(1) Identify the standards that guided the formation of the Old Testament canon.
(2) Understand the doctrine of divine inspiration.
(3) Trust the Old Testament text as we have received it.
(4) Appreciate the value of the Old Testament in the life of the believer.
Preparation for this Lesson
► Read Psalm 119.
► Memorize Psalm 19:7–11.
Introduction
► In the past year, how often have you preached from the Old Testament? How important is the Old Testament in your church services?
Christian theology teaches the inspiration of all scripture. However, in practice, we often ignore large sections of God’s Word. If we truly believe that all scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16), we should value the Old Testament just as much as we value the New Testament. We should study and preach the Old Testament as the Word of God.
Because of the differences between the world of the Old Testament and that of the 21st century, the Old Testament can be difficult for modern readers. The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction to each book of the Old Testament. While it is impossible to cover the entire Old Testament in detail in such a brief course, you will learn background information that will help you understand these books, and you will gain an overview of the primary themes of each book. Two areas of focus in this course will be how the Old Testament relates to the message of the New Testament and how the Old Testament speaks to the church today.
In this initial lesson, we will study background issues that affect our understanding of the Old Testament. We will look at three topics and questions related to the Old Testament:
Canon: What books can be accepted as God’s Word?
Inspiration: How was the Old Testament communicated to humankind?
Textual integrity: Is the text we have received faithful to the original manuscripts?
Canon
The term canon comes from a Greek term meaning “rule” or “standard.” In reference to the Bible, we use the term canon for:
1. The rule or standard for determining which writings are the inspired Word of God.
2. An official list of the books that are recognized as holy scripture.
The canon of scripture is an important issue for believers. How do we know that the Old Testament books are truly God’s Word?
The Old Testament canon consists of the books that measure up to the standard used by the Jewish rabbis to determine those writings that were truly God’s Word. These scholars applied three tests to books which were claimed as scripture. Books of the Old Testament canon met all three standards.
1. Author. The book was written by a person who was gifted as a prophet. These books convey God’s message spoken through a human author.
2. Audience. The book was addressed to all generations. Even books such as the Minor Prophets, which bring God’s warning to specific groups of people, have a message for all people and all times.
3. Message. The message of the book did not conflict with earlier biblical revelation.
The canon of the Hebrew Bible was already widely accepted by 165 B.C., when Judas Maccabeus made a list of Jewish scriptures. When rabbis met at the Council of Jamnia in A.D. 90 to discuss the canon, they confirmed that list, which had been accepted for more than 200 years.
The early church also accepted this list and by the fourth century, the canon used in Christian churches included the 39 books of the Old Testament.
The rabbis divided the Hebrew Bible into three sections. The Protestant Old Testament we have today is divided into five sections.
► Please look at and compare the Hebrew Bible and Protestant Old Testament book listings provided. (If you are viewing this course on the SGC mobile app or viewing on the website, these are also found in the Appendix section or Additional Files tab on the website.)
Inspiration
Paul wrote that “all scripture is breathed out by God…” (2 Timothy 3:16). This verse teaches that God is the author of all scripture. The doctrine of divine inspiration teaches that God breathed his words into the minds of the human authors, and they wrote as God inspired them.
Divine inspiration is more than the inspiration that an artist or composer receives when they create a masterpiece of art or music. The inspiration of the Bible means that God spoke his words through the vocabulary and style of the human author. More than inspiring the thoughts of the author, the words themselves are inspired by God.
God inspired the words of scripture in different ways at different times. Sometimes God spoke audibly, dictating the words of scripture (Leviticus 1:1, for example). Sometimes God spoke through dreams and visions (Daniel 7 and 8, for example). In many cases, the Bible does not tell us how God inspired the writer. Peter wrote that the biblical authors were “…carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). The words of scripture are trustworthy because God himself is trustworthy.
Evangelicals believe that the doctrine of inspiration means that God spoke through the personality of the human author, but that he guided the process so that the very words they wrote are the Word of God. Because it is the Word of God, the Bible is inerrant (without error) and infallible (cannot fail). Every statement (both doctrinal and historical) is without error in the original manuscripts of scripture.[1]
[1]For more on this topic, see the book I Believe listed in the bibliography section for this lesson. In addition, a lesson on inspiration is included in the Shepherds Global Classroom course, Christian Beliefs.
Textual Integrity
Some skeptics argue that, even if the original manuscripts are true, we cannot trust the text we have received. They argue that mistakes were made in the copying of the scriptures. These critics insist that even if the original text was inspired, we have no way of knowing whether the Bible we have today is accurate.
Can we trust the textual integrity of our Bible? The answer is “Yes!” It is true that the Old Testament books were passed down in handwritten form, and it is true that mistakes can be made when copying a manuscript by hand. However, because this was the Word of God, the copyists approached their task with great care.
Originally, priests were responsible for copying the biblical texts. Beginning around 500 B.C. (the time of Ezra’s life), scribes copied the texts. Scribes counted each letter of the Torah as a way of checking the accuracy of the text. A scribe could not copy even a single letter from memory; every letter had to be checked with the earlier copy. The rules for copying were very strict because the scribes respected the scriptures as the Word of God.
The Dead Sea Scrolls
In 1947, ancient scrolls were discovered near the Dead Sea.[1] These scrolls contain copies of the Old Testament made between 250 B.C. and A.D. 135. They are approximately 1,000 years older than later available copies. This makes the Dead Sea Scrolls valuable for checking the accuracy of more recent copies. Part of every book of the Old Testament, except Esther, is included in these scrolls.
When comparing the Dead Sea Scrolls to later copies, scholars found remarkable accuracy. For example, the Isaiah Scroll is 1,200 years older than any later copy, yet more than 95% of the text is identical to later copies. The small number of variations are primarily spelling changes and obvious slips by copyists. There are no changes that would create a doctrinal difference.
Isaiah 53 in the Dead Sea Scrolls
Isaiah 53 shows the accuracy of the Old Testament text. This chapter contains 166 Hebrew words, yet only 17 Hebrew letters in the chapter are different in the later copies than they had been in the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Ten letters are spelling differences—words that had changed spelling in 1,200 years
Four letters are stylistic differences—different ways of expressing the text
Three letters are a word added (“light”) to clarify the meaning in verse 11: “Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see (light) and be satisfied…” (Isaiah 53:11).
No biblical teaching is affected by the change. The Dead Sea Scrolls show how God guided 1,200 years of copying the Old Testament by hand to preserve his Word for his people.
It represents cultures much different from our world.
It was written over a time period of more than 1,000 years.
It involves four major empires (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and Persia).
It includes more than 3,000 names of places and people.
[1]The Old Testament can be difficult, but it is God’s Word for God’s people. Jesus preached from the Old Testament. He told skeptics that the Old Testament scriptures testified about him (John 5:39–47).
The Old Testament was seen as God’s Word by the early church. Deuteronomy is quoted more than 80 times in the New Testament. The early church preached that the life and ministry of Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of the Old Testament.
The Old Testament continues to speak to us today:
It teaches of the majesty and holiness of God.
It teaches of our sin and need for a redeemer.
It teaches of God’s plan to create a holy people who are set apart as his special possession.
The Old Testament is God’s Word for God’s people of all times.
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