A Biblical Vision, Part II: Mastering the New Testament Witness to Christ

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A B i b l i ca l Vi s i on, Par t I I : Mas ter i ng the New Tes tament Wi tnes s to Chr i s t

4. The New Testament is the faithful rendering and authoritative meaning of the Old Testament Scriptures regarding Jesus of Nazareth as the fulfillment of God’s kingdom salvation.

II. Christ Is the Key to the Bible’s Inspiration, Canonization, and Interpretation.

Adapted from Norman Geisler’s

A Popular Survey of the Old Testament

A. Christ is the key to the Bible’s inspiration.

1. Inspiration: what is the divine nature of the valid Old Testament Scriptures?

2. The New Testament is a trustworthy accurate account of real events which took place in history.

a. Tacitus (A.D. 112), “Chrestus was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius” ( Annals XV.44).

b. Pliny the Younger (A.D. 112), early Christians met to sing “. . . a hymn to Christ as to a god, and bound themselves in solemn oath, not to do any wicked deeds” ( Epistles X.96).

c. Suetonius (A.D. 120) alluded to Jews expelled from Rome because they were “ . . . making constant disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus [i.e., Christ ])” ( Life of Claudius 25.4).

d. Lucian (2nd cent.), “the man crucified in Palestine . . . who persuaded his followers that they were all brothers,” ( On the Death of Peregrine )