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Lecture notes, lecture Module 2 Study
Guide
Introduction to Christian Thought (D) (Liberty
University)
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Module/Week 2: The Bible
Textbook Readings:
Towns: Ch. 2
1. What does dual authorship mean? This means that both god and man were writing
the Bible at the same time.
2. What was the Old Testament written on? Leather, also called vellum or parchments.
These were fine soft skin of animals sewn together, one after another, and rolled into a
scroll.
3. What are the three divisions of the Old Testament? Moses, prophets and psalms.
4. What did the Psalms scroll contain? Psalms and Minor Prophets.
5. What is a codex? Paper made from papyrus reeds. Soft core was flattened then dried,
kept flat and swen together, making it into a book with a spine. The first appearance of a
book.
6. Where does the name “Bible” come from? The latin word “ta biblia” which means
“the book” (or the book of salvation)
7. Where does the term “Scripture” come from? This is the word scripts, which is the act of
producing writing.
8. *What are three ways the Bible can influence its reader? It can convict, convince and
convert power to all who accept its message and believe in Jesus.
Etzel & Gutierrez: Chs. 6–10
1. Who is God's revelation available to? Everyone
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2. Is general revelation enough to bring someone to salvation? Why? No, Salvation itself
is only a work of God and we are told in John 14:6 and Acts 4:12 that salvation is only
through Jesus.
3. What is the significance of the fact that the words of the Bible were inspired by God? The
words of the Bible are not merely human words.
4. Inspiration and Inerrancy apply to which manuscripts? The original manuscripts
5. What is the discipline that studies the principles and theories of how texts ought to
be interpreted? Hermeneutics
6. What are the three basic steps to understanding the Bible? Observation,
Interpretation, application.
Online Excerpts:
"Preservation: Insuring the Authenticity of the Text"—Pg. 73–78
1. What is “Textual Criticism”? Study of Bible text
2. What is “lower Criticism”? Deals with the actual text with a view of determining
the original manuscript.
3. What is “Higher Criticism”? Dealing with the area of authorship, sources, dated and
historical matters.
"Inspiration: Guaranteeing the Word of Scripture"—Pg. 59–72
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1. What are the four qualities of inspiration? Inspired guidance by the Holy Spirit,
inspired personality of the authors, inspired words and resulting in an inspired
text.
2. True- Inspiration incorporates the personality of the writer into the final product.
3. What does Conceptual inspiration state was inspired? Not the thoughts of the Bible
that are inspired, it was the men who wrote the bible that were inspired.
4. What does partial inspiration state? God inspired parts of the scripture, but failed to
identify which part of the scripture was inspired.
5. What does limited inspiration state? Similar to partial inspiration, but differs in that
it identifies the inspired part of the text. Holding to a view of limited inspiration
argue to scriptures are inspired and authorities only in matters of religious dogma.
6. According to the text, what is “Bibliolatry”? Who was accused of it? It is
worshipping the Bible. The inerrantist were accused of this. A critic ridiculed
inerrantists for believing in a quad God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit and Scripture. Did
the Bible die for your sins? To invest the Bible with inerrancy is to idol it and
transform it into a false God.
7. According to the text, about what percent of the New Testament is either quotation
or illusion to the Old Testament? 10%
8. What are the 5 arguments for inspiration/inerrancy? The Bible teaches that it is
inspired/inerrant, Jesus affirmed inspiration/inerrancy, and church fathers
recognized inspiration/inerrancy, argument from the character of God and argument
from animation or the life-giving spirit of Scripture.
"Canonicity: The Standard for Including Books in Scripture"—Pg. 79–88
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1. What four criteria determine that person is a biblical prophet? Prophet must claim to
have revelation and/or inspiration, the recognized predictability of his prophecies, his
message must be in accord with the revealed will of God and determine if he leads
the people away from God.
2. What are the 12 main arguments against adding the Apocrypha to the cannon (the
Bible)? They are generally weak in style and organization, they contain historical
and geographical errors, they are Old Testament in nature but most were written
in Greek, they are not quoted by Christ or any of the New Testament writers, the
plan of salvation run through the Old Testament but is not evident in these books,
there are no messianic prophesies mentioned in them, it makes no claim of divine
inspiration, was not included in the original Hebrew canon, Philo never referred to
them, Jerome did not include them in Scripture, spiritual level is low in them, it
implies doctrine contrary to Scripture and it was not considered part of the canon
until AD 1546 at the Council of Trent.
3.
"Arguments that the Bible is the Word of God"—Pg. 43–48
1. What three arguments are the basis for arguments from revelation?
(1) that the Bible is consistent with itself, (2) that the Bible corresponds with
reality, and (3) that the Bible’s claims can be scientifically demonstrated.
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2. What empirical evidence sets Christianity apart from other belief systems?
Ability to predict the future.
3. Name two sources that establish an early date of scripture.
Septuagint, Dead Sea Scrolls
"Bibliopoly"—Pg. 28–42
1. What is Revelation? Is the act whereby God gives us knowledge about Himself which we
could not otherwise know?
2. What is inspiration? Is the supernatural guidance of the writers of Scripture by the Spirit
of God whereby they wrote the divine Word of God, transcribed accurately and
reliably.
3. What is inerrancy? Recognizes that what God revealed and inspired is accurate,
reliable, authoritative and without error.
4. What is the Cannon? Is the standard by which the sixty-six books in the Bible and their
content were determined and the basis upon which they were included in Scripture.
5. What is hermeneutics? Is the science of biblical interpretation?
6. What is illumination? Is the work of the Holy Spirit in helping the believer
understand and apply the spiritual meaning of the Scriptures?
7. What does Hebrews 1:1–2 teach about divine revelation? Divine Revelation is
progressive.
8. What are the two areas of revelation? Natural and Special
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9. What is natural revelation? Is the self-revelation of God through His Creation and
through the makeup of man?
10. What is special revelation? Is the self-revelation of God through the Scriptures
and finalized in Jesus Christ and relates to God’s plan of salvation for man.
11. What is reason? The intellectual and more facilities of man as exercised in the pursuit
of truth apart from supernatural aid.
12. What does the Cosmological argument state? Nature reveals God’s power and Godhand.
13. What 3 things is the Cosmological argument dependent upon? Every effect must have
a cause, the effect is dependent upon its cause for existence, and nature cannot produce
itself.
14. What does the Teleological argument state? Design in the universe reveals a designer.
15. What does the Anthropological argument state? Human nature reveals a personal God.
16. What does the Anthropological argument reason? Man's intellectual and moral nature
must have had for its author an intellectual and moral being, man's moral nature proves
the existence of a holy Lawgiver and Judge, Man's emotional and voluntary nature
proves the existence of a Being who can furnish in Himself a satisfying object of human
affection and an end which will call forth man's highest activities and ensure his highest
progress
17. What does the ontological argument state? Our thoughts of God imply the existence
of God.
18. What does congruity mean? Agreement, harmony, correspondence.
19. What does the existence of laws imply? The existence of a Lawgiver
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20. What does law in society give evidence of? God has made man a social creature
and placed within man a desire for law and order.
