A note on our new study...

The study we are going to finish the year out with was selected over a year ago. It has been absolutely great to see the class change and grow spiritually as we continue to focus in on the biblical answers to our deepest questions through our study this year. As we begin this study I can't help but think about the book of Ephesians where Love is called out as far superior to knowledge.

Over the next several weeks we will challenge the foundations of what we believe and have known in certain areas. I propose that we also 'take a step back' when we study, review, and discuss. Look at what God is doing around us and through study not just studying as an intellectual exercise. I caution all of us to deliver our messages and questions with Love as well. As we question beliefs that we or others may hold dear it is important to note we are all brought to this place and time on purpose. I know that there are many of you ready to dive in and pull out truths that deliver an even deeper meaning for your walk with our Lord Jesus Christ. I know there are also many that are concerned about sharing beliefs because they may be labeled as wrong or you will look dumb.

I would suggest, that if you don't already, please take the time to pray each week specifically about where God is leading you rather than where your intellect is. If you don't pray regularly, this is a PERFECT time to start. If you do, submit your heart to Him. I know that God is going to challenge us together. I am not saying we should be in unity without question or let truths slip. What I am suggesting is that this month can show us how the Holy Spirit moves among us as a group, as couples, and as individuals.

Andy and Kenna

Genesis - The 6 day or 6 billion year beginning?

One of the most debated parts of scripture is the creation account of seven days. I offer up a piece of work referenced in a prior post that has more thoughts on this account. Please do send me thoughts or questions on this as we begin our study of THE BIBLE this week.

I also find it interesting that, for some reason, this account is constantly questioned. Please review and we can discuss as appropriate. I am not attempting to cause conflict with this but rather ensure we have a definition of YOM as is contextually accurate.

From Ken Ham @ http://www.answersingenesis.org/cec/study_guides/answersSG2.pdf-

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Some people believe God created, but they deny Creation took place in six
normal-length days. Does it matter whether God took six days or millions
of years to bring about the universe?

1. Age-dating methods:
a. All age-dating methods are based on assumptions about the past
that cannot be proven.
b. 90% of all age-dating methods give dates far younger than secular
scientists require.
c. Careful study of Biblical chronology yields a date for the universe
of only a few thousand years.

2. Positions attempting to add man’s theories of ‘millions of years’ to
the Bible:

a. Gap Theory: There is a gap of time between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2.
b. Day-Age Theory: The days in Genesis 1 represent long periods
of time.
c. The Universe existed for millions of years before creation.

3. Biblical uses of the word ‘day’:

a. The Hebrew word for day (yom) is used 2301 times in the Old
Testament. Outside of Genesis 1:

i. Yom + ordinal number (used 410 times) always indicates an ordinary
day.

ii. The words ‘evening’ and ‘morning’ together (38 times) always
indicate an ordinary day.

iii. Yom + ‘evening’ or ‘morning’ (23 times each) always indicates an
ordinary day.

iv. Yom + ‘night’ (52 times) always indicates an ordinary day.

b. Genesis 2:4—Yom is not qualified with a number or the phrases
‘evening and/or morning,’ and represents a period of time.
Exodus 20:11—The basis for our week is the six days of creation
and one day of rest.

d. The Israelites walked around Jericho for seven days, not an indeterminate
number of days.

e. Jonah was in the whale for three days, not three thousand years.

f. 2 Peter 3:8—In context, this verse is showing God is outside of
time, and is not attempting to define a ‘day.’

c o n c l u s i o n
Biblical authority and infallibility are called into question if God did not
create in six Earth-rotation days. If the Bible is wrong when it speaks
of God creating in six days, why is it not wrong when it speaks of the
Virginal Conception or the Resurrection of Christ? The foundations of
Christianity are based firmly in the words of Scripture, which state clearly
that God created all things in six days.

Additional New Books

I have additional new books available. I know of one couple without them. If you need one please let me know. Thanks!

Andy

Question: "Does Genesis chapter 1 mean literal 24-hour days?"

Answer: A careful examination of the Hebrew word for “day” and the context in which it appears in Genesis will lead to the conclusion that “day” means a literal, 24-hour period of time. The Hebrew word yom translated into the English "day" can mean more than one thing. It can refer to the 24-hour period of time that it takes for the earth to rotate on its axis (i.e. "there are 24 hours in a day"). It can refer to the period of daylight between dawn and dusk (i.e. "it gets pretty hot during the day but it cools down a bit at night"). And it can refer to an unspecified period of time (i.e. "back in my Grandfather's day..."). Likewise, the Hebrew word "yom" (which translates into the English "day") can mean more than one thing. It is used to refer to a 24-hour period in Genesis 7:11. It is used to refer to the period of daylight between dawn and dusk in Genesis 1:16. And it is used to refer to an unspecified period of time in Genesis 2:4. So what does it mean in Genesis 1:5-2:2 when it's used in conjunction with ordinal numbers (i.e. the "first day," the "second day," the "third day," the "forth day," the "fifth day," the "sixth day," and the "seventh day")? Are these 24-hour periods or something else? Could "yom" as it is used here mean an unspecified period of time? How can we tell?We can determine how "yom" should be interpreted in Genesis 1:5-2:2 simply by examining the context in which we find the word and then comparing its context with how we see its usage elsewhere in Scripture. By doing this we let Scripture interpret itself. Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis wrote a good article on this. It's published at - http://www.answersingenesis.org/cec/study_guides/answersSG2.pdf. Mr. Ham writes, "The Hebrew word for day (yom) is used 2301 times in the Old Testament. Outside of Genesis 1, yom + ordinal number (used 410 times) always indicates an ordinary day, i.e. a 24-hour period. The words ‘evening’ and ‘morning’ together (38 times) always indicate an ordinary day. Yom + ‘evening’ or ‘morning’ (23 times each) always indicates an ordinary day. Yom + ‘night’ (52 times) always indicates an ordinary day."Now let’s look at the context in which we find the word "yom" used in Genesis 1:5-2:2...Day 1 - "And God called the light 'day' [yom] and the darkness he called 'night.' So the EVENING and the MORNING were the FIRST DAY [yom]" (Genesis 1:5).Day 2 - "So God called the firmament 'Heaven.' So the EVENING and the MORNING were the SECOND DAY [yom]" (Genesis 1:8).Day 3 - "So the EVENING and the MORNING were the THIRD DAY [yom]" (Genesis 1:13).Day 4 - "So the EVENING and the MORNING were the FOURTH DAY [yom]" (Genesis 1:19).Day 5 - "So the EVENING and the MORNING were the FIFTH DAY [yom]" (Genesis 1:23).Day 6 - "Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the EVENING and the MORNING were the SIXTH DAY [yom]" (Genesis 1:31).Day 7 - "Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the SEVENTH DAY [yom] God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the SEVENTH DAY [yom] from all His work which He had done" (Genesis 2:1-2).By describing each day as “the evening and the morning” it is quite clear that the Author of Genesis meant 24-hour periods. This was the standard interpretation up until the 1800s when a paradigm shift occurred within the scientific community, and the Earth's sedimentary strata layers were reinterpreted. Whereas previously the rock layers were interpreted as evidence of Noah's flood, the flood was thrown out by the scientific community and the rock layers were reinterpreted as evidence for an excessively old earth. Some well meaning but terribly mistaken Christians then sought to reconcile this new anti-Flood, ant-Bible interpretation with the Genesis account by reinterpreting "yom" to mean vast unspecified periods of time. This was a mistake.The truth is that the evidences in favor of Noah's flood and a young earth far outnumber those in favor of an old earth, and many of the old earth interpretations are known to rely upon faulty assumptions. Unfortunately, the scientific community is entrenched on the matter and apparently they refuse to change their minds despite the weight of evidence contrary to their currently accepted paradigm. But we must not let their stubborn refusal influence how we read the Bible. According to Exodus 20:9-11, God used six literal days to create the world in order to serve as a model for man's workweek: work six days, rest one. Certainly God could have created everything in an instant if He wanted to. But apparently He had us in mind even before He made us (on the sixth day) and wanted to provide an example for us to follow.Recommended Resource: Biblical Creationism by Henry Morris.

Question: "What are the Apocrypha / Deuterocanonical books?"

Answer: Roman Catholic Bibles have several more books in the Old Testament than Protestant Bibles. These books are referred to as the Apocrypha or Deuterocanonical books. The word apocrypha means “hidden,” while the word deuterocanonical means “second canon.” The Apocrypha / Deuterocanonicals were written primarily in the time between the Old and New Testaments, as well as additions to the books of Esther and Daniel. The books are named: 1 Esdras, 2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, the Letter of Jeremiah, Prayer of Manasseh, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees.The nation of Israel treated the Apocrypha / Deuterocanonical books with respect, but never accepted them as true books of the Hebrew Bible. The early Christian church debated the status of the Apocrypha / Deuterocanonicals, but few early Christians believed they belonged in the canon of Scripture. The New Testament quotes from the Old Testament hundreds of times, but nowhere quotes or alludes to any of the Apocryphal / Deuterocanonical books. Further, there are many proven errors and contradictions in the Apocrypha / Deuterocanonicals. Here are a few websites that demonstrate these errors:http://www.justforcatholics.org/a109.htmhttp://www.biblequery.org/Bible/BibleCanon/WhatAboutTheApocrypha.htmhttp://www.johnankerberg.org/ankerberg-articles/apocrypha.htmlThe Apocrypha / Deuterocanonical books teach many things that are not true and are not historically accurate. While many Catholics accepted the Apocrypha / Deuterocanonicals previously, the Roman Catholic Church officially added the Apocrypha / Deuterocanonicals to their Bible at the Council of Trent in the mid 1500’s A.D., primarily in response to the Protestant Reformation. The Apocrypha / Deuterocanonicals support some of the things that the Roman Catholic Church believes and practices which are not in agreement with the Bible. Examples are praying for the dead, petitioning “saints” in Heaven for their prayers, worshipping angels, and “alms giving” atoning for sins. Some of what the Apocrypha / Deuterocanonicals say is true and correct. However, due to the historical and theological errors, the books must be viewed as fallible historical and religious documents, not as the inspired, authoritative Word of God.Recommended Resource: The Canon of Scripture by F.F. Bruce.

What is the Canon of Scripture?

Answer: This is a very important question because Christianity does not start by defining God, or Jesus Christ, or salvation. The basis of Christianity is found in the authority of Scripture. If we can't identify what is Scripture, then we can't properly distinguish any theological truth from error.The word "canon" comes from the rule of law that was used to determine if a book measured up to a standard. But it is important to note that the writings of Scripture were canonical at the moment they were written. Scripture was Scripture when the pen touched the parchment.Concerning a measure or standard used to determine which books should be classified as Scripture, a key verse to understanding the process and purpose and perhaps timing of the giving of Scripture is Jude 3, which states that a Christian's faith "was once for all delivered to the saints." Since our faith is defined by Scripture, Jude is essentially saying that Scripture was given once for the benefit of all Christians. Isn't it wonderful to know that there are no hidden or lost manuscripts yet to be found, there are no secret books only familiar to a select few, and there are no people alive who have special revelation requiring us to trek up a Himalayan mountain in order to be enlightened?!! We can be confident that God has not left us without a witness. The same supernatural power God used to produce His word has also been used to preserve it.Psalm 119:160 states that the entirety of God's word is truth. Starting with that premise, we can compare writings outside the accepted canon of Scripture to see if they meet the test. As an example, the Bible claims that Jesus Christ is God (Isaiah 9:6-7; Matthew 1:22-23; John 1:1, 2, 14; 20:28; Acts 16:31, 34; Philippians 2:5-6; Colossians 2:9; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8; 2 Peter 1:1). Yet many extra-biblical texts, claiming to be Scripture, argue that Jesus is not God. When clear contradictions exist, the established Bible is to be trusted, leaving the others outside the sphere of Scripture.In the early centuries of the church, Christians were sometimes put to death for possessing copies of Scripture (in those days books were in individual scrolls, not combined together in one binding as today). Because of this persecution, the question soon came up, "What books are worth dying for?" Some books may have contained sayings of Jesus, but were they inspired as stated in 2 Timothy 3:16? Church councils played a role in publicly recognizing the canon of Scripture, but often an individual church or groups of churches recognized a book as inspired from its writing (e.g. Colossians 4:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:27). Throughout the early centuries of the church few books were ever disputed and the list was basically settled by A.D. 303.When it came to the Old Testament, they had three important facts to consider: 1) The New Testament quotes from or alludes to every Old Testament book but two. 2) Jesus effectively endorsed the Hebrew canon in Matthew 23:35 when He cited one of the first narratives and one of the last in the Scriptures of His day. 3) The Jews were meticulous in preserving the Old Testament Scriptures, and they had few controversies over what parts belong or do not belong. The Roman Catholic Apocrypha did not measure up and fell outside of the definition of Scripture, and has never been accepted by the Jews.Most questions about which books belong in the Bible dealt with writings from the time of Christ and forward. The early church had some very specific criteria in order for books to be considered as part of the New Testament. These included: Was the book written by someone who was an eyewitness of Jesus Christ? Did the book pass the "truth test"? (i.e., did it concur with other, already agreed upon Scripture?). The New Testament books they accepted back then have endured the test of time, and Christian orthodoxy has embraced these, with little challenge, for centuries.Confidence in the acceptance of specific books dates back to the first century recipients who offered firsthand testimony as to their authenticity. Furthermore, the end-time subject matter of the book of Revelation, and the prohibition of adding to the words of the book in 22:18, argue strongly that the canon was closed at the time of its writing (c. A.D. 95).There is an important theological point that we should not miss. God has used His word for millennia for one primary purpose—to reveal Himself and communicate to mankind. Ultimately, the church councils did not decide if a book was Scripture; God decided that when the human author was chosen by Him to write. In order to accomplish the end result, including the preservation of His word through the centuries, God guided the early church councils in their recognition of the canon.The acquisition of knowledge regarding such things as the true nature of God, the origin of the universe and life, the purpose and meaning of life, the wonders of salvation, and future events (including the destiny of mankind) are beyond the natural observational and scientific capacity of mankind. The already-delivered word of God, valued and personally applied by Christians for centuries, is sufficient to explain to us everything we need to know of Christ (John 5:18; Acts 18:28; Galatians 3:22; 2 Timothy 3:15) and to teach us, correct us, and instruct us into all righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).Recommended Resource: The Canon of Scripture by F.F. Bruce.

Have Christian's Corrupted the Bible?

Question: "Have Christians corrupted the Bible?"

Answer: Some Muslims accuse Christians of corrupting the Bible to fit with their faulty doctrine. While this charge would explain the differences between the Qur’an and the Bible, the allegation has no credible evidence. Both the Qur’an and scholars verify the Bible’s authenticity.

The Bible is commended in the Qur’anThe Bible couldn’t have been corrupted before or during Muhammad’s time or the Qur’an wouldn’t have commended it: “And We caused Jesus, son of Mary, to follow in their footsteps, confirming that which was (revealed) before him in the Torah, and We bestowed on him the Gospel wherein is guidance and a light, confirming that which was (revealed) before it in the Torah - a guidance and an admonition unto those who ward off (evil)” (Surah 5:46).The Bible has not been corruptedSince the Bible wasn’t changed before or during Muhammad’s time, the only other possible time for corruption was after the prophet’s death. But scholarly evidence proves that from the 7th to 21st centuries, nothing of doctrinal significance differs in the Hebrew and Greek texts. Aside from grammar and spelling variation, the Bible today is essentially the same Bible as Muhammad praised (Surah 3:3).Also, by the time Muhammad was born, thousands of Bibles existed around the world in different languages. If Christians did corrupt the Bible, how could they have destroyed all the accurate Scriptures exposing such deceit?Someone audacious enough to corrupt the Bible would likely change any doctrines that convicted him. If Christians really did alter the Bible, they probably would have distorted the facts we read about Thomas’s doubt, Peter’s hypocrisy, and punishments for changing God’s Word.The truth remains; God’s Word is the same. “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar” (Proverbs 30:5-6).The Bible is truthDo you still believe Christians have corrupted the Bible? If so, please show which verses have been doctrinally distorted. If not, please read it!Those who cling to the unfounded doctrine of corruption are missing out on valuable truth. You see, the primary focus of the Bible is how to get to heaven. If you don’t have assurance of going to paradise, find out what the “before Scriptures” prescribe as the only way to escape hell and reach heaven - click here.Recommended Resource: Answering Islam: The Crescent in Light of the Cross by Norm Geisler.

Questions for Sunday, September 21, 2008

Hello Everyone! This Sunday we will each be taking an individual assessment before we begin the study. I have included the questions below for those unable to make it to class and/or those that want a preview.

Questions we will review:


Is the bible the written Word of God? How can that be if individual writers wrote it down? Don’t they bring their personality and faults to the bible?


Why was the Bible written?



What does the phrase “canon of Scripture” mean?



Can you prove the Bible’s authenticity and inspiration?


Why do we pray if God knows everything and is in control of everything?


What are some naturally revealed attributes of God?


What does it mean to say that God exists in three persons but is one being?


Why is the trinity important?


How is Jesus fully God and Man?


Does it matter if Jesus was fully man?


Why is the resurrection important to YOU?


What role does Jesus have now that He ascended into heaven?



What is the answer to “Who is Jesus” if a friend asked you?


Why is the death and resurrection of Jesus “the central fact of human history”?



What does atonement mean?


What does propitiation mean?


What does reconciliation mean?


How could one person dying save the world?



How are humans specifically different than the rest of creation?



How are we created in God’s image?



Who is the Holy Spirit?



What is the difference in the Holy Spirit’s work in the Old Testament vs. the New Testament?



How SPECIFICALLY does the Holy Spirit convict us?

What does it mean to wholly give yourself over to God?



What does the word Repentance mean?


How would you describe a born again person?


What does the election mean?


What does foreknowledge mean?


What does justification mean?


What does sanctification mean?


How is God sanctifying you?


What is an angel’s job?


How are we different from angels?



What were the activities of the first church?


What were the membership requirements of the first church?


Is there no such thing as a “lone wolf Christian”?


Explain Tribulation and Rapture:



What happens to believer’s bodies when they are resurrected?



Is there a final restoration for all those who were lost?


If Jesus came today are you sure you would be with Him in heaven?