LIFE 201 - Bible Survey
“Introduction to Bible Survey”
(Lesson 1)
Introduction to Bible Survey
1.
Doctrine of Revelation: The God of the Bible is a Self-Revealing God [Deut.29:29; Heb.1:1-2;
Gal.1:11-12], also known as “divine disclosure”. This in particular is God’s “special revelation,” as
opposed to “general revelation” which reveals God in creation, in nature and state of the world.
1.1. God speaks directly to people [Num.1:1; Josh.1:1]
1.2. God illustrates His revelation [Rev.1:19]
1.3. God writes His revelation [Deut.5:22; 4:13]
2. Doctrine of Inspiration
2.1. Types of inspiration: mechanical, dynamic versus organic & verbal
2.2. Extent of inspiration: partial or limited versus plenary [2Tim.3:16]
2.3. Biblical Inspiration: (C. Swindoll) “The supernatural act of God whereby He so directed human
authors of Scripture that, without destroying their individuality, literary style, or personality,
His complete and connected thought toward humanity was received/recorded without error or
contradiction—each word being supernaturally written and preserved so as to result in an
infallible document in the original writing.”
2.4. The cause is God’s Holy Spirit [2Pet.1:21a]; the agents are the human writers [21b]; the result is
an inerrant document revealed by God and thoroughly accredited [2Tim.3:16-17].
2.5. Preservation of the Word [Matt.5:18]
2.6. Sufficiency of the Word [2Cor.3:5; 12:9]
2.7. Infallibility of the Word [Isa.55:6-11]
3. Doctrine of Illumination
3.1. God is pleased to reveal His truth to us, that which is necessary to our salvation [Jn.16:3]
3.2. Illumination is “the supernatural influence of the Holy Spirit upon all who are in right relation
with God to comprehend and apply inspired truths.”
3.3. Read [1Cor.2:9-16].
3.3.1. What is the work of the Spirit in relation to a “spiritual person’s” understanding of the
Word of God?
3.3.2. Who is, and what is the condition of the “natural person”?
4.
General Information on the Bible
4.1.1. 66 total; 39 Old Testament books; 27 New Testament books.
4.1.2. Written by over 40 different authors from all walks of life and circumstances
4.1.3. Written over the course of ~1,500 years, covering over 5,000 years.
5.
How We Got the Bible
5.1. Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek (Hellenization)
5.2. Transcribing manuscripts (according to Talmudic tradition)
5.3. Abundance and accuracy
5.3.1. (LB) “There are now more than 5,300 known Greek manuscripts of the New Testament.
Add over 10,000 Latin Vulgate and at least 9,300 other early versions (MSS) and we have
more than 24,000 manuscript copies of portions of the New Testament in existence today.”
5.3.2. (Sir Frederic Kenyon) “Scholars are satisfied that they possess substancitally the true text
of the principal Greek and Roman writers whose works have come down to us, of
Sophocles, of Thucydides, of Cicero, of Virgil; yet our knowledge of their writings depends
on a mere handful of manuscripts, whereas the manuscripts of the New Testament are
counted by hundreds, and even thousands.”
5.4. Circulation in the early church
5.5. Canonization in the early church council
6.
The Message of the Bible [Luke 24:27]
6.1. Redemption in Christ Jesus
6.2. OT & NT
LIFE 201 - Bible Survey
7.
“Introduction to Bible Survey”
Structure & Genre
7.1. Old Testament
7.1.1. Law (5)
7.1.2. History/Writings (12)
7.1.3. Poetry (5)
7.1.4. Major Prophets (12)
7.1.5. Minor Prophets (5)
7.2. New Testament
7.2.1. Gospels (4)
7.2.2. History (1)
7.2.3. Pauline Epistles (13)
7.2.4. General Epistles (8)
7.2.5. Prophesy (1)
Abbreviation & Bibliography of the Main Reference Works
(BAL) How to Read the Bible as Literature, Leland Ryken. 1984, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand
Rapids.
(FAIW) How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, Gordon D. Fee & Douglas Stuart. 1981, 1993, Zondervan
Publishing House, Grand Rapids.
(HBH) Halley’s Bible Handbook, Henry H. Halley. 1927… 1962, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand
Rapids.
(HFB) Handbook for Bible Teachers and Preachers, G. Campbell Morgan. 1912… 1982, Baker Book House
Company, Grand Rapids.
(HRP) How to Read the Psalms, Tremper Longman III. 1988, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove.
(IHP) Interpreting Hebrew Poetry, David L. Petersen and Kent Harold Richards. 1992, Fortress Press,
Minneapolis.
(IWL) An Introduction to Wisdom Literature: The Wisdom of Proverbs, Job & Ecclesiastes, Derek Kidner.
1985, Intervarsity Press, Downers Grove.
(KS) Knowing Scriptures, R. C. Sproul. 1977, 2009, Intervarsity Press, Downers Grove.
(LB) A Look at the Book, Charles R. Swindoll. 1994, Insight for Living, Fullerton.
(TTB) Talk Thru the Bible: Old Testament & New Testament, Bruce Wilkinson & Kenneth Boa. 1983,
Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville.
(WBAA) What the Bible is All About, Henrietta C. Mears. 1953, 1983, Regal Books, Ventura.
(WCF, WSC, WLC) Westminster Confession of Faith, Westminster Shorter Catechism, Westminster
Shorter Catechism.
(SCD) Summary of Christian Doctrine, Louis Berkhof. 1989 reprint, 1938, Eerdmans Printing Company,
Grand Rapids.