The Hebrew Scriptures
Truth, scripture and revelation are three concepts that the Bible has been based on. Truth is defined as the way that things are or should be. It can relate to reality or wisdom. Truth can be communicated in a variety of ways. Literally which is facts and figures and can be shown in math and science. Figuratively which is metaphor and simile and can be shown in humanity. Symbolically in fine arts such as art, drama and music and also narratively such as stories, parables and myths. Truth can be known in the head and the heart because it communicates through reason and intuition. Meanwhile, scripture is defined as being written and taken from script. Scripture is a way for religion to permanently preserve its worth of wisdom, ways of worship and to pass traditions on intact for future generations. Finally, revelation means to reveal. It refers to the initiative of God in communicating with humans. Truth, scripture and revelation are all related because they are all forms of communication that allow us to know God’s message. They allow us to see stories and events of how people lived with God in history and set an example of how we should co-exist with God in our world today.
The Hebrew scriptures play a vital role in the revelation of God. There have been many events and stories in which God has expressed his message to people of the world. For example, there is the story of Abraham. In the city of Sodom, the people living during those times were living in very selfish and corrupt ways. God wanted them to renounce these sinful practices or else He would destroy their entire city. God ordered Abraham to find ten righteous people in order to save Sodom. In the end, Abraham failed so the city was destroyed by fire. This showed that God was serious about telling people that they needed to change. It gave them concrete proof that God would come through when He said that He demolish their city. Another example of God’s relationship with Abraham is shown when He orders Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. God wanted to test Abraham’s faith in Him and how loyal Abraham truly was. Abraham did end up taking his son to a mountain to sacrifice him but at the last minute God told Abraham to stop and sacrifice a lamb instead. This event showed that God would come through for Abraham in the end because Abraham’s fa...
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... rewards to those who have faith and believe in Him. We should hold true to our faith in God and believe that he will come through for us even in difficult times. If we stand strong through the trials and tests that God chooses to lay upon us, He will exalt us. As well, the example of Moses is conformant to our world today because he shows that God does not condemn those who have sinned against Him. Instead, God chooses to forgive us and look beyond our mistakes. This shows that God still has respect and compassion for those who have made mistakes. Even if we have done wrongdoing, we can still be chosen to be in the Kingdom of God. Finally, the story of David explains that we can all be heroes in the eyes of God even if we are just ordinary people. As long as we believe in ourselves and have trust in God, we can still be successful. Status or strength does not matter in the point of view of God; it is compassion and love that God looks for in each of us. We can lead normal lives but yet still be a king or a queen in the eyes of God. The Hebrew Scriptures will always have a lesson for us, no matter how much our world changes and these lessons are eternally applicable to our lives.
William C. Plachers’ article, “Is the Bible True?” explores deeper into the subject of the Bible and if it content it contains is credible information. Through Plachers’ statement, “We need to understand the genre to understand a text. Reading a text literally is not always reading it faithfully,” we are able to reach the idea that the Bible is in fact true, but it all depends on how the individual interprets the text.
Throughout many of Paul’s letters there are many debates pertaining to the authorship, destination, date, and the purpose. In the book of Ephesians many scholars debate on the authorship and if Paul actually wrote the letter, or if it was a scribe. Although there are some debates on whether Paul actually wrote it or not, he does refer to himself twice in the letter. In 1:1 and in 3:1 Paul states himself, 1:3 states, “For this reason, I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles” (NIV) In verse 1:3 Paul states that he is a prisoner, therefore it is debated that he did not specifically write this because he was imprisoned in Rome at this time. According to Wallace “This, of course, is not to say that the letter must be by Paul, but it is to argue that without such internal testimony, no such claim could be made” (Wallace). Many scholars also debate on the vocabulary usage and the structure of the letter. Some believe that the structure is similar, but the vocabulary seems to be different than his New Testament epistles. Hoehner claims that,” Though the book has a close affinity with Colossians, critics claim that Ephesians is uncharacteristic of Paul” (Hoehner 613). The destination of Ephesians is somewhat debated, but many do believe that the letter was sent to the church of Ephesus. “Some to claim that Ephesus is a better starting point, others suggest Caesarea.” (Wallace) Although this is an argument that has many valid points, it is obvious that Paul was imprisoned in Rome while he wrote Ephesians. It is said by Hoehner that “Ephesians was probably delivered by Tychicus (Eph. 6:21-22), who also took Paul’s letter to Colossians (Col. 4:7-9)” (Hoehner 613). As for the date goes m...
The Sacred Scriptures recounts that Moses, after leaving Egypt, Moses led the people of Israel for forty years through the desert, facing grave dangers, fighting fierce enemies, and enduring harsh penalties, heading for the Promised Land. However, it is also known through the lines of Deuteronomy that once Moses reached the gates of the Promised Land, he had to say farewell to the people. Moses died there without being able to reach the longed-for goal. He had been, and still is, the greatest figure in Israel, the liberator of the people of Israel from the Egyptian captivity, and yet he died in exile, buried in a tomb that nobody could ever visit because nobody knows where it is (Deut. 34: 1 – 6). But, the question that many are asked is: why
Abraham obeyed God by preparing wood and loading his donkey and took away Isaac and two servants with him. On reaching the place ordered by God, Abraham built an Alter and arranged the wood on it. He tied up his son and placed him on altar, on top of the wood and picked up the knife to kill him. Abraham was stopped by the Lord’s voice from heaven telling him, he was an obedient man who honored God. The angel of God confirmed to him how God would richly bless him and give him many descendants as there are stars in the sky or grains of sand along the seashore.
“The Bible is a special revelation from God to man of truths concerning Himself, His purposes, His plans, His will, man and his sinful nature, and God’s redemptive plan for man.”
There are many literary techniques found within the Bible. Each serving a different purpose that helps the reader understand his/her message, that is trying to be conveyed. The writers of the Christian scriptures relate to the Hebrew Bible through fulfillment and typology. Fulfillment is a verbal prediction; a prophecy. Typology is when Jesus’ life fulfills some kind of event; something that was done in the past foreshadows an event in Jesus’ life. There are various examples of fulfillment and typology found in the Bible, each serving a purpose and having an effect.
Harry O. Maier begins chapter three in From Every People and Nation by stating: “the truism that ‘you get out of something what you put into it’ is for biblical texts, nowhere more apt than in the Book of Revelation.” This appeals and invites readers of the Book of Revelation to ask “in what ways is truism associated with the biblical texts, specifically the Book of Revelation?” Such a question can be raised by a non-Christian reader of the Bible and/or a new convert to Christianity, wanting to know why and how he or she should consider the Book of Revelation to be an undoubted truth. This further implicates the understanding of the question “what is truth?,” moreover leaving the reader to deduce its meaning with respect to his or her cultural,
The Bible is read and interpreted by many people all over the world. Regardless, no one knows the absolute truth behind scripture. Walter Brueggemann, professor of Old Testament, wrote “Biblical Authority” to help people understand what he describes as six different parts that make up the foundation to ones understanding of scripture. He defines these six features as being: inherency, interpretation, imagination, ideology, inspiration, and importance. As Brueggemann explains each individual part, it is easy to see that they are all interconnected because no one can practice one facet without involuntarily practicing at least one other part.
A lot of Christians today do not believe that the scripture of the Old Testament has authority. Jesus though, stated many things about the Old Testament. Here are just some examples of what Jesus said about the Old Testament. Jesus taught the Old Testament was a “source of authority”. When Satan confronted Jesus, Jesus used the Old Testament as His foundation for His authority by saying “It is written,” (Matt. 4:4). The Old Testament is unbreakable, “Scripture cannot be broken,” (Jn. 10:35). Jesus used it as His source of Doctrinal Authority. Jesus always referred back to the Old Testament when correcting false doctrine, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God” (Matt. 22:29). He confirmed the truthfulness of the Old Testament, “Your word is truth” (Jn. 17:17). Finally, He taught that the Old Testament was the accepted books in Jewish Scripture. Jesus referred to the entire Old Testament by mentioning all the prophets from Abel, the first martyr to Zechariah, the last martyr (Matt. 23:35).
No part of the Bible and its interpretation is more controversial than the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation is the last profound book in the New Testament. It conveys the significant purpose of Christianity by describing God’s plan for the world and his final judgment of the people by reinforcing the importance of faith and the concept of Christianity as a whole. This book was written by John in 95 or 96 AD. What is, what has been, and what is to come is the central focus of the content in Revelation.
The Hebrew Bible organizes the biblical writings into 3 sections: Torah (“Instruction”), Nevi’im (“Prophets”), and Kethuvim (“Writings”). From the Kethuvim is a subsection of books known as “Wisdom Literature.” Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes compose this section. This genre of writing is based on experience rather than revelation and is a collection of observations and truths. These observations and truths provide teachings that can be applicable to the reader’s life as guidance for various situations, thus similar to a scientific procedure. Through the examination of the Wisdom literature, it can be argued that Proverbs provides guidance based on an orderly world, but Job and Ecclesiastes contradict Proverbs by providing guidance due to the
Spanning fifteen hundred years with over 30,700 manuscripts, extensive archaeological evidence and 2000 prophecies that have been fulfilled, the Bible is God 's word to us. (Yohn, 2013). In the Bible, the Father is essentially giving us a picture of the history of the world and is also leading us to a place where we must make a decision that involves whether we choose to accept his son or reject him and remain guilty. Additionally, the Word of God tells us what happened that caused this breach between us and God, the result of this and how God has rectified it through the blood of his son. In fact, from the beginning of the Bible (written 1400 B.C.) to the last book (A.D. 96), God is showing us why we need Jesus and how to find him. Just as a plant’s root system propagates and occupies the pot that encloses it, Jesus permeates the entire Bible. Therefore, the motif of the Bible is the story of the redemption of mankind and it all points to Jesus as the messiah and savior who secures this for all.
Proverbs 3:35 “The wise will inherit honor, but fools get disgrace.” This is the ideal when common grace is at work. Sometimes the wise will be disgraged in sinful society; sometimes a fool will be honored in a sinful society. Matt 5:11 – blessed are you when reviled for Jesus
The term 'Scripture' refers to the sacred writing of the Old and New Testament. Sacred Scripture are the books which 'contain the truth of God?s revelation and were composed by human authors inspired by the Holy Spirit' (CCC 105). Sacred Scripture is one of the several names denoting the inspired writings which make up the Old and New Testament. The words of the Sacred Scriptures, 'for their part proclaim the works and bring light to the mystery they contain'.
No, the Old Testament never teaches to hate our enemies any more than the New Testament does. Throughout the Scriptures, we are commanded to treat even those who hate us with dignity and compassion as men and women created in the image of God. Some critics challenge, however, that this creates a problem with Jesus' own teaching, which seems (they claim) to indicate that the Old Testament taught hate of enemies and that Jesus replaced this with the stricter ethic of love for even one's enemies. During His famous "Sermon on the Mount," Jesus utters the powerful words: