Scriptural Literacy: Understanding the Bible - An

Scriptural Literacy: Understanding the Bible – An Ancient Text of Timeless Truths for a Modern Age SL020 – The Concluding Episode of the Scriptural Literacy Podcast Our purpose in this podcast has been to increase our biblical literacy – that is, to become more comfortable reading the Bible.  The purpose of reading the Bible is to understand Jesus Christ – God’s revelation of Himself to the world.  Proverbs 25:2 and Jeremiah 15:19 speak of discerning the principles to be found in this ancient set of texts.  See also James 1:5 to establish that God wants to share His wisdom with us. This is the 20th and final (at least for the time being) episode of this podcast.  I will leave it here on the blog as a 20-part introduction to the Scriptures for those who would desire to be able to read them on their own. Review-to-Date (starts at 00:00) BL001 – Biblical Literacy:  The Basics of Bible Reading BL002 – The Mechanics of Bibles SL003 – My God, My God Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me? SL004 – The Four Gospels SL005 – More on the Four Gospels SL006 – The Psalms SL007 – More on the Psalms SL008 – The Acts of the Apostles SL009 – The Prophets SL010 – More on the Prophets SL011 – The Epistles SL012 – The Law of Moses SL013 – The Books of History SL014 – The Books of Wisdom SL015 – Reviewing the Structure of the Bible SL016 – The Old Testament Is About Jesus Christ SL017 – The Old Testament Is About Jesus Christ – His Suffering and Glory SL018 – Suffering and Glory SL019 – The Cornerstone of the Scriptures I.  Reminder Warnings (begins at 11:34) John 5:39-40 Acts 13:27,40-41; John 16:2 John 1:47; 3:19-21; Acts 10:34-35 Psalm 119:28 Landing zones in a jungle II.  How I Approach the Bible (begins at 26:49) I Invite You to Challenge Me at My Most Vulnerable Point Bart Ehrman at the National Cathedral  (begins at 40:50) Apostolic Apologetics (Reference Shelf for the Kingdom of God) III.  The Bible Is Complete in Christ (begins at 59:11) Genesis 3:24 and Revelation 2:7; 22:2, 14, 19 Acts 3:21 (“the restoration of all things”) Isaiah 65:17; 66:22 (“new heavens and a new earth”) Revelation 21:1 (“and there is no longer any sea”) Acts 4:24 (“the heaven and the earth and the sea”) John 4:35-38 (the prophets and the apostles) Ephesians 2:20  (“Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone”) Total time elapsed is 1:17:53 Unless otherwise noted, all scripture references are to the New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Scriptural Literacy: Understanding the Bible – An Ancient Text of Timeless Truths for a Modern Age SL019 – The Cornerstone of the Scriptures [Note: I misspoke at the very beginning of the recording by saying “Scriptural Christianity” instead of “Scriptural Literacy.”  I can’t easily re-record that one statement so please just overlook the mistake.  I did correctly say “Scriptural Literacy” just a few sentences later.] Our purpose in this blog and podcast is to increase our biblical literacy – that is, to become more comfortable reading the Bible.  The purpose of reading the Bible is to understand Jesus Christ – God’s revelation of Himself to the world.  Proverbs 25:2 and Jeremiah 15:19 speak of discerning the principles to be found in this ancient set of texts.  See also James 1:5 to establish that God wants to share His wisdom with us. Review-to-Date (starts at 00:00) SL015 – Reviewing the Structure of the Bible SL016 – The Old Testament Is About Jesus Christ SL017 – The Old Testament Is About Jesus Christ – His Suffering and Glory SL018 – Suffering and Glory I.  The Cornerstone in the Gospels (begins at 6:21) Matthew 21:42 (Mark 12:10-11; Luke 20:17) Matthew 21:23-46 (How biblically literate were the Pharisees?) Acts 13:27-30 II.  The Cornerstone in the Acts of the Apostles (begins at 19:13) Acts 4:11 Acts 4:1-13 (contrast the fishermen and the professors) III.  The Cornerstone in the Old Testament (begins at 29:55) Psalm 118:22 Psalm 118:22-26 IV.  The Cornerstone in the Epistles (begins at 41:22) Ephesians 2:20 1 Peter 2:7 1 Peter 2:4-8 Isaiah 28:16 Isaiah 8:14 There are two kinds of biblical literacy: seek the kind that God only can give Don’t read the Bible and be blind to its point 2 Peter 1:20-21 Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of biblical literacy and of the Scriptures themselves Total time elapsed is 1:03:01. Unless otherwise noted, all scripture references are to the New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Scriptural Literacy: Understanding the Bible – An Ancient Text of Timeless Truths for a Modern Age SL018 – Suffering and Glory Our purpose in this blog and podcast is to increase our biblical literacy – that is, to become more comfortable reading the Bible.  The purpose of reading the Bible is to understand Jesus Christ – God’s revelation of Himself to the world.  Proverbs 25:2 and Jeremiah 15:19 speak of discerning the principles to be found in this ancient set of texts.  See also James 1:5 to establish that God wants to share with us His wisdom. Review-to-Date (starts at 00:00) SL015 – Reviewing the Structure of the Bible SL016 – The Old Testament Is About Jesus Christ SL017 – The Old Testament Is About Jesus Christ – His Suffering and Glory I.  The Sufferings and Glories of Christ Throughout the Scriptures (begins at 2:44) The Old Testament (that is, the Hebrew Bible) Is About Jesus Christ – His Suffering and Glory Humility and Exaltation Are Synonymous with Suffering and Glory II.  Recognizing the Pattern of Suffering and Glory in the Scriptures (begins at 21:42) Psalm 22 Follows the Pattern of Suffering and Glory for Messiah Receiving Glory from Humans Impedes Faith in God Suffering for God Precedes Glory from God When It Comes to Suffering and Glory, Humanity Provides the Suffering and God Provides the Glory III.  Recognizing the Pattern of Suffering and Glory in Our Own Lives  (begins at 39:14) An Apparent Contradiction in Scripture Is Never an Actual Contradiction As from Suffering to Glory, so from Flesh to Spirit Even the Very First Messianic Promise Conveyed Both the Suffering and Glory in Store for Him Applying the Suffering-to-Glory Paradigm in Your Own Life Our Sufferings with Christ Are Not Worthy to Be Compared to the Glory We Know Something of the Sufferings of Christ, but We Need to Study More the Glories Total time elapsed is 1:05:21. Unless otherwise noted, all scripture references are to the New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Scriptural Literacy: Understanding the Bible – An Ancient Text of Timeless Truths for a Modern Age SL017 – The Old Testament Is About Jesus Christ – His Suffering and Glory Our purpose in this blog and podcast is to increase our biblical literacy – that is, to become more comfortable reading the Bible.  The purpose of reading the Bible is to understand Jesus Christ – God’s revelation of Himself to the world.  Proverbs 25:2 and Jeremiah 15:19 speak of discerning the principles to be found in this ancient set of texts.  See also James 1:5 to establish that God wants to share with us His wisdom. Review-to-Date (starts at 00:00) I.  Continuation: The Scriptures Are About Christ (begins at 3:53) The Old Testament = the Hebrew Bible The verses I talk about in this segment continue can be found in this post: The Old Testament (that is, the Hebrew Bible) Is About Jesus Christ II.  The Old Testament Is About Christ, His Suffering and Glory – New Testament View (begins at 24:33) The verses I talk about in this segment are all listed in the following post: The Old Testament (that is, the Hebrew Bible) Is About Jesus Christ – His Suffering and Glory III.  The Old Testament Is About Christ – Old Testament View  (begins at 54:16) The verses I talk about in this segment are all listed in the following post: The Old Testament (that is, the Hebrew Bible) Is About Jesus Christ – His Suffering and Glory The verses I talk about in this final segment are also listed in the following post: The Old Testament (that is, the Hebrew Bible) Is About Jesus Christ Total time elapsed is 1:07:18 Unless otherwise noted, all scripture references are to the New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Scriptural Literacy: Understanding the Bible – An Ancient Text of Timeless Truths for a Modern Age SL016 – The Old Testament Is About Jesus Christ Our purpose in this blog and podcast is to increase our biblical literacy – that is, to become more comfortable reading the Bible.  The purpose of reading the Bible is to understand Jesus Christ – God’s revelation of Himself to the world.  Proverbs 25:2 and Jeremiah 15:19 speak of discerning the principles to be found in this ancient set of texts.  See also James 1:5 to establish that God wants to share with us His wisdom. Review-to-Date (starts at 00:00) I.  Introduction: The Scriptures Are About Christ (begins at 5:54) The Scriptures Are About Christ II.  The Old Testament Is About Christ – Part One (begins at 20:08 ) The Old Testament = the Hebrew Bible The verses I talk about in this segment are all listed in the following post: The Old Testament (that is, the Hebrew Bible) Is About Jesus Christ III.  The Old Testament Is About Christ – Part Two (begins at 43:46) The verses I talk about in this final segment are also listed in the following post: The Old Testament (that is, the Hebrew Bible) Is About Jesus Christ Total time elapsed is 1:04:23 Unless otherwise noted, all scripture references are to the New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Scriptural Literacy: Understanding the Bible – An Ancient Text of Timeless Truths for a Modern Age SL015 – Reviewing the Structure of the Bible Our purpose in this blog and podcast is to increase our biblical literacy – that is, to become more comfortable reading the Bible.  The purpose of reading the Bible is to understand Jesus Christ – God’s revelation of Himself to the world.  Proverbs 25:2 and Jeremiah 15:19 speak of discerning the principles to be found in this ancient set of texts.  See also James 1:5 to establish that God wants to share with us His wisdom. Understanding the structure of the Bible (OT = Old Testament, NT = New Testament): The order of our study in these podcasts: Gospels, Psalms, Acts, Prophets, Epistles, Torah, History, Wisdom OT: Torah (Pentateuch, Law of Moses), History, Wisdom, Prophets NT: Gospels, Acts, Epistles OT: History, Wisdom, Prophets NT: History, Letters Review-to-Date (starts at 00:00) I.  The Structure of the Bible (begins at 2:21) canon Protestant (core canon), Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox Jewish Septuagint (LXX) The order of the books The purpose of the NT is not to replace the OT but rather to explain it A walk through the contents History begins each testament; a thousand years and a hundred years The OT was written initially to guide ancient Israel but ultimately to testify to Christ; these two purposes account for contours which can confuse modern minds Repetition in the Bible:  Deuteronomy 19:15; Philippians 3:1 Apostles and Prophets: The apostles were chosen by Christ. They did not, and could not, appoint apostles themselves. The apostles continued “The Jewish Mission.” The Bible is not a magic book; it has authority because its authors did. 1 Thessalonians 2:13 The prophets and apostles came first – then the Bible (not the other way around) The apostles and prophets lived and died as He did. Where is there another story like this? The apostles and prophets wrote to answer the questions of their day; not the questions of ours – yet we can extract the precious from the worthless (Jeremiah 15:19) II.  Navigating the Anthology (begins at 24:25 ) Gateways The NT is a gateway to the OT Gateways to the NT: GJohn, GMark, Paul’s letters Gateways to the OT: NT quotes, Psalms, Proverbs, Genesis, Isaiah Landing zones underlining and highlighting; print and digital Mark inviting gateways; the most inviting gateway is probably personal to you The apostles have told us His name, that we might call upon it. Practically everything we know about Jesus comes through the apostles; Christ has designed it such that we cannot get to Him except through them.  And we cannot truly get to the prophets, except through the apostles The Bible is a collection of the writings of men of God – a collection of what they wrote John 17:20; 2 Tim 2:7; Heb 2:1-4; John 6:29 Bible Reading Plans (BRP’s) Daily Quiet Time (DQT) Why are you listening to Scriptural Literacy if you are not reading the Bible? The man who does not read the Bible is no better off than the man who cannot III.  The Holy Spirit in Your Bible Reading (begins at 42:26 ) 2 Timothy 2:7 John 16:13 2 Peter 1:12-21 Acts 8:25-35 Total time elapsed is 58:46 Unless otherwise noted, all scripture references are to the New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Scriptural Literacy: Understanding the Bible – An Ancient Text of Timeless Truths for a Modern Age SL014 – The Books of Wisdom Our purpose in this blog and podcast is to increase our biblical literacy – that is, to become more comfortable reading the Bible.  The purpose of reading the Bible is to understand Jesus Christ – God’s revelation of Himself to the world.  Proverbs 25:2 and Jeremiah 15:19 speak of discerning the principles to be found in this ancient set of texts.  See also James 1:5 to establish that God wants to share with us His wisdom. Understanding the structure of the Bible (OT = Old Testament, NT = New Testament): The order of our study in these podcasts: Gospels, Psalms, Acts, Prophets, Epistles, Torah, History, Wisdom OT: Torah (Pentateuch, Law of Moses), History, Wisdom, Prophets NT: Gospels, Acts, Epistles OT: History, Wisdom, Prophets NT: History, Letters Review-to-Date (starts at 00:00) I.  Introduction to the Books of Wisdom (begins at 06:21) Wisdom is born of reflections on history (including the books of History) Psalm 1, 119, 103:7 and elsewhere (reflections on Torah, History, Prophets) Two kinds of wisdom 1 Corinthians 1:18 – 3:23 James 1:5; 3:13-18 2 Timothy 3:14-15 II.  The Book of Job (begins at 22:09) We can see what Job and the rest cannot Structure of the book Conclusion of the book Seeing Christ in the book III.  Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon (begins at 54:20) Proverbs has 31 chapters – perfect for one a day Ecclesiastes, my initial experience with it Ecclesiastes 1:1, 2, 12 and the legacy of the wise Solomon Ecclesiastes 2:18-19; 3:1-11; 4:8, 13; 5:1-2, 4-5, 7; 7:4, 27-28; 8:14; 9:17; 12:8-14 (2 Corinthians 4:8) Total time elapsed is 1:14:33 Unless otherwise noted, all scripture references are to the New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Scriptural Literacy: Understanding the Bible – An Ancient Text of Timeless Truths for a Modern Age SL013 – The Books of History Our purpose in this blog and podcast is to increase our biblical literacy – that is, to become more comfortable reading the Bible.  The purpose of reading the Bible is to understand Jesus Christ – God’s revelation of Himself to the world.  Proverbs 25:2 and Jeremiah 15:19 speak of discerning the principles to be found in this ancient set of texts.  See also James 1:5. Understanding the structure of the Bible (OT = Old Testament, NT = New Testament): The order of our study in these podcasts: Gospels, Psalms, Acts, Prophets, Epistles, Pentateuch, History, Wisdom OT: Pentateuch (Law of Moses), History, Wisdom, Prophets NT: Gospels, Acts, Epistles OT: History, Wisdom, Prophets NT: History, Letters Review-to-Date (starts at 00:00) I.  Introduction to the Books of History (begins at 06:28) Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther Moses describes the beginnings of Israel’s history; these books continue it There is some prophecy and wisdom in these books, and some history in those Vocabulary: lawgiver, judge, priest, prophet, king II.  The History of Israel (begins at 24:38) Christianity is a religion of history Our faith is rooted in history Key figures: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Samuel, David, Solomon The kings of Israel Judah v Samaria A history that is incomplete, which helps account for NT expectation of Messiah III.  The Lessons of History (begins at 51:00) God is v God has spoken, promised (covenant) Mark 3:24 Hebrews 11:32-34 James 4:12 1 Corinthians 10:11; Romans 15:4 2 Chronicles 15:2 Example: Samson in Judges 16:1-3 Our Samson; The Gates of Gaza Nehemiah 13:2 Ephesians 3:20-21 Total time elapsed is 1:09:15 Unless otherwise noted, all scripture references are to the New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Scriptural Literacy: Understanding the Bible – An Ancient Text of Timeless Truths for a Modern Age Our purpose in this blog and podcast is to increase our biblical literacy – that is, to become more comfortable reading the Bible.  The purpose of reading the Bible is to understand Jesus Christ – God’s revelation of Himself to the world.  Proverbs 25:2 and Jeremiah 15:19 speak of discerning the principles to be found in this ancient set of texts.  See also James 1:5. Understanding the structure of the Bible (OT = Old Testament, NT = New Testament): The order of our study in these podcasts: Gospels, Psalms, Acts, Prophets, Epistles, Pentateuch, History, Wisdom OT: Pentateuch (Law of Moses), History, Wisdom, Prophets NT: Gospels, Acts, Epistles OT: History, Wisdom, Prophets NT: History, Letters I.  Review-to-Date and Introduction to the Law of Moses (begins at 00:00) The Law of Moses was the foundation, the cornerstone of the Bible Like the National Archives in Washington, DC Pentateuch (5 – like Pentagon) Torah = teaching, instruction, law Torah (The “T” of Tanach – TNK) Joshua 1:7-8 Matthew 5:17-19 John 5:39-47 John 1:45 The Law of Moses was given to serve two purposes: one temporary, one eternal 1 Corinthians 9:8-10 (quoting Deuteronomy 25:4) The Law of Moses is not necessarily the place for us to begin reading the Bible An inviting or uninviting place to begin reading the Bible? II.  Genesis (begins at 28:08) The events of Genesis occurred before Moses was born Stories, History Our Adam Our Seth Our Enoch Our Noah Our Abraham Our Melchizedek Our Isaac Our Jacob Our Joseph III.  Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy (begins at 49:32) Stories sprinkled through laws, regulations, and rituals Numbers 1:46 (603,550 fighting men) The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5) The Great Commandment (Deuteronomy 6:4) The Second Great Commandment (Leviticus 19:18) Matthew 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-34; Luke 10:25-37 Our Moses Deuteronomy 18:15 Acts 3:17-26 John 1:17 Total time elapsed is 1:07:43 Unless otherwise noted, all scripture references are to the New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Scriptural Literacy: Understanding the Bible – An Ancient Text of Timeless Truths for a Modern Age Our purpose in this blog and podcast is to increase our biblical literacy – that is, to become more comfortable reading the Bible.  The purpose of reading the Bible is to understand, and better understand, Jesus Christ – God’s revelation of Himself to the world.  Proverbs 25:2 and Jeremiah 15:19 speak of discerning the principles to be found in this ancient set of texts.  See also James 1:5. Understanding the structure of the Bible (OT = Old Testament, NT = New Testament): The order of our study in these podcasts: Gospels, Psalms, Acts, Prophets, Epistles, Pentateuch, History, Wisdom OT: Pentateuch (Law of Moses), History, Wisdom, Prophets NT: Gospels, Acts, Epistles OT: History, Wisdom, Prophets NT: History, Letters I.  Review and Introduction to the Epistles (begins at 00:00 ) Epistles = Letters To churches, not individuals To be read publicly, not privately The epistles finish out the NT (nothing for skeptics, no catechisms, no formal confessions of faith, no FAQ) Chronological order in NT in the sense of 1) what happened 2) when written II.  The Epistles of Paul (begins at 22:54 ) Named after recipient The seven undisputed letters of Paul (Rom, 1 & 2 Cor, Gal, Phil, 1 Th, Phile) The earliest New Testament documents we have (c.50-60 AD) Paul was a Pharisee from Tarsus; he was hostile to the name of Jesus Paul’s Three Missionary Journeys, related in the book of Acts Romans  (Acts 19:21; 23:11; 28:14) 1 & 2 Corinthians  (Acts 18:1) Galatians  (Acts 16:6) Ephesians  (Acts 18:19) Philippians  (Acts 16:12) Colossians   1 & 2 Thessalonians  (Acts 17:1) 1 & 2 Timothy (Acts 16:1) Titus Philemon III.  The Other Epistles and Conclusion (begins at 49:44) Named after sender Called “catholic” or “general” epistles (excluding Revelation) Hebrews James (sibling of Jesus, became the leader of the Jerusalem church) 1 & 2 Peter (the apostle) 1 & 2 & 3 John (the apostle, son of Zebedee, brother of James) Jude (sibling of Jesus) Revelation This is the conclusion of the Epistles This is the conclusion of our discussion of the NT structure The NT is where to start a study of the Bible since it is most explicit about Jesus Christ As prophets were responsible for the OT, so apostles were responsible for the NT Total time elapsed is 1:08:51 Additional Reading: The Unity of the Testaments Intertextuality in the Bible New Testament Words Which Are Really Old Testament Words New Testament Expressions Which Originated in the Old Testament Tracing the Old Testament Roots of New Testament Teaching More relevant information at Key Posts of the Bible Reader’s Guide to Jesus and His Kingdom

Scriptural Literacy: Understanding the Bible – An Ancient Text of Timeless Truths for a Modern Age Our purpose in this blog and podcast is to increase our biblical literacy – that is, to become more comfortable reading the Bible.  The purpose of reading the Bible is to understand, and better understand, Jesus Christ – God’s revelation of Himself to the world. Understanding the structure of the Bible (OT = Old Testament, NT = New Testament): The order of our study in these podcasts: Gospels, Psalms, Acts, Prophets, Epistles, Pentateuch, History, Wisdom OT: Pentateuch (Law of Moses), History, Wisdom, Prophets NT: Gospels, Acts, Epistles OT: History, Wisdom, Prophets NT: History, Letters “The Prophets” can refer to all of the OT or part of it. I.  Jesus Grew Up on the Prophets (begins at 12:03) Matthew 1:1 Luke 2:41-47 Luke 4:16-30 (Isaiah 61:1-2) II.  Jesus Staked His Life on the Prophets (begins at 32:32) Luke 24:25-27 1 Peter 1:10-12 Acts 8:26-35 Mark 7:1-9 (Isaiah 29:13) III.  More Examples of the Prophets in the Gospels (begins at 47:33) Matthew 4:12-17 (Isaiah 9:1-2) Matthew 8:14-17 (Isaiah 53:4) Matthew 12:15-21 (Isaiah 42:1-3) John 12:38-41 (Isaiah 53:1; 6:1ff) Isaiah 53:1-12; 54:1ff Total time elapsed is 1:14:38 Unless otherwise noted, all scripture references are to the New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Scriptural Literacy: Understanding the Bible – An Ancient Text of Timeless Truths for a Modern Age Our purpose in this blog and podcast is to increase our biblical literacy – that is, to become more comfortable reading the Bible. Understanding the structure of the Bible: Gospels, Psalms, Acts, Prophets (major), Prophets (minor), Epistles, Pentateuch, History, Wisdom OT: History, Wisdom, Prophets NT: History, Letters I. Introduction to the Prophets (starts at 7:15) The Major Prophets and the Minor Prophets A prophet spoke for God Abraham was a prophet (Gen 20:7) A prophet was a seer (1 Sam 9:9) Not all prophets wrote (Elijah and Elisha) 2 Chronicles 20:20 2 Chronicles 36:15-16 Zechariah 7:12 II. Jesus and the Apostles on the Prophets (starts at 23:16) Matthew 5:11-12; 23:29-39 Matthew 11:9-11; Luke 7:26-28 John 1:29, 36 Proverbs 4:18 Luke 6:20-26 Luke 24:25-27, 31-32, 44-48 Acts 3:24; 10:43; 13:15, 27; 26:22, 27; 28:23 Romans 1:1-4;16:25-27 2 Timothy 3:14-17 Hebrews 1:1-2 1 Peter 1:10-12 2 Peter 1:12-21 III. The Major Prophets  (starts at 1:02:50) Acts 8:26-35 Isaiah 56:7 in Matthew 21:13 (1 of 55) Jeremiah 7:11 in Matthew 21:13 (1 of 4) Lamentations Ezekiel 37:27 in 2 Corinthians 6:16 (1 of 2) Daniel 7:13 in Matthew 26:64 (1 of 1) IV. The Minor Prophets (starts at 1:21:12) Hosea 6:6 in Matthew 9:13 (1 of 6) Joel 2:28-32 in Acts 2:17-21 (1 of 2) Amos 9:11-12 in Acts 15:16-17 (1 of 2) Obadiah Jonah 1:17 in Matthew 12:40 (1 of 1) Micah 5:2 in Matthew 2:6 (1 of 2) Nahum Habakkuk 2:4 in Romans 1:17 (1 of 3) Zephaniah Haggai 2:6 in Hebrews 12:26 (1 of 1) Zechariah 12:10 in John 19:37 (1 of 5) Malachi 3:1 in Matthew 11:10 (1 of 2) Total time elapsed is 1:45:01

[Note: This podcast should have been released first thing this morning.  It’s my fault that it’s late going out.  I apologize.  My goal for it is first thing Wednesday mornings.] Scriptural Literacy: Understanding the Bible – An Ancient Text of Timeless Truths for a Modern Age Our purpose in this blog and podcast is to increase our biblical literacy. Understanding the structure of the Bible: Gospels, Psalms, Acts, Prophets (major), Prophets (minor), Epistles, Pentateuch, History, Wisdom I. The Gospels and Acts  (begins at 4:46) Gospels + Acts = NT History Luke 1:1-4 and Acts 1:1-5 A two-volume set Acts is a unique book II. Psalms in Acts (begins at 18:07) Acts 1:20 Acts 2:25-28, 34-35 Acts 2:34-35 Acts 4:11 Acts 4:25-26 Acts 13:33, 35 III. The Old Testament in Acts (begins at 37:46) in specific terms: Acts 2:16-21 Acts 3:22-23 Acts 3:25-26 Acts 7 Acts 8:26-35 Acts 13:40 Acts 13:47 Acts 15:15-18 in general terms: Acts 3:18, 24 Acts 17:1-3, 11 Acts 18:28 Acts 26:22, 27 Acts 28:23-30 IV. Peter and Paul (and Luke) (begins at 53:12) The Way  (related post: Regarding Jesus as the Way) Christians (disciples) Galatians 2 Paul’s “three missionary journeys” (maps), Spain Paul’s seven undisputed letters Total time elapsed is 1:14:56

Scriptural Literacy: Understanding the Bible – An Ancient Text of Timeless Truths for a Modern Age Our purpose in this blog and podcast is to increase our biblical literacy. Understanding the structure of the Bible: Gospels, Psalms, Acts, Prophets (major), Prophets (minor), Epistles, Pentateuch, History, Wisdom Note from the previous lesson:  Not all English poetry rhymes and Hebrew poetry does not always have parallelism present Question: Why do we not see demons today? Today’s segments: IV. Temple and synagogue (begins at 17:17) The difference between the temple and the synagogue. Modern-day mixture of terms. A way of remembering their history, (retrospective, such as Psalm 106) and keeping in mind their destiny (prospective, such as Psalm 144) V. Messianic psalms (begins at 38:13) Royal psalms Psalm 2 and Psalm 45 (hyperbole or “exceeding abundantly beyond all we ask or think”) In Acts 2:30, the apostle Paul declares David a prophet. As a prophet, David looked ahead and spoke of the sufferings of Christ (1 Peter 1:10-12). 2 Samuel 7 (verse 19: the reference to a distant time) Though David was a king, he knew suffering, too.  Though God had anointed him to be king, Saul kept hunting him down. And, later, his son Absalom hunted him down. VI. Riddles (Psalms in the Gospels) (begins at 54:05) Psalm 118 in Matt 21 Psalm 110 in Matt 22 Luke 20:42; Lk 24:44 VII. Psalms in the NT church (begins at 1:12:07) Acts 17 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (not just resurrection, but resurrection according to the Scriptures) Colossians 3:16, Ephesians 5:19, 1 Corinthians 14:26 (New Testament references to psalms) The psalms as thought patterns; i.e. they teach us how to think (“we have the mind of Christ” – 1 Corinthians 2:16) e.g. Psalm 22:1 = “perplexed but not despairing” – 2 Corinthians 4:8 “So teach us to number our days” -Psalm 90:12(to view such scriptures in an entirely new light) Total time of recording is 1:31:15

Last week was the second of two episodes on the Gospels.  I’ve decided to spend two weeks on the book of Psalms as well. This first episode on the Psalms is divided into three segments. The next episode will continue and conclude our study of the book of Psalms with four segments. I. Quick Tour of the Book of Psalms (begins at 00:00) John 17:20 (We believe Jesus through the word of the apostles) Luke 24:44 (A link between the Gospels and the Psalms) The Gospels are 90 chapters in total compared with 150 chapters in the Psalms.  In my Bible the Gospels take up about 180 pages while the Psalms take up about 225.  Of course, the Gospels are prose and the Psalms are poetry so the pages of Psalms have more “white space.” We can think of the Psalms as a hymn book.  They are sometimes collectively known as “The Psalter.” They appear to have been divided into five books at an early age, but these divisions are seldom referenced today. Book 1 – Ps 1-41; Book 2 – Ps 42-72; Book 3 – Ps 73-89; Book 4 – Ps 90-106; Book 5 – Ps 107-150 Some of the psalms have ascriptions, which are not included in the verses.  They are not always easily understood.  Read, for example, the ascriptions at the beginning of the following psalms:  Psalm 3, 4, 5, 6, 16, 17, 18. II. The Nature of Hebrew Poetry (begins at 17:03) Distinguishing Hebrew poetry from English poetry: “rhyming ideas” instead of rhyming sounds” (parallelism). The shortest psalm and the longest psalm:  Ps 117 (2 verses) and 119 (176 verses). Psalm 119 is divided into 22 stanzas of eight verses each, with each named for a letter of the Hebrew alphabet and each verse of the respective stanza beginning with a specific letter.  The entire psalm is an ode to the word of God. By nature, the psalms are more memorable than prose: a very useful way to memorably convey truth in a largely oral culture. There is poetry also in the Prophets.  For example, compare Psalm 1 to Jeremiah 17:5-8. III. David and the book of Psalms (begins at 33:05) In Acts 2:30, the apostle Peter declares David a prophet.  Thus, even though David was a king, he was a prophet as well. In Acts 4:25, Psalm 2 is attributed to David – even though there is no ascription of Psalm 2 to David in the copies of the Old Testament text we have. In Acts 13:22, the apostle Paul declared David to have been “a man after God’s own heart.” David was a type of Christ.  David and Peter seemed to be cut from the same bolt of cloth. David was a king, but also a prophet.  The Psalms can rightly be considered his collection. Total time is 44:16

The Bible is an ancient text of timeless truths for a modern age. Our goal in this podcast (Scriptural Literacy) is to become more familiar with the Bible so that we might read it profitably. This week’s episode is an extended discussion of last week’s episode about the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The teaching is a little over an hour and is divided into four segments of roughly 15-20 minutes each. Segment 1 of 4 starts at 00:00 – More on the Gospels Part of the reason for this additional week on the Gospels is because I did not do a good enough job last week; part is because there is so much in them to cover.  They are important! Here’s how we’re going to cover the structure of the Bible (at the rate of one subject per week):  Gospels, Psalms, Acts, Prophets (major), Prophets (minor), Epistles, Pentateuch, History, and Wisdom.  These are nine natural divisions into which the Bible’s books can be divided. The Gospels are the most explicit about Christ: what He said and did.  Therefore, they are the cornerstone of the structure of the house that is the Bible. Know how to dip into the Bible; find safe landing zones; and draw strength. Segment 2 of 4 starts at 16:08 – Question: Why Don’t the Gospels Tell More of Jesus’ Childhood? Paul grew up in Tarsus and didn’t know Jesus during earthly ministry – so far as we know.  It fell primarily to the original twelve apostles to carry the message about Him to Jews scattered all over the world. Jesus’ family (Jude and James, his brothers…and, of course, Mary) seemed estranged from Him during His earthly ministry (Luke 8:19-21), but came around by the time He was raised from the dead (Acts 1:14). What is in secular literature about Jesus is limited (www.jesusoftestimony.com); the primary responsibility for telling His story would fall to men specially chosen by Him. The apostles were witnesses chosen ahead of time by the Lord Himself.  They had the character necessary for the difficult task that would be assigned to them: to tell the truth about what they saw and heard.  It was a simple task, but a most difficult one. The apostles were sent from the Lord on earth,  just as the prophets had been sent from the Lord in heaven.  Thus the prophets and apostles may be both be considered as the Lord’s spokesmen. Essentially, the apostles were saying that “this” (i.e. the New Testament) is “that” (i.e. the Old Testament).  In other words, the New Testament was testimony of how the Old Testament prophecies about Messiah were fulfilled – how God’s promises were kept. Segment 3 of 4 starts at 34:36 – More Distinctions Between the Four Gospels The apostles probably wrote their originals on papyrus.  In any case, they have not survived.  However, we have more than enough copies to know what they wrote. Tatian the Assyrian (120-180 AD) produced the Diatessaron (160-175) – a harmony of the four gospels. Twenty years after Tatian’s harmony, Irenaeus (early 2nd Century to 202 AD; a hearer of Polycarp who was a disciple of John) expressly proclaimed the authoritative character of the four gospels.  He compared the four gospels to the four winds. The work of Papias dated 96-120 by most modern scholars; Papias provides the earliest extant account of who wrote the Gospels. Eusebius preserves two verbatim excerpts from Papias on the origins of the Gospels, one concerning Mark and then another concerning Matthew. A few more distinctives about the four gospels: Matthew: Sermon on the Mount, the Golden Rule, the Lord’s Prayer Mark: Read what Papias said about it being Peter’s unordered recollections Luke: He’s pulling together various accounts from various people John: He began before the birth, before creation itself Harmonies of the Gospels are available today, but they really don’t appeal that much.  People usually want to read the Gospels as they were originally written. Segment 4 of 4 starts at 55:10 – The Meanings of the Word “Gospel” The “gospel” is good news.  Not “I’ve got good news and bad news.”  God has solved death.  And the cure is not worse than the disease. Everyone believes. You either believe the Gospels are true; or you believe they are false. It’s a Jewish Gospel; to the Gentiles, it’s foolishness.  Except for the God-fearing ones. (The notes in this post do not coincide exactly with the audio teaching.  There are some points being made in the text here that are not mentioned there, and vice versa.  This is not intentional.  It’s just a function of my limitations.  If this raises questions in your mind, please ask them in the comments below.  Thanks.)  

This podcast episode focuses on the Four Gospels. The Bible contains four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These Gospels can be considered ancient biographies, taking a slightly different form from modern biographies. Gospel comes from a word meaning “good news” – particularly, an announcement or proclamation of good news about a new kingdom or king.  The word “gospel” is rooted in the Old Testament:  Isaiah 40:9; 52:7; 61:1 The four Gospels cover the period of Jesus earthly ministry and say very little about His childhood or early adulthood. This is because those who were called to bear witness to HIm (i.e. the apostles) generally knew Him during that period and not before. The Gospels report the deeds and the teachings of Jesus. The Gospels spend the greatest time on the Lord’s last week before His crucifixion. Each Gospel gives different details, but all are consistent on the essential facts. Part I:  Intro to the Gospels   Part II:  Matthew and Mark   Part III:  Luke and John   IV:  Summary of the Four Gospels See the new documentary “Jesus of Testimony” at www.jesusoftestimony.com.  See my review as well:  “Jesus of Testimony” – New Documentary Testifies to the Historicity of Jesus Christ Practically all of the 12 apostles died as martyrs. At the end of the post, I quoted “One Solitary Life” which can be found at this post:  One Solitary Life Relevant related posts from this blog: The Word “Gospel” in the Old Testament New Testament Expressions Which Originated in the Old Testament New Testament Words Which Are Really Old Testament Words Posts from other sources: Number of Chapters, Verses, and Words in the New Testament, by Book  

This is the third episode of this podcast. Because I am, with this episode, changing the name from “Biblical LIteracy” to “Scriptural Literacy,” the numbering sequence prefix will change from “BL” to “SL.” Thus the series will be numbered BL001, BL002, SL003, SL004, SL005, and so on. This is an abbreviated version of this week’s podcast because I want to give all listeners time to listen to the audio book “Whatever Became of Jesus Christ? The Biblical Case for the Second Coming as Accomplished Fact.” It is available through the same means that allowed you to access this podcast – whether that be my website (www.mikegantt.com) or the iTunes Directory, or Stitcher, or somewhere else. The focus of this week’s teaching is understanding the Bible as a self-referential volume of writings. That is, each of the Bible’s writings often makes reference to previous Bible writings. For example, the New Testament is overflowing with references to the Old Testament. Bible readers need to appreciate this sort of “intertextuality” lest they gloss over those references and thereby misunderstand what they’re reading. We use as a case study for this dynamic Jesus’ words from the cross “My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me.” Some people only know these words from the New Testament and don’t understand that Jesus was reciting Psalm 22 from the Old Testament. Go to www.mikegantt.com/SL003 for more study notes on this podcast episode. For more study on Psalm 22 and how it is fulfilled in the New Testament, see: Psalm 22 – A Psalm of Christ Psalm 22 – A Celebration of Christ’s Resurrection in the New Testament Churches Christ’s Prayer for Deliverance from Death Was Heard – The Prophecy of Answered Prayer in Psalm 22 Was Fulfilled Psalm 22 Follows the Pattern of Suffering and Glory for Messiah On a more general view of psalms as fulfilled in the New Testament, see: Psalms Were a Common Part of New Testament Church Gatherings On a more general view of how dependent the New Testament writers were on the Old Testament, see: New Testament Expressions Which Originated in the Old Testament New Testament Words Which Are Really Old Testament Words The Apostles’ Lexicon

This episode describes all that is added to Bibles to get them from their original state to the way they appear to us in book stores.  By that, I mean the translation from an ancient language to a modern one, the addition of punctuation, the separation of letters into discrete words with upper and lower case letters, chapter and verse divisions, and more.  We also go through the Bible’s contents, section by section, and sometimes book by book.  The goal is to get you more comfortable with your Bible. This recording is divided into three segments: 1. Starts at 00:00 – How and why the Bible’s contents are arranged as they are 2. Starts about 26:14 – What’s been added to the text as part of the translation process 3. Starts about 40:35 – The variety of translations and kinds of Bibles The following notes refer to, or add to, material covered in the recording. A sample of the variety of Bibles that are available today.  (And here’s the accompanying pdf that I mentioned.) Here’s a brief post that will review for you some of what’s covered here:  Points to Remember When Reading an English Bible  Since the terms “Bible,” “Old Testament,” and “New Testament” aren’t in the Bible, see how the Bible does refer to itself by reading this post: What the Bible Calls Itself. Here are brief posts about my favorite translation (Why I Love the NASB) and favorite Bible study tool (Why I Love Strong’s Concordance). See also:  Points to Remember When Reading an English Bible Subscribe to this podcast through:  iTunes | Stitcher | RSS  

This audio teaching is the inaugural episode of the podcast Biblical Literacy: An Ancient Text of Timeless Truths for a Modern Age by Mike Gantt.  (You can find the notes for this episode at www.mikegantt.com/BL001.) My plan is to do two weekly podcasts.  The first one, Scriptural Christianity: Understanding the Way Jesus Teaches Us to Live, has already begun.  (You can hear the first episode by going to www.mikegantt.com/SC001 or by downloading on iTunes, Stitcher, or other podcast app.)  I plan to release a new episode of Scriptural Christianity first thing Mondays and new episode of Biblical Literacy first thing Fridays. Biblical illiteracy is a problem:  Three in ten UK children have not heard of the crucifixion.  Because today’s senior citizens are biblically illiterate, succeeding generations are even more so. In this Biblical Literacy series (for that is what a podcast is), I am seeking to write for two groups: novices and ministers.  And I want to not just teach you, but equip you to teach others.  That is, you may be a father or mother wanting to learn and teach your children or you may be a pastor who wants to return to the basics so that you can teach the flock of God better.  So, whether you are a minister with a seminary education or a parent with a desire to achieve biblical literacy for the sake of yourself and your children, I hope to help you.  (By the way, if you’re going to teach others, always be sure you’re practicing first.)  This goal of mine could  therefore be very challenging, and I may eventually have to give it up as too ambitious.  With your indulgence, however, I’m going to give it a try. In reading the Bible, there are some important points to always keep in mind – points that distinguish it from other books. It’s an ancient, not a modern book It’s an anthology (collection, library), not a single book It has multiple authors, not a single author It includes various genres, not a single one It was compiled across centuries, not written at one time (i.e. it’s multi-generational) It was not written in English It’s a Jewish, not a Gentile book Further to these points, the word “Bible” is not in the Bible.  Rather, these writings are called the Scriptures or the Prophets or the Law of Moses or some other similar variation.  This leads to one more concept that distinguishes the Bible from other books: it claims to be the word of God.  Inerrancy is a related idea, but inerrancy misses the point. As we remember these things, we improve our chances of finding the timeless truths that the Bible holds.  We must also bear in mind, however, that reading and understanding the Bible is not a mere intellectual exercise, as it would be in reading other books.  You have to have an open mind, an open heart.  Then God, through the Holy Spirit, can show you things – that is, cause you to  understand them. The word canon refers to the decision about what gets into the Bible and what doesn’t.  Here is a brief history of the canon: The Law of Moses The Priests and Prophets The Septuagint The New Testament The Apocrypha Though fuzzy around the edges, the core canon (of 66 writings, however you count them) is a settled issue among Jews and all three major branches of Christendom (Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant). Biblical scholarship exists across a spectrum from conservative to liberal. There are many Bible reading plans to help you (e.g. YouVersion).  There are even smartphone apps (e.g. Bible in One Year) .  All these can be very helpful.  I have used Bible reading plans, but I have also found a very effective strategy in securing a “landing zone” to which I can return again and again…which allows me to “venture out” from that point, securing additional “territory” over time. The Bible is ultimately about Jesus Christ.  He is where everything points.  As the prophecies pointed to Him, He taught His followers to begin reading the Bible in a different way.  Being Jewish would be a matter of the heart, not of the flesh. You can find notes for this episode at www.mikegantt.com/BL001.  If you have questions about anything I’m saying, you can leave them at the bottom of that page and I’ll answer in subsequent episodes.  I am not a “Bible Answer Man” – not at all.  There are many things about the Bible that I do not know.  I will attempt, however, to answer questions about anything I have written or said.  If you’d like to know more about me and all that I’m teaching, you can go to www.mikegantt.com.  There will be other resources for you there (e.g. Bible’s Reader’s Guide to Jesus and His Kingdom and Reference Shelf for the Kingdom of God). Subscribe through:  iTunes | Stitcher | RSS