A Biblical Vision, Part I: Mastering the Old Testament Witness to Christ

Sess ion 1: Int roduct ion

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b. In the Prologue to Sirach of the Apocrypha it refers generally to the Old Testament Scriptures.

c. The early church used the term Biblion in this way (2 Clem. 14.2), used of the entire Bible at the turn of the fifth century (i.e., ta biblia ) used in the Western church.

5. In 13th Century referred to as a single book ( biblos , Bible), with both Old Testament and New Testament understood as “one utterance of God rather than a multitude of voices speaking for him.”

B. Inspiration and inerrancy of the Scriptures

1. The Scriptures are inspired by God: theopneustos (2 Tim. 3.16), literally, God “spirated” or breathed out the Scripture as the “product of his creative breath.”

2. The profitability of the Scripture is tied directly to its inspired origins (cf. opheleo , “to advantage”) for teaching, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness.

3. The Hebrew writings are said to be the veritable “oracles of God” (Rom. 3.2).

4. Peter suggests that the words of prophecy given by God in Scripture are the very words of God himself, 2 Pet. 1.19-21 – And we have something more sure , the prophetic word , to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, [20] knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation . [21] For no prophecy was ever pro duced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit .