Here is an outline of the main points:
Source Material: Drawing from "Scribes and Scripture," "How We Got the Bible," and "40 Questions about Bible Interpretation."
II. Understanding Scripture
Definition of Scripture: A collection of 66 books, written by over 40 authors, spanning 1500 years. It is inspired (God-given), infallible (free from theological errors), and inerrant (true in all it asserts).
What Scripture Says About Itself:
* 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV): "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."
* "Inspiration" (Theopneustos) literally means "God-breathed," implying all original words are from God.
* Its purpose is for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction, making it infallible in matters of theology and faith.
* 2 Peter 1:21 (NKJV): "for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."
* Reinforces that God gave the Word to man through the Holy Spirit, ensuring its truthfulness and inerrancy (Titus 1:2 implies God cannot lie).
* 2 Peter 3:14-16 (NKJV): "Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures."
* Peter affirms Paul's writings as Scripture, indicating that the New Testament was also considered God's inspired Word.
* Dual Authorship of Scripture: God is the ultimate author, but humans played a part. God supernaturally "superintended" every word, ensuring what human authors wrote was also what He desired.
III. Why Understanding Scripture's Nature Matters
* Avoiding Misconceptions: A clear understanding prevents falling into "unwarranted" or "unhelpful" routes regarding the Bible.
* Unwarranted Route: Dismissing the Bible due to perceived "human" difficulties (translation, canonization, textual variations), leading to distrust.
* Unhelpful Route: Downplaying or denying variations in Scripture, which is untruthful and can lead others to the unwarranted route. Both are amplified by social media.
IV. The Role of Faith in Understanding Scripture
* Presuppositional Faith: Belief that Scripture is God's Word is an act of faith. Arguments alone cannot convince someone without initial faith.
* Case Study: Bart Ehrman and Bruce Metzger: Two textual scholars, studying the same data, arrived at different conclusions due to differing presuppositions about whether the Bible is God's Word.
V. Communication Culture of the Bible
* Ancient Oral Culture: Old and New Testament times were primarily oral cultures, where memorization of large portions of text was common (e.g., Pharisees knowing the Pentateuch). Literacy was not widespread.
* Modern Literate Culture: Contemporary society is largely literate, relying on recorded information.
* Why Writing Began: Writing was used to communicate accurately and reliably, and to keep permanent records.
* Luke 1:3 (NKJV): "it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus,"
VI. Tools of the Trade: Materials for Copying Scripture
* Duration of Hand Copying: Approximately 2,840 years (from Moses ~1400 BC to Gutenberg Press 1493 AD).
* Early Materials:
* Stone/Clay and Chisel: Used for permanent records.
* Job 19:23-24 (NKJV): "Oh, that my words were written! Oh, that they were inscribed in a book! That they were engraved on a rock With an iron pen and lead, forever!" (God also wrote the 10 Commandments on stone).
* Materials Leading up to and Including the NT:
* Parchment: Stretched sheep/goat skin, expensive.
* 2 Timothy 4:13 (NKJV): "Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come—and the books, especially the parchments."
* Vellum: Calf/kid skins, most expensive, reserved for important documents.
* Papyrus: Reed plant, most common material for manuscripts.
* Introduction of Codices: Christians were early proponents of binding parchments and papyrus along one side, forming what we now know as books (codices), replacing cumbersome scrolls.
VII. The Role of Scribes
* Early Old Testament Scribes: Rare, often found in royal courts. Kings were commanded to scribe their own copies. Some early scribes were also soldiers.
* Joshua 18:9 (NKJV): "So the men went, passed through the land, and wrote the survey in a book in seven parts by cities; and they came to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh."
* Later Old Testament Scribes: More numerous, meticulous in copying. They had strict rules for ensuring accuracy, understanding the theological implications of even minor errors (e.g., changing "God is faithful" to "God is dead").
* New Testament Scribes:
* Early NT: Ordinary people copied texts, often with less disciplined handwriting than later scribes.
* Medieval Period: Scribes achieved astounding accuracy, with disciplined and beautiful writing.
* Accuracy vs. Style: It's crucial to distinguish between handwriting style and copying fidelity. Early scribes, despite potentially "sloppier" style, were often more faithful to the original text than some later scribes who introduced more variations. "Worse does NOT equal bad" in terms of accuracy.
VIII. Conclusion
* Scribes are the "unsung heroes" of the Bible's history, faithfully copying Scripture for over 2,800 years.
* They were the means God used to preserve His Word for us today.
* Thanks be to God for His act of preservation.
