Finding the deep truths of Scripture and seeing them transform people is one of the most fulfilling experiences of our life. The Word of God is central to doing God’s desire of complete devotion to Him. Therefore, we must be committed Bible students so that we can walk with God with maturity and intelligence.
     Let’s discover how we got our Bible, and what revelation and inspiration are. There is a flow of revelation: revelation to inspiration to manuscripts to translations to reader. Revelation is God’s self-disclosure. He reveals Himself through events, in creation and in our hearts through general revelation. Special revelations are the unique, specific ways in which God makes Himself and His acts known such as Scripture, visions, dreams, guidance of the Holy Spirit and listening prayer.
     Inspiration is the process God used to guide the writers of Scripture so that they wrote the words He wanted written. Inspiration means “God breathed”. God is the source of the Scripture, He breathed. He guided the process and guarded the content through the work of the Holy Spirit. Why do I quickly scan Scripture without allowing the Holy Spirit to work in me?
     We can test what we believe God is saying to us by reading our Bible. If what we think is God’s will is contradicted by the written truth of Scriptures, then we thought wrongly. The Holy Bible is the final authority on how we live the Christian life.
     We will learn how God speaks, how the original writings of Scripture came into being, why we have the books we have, and why the Bible is reliable and authoritative for our lives. Our confidence in God’s Word will grow and our passion for studying it will come to life. Thank God for the clarity and power of His Word.

     Manuscripts are the original documents that comprise the Scriptures. They were copied primarily on parchment or papyrus. After the originals were written, copies were made by scribes and monks. This painstaking job took time and care to ensure accuracy.
     The writing material lasted only 20-40 years, depending on the climate and parchment quality. The copyists had to keep making new manuscripts to preserve the text from being destroyed. That was the process for preserving the texts of our Scriptures.
     The next facts are significant.
     Fact 1: There are over 5,000 Greek manuscripts containing all or part of the New Testament. There are only 10 manuscripts concerning Julius Caesar’s life. There are no more than 200 copies from various authors about ancient Greece and Rome. The Iliad by Homer in the ninth century has only 643 copies. Let that sink in because more is coming.
     Fact 2: Prior to 1455 when moveable type printing was invented, all copies of the Bible were made by hand. The Jewish scribes valued the Old Testament text so much that they numbered certain Hebrew letters on every page that they copied. The middle letter of the manuscript was marked. If the letters did not line up with the original, they assumed there was an error. They destroyed the page and began over. Writers today are not that careful on a writing assignment.
     We trust our history books, and I assure you they have not been written with such accuracy and care. The biblical translations we hold and study are based on manuscripts of the highest quality and accuracy of all ancient literature combined. I’m willing to put my faith in this book we call the Holy Bible

     The manuscripts are in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic – not our everyday language. Translators must be diligent in keeping to the accuracy to the original words and to clarity for the reader. The general theory of translation is a work created from the original languages. A version can be a revision of an English translation. The Hebrew and Greek source may be consulted in a version, but not directly translated from original texts.
     There are 3 accepted methods of translation:

a literal translation means to stay as close as possible to the original word even if some understanding is lost (ex. King James);

a paraphrase adds interpretive comments within the text. Its purpose is to ensure that the meaning is understood even if it isn’t a word-for-word reflection (ex. The Message); and,

a dynamic equivalent translation which falls between the first two methods. It stays close to the original text but translates idioms and figures of speech into more modern terms (ex. NIV).

     Translation work is laborious and must be done carefully. Wycliffe is a ministry that for decades has been translating the Scriptures into languages and dialects around the world. With each language group and culture, these workers labor to accurately translate the timeless truth of the gospel in words that each culture understands. In some cases they must help produce a written language, beginning with an alphabet, for a tribe or group that has only a verbal language. It takes many years to do this, in some cases twenty to thirty years to get the entire Bible into the language of a people who have no books.
     Although there are many versions of the Bible – the truth of the Word and the power of the Holy Spirit are unchangeable. It is the authority and infallibility of the Word and guidance and power of the Holy Spirit that change lives. We can read and apply its words to our lives with confidence of its divine inspiration.

     The Old Testament has less debate on its reliability because of the meticulous care the scribes took in copying the manuscripts. The New Testament claims that Jesus is God is where most of the debate falls. For a more thorough investigation read The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel. (This book is available in our church library.)
     Four tests of reliability can be applied to the Bible: character test, corroboration test, conviction test, and consistency test.

          The Character Test answers “What is the integrity and record of truthfulness of the person giving the information?” The Bible is eyewitness testimonies, but we must decide on the credibility of the authors. The stories are accounts of the own lives (not very flattering at times) and the events they witnessed. Their character is attested to by others who knew them.
          The Corroboration Test responds to “Does the information given by eyewitnesses match up with other information reported on the same events?” The New Testament writers express themselves with great conviction and clarity, but so do today’s advertisers. The difference is the historians of Jesus’ time mention Jesus’ life, ministry, and the events surrounding Him. Though they traveled and lived in different places, the accounts of what happened never contradict. The Bible is accurate and unified.
          The Conviction Test examines “Does the writer believe what he is writing enough to go to court on the facts?” From biblical and nonbiblical history we know the writers were strongly convicted about Christ because they were tortured and killed proclaiming Christ and what He had done.
          The Consistency Test asks “Are there contradictions between sections of the literature of the Bible?” We have over 40 authors: fishermen, kings, zealots, tax collectors, preachers, poets, Jews, and Gentiles as writers of our Bible. They wrote from over 1,400 years on 3 continents from different ethnic backgrounds. Yet the topics of sin, faith, love, justice, mercy, salvation, miracles, and God are presented in a unified, clear, and consistent body of teaching. We couldn’t reach that level of consistency in our own living rooms. This alone proves that the Bible is directly from God.

     However, no one test can stand alone. A strong case for the reliability of the Old and New Testaments depends on the combination of strong personal character, unwavering conviction, corroborated evidence by multiple eyewitnesses, and consistent treatment of subject matter.
     Thank God for His Word and the confidence we can have in it. May the Holy Spirit provide us with solid answers to questions about the Bible.

     We have proven the reliability of the Bible. Now we must understand the place of the Bible within our live, the why we obey the Bible. We must submit to the authority of the Bible.
     The Scriptures call us to account for our values, decisions, and beliefs, God has revealed Himself in the Bible. The thread of His authority is woven throughout the Bible. Jesus came to make the Word flesh. He didn’t run around yelling, “Listen up! I have authority!” His works and words carried His authority (Luke 4:36).
     The Scripture speaks with authority. Get your Bibles. Look for yourselves: Joshua 1:8; Luke 11:28; Psalm 119; Jeremiah 11:3-5; Hebrew 4:12-13. The Scripture tells us the role the Bible is to have in our daily lives. It is to guide every itsy-bitsy thing of our day.
     Jesus speaks with authority. He is the central focus of the Bible, and He commands obedience (John 14:21). Jesus acts with authority as seen by His miracles, unblemished life, power over evil, and truth. Check these statements out – John 21:24-25; Hebrews 4:15; John 18:19-23; Matthew 4:1-11; John 11. If evil spirits, nature, and disease obey Jesus without questioning His authority, why do we have such a hard time obeying Him?
     Jesus’ authority calls us to act in His name. Matthew 28:18-20 is our call. Are we responding to Jesus’ authority? Jesus’ authority was observed by His followers. Their testimony shows that Jesus had authority as the Son of God (2 Peter 1:16-18; 1 John 1:1-4).
     The Bible and Jesus’ authority doesn’t depend on our acceptance of it. The authority is there whether or not we choose to submit. It has integrity, character, and life-giving ways. We must choose to obey and respond to the authority of the Word. We must choose to place ourselves in a position of humility and willingness to respond to God’s commands.
     May we choose the privilege of submission of our will to God so that His great plans for us will be fulfilled.

     We need to know what books were included and why. Some branches of the Christian Church have more than 66 books in their canon. Some modern sects claim extrabiblical revelation. Therefore, an understanding of how we inherited the precise contents of our Bible (canonization) is vital. We need to be able to speak with confidence and knowledge.
     Canon is a body of authoritative literature. The word is transliterated from a Greek word meaning “a builder’s rule.” The canon of Scripture is the 66 books recognized as the Word of God, the Bible. These books were measured as accurate and from God; thus, qualifying to be called Scripture. Scripture was a special word in Jesus’ day, referring only to sacred writings.

     There are 3 reasons to have a systematic way to acknowledge writings of Scripture as authoritative and from God.
     First, the early church had to defend itself from heresy, false teaching. See 2 Peter 2:1-3; 1 John 4:1-3; Jude 3-4.
     Secondly, the early church needed to be certain that they were actually using Scripture in their worship services and bringing glory to God’s name.
     Thirdly, early Christians were persecuted. They were being imprisoned, dishonored, and killed. They wanted to be sure they were dying for the authentic Word of God.

     There were 3 tests writings had to pass or they were not Scripture.
     First, the writing had to have apostolic origin. Old Testament had been accepted by the Jews as God’s Word; therefore, early church leaders recognized that it had already passed all tests of authenticity. To be included in the NT the source had to be an apostle or someone closely associated with an apostle. The apostles, taught and commissioned by Christ, were considered the official mouthpieces of God.
     Secondly, the writing had to be doctrinally sound. It had to square up with the teachings of the OT Scriptures, Christ’s teachings, and with other apostles’ teachings.
     Thirdly, early church councils and leadership gatherings met on doctrinal issues. The recognized the authority of the 39 OT books and 27 NT books as the only writings that could be called Scripture. These books already were regarded as divinely inspired, recognized as having apostolic authority, and guiding the Christian communities.

     There were 2 categories of writing not included in the canon: the Apocrypha (hidden writings) and the pseudepigrapha (false writings). These writings provide some historical insight but have no spiritual worth, no eyewitnesses, or contradict the 66 books of Scripture.
     Thank God for the people who suffered and worked to protect, preserve, and revere His Word so that we can learn to be more like Christ and bring glory to God.

Based on Willowcreek's Bible 101 study sessions, other sources