You Asked For It (Message 6)

The Reason for this Topic —

There were multiple requests concerning why we should TRUST the Bible, which TRANSLATION to use today, and how a person would LEARN to study the Bible on their own.

I. Why I Trust the Bible

A. Many writers of Scripture knew exactly WHAT they were writing and HOW it would be used.
Dan. 9:2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.
2Pet. 3:15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

B. Jesus confirmed the Old Testament as SCRIPTURES many times.
John 5:39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,
John 7:38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
John 13:18 “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned against me.’

C. The earliest Christians were USING the Scriptures that were accessible to them and considered them TRUTH.
Acts 8:35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
Acts 18:28 For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.

D. The New Testament books were being USED by Christians as AUTHORITATIVE by 140 AD. (Marcion)

E. The CANON (the complete list of the 66 books) were APPROVED by church councils in 332 AD and 397 AD and have not been CHANGED. (Councils of Damasine/Carthage)

F. These Scriptures, Old and New Testaments, have been used by Christians and SCHOLARS for nearly 2,000 years and have been proven to be CONSISTENT and accurate.

Apparent contradictions? What to do when people ask about them.

Don’t be DEFENSIVE. The Scriptures need to be TESTED.

Ask WHICH contradictions the person is referring to.

Study carefully and determine the MEANING and why it is, or is not a contradiction to you and provide ANSWERS.

II. Which Translation of Scriptures Should I Use?

A. First of all, we are LIVING in a wonderful time of history when there are MANY good translations of Scripture and many ways to find and VIEW them. (If you lived 100 years ago . . .)
B. For most people, the best translation to read and study is one that has a BALANCE of accuracy and readability.

III. How to Read or Study the Bible for Yourself

Reading and studying Scriptures are two DIFFERENT things.

A. Reading the Scriptures is taking a few moments REGULARLY to read devotionally and take away a THOUGHT or an application for the day.

B. Studying the Scriptures is a PROCESS that involves time and RESEARCH and ends with clear application.

How to EXAMINE the Scriptures

E - EQUIP yourself -- Remove DISTRACTIONS; commit yourself to the TIME needed; choose your passage; have your RESOURCES available; and prepare your HEART.

X - XCAVATE the context -- the language, the historical situation, the customs, the author, the author’s purpose, the audience and their need, the geographical location, etc. (This process can take many hours of study, but without it, grave ERRORS can be made in interpretation.)

This process provides CLARITY.

A - ALTITUDE view -- Consider the passage as a WHOLE ---- What are the THEMES? What is the FEEL? What is the KEY thought?

This process provides FOCUS.

M - MICROSCOPE view -- EXAMINE the passage verse-by-verse and word-by-word. What words are repeated or unique?
This process provides ACCURACY.

I - IDENTIFY — Identify the CORRECT interpretation. Note that every passage of Scripture has ONE correct interpretation and MANY applications. If you want to correctly handle the passage, you must be able to answer this question: “What was the AUTHOR saying to the FIRST AUDIENCE?”

N - NOTES -- What is your conclusion, or how will you TEACH or share this passage? What APPLICATIONS need to be offered?

E - EXECUTE -- Now, APPLY the passage to your life. Bible study isn’t complete when we UNDERSTAND the passage, but when we LIVE the principles!

APPLICATION

Interpretation is your VEHICLE.

Application is your DESTINATION.

Translation | Interpretation, Notes | Accuracy | Readability
Young’s | Word for Word; literal | Very good | Very poor
ESV | Word for Word; update of RSV 2001 | Very good | Good
King James | Word for Word; 1611 | Good | Poor
NIV | Word for word, thought for thought balance; 1978;2011 | Very good | Good
NLT | Word for word, thought for thought balance; 1996 | Good | Very good
The Message | Thought for thought; contemporary English; 2002 | Fair | Very good

Walk The Talk

Why do you trust the Bible? What did you learn that helped?

What is your favorite translation and why? What translation did you grow up with and would you use it today?

What did you learn about Bible study and how would you apply it now?
Col. 1:15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.