:4-5 how all Israel’s blessings culminate in Christ, who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed of God. Amen. Paul finishes this culminating idea of Christ by stating in Rom 15:8 that Christ came “to confirm the promises made to the fathers.” Note the centrality and pervasiveness of Jesus Christ and His work in flipping through the NT, in particular when it comes to time and types; But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God-and righteousness and sanctification and redemption (1 Cor 1:30) But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son… (Gal 4:4) …the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets (Eph 3:4b-5) Part 8a - Jesus Christ, the Center of All Divine Revelation - Time, Promise and Fulfillment In the Bible, there is a clear pattern of promise then fulfillment as Scripture moves from Genesis to Revelation. Genesis speaks of a promised descendant - both to Adam and Eve (Gen 3:16) and to Abraham (Gen 12:3). He would be a King – descending from one of Jacob’s son’s, Judah (“…until Shiloh come, Gen 49:10). Note as we move in time through history and the Word, more writers affirm with more detail this coming redeemer “Seed” – whether in statement or in illustration (type). In Exodus, there is the introduction of the High Priest and his garments as well as the tabernacle where the high priest ministered. The NT sees this clearly in Christ as He “tabernacled” (Greek) among men (Jn 1:14) and was the Great High Priest (Heb 4:14-16; 7:1ff). Exodus and Deuteronomy see Christ as the one fulfilling the law of God (Matt 5:17-18; Rom 10:4), as well as: the antitype of the sacrificial animals of Leviticus (Lev chps 1-5); the heifer of Numbers 19; the bronze serpent of Numbers 21; and the Cities of Refuge delineated in Numbers 35. Most noteworthy, Jesus is the fulfillment of the magnificent prophetic quote by Moses in Deut 18:15, and a quote we find from Peter relating to Christians (Acts 3:22), For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things… The fact that Christ is central in the Bible is as basic as genealogies. That Christ would be the seed of Adam-Abraham-Isaac-Jacob-Judah arises in the book of Ruth, where the truth of Christ being the seed of David (Mt 1:1 “Jesus Christ, the Son of David”) is begun innocuously as the book of Ruth concludes. We find Ruth’s husband Boaz: “Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king” - whose Lord according to Psalm 110 is Jesus Christ (Ps 110:1; cf. Matt 22:44). Samuel’s words point to Christ as Peter states in Acts 3:24, Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. In I and II Kings, we have Elijah’s life, a man who with Moses bore witness to their King, the Lord Jesus, in Mt 17:1ff (Jesus’ transfiguration). In I and II Chronicles, we have the summery last martyr, Zacharias, who our Lord refers to when reflecting on the depravity of the generation He ministered to (Lk 11:49-51; cf. 2Chr 24:20-22), “…‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’ that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.” Job knew that “my redeemer lived” (Job 19:25); from Psalms, David knew that God would raise Christ as well - “neither will you let your Holy one see corruption” (Ps 16:10; cf. Acts 2:25-27). Solomon wrote over 3000 Proverbs as well as Ecclesiastes - yet one greater than Solomon appeared in the first century (Mt 12:42). It does not matter in what book of the OT or at what time the prophets spoke, Jesus Christ was the apex of their prophecy. It could be Isaiah and the virgin birth or the “Child born, the Son given,” or the suffering servant – the object was Christ (Isa 7:14; 9:6; 53:1-12). It could be the One called “The Lord our Righteousness” from Jer 23:6 or the “appearance of a Man” with the Glory of the Lord from Ezek 1:26-28. It could even be Daniel’s “one like the Son of God” in the fiery furnace (Dan 3:23-25). But the witness is to Christ from Genesis to Malachi (see Mal 4:4-6, comp Matt 17:10-17). Even as the OT closes with the 12 Minor Prophets, Christ is everywhere. Whether Hosea, “Out of Egypt I have called my Son (Hos 11:1, cf. Mt 2:15); Jonah, “Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights; (Jonah 1:17, cf. Mt 12:40); or Micah, “But thou Bethlehem…out of thee shall He come forth…a ruler” (Mic 5:2, cf. Mt 2:1). Thus, when the history moves from OT to NT, a trumpet of fulfillment is sounded loud and clear to let all Israel and the nations know that the 39 books of the OT have reached the goal for which they were all along written as expressed in Mk 1:15, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand”. In Lk 4:18-19, our Lord reads in the synagogue from Isa 61:1-3, then in Lk 4:21 says, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Again, when the Holy Law that God gave to Israel was the subject, our Lord states in Mt 5:17, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” The Bible talks of the “fullness of time” (Gal 4:4), because the great era of consummation had dawned with the advent of Christ. The writers and speakers of the NT are so clear and bold as to speak of the era of Christ as “the time of reformation” and “restoration” (Heb 9:10; Acts 3:21). In Jesus Christ - OT shadows are fulfilled (Col 2:16-17; Heb 10:1): types (Rom 5:14), figures (Heb 9:9), and patterns (Heb 8:5). Christ is the promised Priest-King of Zechariah 6:12-13 and the Prophet of Deut 18:15-18. In other words, He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the End, the All in All of Revelation. All the Bible points forward to Him whether type, shadow, or promise - and all NT exposition expounds and centers in Christ. Part 8b - Jesus Christ, the Center of All Divine Revelation - Witness to the Centrality of Christ From the Book of Acts The content of witness in the book of Acts and the content of the messages of the early church was Christ - and Him alone. Here is a selection from Acts, and the preaching of the saints and apostles (Acts chapters 1-28). Truly when the Word went forth, first to last, the content was “Christ, and Him crucified”, (1 Cor 2:2).* *Just as a point of interest, when the gospel message was proclaimed, the idea of “God loves you,” or similar words being a part of that message, is foreign to Acts. Indeed, the words “love, loves, loved” are not found once in the entire book as part of the apostolic message/gospel! 2:36, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” 3:26, “To you first [Israel], God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.” 4:12, “Nor is there salvation in any other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” 5:31, “Him [Christ] God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.” 5:42, And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and peaching Jesus as the Christ. 7:52, “Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers” 8:5, Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. 9:20, Immediately he [Paul] preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. 10:36, The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ – He is Lord of all – 11:20, But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. 13:38, “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins” 15:11, “But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.” 16:31, So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 17:2-3, Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them…explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead 18:5, When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. 19:4, Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” 20:21, …testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. 22:14-15, Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. 23:11, But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.” 24:24, And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. 26:16-18, …for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness…to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’ 28:23, …persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets 28:30-31, Then Paul…received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ If Acts may be summarized from Paul’s statement to the Greeks at Corinth, when it came to preaching the Gospel and its contents, Paul, as all other Christians, was single-minded (again, see 1 Cor 2:2): For I determined not to know [and preach] anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Part 8c - Jesus Christ, the Center of All Divine Revelation - Superiority of Christ to All Previous to Him - From the Book of Hebrews - Hebrews is written to contrast the Old Covenant and its laws – the center of Jewish religion – with the final laws of the New Covenant. In a single verse (Heb 8:13), the writer of Hebrews sums up this contrast of Sinai to Calvary when he writes, “In that He says, “A new covenant,” [cf. Jer 31:31-34, Calvary] He has made the first obsolete [i.e., Sinai]. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. In a word, the writer is expounding the superiority of the New Covenant to the Old Covenant. Just one example of the superiority of the New Covenant contrasted with the Old - from Heb 10:11-12; And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man [i.e., Christ], after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God Note then all the ways Christ’s superiority is expressed in Hebrews; having become so much better than angels (1:4) …Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant (7:22) …He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. (8:6) …the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices (9:23b) …knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. (10:34b) “they might obtain a better resurrection,” (10:35) But now they desire a better, that is heavenly country. (11:16a) God, having provided something better for us (11:40a) to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things then that of Abel. (12:24) And in Matthew, where Christ is expressed as greater; “For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” (12:8, emphasis added) “Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple.” (12:6, emphasis added) “The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.” (12:42, emphasis added) “The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.” (12:41, emphasis added) Part 8d - Jesus Christ, the Center of All Divine Revelation - Christ, the Substance to Old Testament Shadows/Types Incense And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and gave Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a sweet-smelling aroma. (Eph 5:2) There is this symbol of sweet perfume as God gave direction for the tabernacle and it’s attending services and sacrifices. One of these was the incense. It was to be perpetual incense before the Lord (Ex 30:9). It was to communicate to Israel that the sacrifices were sweet and pleasant in the eyes of the Lord who commanded them. Of course the sacrifices themselves were not special to God. It was only that in the sweetness of the picture God saw in the offering of Christ God’s only begotten for sinners. The aroma that arose was of God’s Son and His (Christ’s) free-will offering according to the Father’s command to lay down His life for the sheep. This is the picture of incense filling the place of the mercy seat. All these spoke to the effectual blood of atonement which would not just cover but remove the sin and guilt of believers. This is what was so incense-sweet. Bread/Manna And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger…” (Jn 6:35) In John chapter six, Jesus brings the Jews face to face with a clear historical and irrefutable fact about their vaunted story of the supernatural bread - the manna; “Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.” (Jn 6:49) Then, in multiple places, Christ put Himself above such bread; “For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (Jn 6:33) And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger” (Jn 6:35) “I am the bread of life.” (Jn 6:48) “This is the bread which came down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.” (Jn 6:50) “This is the bread which came down from heaven-not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats of this bread will live forever.” (Jn 6:58) How often the Jews of Jesus’ day, expressing the thinking of current Judaism, gloried in the manna, the Temple, or the Passover - only to have the Savior make statements that directly stated or indirectly implied that: a greater than the Temple is here; a greater than the manna is here; a greater than Solomon is here; a greater than the Sabbath is here; a greater than Jonah is here (Matt 12:1-8, 39-42). The life granted to Israel in the wilderness was through manna (which they soon tired of). But the bread that God has given from heaven (Jn 6) and the water that God has given from heaven (Jn 4:14) was to partake of everlasting life. This is why when Israel saw the manna, saw the water - they were to know there was an eternal bread and water, given from above. Mercy Seat whom [Christ] God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith (Rom 3:25a) The picture of the mercy seat in Ex 25:17-34 is full of gospel truth – as full as any type in the OT. Some of the detail of the part of the ark of the covenant located in the “Holy of Holies” include: It was made of pure gold; It was made of beaten gold; This gold was to cover the ark of the covenant, in which was the tablets of Sinai, Aaron’s rod that budded, and a jar of manna; Part of the gold cover were two angels which looked down upon this mercy seat, one at each end of the gold slab; The angels overlooking the mercy seat had wings which covered (overshadowed) the mercy seat; On the great Day of Atonement, only the High Priest would enter to the tabernacle and sprinkle the shed animal blood for the forgiveness and reconciliation of God to Israel. Most importantly, God said, after the details, “…I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat.” (Ex 25:22) Note all the gospel truth in the design of this mercy seat: This mercy seat was pure gold – and thus precious like our Lord. It was beaten gold – and thus plain, almost rough, like our Lord, who “had no form or comeliness,” Isa 53:2 The mercy seat covered three things inside the tabernacle: first, the Ten Commandments, which spoke to Israel of a Holy God, but thru the covenant mercy seat - a forgiving God; second, the budded Rod of Aaron, which spoke to Israel of the miracle working God who restored Israel through the blood/sacrifice; third, the manna, which highlighted God as provider for His covenant people thru reconciliation at the mercy seat. Here in 1 Pet 1:10-12 we have Peter to explain these gold angels looking down on this mercy seat (remember that all these images were designed by God to picture His Son and the work of redemption)… Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. “of salvation…the Spirit of Christ which was in them [the prophets] testified…[and] preached to you…which things the angels desired to look into,” The picture is that the mercy seat is a symbol of the gospel which the angel found gloriously mysterious (e.g. the place of mercy), and they desired to know the answer as to how God would do such. The overshadowing wings of the elect, holy angels re-enforce the glory and veiled solution as to how God is Just and the Justifier of Sinners. The act and use of the mercy seat. This was the sinner's means of reconciliation to God. Lamb “…Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn 1:29) Behold! The original words of John are simple – Look! Look! There is amazement here. Especially for John the Baptist! If we look at Matthew 13, we will see how John, albeit obeying the commands given to him by God, lets the world’s and his own circumstances turn his heart from faithful, obedient proclamation to unbelief; I did not know Him [Christ Jesus]; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water [to witness to Him]. (Jn 1:31) Yet, in our English Bibles after just a few chapters, we find John the Baptist sending a message via his disciples; and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” (Mt 11:3) These words of John the Baptist must have surprised all the Jews coming to the Jordan for the baptism of repentance, and then to have John turn and point the world to Jesus, the Son of Righteousness, the Lord of Infinite Glory – who is God’s Lamb?! And to the slaughter, or, as Isaiah prophecies; He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. (Isa 53:7) But we must pause, ponder, and adore. This is the Lamb of God! God has determined in His will to do the impossible – make the unjust… just; make the unrighteous… righteous! God is going to remove the guilt of guilty man. He is going to perform a Divine act – one of those unique acts that fit the words of Mt 19:26; But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” This is the Lamb that John proclaimed – a work/offering that was God’s pure will. Look! – Behold! Worship! What is it that occurred on the cross? What was God doing? Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him [Christ]. He has put Him [Christ] to grief. When You [God] make His [Christ’s] soul an offering for sin. (Isa 53:10a) This is the Lamb proclaimed to Israel at Jordan by John. Prophet/Priest/King “The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me…” (Deut 18:15, cf. Acts 3:22-24) Then speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, saying: “Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH!…So He shall be a priest on His throne” (Zech 6:12-13) Note all the following history and historical figures that meet in Christ or speak towards Christ. These three offices were the anointed offices of Israel under the covenant of Sinai (1 Kings 1:34; 19:16). How many great men of Israel held two of the three anointed offices of prophet, priest, and king: David, king and prophet; Ezekiel, priest and prophet; Melchisedec, priest and king? But in Christ, these three offices meet in an ultimate separation and anointing of God with the Spirit at Christ’s baptism (Mt 3:14ff). Christ the final priest – not after Aaron but an untransferable priesthood after Melchisedec (Gen 14:18-20; see Ps 110:4; cf. Heb 5:1-5; 7:24). Christ the Final Prophet – not like the piecemeal prophecies of prophets of old (Heb 1:1-2). Christ the Final King – the everlasting King with an everlasting kingdom (Acts 2:26-36; Isa 9:6-7; Dan 2:44-45). Just in the book of Hebrews, we have Christ as Prophet, Priest, and King. Note: God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past… has in these last days spoken to us by His Son (Heb 1:1-2) …We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens (Heb 8:1) Light Then God said, “Let there be light” (Gen 1:3) From Genesis to Revelation when light is the theme, the redemptive work of the Savior immediately comes to mind; Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world.” (Jn 8:12) “The people who sat in darkness saw a great light…” (Mt 4:16a) For it is the God commanded the light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Cor 4:6) …proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Pet 2:9) Christ is the one that gives light to every man (Jn 1:9), and it is the light that brings life (Jn 1:4; see also 2Cor 4:4-6). All the images of light and sight meet in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. His light IS life for man. Sabbath “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Mt 11:28) I would ask the reader – if they do not see the Sabbath related to Christ but rather to creation – to review the order of revelation given in Exodus chapters 25-31. Note the progression: Ex 25, the tabernacle, “And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain (Ex 25:40; cf. Heb 9:5); Ex 26, tabernacle details; Ex 27, the alter of offerings; Ex 28-29, the Priesthood of Aaron, his garments, and his offerings (cf. Heb 5:1-5); Ex 30, the alter of incense; Ex 31, The Sabbath (Ex 31; cf. Heb 4:1-11). One can see that Ex 25-30 bespeaks of the typical redemption, from the types of tabernacle-sacrifice-priesthood, to chapter 31 - the redemptive type/doctrine of the Sabbath! In other words, this points to the fact that the Sabbath was part of the types that pointed to the antitype: Christ’s incarnation (the tabernacle), priesthood (Aaron), cross (offerings), and redemptive rest (Sabbath!). This is no doubt why the recounting of the fourth commandment in Deuteronomy 5 links the Sabbath with Jewish redemption – the Exodus from Egypt. This is because the Exodus points to the deliverance wrought by Christ at Calvary. Exodus who [Moses and Elijah], appeared in glory and spoke of His [Christ’s] decease [Greek: exodus] which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. (Lk 9:31) As spoken above, the redemption of Israel from the bondage in Egypt speaks directly to Christ’s redemptive work on the cross, if only for the fact that at the last Passover, Then He [Christ] said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” (Lk 22:15) is turned into the first Lord’s Supper, Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves” (Lk 22:17) And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my Body which is given for you” (Lk 22:19) The remembrance of Egyptian bondage and deliverance is replaced by a greater bondage and deliverance – that of sin (Jn 8:42-44) and the freedom from its rule (Rom 6:15-17,20-22). Refuge See Numbers 35:6,11,13-15,25-28,32 regarding cities of refuge. In Israel, there was a law that allowed revenge/justice for the death of kin. But with this, there were also cities of refuge available as sanctuaries for accidental slayings so that the family “revenger” could not slay the party that had killed accidentally. But the justice and wrath of God against sin has no refuge. The Word proclaims wrath against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, see Rom 1:18; For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, Additional verses include Jn 3:36 and Eph 2:3 below; He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides upon him. …we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. And lest we think this is God, but not Christ, Scripture is unafraid of the phrase “the wrath of the Lamb”, see Rev 6:16; and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! But we have a refuge (Heb 6:18), and it is the Lord Jesus Christ. We have a city where mercy through justice reigns. It is not that God has turned from justice to mercy - but through Christ, God “is just (i.e., righteous) and the justifier (i.e., He who declares righteous) the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Rom 3:26). Passover “For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night…and…execute judgment: I am the LORD. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses…when I see the blood, I will pass over you…” (Ex 12:12-13) “…For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” (1 Cor 5:7b) God was to go through the land of Egypt and strike down the first-born. This meant all the first-born. It was only the blood on the doorpost that prevented the Israelites from partaking of the fate of the Egyptian first-born. But there will come a day when God will pass through the entire human race. And what shelter will there be? The blood. Read these verses and rejoice: But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Eph 2:13) knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. (1 Pet 1:18-19) …To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood (Rev 1:5b) But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 Jn 1:7) 85