Questions to ask yourself about narrative:

• Is there a command to be obeyed?

• Is there a sin to avoid?

• Is there an example to follow?

• Is there a promise to claim?

1.1 Translations & History

Good formal equivalence translations include the New Revised Standard Version^[2] or the English Standard Version. Good combination translations include Today's New International Version and the Holman Christian Standard Bible. A good dynamic equivalence translation is the Contemporary English Version, although strictly dynamic equivalence translations are usually frowned on by serious scholars.

History of the Bible - Who wrote the Bible?

The Bible was written over a span of 1500 years, by 40 writers. Unlike other religious writings, the Bible reads as a factual news account of real events, places, people, and dialogue. Historians and archaeologists have repeatedly confirmed its authenticity.

Using the writers' own writing styles and personalities, God shows us who he is and what it's like to know him.

There is one central message consistently carried by all 40 writers of the Bible: God, who created us all, desires a relationship with us. He calls us to know him and trust him.

The Bible not only inspires us, it explains life and God to us. It does not answer all the questions we might have, but enough of them. It shows us how to live with purpose and compassion. How to relate to others. It encourages us to rely on God for strength, direction, and enjoy his love for us. The Bible also tells us how we can have eternal life.

Multiple categories of evidence support the historical accuracy of the Bible as well as its claim to divine authorship. Here are a few reasons you can trust the Bible.

Archaeology confirms the Bible’s historical accuracy.

Archaeologists have consistently discovered the names of government officials, kings, cities, and festivals mentioned in the Bible -- sometimes when historians didn't think such people or places existed. For example, the Gospel of John tells of Jesus healing a cripple next to the Pool of Bethesda. The text even describes the five porticoes (walkways) leading to the pool. Scholars didn't think the pool existed, until archaeologists found it forty feet below ground, complete with the five porticoes.¹

The Bible has a tremendous amount of historical detail, so not everything mentioned in it has yet been found through archaeology. However, not one archaeological find has conflicted with what the Bible records.²

In contrast, news reporter Lee Strobel comments about the Book of Mormon: "Archaeology has repeatedly failed to substantiate its claims about events that supposedly occurred long ago in the Americas. I remember writing to the Smithsonian Institute to inquire about whether there was any evidence supporting the claims of Mormonism, only to be told in unequivocal terms that its archaeologists see 'no direct connection between the archaeology of the New World and the subject matter of the book.'" Archaeologists have never located cities, persons, names, or places mentioned in the Book of Mormon.³

Many of the ancient locations mentioned by Luke, in the Book of Acts in the New Testament, have been identified through archaeology. "In all, Luke names thirty-two countries, fifty-four cities and nine islands without an error."⁴

Archaeology has also refuted many ill-founded theories about the Bible. For example, a theory still taught in some colleges today asserts that Moses could not have written the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), because writing had not been invented in his day. Then archaeologists discovered the Black Stele. "It had wedge-shaped characters on it and contained the detailed laws of Hammurabi. Was it post-Moses? No! It was pre-Mosaic; not only that, but it was pre-Abraham (2,000 B.C.). It preceded Moses' writings by at least three centuries."⁵

Archaeology consistently confirms the historical accuracy of the Bible.

The Bible today is the same as what was originally written.

Some people have the idea that the Bible has been translated "so many times" that it has become corrupted through stages of translating. That would probably be true if the translations were being made from other translations. But translations are actually made directly from original Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic source texts based on thousands of ancient manuscripts.

The accuracy of today’s Old Testament was confirmed in 1947 when archaeologists found “The Dead Sea Scrolls” along today's West Bank in Israel. "The Dead Sea Scrolls" contained Old Testament scripture dating 1,000 years older than any manuscripts we had. When comparing the manuscripts at hand with these, from 1,000 years earlier, we find agreement 99.5% of the time. And the .5% differences are minor spelling variances and sentence structure that doesn't change the meaning of the sentence.

Regarding the New Testament, it is humanity's most reliable ancient document.

All ancient manuscripts were written on papyrus, which didn’t have much of a shelf life. So people hand copied originals, to maintain the message and circulate it to others.

Few people doubt Plato’s writing of “The Republic.” It’s a classic, written by Plato around 380 B.C. The earliest copies we have of it are dated 900 A.D., which is a 1,300 year time lag from when he wrote it. There are only seven copies in existence.

Caesar’s “Gallic Wars” were written around 100-44 B.C. The copies we have today are dated 1,000 years after he wrote it. We have ten copies.

When it comes to the New Testament, written between 50-100 A.D, there are more than 5,000 copies. All are within 50-225 years of their original writing. Further, when it came to Scripture, scribes (monks) were meticulous in their copying of original manuscripts. They checked and rechecked their work, to make sure it perfectly matched. What the New Testament writers originally wrote is preserved better than any other ancient manuscript. We can be more certain of what we read about Jesus’ life and words, than we are certain of the writings of Caesar, Plato, Artistotle and Homer.

1.2 Study the Bible with an attitude of prayer.

This should be the first step in understanding the Bible. Bible study should be approached with a prayerful desire to learn. Discipline yourself to be with the Word. The Bible will come alive for you. It is spiritual food.

1.3 Pray

Ask God to help you understand his word before you even begin (In Ephesians 1:16-23 there is a prayer for Wisdom and Revelation that Paul prayed for the Church that you can also pray for yourself. In Ephesians 3:14-21 there is a prayer for Spiritual Maturity that Paul prayed for the Church, and that you can pray for yourself). God will reveal His Word to you. Don't assume a parable or story just because it seems vague. Don't try to interpret the Bible. "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation." (2 Peter 1:20,21) That's where misunderstandings come from.

1.4 Consider reading John first.

It's best to start with John, as it's the easiest Gospel to read, identifies who Jesus really is, and prepares you for the other 3. It would help to read it 2 or 3 times to get a good understanding of the author, topic, context, and characters. Read 3 chapters per day. Concentrate on your reading. and be patient.^[4]

• When you're done with John, move on to Mark, Matthew, and Luke. As those tend to be the next easiest material. Read all the books -one after the other- until you have read all the Gospels.

• When you're done with the Gospels, consider reading the letters from Romans to Jude. Because Revelation is pure prophecy not covered in the New Testament, stay out of there for now. When you get a good familiarity with the major prophets, then tackle Revelation.

1.5 Use the dictionary.

Make sure that you look up words in the chapter that you are reading from. This will help you understand the Bible better.

1.6 Have a Bible notebook.

This will keep you accountable to reading everyday. Also, ask yourself questions and write them down in your Bible notebook. Use the "who", "what", "when", "where", "why", and "how" formula for your studies. For instance, "Who was there?", "What was happening?", "Where is this happening?", "How did it turn out?". This simple formula will make the story make sense. Highlight important stuff or things you really like in your own bible. But don't do this if it belongs to someone else.

2 Cross references and sharing with the group

Use cross references and footnotes if you have them in your Bible.

These are little numbers and symbols which tell you to look somewhere else in the text for more information, or show you when something was previously discussed. Footnotes, usually found at the bottom of a given page, will tell you where information is coming from or explain complex ideas or historical events and concepts. Try picking out a few words that jumped at you and looking them up in a concordance to find other verses talking about the same thing.

Follow the references in your Study Bible back to the first time it was used. This is where a chain reference Bible is essential.

Keep a journal. You don't have to write a lot. Just use a notebook page with the date, book / chapter / verse on the top. Ask yourself some questions and outline what you are reading. This helps to show you what God is revealing to you through His Word. Write out ideas or verses or thoughts that come into mind as you read. Think "Who, What, When, Where, Why, How." Answer every possible question under each category. Compare your findings with what you know the Bible teaches. Then look them over and pray about it.

Get rid of all distractions. Turn off the television or radio. Unless you're studying with a group, try to to find a quiet place where you have a table to read and take notes. This is alone time between you and God.

Sharing with the group:

Share your questions with a Bible study group. The text is very complicated and having some help to get through it will be very important. The group will help keep you motivated and inspired.

Share what you have found with others within your Bible study group. Discuss what you have read with others who may have more experience reading and studying the Bible than you do.

Don't take what someone else says about the topic, except as a guide. Let the Bible inspire you. Increasing your knowledge about Biblical Principles will only come after years of dedication, hard work, and just plain reading.

• The Bible is not just one book from Genesis to Revelation. There are 66 books, each from different authors at different times. Several authors have written more than one book, but they were written at different times for different reasons. You will find similar subjects and meanings throughout all the books of the Bible.

3 Bible reading tips

• When you begin your study of your Bible ask the Holy Spirit for help. John 14:26 says that He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance the sayings of Jesus. I John 2:27 is similar.

• The reason for reading the Gospels out of order is that each identifies Jesus in a different way. John = God; Mark = Servant; Matthew =King; Luke = Man. Also, you don't want to get bogged down in the genealogies in Matthew and Luke right off the bat. Each has a different purpose, and familiarity is helpful

• Pray before you start any Bible study or reading. Ask God to clear your mind and to show you things in His word before you begin reading. There is a prayer for wisdom and revelation in Ephesians 1:16-23 and you can say this prayer for yourself.

• Make a promise to yourself. Get up a little earlier in the morning for your reading. The deal is: "No Bible, No Breakfast, No Exceptions." King David studied the word in the morning and at night (Psalms 1:2).

• After you get through the Bible at least once, with the help of a good teacher, read a good layman's guide of hermeneutics and apologetics. They will help you know what questions to ask as you read and study.

• Studying with friends or family can really help you appreciate and understand the Bible more.

2. Conclusions after reading

1) What in this session impacted you the most regarding the integrity of the Bible as a whole?

2) What lessons in this session caused you to take the Bible more seriously?

3) How did this session impact you personally?

4) What stood out to you? Lessons learned?

Homework: remember the Scriptures Word for Word! (Food for thought, Joshua 1:7-9)