I. Matt. 8:28-end of chapter
a. The pigs: The people choose material possessions (commerce) over Jesus.
II. Matt. 13
a. The details of the parables are not entirely under Jesus’ control. Some things are “just the way life was.” So we can’t look for a deeper meaning in every single part of every parable.
b. The effect of the parables
i. For those with open hearts the parables are illuminating.
ii. But for those with hardened hearts, the parables only served to make them more confused. To him that has will be given more…
iii. His miracles and his parables both required interpretation. Even some of Jesus’ miracles led to people being pushed further into darkness. For example. The people in the town of the pigs, and the Pharisees when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. They said “this man must die.”
III. Matthew13:24….
a. Tares among the wheat: they grow up together, but the tares will be burned. A very pernicious weed.
b. 31-33—mustard seed…small seed, but it grows real tall. CHECK THIS OUT! Yeast as well, it mixes throughout the dough, though you add a little bit.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Kingdom of God/Kingdom of Heaven
I. What Jesus said—The kingdom of God and the Kingdom of heaven are most certainly the same thing, although some conservatives try to disagree.
a. Theocentric: the kingdom of God is focused on and centered around God. But to the Jews, it was seen as being centered around Israel or Jerusalem
b. Dynamic: the kingdom of God is wherever the king is. It is not static, in one location. You cannot leave the kingdom as you can leave Chicago, the greatest city in America.
c. Messianic: Daniel 7:13-14. Jesus cites this at his trial. He therefore ties his favorite self-title (Son of Man) with the coming of the Kingdom of God/Heaven
d. Future: Much is to come. We do not have the kingdom in its fullness, in its power. But there are aspects of the Kingdom that are already here.
e. Present: the wicked one has been overcome, at least he is in the process of being defeated. Matthew 12: 23-29
i. Jesus is baptized not for his own sin. He is baptized because he is identifying with the people’s sin, just as he will later die for the people’s sin.
ii. Satan has been defeated
iii. Jesus’ power to do miracles is evidence that the kingdom had come.
iv. John the Baptist asks for confirmation that Jesus is really the messiah, and that John wants to make sure that he is doing the right thing.
v. His miracles foreshadow the time when there will be no more mourning or death or anything. They give us a glimpse of what is to come.
vi. Jesus never did miracles apart from faith. There is always an interpretation of the miracle that leads to faith in Christ. This is why Jesus didn’t just turn stones into bread. It would merely have been an act of power. Jesus wasn’t come to use his superpowers for his own good. Rather he wanted to show his power to lead others to salvation.
vii. miracles are not self-evident
f. The good news is not that the kingdom is coming, they have known that for seven hundred years. The gospel was that the kingdom is in fact come, at least in part.
g. Lastly: if the messiah brings the kingdom and if Jesus is the messiah, than the kingdom in some sense must have come.
h. It is the difference between D-Day and V-E Day. From D-Day the enemies’ defeat is inevitable, but we keep fighting. Satan is defeated but not impotent, just like the kingdom is here but not full.
a. Theocentric: the kingdom of God is focused on and centered around God. But to the Jews, it was seen as being centered around Israel or Jerusalem
b. Dynamic: the kingdom of God is wherever the king is. It is not static, in one location. You cannot leave the kingdom as you can leave Chicago, the greatest city in America.
c. Messianic: Daniel 7:13-14. Jesus cites this at his trial. He therefore ties his favorite self-title (Son of Man) with the coming of the Kingdom of God/Heaven
d. Future: Much is to come. We do not have the kingdom in its fullness, in its power. But there are aspects of the Kingdom that are already here.
e. Present: the wicked one has been overcome, at least he is in the process of being defeated. Matthew 12: 23-29
i. Jesus is baptized not for his own sin. He is baptized because he is identifying with the people’s sin, just as he will later die for the people’s sin.
ii. Satan has been defeated
iii. Jesus’ power to do miracles is evidence that the kingdom had come.
iv. John the Baptist asks for confirmation that Jesus is really the messiah, and that John wants to make sure that he is doing the right thing.
v. His miracles foreshadow the time when there will be no more mourning or death or anything. They give us a glimpse of what is to come.
vi. Jesus never did miracles apart from faith. There is always an interpretation of the miracle that leads to faith in Christ. This is why Jesus didn’t just turn stones into bread. It would merely have been an act of power. Jesus wasn’t come to use his superpowers for his own good. Rather he wanted to show his power to lead others to salvation.
vii. miracles are not self-evident
f. The good news is not that the kingdom is coming, they have known that for seven hundred years. The gospel was that the kingdom is in fact come, at least in part.
g. Lastly: if the messiah brings the kingdom and if Jesus is the messiah, than the kingdom in some sense must have come.
h. It is the difference between D-Day and V-E Day. From D-Day the enemies’ defeat is inevitable, but we keep fighting. Satan is defeated but not impotent, just like the kingdom is here but not full.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Groups and Communities in First Century Palestine
GROUPS AND COMMUNITIES IN PALESTINIAN JUDAISM IN N.T. TIMES
I. Pharisees – means separated ones
A. The Pharisees held themselves aloof from their environment so that, as God’s holy community, they could avoid contact with any impurity.
B. The Pharisees oriented their lives to the coming messianic age and to the fulfilling of the righteousness which the Law demanded. Therefore, they built a “fence around the law” in order not to commit an offense through oversight.
1. Example – they would stop work an hour before sundown on the eve of the Sabbath so that they would not be unwittingly guilty of breaking the Sabbath law.
C. The standard of purity demanded of their members was that of cultic purity. This means that the O.T commands which describe priestly purity are to be maintained by all Pharisees, even in everyday life.
D. The Pharisees were engaged in excessive tithing and in voluntary fasting.
E. They were primarily a lay organization, composed of craftsmen, farmers, and merchants.
F. They were led by scribes, who studied the Law of Moses and the oral tradition, and attempted to relate the two.
G. For the Pharisees this oral tradition, called the tradition of the elders in Mark 7:3, was as important and authoritative as the Scripture.
H. Politically, the Pharisees neither actively supported the government nor actively opposed it, since they were waiting for the Messiah to come who would deliver them from the Roman oppressor.
I. In terms of significance, the Pharisees are probably the most powerful and important group within Judaism. They were the party of the people.
II. Sadducees
A. Held almost all of the high priestly offices.
B. Were part of the Jerusalem aristocracy; they came from influential Jerusalem families.
C. They helped support the Roman government by moderating the hostility of the people towards the government. It was necessary for them to do this if they were to remain in power, since Rome would blame them for any disturbances.
D. Theologically, the Sadducees held to the literal wording of the O.T. and refused to grant equal authority to the oral tradition.
1. They did not believe in angels, demons, or resurrection from the dead.
III. Zealots
A. Agreed with the Pharisees on doctrine, but were interested in actively overthrowing the Roman government.
B. They refused to submit to the Roman emperor and to call him “Lord”, since they saw this as a transgression of the first commandment.
C. They thought that they could initiate the promised messianic transformation of society.
D. They were the driving force in the Jewish war of revolt in A.D. 66 which resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 by the Romans.
IV. Samaritans
A. Descendants of the intermarriage of foreigners and Israelites after the fall of Samaria in 722 B.C.
B. Hated by the Jews for they are seen as being racially impure.
C. They accept only the Pentateuch, no other part of the O.T.
V. Essenes – most famous group found in Qumran
A. Qumran is a place located along the Dead Sea. Most of what we know about these people comes from the scrolls found in caves along the Dead Sea; these are known as the Dead Sea Scrolls.
B. The Essenes were an independent Jewish movement who preferred to live in seclusion.
C. They are distinguished from the Pharisees (from whom they broke off), by an even stricter obedience to the Law. Whereas the Pharisees would sometimes make concessions for the sake of practicality, the Qumranites made none.
D. Most Essenes did not marry and those that did so solely for the purpose of procreation.
E. The leader of this group is called the Teacher of Righteousness.
VI. Apocalyptic
A. Different from the above groups because it is not a group but a mindset.
B. Apocalyptic thought sees the world as coming to an end amid many frightful terrors; this will happen soon. This judgment of God is the next act of God in history.
C. They have a basic dualism in their thinking. This world or age is passing away, the next world or age is coming. There is no overlap between these two ages.
D. Therefore, their may only be despair about the present evil age, since the next expected act of God is judgment.
E. There is a whole body of apocalyptic literature which deals with dreams, secret revelations, parables, and the coming of the end-time judgment.
F. Numbers play a major role in apocalyptic thought since they possess symbolic value and thus share in the aura of secret know
I. Pharisees – means separated ones
A. The Pharisees held themselves aloof from their environment so that, as God’s holy community, they could avoid contact with any impurity.
B. The Pharisees oriented their lives to the coming messianic age and to the fulfilling of the righteousness which the Law demanded. Therefore, they built a “fence around the law” in order not to commit an offense through oversight.
1. Example – they would stop work an hour before sundown on the eve of the Sabbath so that they would not be unwittingly guilty of breaking the Sabbath law.
C. The standard of purity demanded of their members was that of cultic purity. This means that the O.T commands which describe priestly purity are to be maintained by all Pharisees, even in everyday life.
D. The Pharisees were engaged in excessive tithing and in voluntary fasting.
E. They were primarily a lay organization, composed of craftsmen, farmers, and merchants.
F. They were led by scribes, who studied the Law of Moses and the oral tradition, and attempted to relate the two.
G. For the Pharisees this oral tradition, called the tradition of the elders in Mark 7:3, was as important and authoritative as the Scripture.
H. Politically, the Pharisees neither actively supported the government nor actively opposed it, since they were waiting for the Messiah to come who would deliver them from the Roman oppressor.
I. In terms of significance, the Pharisees are probably the most powerful and important group within Judaism. They were the party of the people.
II. Sadducees
A. Held almost all of the high priestly offices.
B. Were part of the Jerusalem aristocracy; they came from influential Jerusalem families.
C. They helped support the Roman government by moderating the hostility of the people towards the government. It was necessary for them to do this if they were to remain in power, since Rome would blame them for any disturbances.
D. Theologically, the Sadducees held to the literal wording of the O.T. and refused to grant equal authority to the oral tradition.
1. They did not believe in angels, demons, or resurrection from the dead.
III. Zealots
A. Agreed with the Pharisees on doctrine, but were interested in actively overthrowing the Roman government.
B. They refused to submit to the Roman emperor and to call him “Lord”, since they saw this as a transgression of the first commandment.
C. They thought that they could initiate the promised messianic transformation of society.
D. They were the driving force in the Jewish war of revolt in A.D. 66 which resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 by the Romans.
IV. Samaritans
A. Descendants of the intermarriage of foreigners and Israelites after the fall of Samaria in 722 B.C.
B. Hated by the Jews for they are seen as being racially impure.
C. They accept only the Pentateuch, no other part of the O.T.
V. Essenes – most famous group found in Qumran
A. Qumran is a place located along the Dead Sea. Most of what we know about these people comes from the scrolls found in caves along the Dead Sea; these are known as the Dead Sea Scrolls.
B. The Essenes were an independent Jewish movement who preferred to live in seclusion.
C. They are distinguished from the Pharisees (from whom they broke off), by an even stricter obedience to the Law. Whereas the Pharisees would sometimes make concessions for the sake of practicality, the Qumranites made none.
D. Most Essenes did not marry and those that did so solely for the purpose of procreation.
E. The leader of this group is called the Teacher of Righteousness.
VI. Apocalyptic
A. Different from the above groups because it is not a group but a mindset.
B. Apocalyptic thought sees the world as coming to an end amid many frightful terrors; this will happen soon. This judgment of God is the next act of God in history.
C. They have a basic dualism in their thinking. This world or age is passing away, the next world or age is coming. There is no overlap between these two ages.
D. Therefore, their may only be despair about the present evil age, since the next expected act of God is judgment.
E. There is a whole body of apocalyptic literature which deals with dreams, secret revelations, parables, and the coming of the end-time judgment.
F. Numbers play a major role in apocalyptic thought since they possess symbolic value and thus share in the aura of secret know
Textual Criticism - The Finale
Textual Criticism – The Finale
Contributors: Mr. Settecase, Dr. James Bibza
Senior Bible – CHA
Thursday, 1/21/2010
Interpretation
A. Only one meaning for each textual passage
• Application vs. meaning
B. Three basic steps
• 1. “What do I know about the context?”
• 2 “What is God’s word to those people?”
• 3. “Now, what is God saying to me?”
C. If we jump to the third step, we can make some big mistakes.
Context
It isn’t just the cults that pull things out of context.
• It is almost inevitable
For example:
• Difficult passages in Hebrews
Sometimes you even have to look in previous chapters and such for remote context.
Questions?
Contributors: Mr. Settecase, Dr. James Bibza
Senior Bible – CHA
Thursday, 1/21/2010
Interpretation
A. Only one meaning for each textual passage
• Application vs. meaning
B. Three basic steps
• 1. “What do I know about the context?”
• 2 “What is God’s word to those people?”
• 3. “Now, what is God saying to me?”
C. If we jump to the third step, we can make some big mistakes.
Context
It isn’t just the cults that pull things out of context.
• It is almost inevitable
For example:
• Difficult passages in Hebrews
Sometimes you even have to look in previous chapters and such for remote context.
Questions?
Monday, January 18, 2010
Form Criticism & Source Criticism
- Textual Criticism Continued
- Chicago Hope Academy . Mr. Settecase . Senior Bible . 01/18/2010
- Contributors: Mr. Settecase, Dr. James Bibza, Rev. Owen E. Evans, MA
- Students will be able to:
- Discuss the difference between form criticism and source criticism
- Identify two methods of textual criticism used by biblical scholars
- Key Questions:
- Where did the Gospels come from?
- How do biblical scholars think the New Testament was formed?
- What basic tenets should all Christians believe about the Bible?
- Passages we aren’t sure about
- Mark 16:9-20 - most likely not part of the original text
- John 7:53-8:11 – woman who committed adultery
- Seems historically reliable
- Is this problematic?
- God does not risk anything by having them in there
- John: Actually historical
- Mark: summary of other stories
- Form Criticism
- Sees events as pearls, connected by narrative
- The early form critics
- Very anti-supernatural
- Assumed miracles were impossible
- Assumed Bible stories were created by the early church
- These people were supposedly believers
- Source Criticism
- The attempt to trace the literary sources which underlie the Synoptic Gospels
- Synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke
- Describe events in Christ's life from a similar point of view
- Same outline and chronology
- Four sources of Source Criticism
- Mark
- Q
- M
- L
- Who is Q?
- See the handout for definitions of the four sources.
- Got questions?
- Chicago Hope Academy . Mr. Settecase . Senior Bible . 01/18/2010
- Contributors: Mr. Settecase, Dr. James Bibza, Rev. Owen E. Evans, MA
- Students will be able to:
- Discuss the difference between form criticism and source criticism
- Identify two methods of textual criticism used by biblical scholars
- Key Questions:
- Where did the Gospels come from?
- How do biblical scholars think the New Testament was formed?
- What basic tenets should all Christians believe about the Bible?
- Passages we aren’t sure about
- Mark 16:9-20 - most likely not part of the original text
- John 7:53-8:11 – woman who committed adultery
- Seems historically reliable
- Is this problematic?
- God does not risk anything by having them in there
- John: Actually historical
- Mark: summary of other stories
- Form Criticism
- Sees events as pearls, connected by narrative
- The early form critics
- Very anti-supernatural
- Assumed miracles were impossible
- Assumed Bible stories were created by the early church
- These people were supposedly believers
- Source Criticism
- The attempt to trace the literary sources which underlie the Synoptic Gospels
- Synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke
- Describe events in Christ's life from a similar point of view
- Same outline and chronology
- Four sources of Source Criticism
- Mark
- Q
- M
- L
- Who is Q?
- See the handout for definitions of the four sources.
- Got questions?
Textual Criticism 2
I. Principles of Textual Criticism
a. Many of the Old Manuscripts have two columns: the original greek and the translation.
b. External evidence:
i. The History of a text is like the growth of a tree. Scribes will copy from the original and increasingly from the other copies. Groups that go back the original along the same path are called families.
c. The date of the manuscript
i. Once we know which family a manuscript is in, we must discover when it was written. The earlier a manuscript was written, the more helpful it will be in determining what the original originally said.
1. the amount of copies with a certain discrepancies does not matter. The history of it matters. So if it’s one thousand say “that” and one hundred say “this” but the hundred were older and the thousand go back to one copy, written later, the hundred wins.
2. Alexandria seems to be the best, Byzantine seems to be most conflated.
d. These two factors, the family type and the date along with the geographical distribution, determine the quality of the manuscript
i. It’s quality over quantity
e. Internal Evidence: basic principle: choose the reading which best explains the origin of the others. Example of cheating: teachers have to figure out who copied who.
i. Transcriptional probabilities: say two lines bothe end with “Jesus” with a line in the middle: some scribes might accidentally skip the line in the middle.
ii. Intrinsic Probabilities: we have one word that makes perfect sense in the context, and one word that is nonsensical. We will tend to choose the one that makes sense.
1. Luke uses certain words more frequently.
2. so you choose the one that luke would have used.
II. Conclusions:
a. We have more evidence for the NT than any other ancient manuscript.
b. No NT doctrine is in question based on a discrepancy. There is one place in John 1:18 where we don’t know if it affirms Christ’s Godhood. But there are plenty of other places which affirm his Godhood. Sometimes there is a meaningless “the”
c. There is probably only one in 1000 words about which there is any doubt.
d. There are about one hundred, one hundred-twenty five places in the OT where there is any doubt.
e. Therefore, we may rest assured.
f. Thus, the claim of having an inerrant Bible is a meaningful one.
III. The King James is to be rejected as the best translation because it is based upon late, inferior manuscripts.
a. King James wanted to have a translation without any anti-monarchy notes.
i. The Greek NT that was used was a translation that Erasmus created.
ii. Textus Receptus: the publisher used this term to sell copies of the book (Erasmus’s Greek translation)
b. The translation that we have now has been compiled by an number of scholars.
c. The KJV comes from maybe 8 manuscripts, all from the Byzantine family
i. None of the manuscripts were from earlier than the 10th century.
d. Sometimes Erasmus utilized the Vulgate. The Vulgate most likely contradicts the original, since scores of other manuscripts contradict it in certain places.
e. Why is there even an issue? People are worried that other people are attacking the faith to change the faith.
a. Many of the Old Manuscripts have two columns: the original greek and the translation.
b. External evidence:
i. The History of a text is like the growth of a tree. Scribes will copy from the original and increasingly from the other copies. Groups that go back the original along the same path are called families.
c. The date of the manuscript
i. Once we know which family a manuscript is in, we must discover when it was written. The earlier a manuscript was written, the more helpful it will be in determining what the original originally said.
1. the amount of copies with a certain discrepancies does not matter. The history of it matters. So if it’s one thousand say “that” and one hundred say “this” but the hundred were older and the thousand go back to one copy, written later, the hundred wins.
2. Alexandria seems to be the best, Byzantine seems to be most conflated.
d. These two factors, the family type and the date along with the geographical distribution, determine the quality of the manuscript
i. It’s quality over quantity
e. Internal Evidence: basic principle: choose the reading which best explains the origin of the others. Example of cheating: teachers have to figure out who copied who.
i. Transcriptional probabilities: say two lines bothe end with “Jesus” with a line in the middle: some scribes might accidentally skip the line in the middle.
ii. Intrinsic Probabilities: we have one word that makes perfect sense in the context, and one word that is nonsensical. We will tend to choose the one that makes sense.
1. Luke uses certain words more frequently.
2. so you choose the one that luke would have used.
II. Conclusions:
a. We have more evidence for the NT than any other ancient manuscript.
b. No NT doctrine is in question based on a discrepancy. There is one place in John 1:18 where we don’t know if it affirms Christ’s Godhood. But there are plenty of other places which affirm his Godhood. Sometimes there is a meaningless “the”
c. There is probably only one in 1000 words about which there is any doubt.
d. There are about one hundred, one hundred-twenty five places in the OT where there is any doubt.
e. Therefore, we may rest assured.
f. Thus, the claim of having an inerrant Bible is a meaningful one.
III. The King James is to be rejected as the best translation because it is based upon late, inferior manuscripts.
a. King James wanted to have a translation without any anti-monarchy notes.
i. The Greek NT that was used was a translation that Erasmus created.
ii. Textus Receptus: the publisher used this term to sell copies of the book (Erasmus’s Greek translation)
b. The translation that we have now has been compiled by an number of scholars.
c. The KJV comes from maybe 8 manuscripts, all from the Byzantine family
i. None of the manuscripts were from earlier than the 10th century.
d. Sometimes Erasmus utilized the Vulgate. The Vulgate most likely contradicts the original, since scores of other manuscripts contradict it in certain places.
e. Why is there even an issue? People are worried that other people are attacking the faith to change the faith.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Textual Criticism
- Textual Criticism
- Chicago Hope Academy – Senior Bible
- Tuesday, January 12, 2010
- Wednesday, January 13, 2010
- We will seek to answer:
- Has the Bible been corrupted over time?
- What if the version of the New Testament we read today is totally different than what the authors originally wrote?
- Textual Criticism
- comparison of a particular text with related materials in order to establish authenticity
- How does the NT measure up?
We have copies from 350 AD.
Compare this with other works
- Aristotle’s Poetics: 1,350 years from original date.
Another work: 1,000 years
Plato: 1,250-1,300 years
Aristophenes: 1,300 years
The New Testament: 250 years
And we have portions from even earlier.
Gospel of John: 125 AD!
Letters of Paul from before 350 AD!
How do we reconstruct the NT?
As of 1998, we have 5,600 manuscripts –in the original Greek!
Scholars devote their lives
Writers scrunched everything together to save papyrus—a costly item
Other sources
We have other versions too: Coptic, Syrian, Latin.
From these we can reconstruct what they translated.
We also have quotations from the Church fathers.
E.g. Clement of Rome (96 AD) quotes extensively from Hebrews
Does the NT pass the test?
Interestingly, this manuscript evidence far surpasses the manuscript reliability of other ancient writings that we trust as authentic every day.
If you think the NT is not reliable, think again.
What conclusions can we draw?
A Miracle?
when the Bible manuscripts are compared to other ancient writings, they stand alone as the best-preserved literary works of all antiquity.
I will now take your questions.
Six Antitheses (Last Three)
• Six Antitheses (2nd Three)
• Senior Bible
• Mr. Settecase
• Monday, January 11, 2010
• Same SWBATS and Key Questions as yesterday.
• #3: Jesus on Divorce
• Matthew 19:3-12
• Read the passages actively. Don’t just spongily, passively absorb the information. ASK QUESTIONS.
• Two Pharisaic Schools
• 1. Hillel and Shammai.
Deut. 24:1-2
If a man finds something indecent about his wife, he has to get a certificate of divorce and send her away.
• Hillel: a man may divorce his wife for any reason
• Shammai: it must be for a clear violation of the law.
• Genesis 1-2
• Jesus points to the original lineup. When things were perfect, it was one man, one woman.
• Jesus shows the true intention of the divorce law
Actually, it was to protect women.
• Why didn’t God say “No more divorce?”
• They didn’t listen anyway, so why bother?
• Like car insurance
You could say “No more accidents,” but they would still happen.
Car insurance regulates the situation—does not say accidents are good.
Divorce law does not mean that divorce is good.
• Which are we closer to today: Hillel or Jesus?
• Jesus vs. the OT?
• Jesus affirms the O.T., but clarifies and shapes the OT law to reveal what?
• God’s true intention.
• #5: Jesus on Oaths
• Matthew 5:33-37—Jesus denies the teaching in Leviticus?
Moses said, “Keep your oaths.”
Jesus says, “Don’t even make them.”
• Jesus was addressing the Pharisaic practice of making a distinction between what was sworn upon.
Jesus says, don’t worry about oaths and thus abuse the system. Rather, just do what you are going to say you are going to do.
• Are all oaths bad?
• Even God swore oaths.
Does this add to his truthfulness? No. Who would hold him accountable?
If he’s not truthful in the first place, then swearing by himself won’t do much good.
• God swore an oath to make it more certain to Abe.
Now we can swear oaths, but let’s keep things in perspective.
• #6: Jesus on Love for Enemies
• Matt. 5:43-48
• Love your neighbor & hate your enemy?
There is no “hate your enemy.” This was a man-made tradition.
• The society was focused on in- and out-groups.
Cliques
• Jesus says: if you only love the “in-groups,” you are no better than the pagans!
God the Father loves everyone.
• Principles in the OT remain intact.
• Commands particular to the Israelites are irrelevant.
• 您是否有任何问题？
(Do you have any questions?)
• Senior Bible
• Mr. Settecase
• Monday, January 11, 2010
• Same SWBATS and Key Questions as yesterday.
• #3: Jesus on Divorce
• Matthew 19:3-12
• Read the passages actively. Don’t just spongily, passively absorb the information. ASK QUESTIONS.
• Two Pharisaic Schools
• 1. Hillel and Shammai.
Deut. 24:1-2
If a man finds something indecent about his wife, he has to get a certificate of divorce and send her away.
• Hillel: a man may divorce his wife for any reason
• Shammai: it must be for a clear violation of the law.
• Genesis 1-2
• Jesus points to the original lineup. When things were perfect, it was one man, one woman.
• Jesus shows the true intention of the divorce law
Actually, it was to protect women.
• Why didn’t God say “No more divorce?”
• They didn’t listen anyway, so why bother?
• Like car insurance
You could say “No more accidents,” but they would still happen.
Car insurance regulates the situation—does not say accidents are good.
Divorce law does not mean that divorce is good.
• Which are we closer to today: Hillel or Jesus?
• Jesus vs. the OT?
• Jesus affirms the O.T., but clarifies and shapes the OT law to reveal what?
• God’s true intention.
• #5: Jesus on Oaths
• Matthew 5:33-37—Jesus denies the teaching in Leviticus?
Moses said, “Keep your oaths.”
Jesus says, “Don’t even make them.”
• Jesus was addressing the Pharisaic practice of making a distinction between what was sworn upon.
Jesus says, don’t worry about oaths and thus abuse the system. Rather, just do what you are going to say you are going to do.
• Are all oaths bad?
• Even God swore oaths.
Does this add to his truthfulness? No. Who would hold him accountable?
If he’s not truthful in the first place, then swearing by himself won’t do much good.
• God swore an oath to make it more certain to Abe.
Now we can swear oaths, but let’s keep things in perspective.
• #6: Jesus on Love for Enemies
• Matt. 5:43-48
• Love your neighbor & hate your enemy?
There is no “hate your enemy.” This was a man-made tradition.
• The society was focused on in- and out-groups.
Cliques
• Jesus says: if you only love the “in-groups,” you are no better than the pagans!
God the Father loves everyone.
• Principles in the OT remain intact.
• Commands particular to the Israelites are irrelevant.
• 您是否有任何问题？
(Do you have any questions?)
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Six Antitheses (First Three)
Six Antitheses (1st Three)
Senior Bible
Mr. Settecase
Monday, January 11, 2010
By the end of this week, SWBAT…
Be able to discuss the Bible’s inspiration
Explain the difference between infallibility and inerrancy
Explain the Jesus’ correct view of the Ten Commandments
Show how a midrash is constructed and used
Key questions:
What basic tenets should all Christians believe about the Bible?
How should Christians view the Old Testament?
Jesus’ view
Jesus believed that the OT was inspired
Thus, the NT follows implicitly.
What do we do with passages where Jesus seems to contradict the OT?
Six Antitheses
1. The Sabbath
2. Retaliation
3. Adultery
4. Divorce
5. Oaths
6. Love for enemies
#1: The Sabbath – Mark 2:23-28
Jesus appears to break the Sabbath when he and his disciples pick some grain.
Jesus affirms the validity of the OT. He contradicts the false tradition of the Pharisees.
What the disciples were doing was not unlawful, because they were not working.
Jesus puts a correct spin on the commandment.
He is Lord of the Sabbath (so he can do that)
#2: Retaliation – Matt. 5:38-42
“You heard that men said long ago, but I say to you….”
Jesus is not introducing just the OT here.
Look at context: Matt. 5:17-20
Jesus has not come to abolish the law
He fulfills the law
He ridicules the “righteous Pharisees”
Continued….
…Jesus puts the law on a pedestal
Jesus contrasts with the Pharisees
Now that we know the context, it is unlikely that Jesus is going to go back and contradict that.
What is Jesus’ goal?
Jesus may be expanding on the commandments
This is uncertain
He is bringing out the true intention of the commandment.
This one is probably true
#3: Adultery – Matthew 5:27-30
“Do not commit adultery”à do not look lustfully at a woman
Married or unmarried
If you eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out!
Humorous
If your hand causes you to stumble, cut if off!
These are not literal, but hyperbole.
Haben Sie irgendwelche Fragen?
Inspiration
Inspiration
Senior Bible
Semester 2
Thursday, January 7, 2010
The Bible is Inspired
That’s why we’re taking this course.
In scriptures’ original forms, they are inspired by God.
Inspiration
God had a supernatural, providential influence in human authors which caused them to write what God wished to be written, for the communication of revealed truth to others.
Inspiration (cont’d)
2 Peter 1:20-21
Men “carried along by the Holy Spirit” as they wrote the Bible.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
All scripture is “God-breathed”
The Bible…
…does not deceive or mislead us. It is wholly true.
…is reliable. You can count on it and base your life upon it.
Inerrant vs. Infallible
Inerrant
Means “without error.” It is wholly true.
Infallible
Means not leading people astray in areas of faith and practice but allowing for factual errors
The Bible is infallible because it is inerrant.
However…
…Not all Christians believe this!
Some say that the Bible is infallible but not inerrant.
They are trying to defend the Bible against people who say it is full of factual errors.
Jesus does not make this distinction, however.
Old Testament History
Jesus quotes extensively from the Old Testament stories.
Noah’s flood, Jonah in the big fish, etc.
Jesus apparently believed these stories to be true.
Infallible but not inerrant?
This asks people to throw away their brains.
“Where can test the Bible, it might be wrong. But where we cannot test it, you’ve just gotta believe, man.”
This idea is…
…ridiculous!
The idea that the Bible can be infallible without being inerrant is crazy.
What about Mr. Settecase?
If I were crazy, you would throw away what I say.
Shouldn’t I prove myself to be sane all the time?
The same goes for the Bible
But don’t we just have the copies?
Now, it is true that we just have copies. However, copies aren’t necessarily unreliable. Think about this: we don’t have the original syllabus for this very class! You have copies! It doesn’t make them unreliable.
What about “errors” in the Bible?
A lot of the “errors of the Bible” come from the fact that modern day skeptics try to impose 20th century culture on the Biblical authors. For example:
Shame and honor
Approximation
Biblical authors use approximation a lot, without qualifying it.
They used the language of observation.
“sunrise and sunset”—the sun isn’t actually “rising.”
Approximate ≠ inaccurate
What is the author’s intention?
How can we prove the Bible is inspired?
One approach: some books claim to be inspired.
But some of the books do not claim to be inspired.
And then, even if you could show it, it’s just a claim. It does not necessarily mean that it is true.
Another Approach
Show that the Old Testament (OT) is the inspired word of God, and therefore by implication the New Testament is too.
The Old Testament and New Testament complement each other in the forms of promise and fulfillment.
But… how do you prove the OT is true?
What about Jesus?
Jesus believed in the Old Testament.
The question comes down to, “what do you do with Jesus?”
Avez-vous des questions?
Senior Bible
Semester 2
Thursday, January 7, 2010
The Bible is Inspired
That’s why we’re taking this course.
In scriptures’ original forms, they are inspired by God.
Inspiration
God had a supernatural, providential influence in human authors which caused them to write what God wished to be written, for the communication of revealed truth to others.
Inspiration (cont’d)
2 Peter 1:20-21
Men “carried along by the Holy Spirit” as they wrote the Bible.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
All scripture is “God-breathed”
The Bible…
…does not deceive or mislead us. It is wholly true.
…is reliable. You can count on it and base your life upon it.
Inerrant vs. Infallible
Inerrant
Means “without error.” It is wholly true.
Infallible
Means not leading people astray in areas of faith and practice but allowing for factual errors
The Bible is infallible because it is inerrant.
However…
…Not all Christians believe this!
Some say that the Bible is infallible but not inerrant.
They are trying to defend the Bible against people who say it is full of factual errors.
Jesus does not make this distinction, however.
Old Testament History
Jesus quotes extensively from the Old Testament stories.
Noah’s flood, Jonah in the big fish, etc.
Jesus apparently believed these stories to be true.
Infallible but not inerrant?
This asks people to throw away their brains.
“Where can test the Bible, it might be wrong. But where we cannot test it, you’ve just gotta believe, man.”
This idea is…
…ridiculous!
The idea that the Bible can be infallible without being inerrant is crazy.
What about Mr. Settecase?
If I were crazy, you would throw away what I say.
Shouldn’t I prove myself to be sane all the time?
The same goes for the Bible
But don’t we just have the copies?
Now, it is true that we just have copies. However, copies aren’t necessarily unreliable. Think about this: we don’t have the original syllabus for this very class! You have copies! It doesn’t make them unreliable.
What about “errors” in the Bible?
A lot of the “errors of the Bible” come from the fact that modern day skeptics try to impose 20th century culture on the Biblical authors. For example:
Shame and honor
Approximation
Biblical authors use approximation a lot, without qualifying it.
They used the language of observation.
“sunrise and sunset”—the sun isn’t actually “rising.”
Approximate ≠ inaccurate
What is the author’s intention?
How can we prove the Bible is inspired?
One approach: some books claim to be inspired.
But some of the books do not claim to be inspired.
And then, even if you could show it, it’s just a claim. It does not necessarily mean that it is true.
Another Approach
Show that the Old Testament (OT) is the inspired word of God, and therefore by implication the New Testament is too.
The Old Testament and New Testament complement each other in the forms of promise and fulfillment.
But… how do you prove the OT is true?
What about Jesus?
Jesus believed in the Old Testament.
The question comes down to, “what do you do with Jesus?”
Avez-vous des questions?
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Hermeneutics PowerPoint Notes
Hermeneutics
Senior Bible, Semester 2
Mr. Settecase
Jan. 5-7, 2010
By Friday, students will be able to…
-Define:
Hermeneutics
Exegesis
Midrash
Polemic
Apologetics
Describe the relationship between the Old and New Covenants
Explain how the New Testament uses the Hebrew Scriptures
Hermeneutics
the branch of theology that deals with principles of exegesis
Hermeneutics is the study of interpretation theory… the study of the interpretation of written texts, especially texts in the areas of literature, religion and law.
Exegesis: an explanation or critical interpretation (especially of the Bible)
I. All Scripture is inspired by God (II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21)
A. Unity of Bible
1500 years, 3 languages, 40 authors, 1 common message
B. Our attitude toward the Bible
It is intellectually feasible to believe in the Bible’s inspiration
II. Scripture is its own best interpreter
A. Progressive nature of Bible – promise/ fulfillment motif
B. Didactic (teaching) passages interpret narrative and symbolic passages
C. Interpret obscure passages by those that are clear
III. Determine literary genre or type
A. Historical Narratives - Acts
B. Gospels
C. Parables
D. Epistles
E. Poetry
F. Prophecy
G. Apocalyptic
IV. Historical – Grammatical Method
A. If the plain (natural) sense makes good sense, seek no other meaning of the
passage.
1. Avoid re-interpreting (demythologizing)
2. Avoid fanciful spiritualizations
B. Understand figures of speech such as metaphors, hyperbole, etc. found in the
Bible.
C. Avoid confusing interpreting, interpretation with applications.
D. Context
1. Overall or remote context. Analyze the flow of the argument. Logic.
2. Immediate context. Previous 2 or 3 verses and following 2 or 3 verses
D. Context (continued)
a. Words retain their meanings in successive verses unless there is evidence of a change.
b. Topics remain the same. For example, in the context of the Parousia (Second Coming of Christ), personal piety remarks are inappropriate.
V. Three Steps for Proper Interpretation
A. Understand as much as possible about the original setting.
B. Hear the Word of God that is addressed to that situation.
C. Hear that same Word of God as it is addressed to our situation.
D. Failure to observe these three steps will result in two problems.
1. Some words never leave the first century.
2. Some words are misapplied because their original context is ignored.
Got Questions?
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