Establishing A Basis For Truth

How To Understand The Bible

By: Samuel Neudeck Date: 6/5/2021

1. Introduction

Many people wonder about this book called the Bible. For thousands of years the complete canon and the collection of works it contains has been a source of controversy. What makes this book so special? Is there really anything spiritual about the bible? Why does this book of supposed tall tales matter to me? 

Besides being the number one top selling book of all time since it first appeared in print in 1454 as it was the first printed work available through the invention of the gutenberg press, the Bible used to be considered the starting source of all knowledge when it came to areas of science, history, and spirituality. We will cover the history of the bible in another series. Let’s take a look now at what the bible itself claims about what it contains:

Genesis 1:1-2 (NASB): In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was formless and void and darkness was over the surface of the deep. And the Spirit of God  was moving over the surface of the waters.

Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV): 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Psalm 119:30 “The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.”

Romans 15:4 (ESV): 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Psalm 19:7–11 (ESV): 7 The law of the LORD is perfect, 

      reviving the soul; 

      the testimony of the LORD is sure, 

      making wise the simple; 

      8 the precepts of the LORD are right, 

      rejoicing the heart; 

      the commandment of the LORD is pure, 

      enlightening the eyes; 

      9 the fear of the LORD is clean, 

      enduring forever; 

      the rules of the LORD are true, 

      and righteous altogether. 

      10 More to be desired are they than gold, 

      even much fine gold; 

      sweeter also than honey 

      and drippings of the honeycomb. 

      11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; 

      in keeping them there is great reward.

There is no mistake that this book has some wild claims. From the beginning of time, the history of mankind, the story of redemption through God becoming like one of us defeating death and making a way to be reconciled with him in an eternal kingdom, the Bible shares a story of love, justice, and a perfectly designed plan for mankind. Many have attempted to harness its power and use it to their benefit while countless others have understood and experienced the true power it contains. History shows that this book has guided empires, started amazing humanitarian movements, created a long lasting and indomitable faith among its followers, and has been responsible for the biggest and most world changing discoveries in politics, science, archaeology,  ethics, and much more. 

So let’s take a deeper look into how to uncover the truth contained in scripture for yourself. There is a  very particular method to interpreting the bible and I’m going to teach you that method throughout the remainder of this series. In order to understand the bible, we need first understand the context in which we are to approach scripture.

Bibliology – The Study of God’s Word

What Is Bibliology?

Bibli- God’s Word and -ology – the study of. This is the term we use to categorize the field of study pertaining to God’s word. Yes, that’s right. There is a way in which you are to properly read the bible and understand it and there is a whole field of study dedicated to it. Many readers pick up a bible off their family bookcase and just flip to a passage, pick a few lines or even a chapter and call it good. While you may find some very relevant information this way it is not the IDEAL way to read the scriptures. 

2 Timothy 2:15 (ESV): 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

Luke 24:25 (NIV) 25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

There is a comprehensive and systematic approach to rightly dividing the word of God. My hope is that through this series you will gain a full picture of what it really looks like to mine the truths given in the word of God.

Understanding the history of where our modern bible comes from is extremely important and I will actually be doing a whole other series on the history of the bible and the formation of the church up until modern times. For now There are some basic terms and definitions we need to discuss when looking at this topic to avoid confusion and incorrect interpretations so let’s discuss those now.

1. Definition of Terms

Christian words and Bible Terms can mean different things to different people depending on what background you were raised in and what you were taught or experienced related to these terms. So we are going to set the record straight and lay down some standard working definitions of important terms to understand what the Bible claims.

• Revelation – “the divine or supernatural disclosure to humans of something relating to human existence or the world.”

• There are 2 Kinds Of Revelation Found In Scripture. General Revelation and Special Revelation. Both these revelations are administered by God as a revealing of Himself to Mankind.
  • General Revelation – God has revealed himself through His creation.
    Romans 1:19 (ESV): 19 For what can be known about God is
    plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
    

Psalm 24:1–2 — The New King James Version (NKJV) 1 The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. 2 For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the waters.

• Special revelation – (Heb 1:2, Rev 22:18-19) – Revealed truths about God’s plan for salvation and sovereign plan for mankind

Hebrews 1:1–2 (ESV): 1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Exodus 31:18 (NIV):When He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.

The written Word of God The Bible is to be treated as a representation of Jesus Christ as a complete revelation of God to mankind. Jesus Himself was the Word in the flesh. A stark warning comes to those who alter the Word of God in the final chapter of scripture:

Revelation 22:18–19 (ESV): 18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

To discredit the Bible and/or the name of Jesus Christ is to discredit God and in the same regard the denial of creation and a creator carries a similar weight.

Romans 1:18-20 (NIV): 18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

Simply put, God’s design in His revelation to mankind to be all inclusive and absolute.

• Inspiration – The holy Spirit moved the authors of the OT and NT without error or omission. We will cover this in the next segment to dispel any common myths around its authorship.
  
• Inerrancy – Without Error. This has been a key term in modern debates and one that has always been attacked by the opposition. The idea is that if you can prove there is error, you can disprove God. And rightly so. Dr. John MACArthur says this about the denial of the inerrancy of scripture:
  

 What Would You Say to a Christian Who Denies the Inerrancy of Scripture? 

The Bible teaches that it contains the words of a holy and perfect God who cannot be in error.

• Infallibility – The scripture is supported by all other areas of study and is able to be tested.
  
  In all areas the bible neither contradicts and/or supports areas of study such as science, history, geography, etc… These things either support or deny the scriptures. Despite the evolutionary mantra of humanism, modern science has disproved many evolutionary theories and has found validation evidence for young-earth creationism. Archeological digs have uncovered many places described in the pages of scripture just as they were portrayed.  
• Authoritative – Bible is God’s word – we are bound to obey it because it is God’s will for us. It is the tradition of scripture that when God speaks we are to listen and obey.
  
  Philippians 2:8–11 (ESV): 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

There is a purpose is what God is doing and nothing but our own selfishness stands in the way of submitting to His will. When we read the Bible we are to understand it as the absolute authority and accept it on Faith.

• Authenticity – Each book of scripture is authentic and written by those that it says they did. Example the Pauline letters of the New Testament were all written by Paul or dictated to one of his scribes. There is verified evidence for such. Jewish historical records verify the historical records of biblical figures and authors of the old testament. Even other religions and ancient writings account for Abraham, Noah and the flood. Given the facts there is logical reason to conclude that the authors of scripture were real people and authentic in their writings. 
• Canon – Greek word meaning “ Rule” or “Standard” When you hear the word canon it is usually in reference to the complete work of 66 books comprised of an old and new testament  and they are those books that have been measured, tested and found satisfactory, and accepted and inspired by God. Satisfactory by the original authors, the context that they were given, the auritative and consistency of the language, the historical and evidential claims against it. This is what is called the canon of scripture of the holy bible.
  

These are the working biblical views of these terms and the definitions we will be referring to when talking about the bible. Later we will also talk about Hermeneutics – that is the study of how to interpret the bible properly when studying the text. But before we get there we need to know where the bible came from. These terms mean nothing if we don’t believe the truth of how it got here. 

If the claims of the Bible are correct. Then we must set aside our preconceived ideas about what the Bible is and Who God is and adopt the truth it presents in order to understand anything more it contains. This does not mean you have to abandon your worldview quite yet. It simply means if you are going to honestly test what the Bible says, you must adopt its presuppositions to gain the value. Much like if you went snowboarding without a board. It would be a very long hike down the mountain without the proper equipment to get you there and enjoy the ride. 

4.Doctrine of The Formation of The Scriptures. 

We mentioned inspiration briefly in the last segment and now it’s time to unpack this 

• Inspiration of The Spirit Defined –  inexplicable power that The Holy Spirit pressed upon the authors of the bible enabling them to write without eros or non truths; choosing the perfect words God intended without destroying it’s contextual purpose.

3 Minute Theology 2.2: How is the Bible Divinely Inspired?

There are many controversies within christianity over exactly how this worked. Some presuppose that the Spirit took over the men like a ghost or demon in modern thriller movies. Therefore it was literally another entity writing the words. Some also say that the spirit appeared to them and basically dictated the words and they wrote it down. However the Bible does present a clear view of how this worked.

• A Deeper Explanation
  • Mode – inexplicable and unexplainable – God used human means guided by the Holy Spirit
    2 Peter 1:21 (ESV): 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
    
    Carried along “forcefully born along” – Human will was not the originator. 

Acts 27:15–17 (NASB95): 15and when the ship was caught in it and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and let ourselves be driven along.

    16Running under the shelter of a small island called Clauda, we were scarcely able to get the ship’s boat under control.

    17After they had hoisted it up, they used supporting cables in undergirding the ship; and fearing that they might run aground on the shallows of Syrtis, they let down the sea anchor and in this way let themselves be driven along.

 – The sailors could not navigate the ship its was being “carried along”
Total and complete movement while human authors retained control of their senses.

• Plenary (to all the books)- verbal (the words themselves)
  

Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV): 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

Jeremiah 1:9 (ESV): 9 Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.

John 10:35–36 (ESV): 35 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— 36 do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?

Galatians 3:16 (ESV): 16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.

• Result –  There will be differences between versions of the Bible, it’s good to know where our bible came from and how to tell which versions are correct.  Translations vs Original Language

• Defense
  • Christ view – Matthew 24:15, 12:42-41, DAniel, Jonah – God’s word is without error in all matters. Liberal scholars have attacked the OT but Christ  endured it without question. Abel was real (luke 17:26-30) sodom and gomorrah (matt 10:15), moses wrote pentateuch(matt 8:4)(luke 24:44)
  • Apostles view – Inspiration – God breathed(2 tim 3:15) in all areas (Peter 1:20-21)

• Wrong Views
  • Partial Inspiration
  • Existential Theology
  • Overt Rejection
• Dealing With Controversies
  • Typical Problems
    • Contractions in scripture
    • Contradictions with historical and scientific study
  • Solutions
    • Biblical advice
    • Practical Method

 

Sources:

https://www.openbible.info/topics/scripture

https://www.biblegateway.com/

https://biblia.com/books/esv/Jn1.1

• McDowell, Josh, and Josh McDowell. The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict. Nashville, Tenn: T. Nelson, 1999. 
• Hebrew-Greek Keyword Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. 1960, 1977. LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
  
  Strong, James. The New Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Red letter ed. Thomas Nelson, 2010.