WEBVTT

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 Amen and good morning.

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 If you will please join me in your copy of God's Word, John chapter 7, the text that follows verse 52.

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!

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 Likely does, but I'm just not sure if it does.

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 You will note, if you look there at the end of chapter 7, in brackets, and then the text that follows in double brackets,

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 the earliest manuscripts do not include chapter 7, verse 53, through chapter 8, verse 11.

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 And then, in the ESV, a footnote that says some manuscripts do include 7, 53, through 8, 11.

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 Others add the passage here, or after 7, 36, or after 21, 25, or after Luke 21, 38, with variation in the text.

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 So, what are we supposed to do with these texts?

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 I will tell you at the outset, the portion of my Bible that I intend to read to you, found on this page,

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 is the only portion I intend to read, what I just read.

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 That was it.

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 My goals for us this morning are twofold, which, if you like to take notes, here's the outline for you.

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 They're as follows.

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 Two goals.

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 Number one, explain why I don't believe that John 7, 53 through 8, 11 belongs in our Bibles,

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 and therefore, why I will not be preaching it this morning.

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 So, you could more simply call that point exclusion.

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 Secondly, I would like to explain why we can have a great confidence that our Bibles are God's inspired, authoritative, inerrant word.

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 Texts like this ought not cause us to be concerned about the veracity of the fact that this is God's word.

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 So, again, if you want to abbreviate that point, you could call it confidence.

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 So, exclusion and confidence.

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 We do have some texts for today, so I'm not going to not use the Bible at all today, just not this particular text.

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 I'm just going to ask you to hang with me here on it, and if you'd like to turn as I go along, please join me where I go.

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 But before we do any of that, let's pray God's blessing on this sermon.

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 Father, thank you very much for this morning.

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 Father, we thank you for your word.

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 We recognize that it is inspired and therefore authoritative.

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 It is inerrant.

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 And Father, we want to come to it humbly.

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 We want to understand it rightly.

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 We want to obey it.

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 And so, as we come to a bit of passage that's difficult and hard to understand exactly what we ought to do with it,

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 I pray that you give us great wisdom.

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 And we pray this in Christ's name and for his glory.

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 Amen.

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 Okay, firstly, exclusion.

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 I want to explain why I don't believe that John 7, 53 through 8, 11 should be at least in our Bibles the way it is in most people's Bibles.

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 Now, I'm assuming, again, it's the way it is in mine, right?

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 The text is there with these double brackets and these careful notes.

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 There is external evidence to this end.

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 This text, John 7, 53 through 8, 11, is not found in any of the best or earliest manuscripts.

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 We have a vast number of early manuscripts, right?

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 Some in total, some in fragments.

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 But putting them all together is how we arrive at the text that we have before us today.

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 The work of doing this is called textual criticism.

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 And that is the academic discipline aimed at reconstructing the original text of the Bible with utmost accuracy.

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 There are brilliant people doing really careful work to this end, both past, present, and Lord willing in the future.

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 This endeavor relies on the manuscript's quality and its contextual consistency.

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 So there's comparison across these early, early manuscripts.

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 And it is a painstaking work.

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 Textual critics pore over these early manuscripts to ascertain what does and what doesn't belong.

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 Uncertainty that these verses belong is the reason for the double brackets found in the ESV with the comment and the additional footnote that I read for you.

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 Those manuscripts that do contain it, as was mentioned in the footnote, don't all place it after 752.

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 Sometimes it's found in other places and in variations.

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 So, it is most likely a story that may or may not have happened, but was passed down orally and added in at a later time.

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 It found its way into some of the later copies of the Bible.

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 We don't know if it happened.

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 I'm unsure.

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 Could have been a thing that happened in the life of Jesus.

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 But we're just not confident of it.

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 Further, the late Bruce Metzger, a well-respected textual critic of the 20th century, in his work, a textual commentary on the Greek New Testament, notes that,

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 quote,

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 No Greek church father, prior to Euphemius Zagabinus, I think, from the 12th century, comments on the passage,

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 and Euphemius declares that the accurate copies of the gospel do not contain it.

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 It's the 12th century, right?

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 1100s.

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 It's the first time we see a church father comment on it, and he there says, not found in the most accurate copies of the text.

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 This is why I am convinced, as much as one can be convinced when dealing secondhand, all of this information is coming to me through others.

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 I am certainly no textual critic, and I don't intend to present myself to you in that way.

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 That's why I'm convinced that these verses should be omitted altogether, or they should be footnoted, like John chapter 5, verse 4.

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 If you want to, as I'm talking, turn there and notice that there is no John 5, 4 in the text, but there's a footnote that speaks of it.

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 We referenced that when we preached that text.

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 And there's other verses in the Bible that are dealt with this way as well.

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 D.A. Carson, in his commentary on John, the seminal commentary, the one that everybody should have if they're studying the book of John,

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 says this.

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 This is the quote that's in your bulletin today.

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 These verses are present in most of the medieval Greek minuscule manuscripts.

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 Those are more recent manuscripts.

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 But they're absent from virtually all early manuscripts that have come down to us.

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 Jim Hamilton, who you're probably familiar with, wrote a book on the chiastic structure of the book of John,

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 wrote an article making an argument to the English Standard Version that they should be putting this down as a footnote.

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 So just not enough early and best manuscript evidence that is there.

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 It's omitted in those cases.

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 And so it's good for us to think in those terms.

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 So there's some external evidences.

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 There's also some internal evidences.

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 And I won't spend much time developing my argument at this point because I know that what I'm going to say is subjective.

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 When I'm proposing to you, you could take it or leave it.

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 So I just won't spend a whole lot of time on it.

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 I find that the previous comments that I've made are sufficient to the argument that I'm making this morning.

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 But I do want to take a moment to point out the interruption of 753 through 811 in the flow of writing,

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 John's writing from chapter 7 and into chapter 8, I would argue, picks up in verse 12.

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 Earlier in chapter 7, we read verse 37.

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 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out,

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 If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.

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 So at the Feast of Booze, the last day, we're unsure if it's the seventh day or the eighth day.

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 I want to think that it was on the seventh when they're going through this water ritual that we've talked about previously.

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 The centerpiece of that text, Jesus stands up and he states that he is the fulfillment of the water ritual.

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 He's the fulfillment of that ritual.

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 Those who are spiritually hungry should come to him for the satisfaction of their soul.

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 There was also, at the Feast of Booze, a candle lighting ritual.

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 Also there, which we're going to discuss further as we study on into chapter 8.

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 In chapter 8 and verse 12, we see the record.

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 Again, Jesus spoke to them saying,

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 I am the light of the world.

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 Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

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 I think John is writing and setting this stage with some conflict that happens in between.

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 Jesus both saying, I'm the fulfillment of the water ritual and I am the fulfillment of the light ritual that you go through.

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 And so this story comes in as an interruption to that.

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 Now again, that's subjective.

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 You may not feel like it is, and I'm okay with that.

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 Further though, 753 through 811 are not chiastic.

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 I tried and tried to find any chiastic structure to it.

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 And it messes with the chiastic structure of the entire narrative all together.

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 And so I think that's another indicator.

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 And it's at this point.

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 I will digress.

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 All of this taken together is enough for me to decide not to preach this text.

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 Not include it in our preaching schedule.

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 That said, you are most welcome to disagree with me.

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 We can still be friends.

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 I promise.

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 So put your fists down.

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 It's okay.

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 If you have some other knowledge and you want to come debate with me after our time together, here's my response.

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 So maybe you just won't.

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 I'm going to go, okay.

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 I don't care that much.

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 However, I do want to be so very careful when we say, thus saith the Lord.

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 That he did in fact.

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 That we have some confidence that the text we're putting before you on a Sunday morning is God's word.

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 Now I know that some of you may love this story.

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 It's very possible that you, even as we picked up a study of John, thought forward to this and couldn't wait to hear it explained.

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 I've taught it in the past.

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 It places on display Jesus' merciful nature towards sinners.

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 It juxtaposes the legalism of his day with the offer of grace found in the gospel.

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 The issue at hand is not one of trying to avoid some teaching that is complex or contradictory.

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 Something that's going to undermine our understanding of what I would now do.

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 We might do so to avoid teaching that we should handle snakes and drink poison as a testing of our faith.

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 Not so in this case.

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 People have done objectionable things with the text we're talking about.

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 But I think you could teach this text and not err in any way whatsoever.

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 That's not what's going on here.

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 But rather just taking the time to be careful, to give care to what we are noting as God's word.

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 Confidently noting as God's word.

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 Before I move on, allow me to take a moment to say two things that we might have derived from the text.

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 But we're not going to.

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 But I'm going to do it from places that we are confident are God's word.

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 If this is not, in fact, does it not belong in John, we don't lose anything because the Bible teaches elsewhere the things that we could learn from it.

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 Two things quickly.

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 Number one.

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 The avoidance of judgmentalism.

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 A legalism that looks down its nose at others doesn't apply the same standard to yourself.

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 Jesus teaches in Matthew chapter 7, verse 1 through 5.

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 Judge not that you be not judged.

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 For with the judgment you pronounce, you will be judged.

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 And with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

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 Is he excluding careful correction?

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 Absolutely not.

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 Because he goes on.

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 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

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 Or how can you say to your brother, let me take the speck out of your eye, when there is a log in your own eye?

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 You hypocrite.

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 First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

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 So there is instruction here for how we ought to view our own sin.

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 To see it as big and massive.

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 A log in the analogy here.

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 That we would properly deal with our own sins so that we can be a help to others.

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 Removing a thing that does need to be removed, a speck.

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 It's agitating and not good for the brother.

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 There's a way that we ought to go about correcting one another.

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 We should avoid this kind of judgmentalism that you might teach from the text.

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 Second, the loving kindness of Christ for sinners.

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 I said this previously.

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 Jesus welcomes to himself people who are sinful.

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 He's got big, broad arms for people who come to him for the forgiveness of their sins.

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 Again in Matthew chapter 11, verse 28 and following.

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 Jesus says,

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 Perhaps this is what he may have said to this adulterous woman, assuming that she existed.

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 So we don't lose anything if we say,

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 Perhaps not.

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 We're not confident this is God's word.

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 I wish my copy had it relegated down to a footnote at the bottom.

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 I think this would serve us better.

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 But what do we do then if we say,

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 Well, there's some places that we're not sure are the Bible,

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 and yet they find their way in.

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 What do we do with this?

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 This brings me to my second point.

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 I want to explain why we can have a great confidence that our Bibles are God's word.

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 This doesn't have to shake our confidence.

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 In fact, I think it should increase our confidence

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 that our Bibles are God's inspired, authoritative, inerrant word.

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 The Bible is unlike any book ever written.

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 At the most fundamental level, it is both authored by human beings and by God.

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 The word Christians have commonly used to describe this process is inspired.

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 This means that the Bible is the product of God inspiring and using human authors

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 to write his perfect, holy words without error or defect.

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 No problems with it at all.

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 And yet, here we find ourselves with copies handed down,

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 translations given to us,

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 finding a possible error here.

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 We're talking about God's inspiration.

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 We're talking about that original text that was given that we have now received.

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 And we've received it with some challenges to it.

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 Two passages that explicitly tell us the Bible is God's inspired word.

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 2 Timothy 3, verse 16.

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 I hope you're familiar with this.

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 That phrase in the Greek, breathed out by God,

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 is more literally translated, God breathed, or expired.

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 Expired.

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 You expire when you breathe out.

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 So breathed out by God,

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 breathed into the human author.

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 That's where we get this word inspired.

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 Breathed out by God,

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 so that it was breathed into the human author.

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 He is the source using the human author to accomplish his ends.

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 Second text, 2 Peter chapter 1, verse 20 and 21.

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 Knowing this, first of all,

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 The Bible originated not with the will of its human writers,

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 but with the will of God, the Holy Spirit.

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 Over 3,000 times, biblical writers claim to have received their messages from God.

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 God the Holy Spirit inspired, right?

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 Breathed out, breathed into the scriptures through these human writers.

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 To be clear, this does not mean that God dictated the Bible to its human authors.

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 That they took on some kind of robotic form and just pinned down the text.

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 Rather, they wrote with their own creativity,

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 in their own styles,

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 with their own vocabulary,

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 accomplishing all along exactly what God wanted them to accomplish.

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 He used all of those means to accomplish his ends.

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 That word, carried along,

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 it's a single word in 1 Peter,

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 is the same word that describes Paul's ship and axe

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 that's carried along by the storm.

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 A ship has sails to catch the wind.

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 It has a keel to prevent it from tipping over,

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 a rudder to steer it,

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 but ultimately,

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 a ship goes

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 where the wind carries it.

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 So, we believe that God's word,

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 original text,

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 is inspired by God.

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 So, it is

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 inerrant,

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 and it is

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 authoritative,

00:21:02.539 --> 00:21:04.500
 but how about the thing we have?

00:21:04.700 --> 00:21:06.900
 How do we know this is God's

00:21:06.900 --> 00:21:08.079
 word?

00:21:09.539 --> 00:21:11.819
 Let me make an argument for you first

00:21:11.819 --> 00:21:13.460
 for the Old Testament.

00:21:14.240 --> 00:21:15.440
 Now, if you are already really confident

00:21:15.440 --> 00:21:16.299
 that this, in fact,

00:21:16.360 --> 00:21:17.080
 is God's word,

00:21:17.160 --> 00:21:19.420
 and then just take this as an apologetic,

00:21:19.500 --> 00:21:20.539
 a way to help others

00:21:20.539 --> 00:21:21.519
 who may struggle

00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:23.140
 with these truths.

00:21:23.759 --> 00:21:24.960
 So, argument for the Old Testament.

00:21:26.700 --> 00:21:27.680
 Jesus himself,

00:21:27.840 --> 00:21:28.740
 the Lord Jesus Christ,

00:21:28.860 --> 00:21:31.140
 validated the Old Testament's inspiration

00:21:31.140 --> 00:21:34.259
 by quoting from all three sections,

00:21:34.440 --> 00:21:34.900
 the Law,

00:21:35.120 --> 00:21:35.799
 the Prophets,

00:21:36.440 --> 00:21:37.320
 and the Writings.

00:21:37.400 --> 00:21:38.960
 You can see this in Luke 24,

00:21:39.039 --> 00:21:40.080
 in verse 44.

00:21:41.220 --> 00:21:43.000
 He endorsed the inspiration

00:21:43.000 --> 00:21:44.980
 and authority of the Old Testament

00:21:44.980 --> 00:21:45.960
 in detail.

00:21:46.079 --> 00:21:47.079
 Matthew chapter 5,

00:21:47.140 --> 00:21:49.640
 verse 17 and 18.

00:21:50.920 --> 00:21:52.880
 The Bible of Jesus' day,

00:21:52.960 --> 00:21:54.319
 what he's referring to,

00:21:55.420 --> 00:21:57.519
 was our Old Testament.

00:21:57.720 --> 00:21:58.599
 The 39 books

00:21:58.599 --> 00:21:59.960
 that are canonized

00:21:59.960 --> 00:22:02.420
 as our Old Testament.

00:22:03.099 --> 00:22:05.019
 Listen to what Jesus says

00:22:05.019 --> 00:22:06.240
 in Luke chapter 11,

00:22:06.460 --> 00:22:08.200
 verse 49 and following.

00:22:08.200 --> 00:22:10.740
 Therefore also,

00:22:10.880 --> 00:22:12.660
 the wisdom of God said,

00:22:13.580 --> 00:22:15.180
 I will send them prophets and apostles,

00:22:15.360 --> 00:22:16.680
 some of whom they will kill

00:22:16.680 --> 00:22:18.000
 and persecute,

00:22:18.580 --> 00:22:19.460
 so that the blood

00:22:19.460 --> 00:22:20.680
 of all the prophets

00:22:20.680 --> 00:22:22.039
 shed from the foundation

00:22:22.039 --> 00:22:22.880
 of the world

00:22:22.880 --> 00:22:23.900
 may be charged

00:22:23.900 --> 00:22:25.840
 against this generation.

00:22:26.120 --> 00:22:26.779
 I'm going to get wrapped up

00:22:26.779 --> 00:22:27.240
 in the details

00:22:27.240 --> 00:22:28.160
 of what's going on here,

00:22:28.240 --> 00:22:29.980
 but he's indicting those

00:22:29.980 --> 00:22:30.980
 who are going to kill

00:22:30.980 --> 00:22:32.759
 him and his apostles,

00:22:32.920 --> 00:22:34.059
 just like they killed

00:22:34.059 --> 00:22:34.940
 the prophets.

00:22:35.400 --> 00:22:36.539
 And then verse 51 says,

00:22:36.539 --> 00:22:38.599
 from the blood of Abel

00:22:38.599 --> 00:22:41.000
 to the blood of Zechariah

00:22:41.000 --> 00:22:42.519
 who perished between the altar

00:22:42.519 --> 00:22:44.319
 and the sanctuary.

00:22:44.899 --> 00:22:45.940
 Yes, I tell you,

00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:47.220
 it will be required

00:22:47.220 --> 00:22:49.319
 of this generation.

00:22:50.039 --> 00:22:51.159
 Okay, so he's referring to

00:22:51.159 --> 00:22:53.139
 prophets who had been killed

00:22:53.139 --> 00:22:56.399
 and he bookends Abel

00:22:56.399 --> 00:22:58.720
 to Zechariah,

00:22:59.099 --> 00:23:00.319
 a specific Zechariah,

00:23:00.379 --> 00:23:01.720
 one who perished between

00:23:01.720 --> 00:23:03.839
 the altar and the sanctuary.

00:23:03.839 --> 00:23:06.279
 So Abel,

00:23:06.899 --> 00:23:07.819
 in the text,

00:23:07.939 --> 00:23:09.279
 is not called a prophet,

00:23:09.879 --> 00:23:11.079
 but here Jesus calls him

00:23:11.079 --> 00:23:11.539
 a prophet.

00:23:11.679 --> 00:23:12.599
 Genesis chapter 4,

00:23:12.699 --> 00:23:13.639
 verse 10.

00:23:13.799 --> 00:23:14.659
 It's that Abel.

00:23:14.740 --> 00:23:16.119
 The Lord said to him,

00:23:16.720 --> 00:23:17.899
 What have you done?

00:23:19.819 --> 00:23:21.879
 The voice of your brother's blood

00:23:21.879 --> 00:23:23.299
 is crying to me

00:23:23.299 --> 00:23:25.480
 from the ground.

00:23:26.339 --> 00:23:26.779
 Abel,

00:23:27.359 --> 00:23:28.079
 dead Abel,

00:23:28.259 --> 00:23:29.639
 slain by his brother,

00:23:30.279 --> 00:23:32.339
 cried out as a prophet,

00:23:32.339 --> 00:23:33.779
 Jesus says.

00:23:34.359 --> 00:23:35.039
 Genesis 4,

00:23:35.179 --> 00:23:36.459
 in verse 10.

00:23:36.619 --> 00:23:37.439
 So the first prophet,

00:23:38.419 --> 00:23:38.779
 Abel.

00:23:40.500 --> 00:23:40.980
 Zechariah,

00:23:41.980 --> 00:23:44.139
 found in 2 Chronicles chapter 24,

00:23:45.359 --> 00:23:47.119
 why is he the bookend?

00:23:47.459 --> 00:23:49.939
 Why is he at the other end of this?

00:23:50.339 --> 00:23:50.939
 Let me just show you,

00:23:51.000 --> 00:23:51.720
 this is the Zechariah,

00:23:51.779 --> 00:23:52.899
 2 Chronicles chapter 24,

00:23:53.000 --> 00:23:54.639
 verse 20 and 21.

00:23:54.879 --> 00:23:56.000
 Then the Spirit of God

00:23:56.000 --> 00:23:57.000
 clothed Zechariah,

00:23:57.079 --> 00:23:57.879
 the son of Jehoiada,

00:23:58.419 --> 00:23:58.959
 the priest,

00:23:59.059 --> 00:24:00.079
 and he stood above the people

00:24:00.079 --> 00:24:00.939
 and said to them,

00:24:01.139 --> 00:24:02.439
 Thus says God,

00:24:02.639 --> 00:24:03.939
 Why do you break the commandments

00:24:03.939 --> 00:24:04.460
 of the Lord

00:24:04.460 --> 00:24:05.740
 so that you cannot prosper?

00:24:05.960 --> 00:24:07.460
 Because you have forsaken the Lord,

00:24:07.699 --> 00:24:09.699
 he has forsaken you.

00:24:10.379 --> 00:24:11.759
 But they conspired against him,

00:24:11.919 --> 00:24:13.159
 and by command of the king

00:24:13.159 --> 00:24:14.779
 they stoned him with stones

00:24:14.779 --> 00:24:16.960
 in the court of the house

00:24:16.960 --> 00:24:18.220
 of the Lord,

00:24:18.980 --> 00:24:19.839
 the one who perishes

00:24:19.839 --> 00:24:20.659
 between the altar

00:24:20.659 --> 00:24:22.539
 and the sanctuary.

00:24:24.619 --> 00:24:25.139
 Chronologically,

00:24:25.140 --> 00:24:27.320
 the last martyr

00:24:27.320 --> 00:24:29.520
 was Uriah.

00:24:29.720 --> 00:24:30.900
 If you put her on a calendar,

00:24:31.160 --> 00:24:31.840
 chronologically,

00:24:32.200 --> 00:24:33.100
 the last martyr,

00:24:33.200 --> 00:24:33.880
 we go from Abel

00:24:33.880 --> 00:24:35.700
 to Uriah,

00:24:36.180 --> 00:24:37.480
 whose death is described

00:24:37.480 --> 00:24:39.560
 in Jeremiah chapter 26.

00:24:40.740 --> 00:24:42.300
 So why does Jesus say

00:24:42.300 --> 00:24:43.460
 Abel

00:24:43.460 --> 00:24:45.259
 to Zechariah?

00:24:46.220 --> 00:24:47.000
 It's because

00:24:47.000 --> 00:24:48.780
 the Jewish Bible

00:24:48.780 --> 00:24:49.759
 of Jesus' day

00:24:49.759 --> 00:24:50.920
 was ordered

00:24:50.920 --> 00:24:51.720
 differently

00:24:51.720 --> 00:24:53.300
 than ours.

00:24:53.299 --> 00:24:55.019
 I think ours should be ordered

00:24:55.019 --> 00:24:55.819
 the way theirs was,

00:24:55.980 --> 00:24:56.319
 personally.

00:24:56.960 --> 00:24:57.299
 But,

00:24:57.480 --> 00:24:58.359
 it's not ordered

00:24:58.359 --> 00:24:59.180
 in that way.

00:25:00.240 --> 00:25:01.259
 Our Old Testament

00:25:01.259 --> 00:25:02.220
 is grouped

00:25:02.220 --> 00:25:04.180
 by literary type.

00:25:04.819 --> 00:25:05.539
 Jesus' Bible

00:25:05.539 --> 00:25:06.579
 not grouped

00:25:06.579 --> 00:25:07.339
 this way.

00:25:08.480 --> 00:25:09.299
 1 and 2 Chronicles

00:25:09.299 --> 00:25:10.099
 were one book,

00:25:10.379 --> 00:25:10.819
 Chronicles,

00:25:10.980 --> 00:25:11.480
 and was written

00:25:11.480 --> 00:25:12.299
 as an overview

00:25:12.299 --> 00:25:13.460
 of Israel's history

00:25:13.460 --> 00:25:15.379
 with a particular emphasis

00:25:15.379 --> 00:25:16.200
 on David

00:25:16.200 --> 00:25:17.259
 and the temple.

00:25:18.099 --> 00:25:19.000
 It was placed

00:25:19.000 --> 00:25:19.779
 at the end

00:25:19.779 --> 00:25:20.859
 of Jesus' canon

00:25:20.859 --> 00:25:22.339
 to help God's people

00:25:22.339 --> 00:25:23.220
 look forward

00:25:23.220 --> 00:25:24.339
 to a better David

00:25:24.339 --> 00:25:26.279
 and a better worship.

00:25:27.039 --> 00:25:27.860
 That's a neat way

00:25:27.860 --> 00:25:28.700
 to read through

00:25:28.700 --> 00:25:29.920
 the Old Testament.

00:25:30.860 --> 00:25:31.779
 So in Luke 11,

00:25:31.900 --> 00:25:32.799
 when Jesus says,

00:25:32.940 --> 00:25:33.640
 from the blood of Abel

00:25:33.640 --> 00:25:34.960
 to the blood of Zechariah,

00:25:35.519 --> 00:25:36.259
 he's indicting

00:25:36.259 --> 00:25:36.940
 the generation

00:25:36.940 --> 00:25:37.640
 for the death

00:25:37.640 --> 00:25:38.339
 of the prophets

00:25:38.339 --> 00:25:40.319
 of his Bible.

00:25:40.700 --> 00:25:41.480
 Notice what he's doing.

00:25:41.720 --> 00:25:42.319
 He's affirming

00:25:42.319 --> 00:25:42.980
 that everything

00:25:42.980 --> 00:25:44.059
 from that prophet

00:25:44.059 --> 00:25:45.240
 to the last prophet

00:25:45.240 --> 00:25:47.019
 as they would have read it

00:25:47.019 --> 00:25:48.460
 is the scripture.

00:25:48.779 --> 00:25:49.600
 Those people

00:25:49.600 --> 00:25:50.839
 were all the prophets.

00:25:50.839 --> 00:25:51.179
 So that,

00:25:51.679 --> 00:25:52.500
 we can have great,

00:25:52.599 --> 00:25:52.819
 great,

00:25:52.919 --> 00:25:53.779
 great confidence

00:25:53.779 --> 00:25:54.799
 that our Old Testament,

00:25:55.220 --> 00:25:56.379
 although now coming to us

00:25:56.379 --> 00:25:58.419
 in a different order,

00:25:58.899 --> 00:25:59.939
 was Jesus' Bible

00:25:59.939 --> 00:26:00.839
 and he affirms

00:26:00.839 --> 00:26:01.519
 that it is

00:26:01.519 --> 00:26:02.819
 God's word.

00:26:04.459 --> 00:26:05.039
 So now,

00:26:05.859 --> 00:26:06.480
 how about an argument

00:26:06.480 --> 00:26:08.299
 for the New Testament?

00:26:09.359 --> 00:26:10.339
 I will say to you

00:26:10.339 --> 00:26:10.959
 that the New Testament

00:26:10.959 --> 00:26:11.419
 does sit,

00:26:11.480 --> 00:26:12.240
 those 27 books

00:26:12.240 --> 00:26:12.659
 that we call

00:26:12.659 --> 00:26:13.139
 the New Testament,

00:26:13.299 --> 00:26:14.220
 do sit on the foundation

00:26:14.220 --> 00:26:15.119
 of the Old Testament,

00:26:15.279 --> 00:26:15.419
 right?

00:26:15.420 --> 00:26:16.080
 They reference back

00:26:16.080 --> 00:26:16.700
 to the Old Testament

00:26:16.700 --> 00:26:18.340
 constantly.

00:26:20.259 --> 00:26:21.060
 But what else?

00:26:21.080 --> 00:26:22.240
 What else might we think

00:26:22.240 --> 00:26:23.480
 about how we arrived

00:26:23.480 --> 00:26:24.840
 at the New Testament?

00:26:25.019 --> 00:26:25.840
 Did Jesus have anything

00:26:25.840 --> 00:26:26.880
 to say about it?

00:26:27.539 --> 00:26:27.800
 Well,

00:26:28.380 --> 00:26:29.519
 he did prepare his disciples

00:26:29.519 --> 00:26:31.600
 for the coming of it.

00:26:31.800 --> 00:26:33.460
 John chapter 16

00:26:33.460 --> 00:26:34.860
 and verse 12,

00:26:35.120 --> 00:26:35.279
 right?

00:26:35.340 --> 00:26:36.100
 The Spirit was going

00:26:36.100 --> 00:26:36.680
 to lead them

00:26:36.680 --> 00:26:37.960
 in the truth.

00:26:38.220 --> 00:26:38.560
 And so,

00:26:38.700 --> 00:26:39.940
 he endorsed it

00:26:39.940 --> 00:26:40.620
 in principle.

00:26:40.759 --> 00:26:41.400
 There will be

00:26:41.400 --> 00:26:43.300
 some further writing.

00:26:43.299 --> 00:26:46.259
 Paul received revelation

00:26:46.259 --> 00:26:47.539
 pertaining to redemption.

00:26:47.879 --> 00:26:48.599
 We read in Galatians

00:26:48.599 --> 00:26:49.419
 chapter 1,

00:26:49.500 --> 00:26:50.539
 verse 11 through 17.

00:26:51.440 --> 00:26:52.399
 And he expected

00:26:52.399 --> 00:26:52.919
 his writings

00:26:52.919 --> 00:26:53.639
 to be received

00:26:53.639 --> 00:26:55.000
 as from God.

00:26:55.099 --> 00:26:55.940
 2 Thessalonians

00:26:55.940 --> 00:26:56.659
 chapter 2,

00:26:56.759 --> 00:26:57.399
 verse 13

00:26:57.399 --> 00:26:59.180
 and verse 15.

00:27:00.240 --> 00:27:01.039
 Peter classified

00:27:01.039 --> 00:27:01.940
 Paul's writings

00:27:01.940 --> 00:27:03.279
 with the inspired

00:27:03.279 --> 00:27:04.460
 Old Testament.

00:27:04.700 --> 00:27:06.099
 2 Peter chapter 3

00:27:06.099 --> 00:27:08.700
 and verse 16.

00:27:08.879 --> 00:27:10.399
 So we get some hints

00:27:10.399 --> 00:27:11.119
 within,

00:27:11.539 --> 00:27:11.779
 right?

00:27:11.779 --> 00:27:12.819
 That would lead us

00:27:12.819 --> 00:27:13.899
 to at least conclude

00:27:13.899 --> 00:27:14.519
 that there ought

00:27:14.519 --> 00:27:16.179
 to be some books

00:27:16.179 --> 00:27:16.980
 that make up

00:27:16.980 --> 00:27:18.339
 the New Testament.

00:27:19.579 --> 00:27:20.359
 So how do we end up

00:27:20.359 --> 00:27:23.159
 with these 27 books?

00:27:24.039 --> 00:27:24.220
 Well,

00:27:24.240 --> 00:27:25.599
 there was careful

00:27:25.599 --> 00:27:27.059
 criteria applied

00:27:27.059 --> 00:27:29.480
 to how to canonize

00:27:29.480 --> 00:27:31.220
 these books.

00:27:32.339 --> 00:27:33.099
 Number one,

00:27:33.899 --> 00:27:34.460
 they had to be written

00:27:34.460 --> 00:27:35.659
 by a recognized prophet

00:27:35.659 --> 00:27:36.299
 or apostle

00:27:36.299 --> 00:27:37.679
 like Isaiah,

00:27:37.819 --> 00:27:38.159
 Jeremiah,

00:27:38.619 --> 00:27:38.879
 Moses,

00:27:38.879 --> 00:27:39.559
 Paul,

00:27:39.799 --> 00:27:41.200
 or Peter.

00:27:41.200 --> 00:27:43.480
 that had to be written

00:27:43.480 --> 00:27:45.019
 by those associated

00:27:45.019 --> 00:27:46.039
 with a recognized prophet

00:27:46.039 --> 00:27:46.880
 or apostle

00:27:46.880 --> 00:27:48.620
 like the book of Luke

00:27:48.620 --> 00:27:50.080
 or Acts.

00:27:51.299 --> 00:27:52.059
 They were measured

00:27:52.059 --> 00:27:53.840
 on their truthfulness.

00:27:54.539 --> 00:27:55.420
 Deuteronomy 18,

00:27:55.500 --> 00:27:56.500
 verse 20 through 22.

00:27:57.500 --> 00:27:58.240
 God says,

00:27:58.240 --> 00:27:59.220
 if a prophet claims

00:27:59.220 --> 00:27:59.720
 to be speaking

00:27:59.720 --> 00:28:00.380
 from me

00:28:00.380 --> 00:28:00.980
 and what he said

00:28:00.980 --> 00:28:02.220
 is not true,

00:28:02.980 --> 00:28:03.779
 then he has not

00:28:03.779 --> 00:28:05.819
 spoken from me.

00:28:07.819 --> 00:28:08.299
 Faithfulness

00:28:08.299 --> 00:28:09.099
 to previously

00:28:09.099 --> 00:28:09.980
 accepted

00:28:09.980 --> 00:28:11.900
 canonical writings

00:28:11.900 --> 00:28:13.000
 was important.

00:28:13.160 --> 00:28:13.720
 Those things

00:28:13.720 --> 00:28:14.680
 seen as operating

00:28:14.680 --> 00:28:15.700
 as God's word,

00:28:16.120 --> 00:28:16.819
 were they faithful

00:28:16.819 --> 00:28:18.599
 to those books?

00:28:19.980 --> 00:28:20.900
 If they had been

00:28:20.900 --> 00:28:22.240
 confirmed by Christ,

00:28:22.740 --> 00:28:23.319
 prophet,

00:28:23.319 --> 00:28:24.519
 an apostle,

00:28:24.740 --> 00:28:25.339
 Luke 24,

00:28:25.519 --> 00:28:26.399
 verse 24,

00:28:26.579 --> 00:28:27.659
 2 Peter chapter 3,

00:28:27.799 --> 00:28:29.379
 verse 16,

00:28:29.500 --> 00:28:30.879
 I mentioned previously,

00:28:32.220 --> 00:28:33.419
 and church usage

00:28:33.419 --> 00:28:34.980
 and recognition.

00:28:35.339 --> 00:28:36.099
 These are the criteria

00:28:36.099 --> 00:28:37.079
 that were applied.

00:28:38.200 --> 00:28:38.819
 The church used

00:28:38.819 --> 00:28:39.500
 these writings

00:28:39.500 --> 00:28:41.039
 and was deeply

00:28:41.039 --> 00:28:42.679
 edified by them.

00:28:43.500 --> 00:28:44.259
 They were believed

00:28:44.259 --> 00:28:44.759
 over time

00:28:44.759 --> 00:28:45.259
 that they were

00:28:45.259 --> 00:28:46.119
 from God

00:28:46.119 --> 00:28:46.939
 and so the final

00:28:46.939 --> 00:28:47.700
 acceptance

00:28:47.700 --> 00:28:48.740
 of the recognition

00:28:48.740 --> 00:28:49.899
 of the 66 books

00:28:49.899 --> 00:28:50.339
 of the Bible

00:28:50.339 --> 00:28:50.919
 as scripture

00:28:50.919 --> 00:28:52.279
 took place

00:28:52.279 --> 00:28:52.740
 at the Senate

00:28:52.740 --> 00:28:53.319
 of Carthage

00:28:53.319 --> 00:28:56.339
 in A.D. 397.

00:28:57.839 --> 00:28:58.319
 Now there could be

00:28:58.319 --> 00:28:59.599
 much criticism

00:28:59.599 --> 00:29:01.180
 of the Bible

00:29:01.180 --> 00:29:02.119
 at this point,

00:29:02.220 --> 00:29:02.839
 the New Testament

00:29:02.839 --> 00:29:04.539
 at this point.

00:29:05.500 --> 00:29:06.599
 The claim is always

00:29:06.599 --> 00:29:07.299
 that the church

00:29:07.299 --> 00:29:08.500
 made the Bible.

00:29:09.039 --> 00:29:09.599
 It selected

00:29:09.599 --> 00:29:10.660
 what it did

00:29:10.660 --> 00:29:11.339
 and didn't want

00:29:11.339 --> 00:29:12.139
 to be contained

00:29:12.139 --> 00:29:13.480
 within it.

00:29:14.160 --> 00:29:15.039
 But we like

00:29:15.039 --> 00:29:16.339
 rather to think

00:29:16.339 --> 00:29:17.539
 that the church

00:29:17.539 --> 00:29:18.180
 did not make

00:29:18.180 --> 00:29:18.740
 the Bible

00:29:18.740 --> 00:29:19.379
 but rather

00:29:19.379 --> 00:29:20.119
 the Bible

00:29:20.119 --> 00:29:21.420
 made the church

00:29:21.420 --> 00:29:22.720
 and they merely

00:29:22.720 --> 00:29:23.940
 verified

00:29:23.940 --> 00:29:25.000
 its use

00:29:25.000 --> 00:29:26.539
 and its veracity.

00:29:27.980 --> 00:29:29.279
 So Christians

00:29:29.279 --> 00:29:29.880
 gathered

00:29:29.880 --> 00:29:30.360
 at the Senate

00:29:30.360 --> 00:29:30.960
 of Carthage

00:29:30.960 --> 00:29:31.440
 and said

00:29:31.440 --> 00:29:33.720
 using these criteria

00:29:33.720 --> 00:29:35.160
 what do we believe

00:29:35.160 --> 00:29:36.200
 God has been using

00:29:36.200 --> 00:29:37.480
 to work in the life

00:29:37.480 --> 00:29:39.160
 of his church?

00:29:40.160 --> 00:29:41.720
 Bring some veracity

00:29:41.720 --> 00:29:43.220
 to it.

00:29:44.820 --> 00:29:45.580
 And to that end

00:29:45.580 --> 00:29:46.480
 we can also think

00:29:46.480 --> 00:29:47.180
 in terms of

00:29:47.180 --> 00:29:49.259
 our own experience.

00:29:49.259 --> 00:29:49.460
 experience.

00:29:50.119 --> 00:29:51.299
 It's something

00:29:51.299 --> 00:29:52.359
 worth mentioning.

00:29:54.019 --> 00:29:55.019
 The longer I spend

00:29:55.019 --> 00:29:55.980
 studying the Bible

00:29:55.980 --> 00:29:57.819
 and the more

00:29:57.819 --> 00:29:59.460
 flawlessly I see

00:29:59.460 --> 00:30:00.720
 it all fit together

00:30:00.720 --> 00:30:01.799
 even pieces

00:30:01.799 --> 00:30:02.900
 written thousands

00:30:02.900 --> 00:30:03.819
 of years apart

00:30:03.819 --> 00:30:05.379
 the more it

00:30:05.379 --> 00:30:06.819
 seems to me

00:30:06.819 --> 00:30:07.900
 like the work

00:30:07.900 --> 00:30:08.900
 of God.

00:30:09.900 --> 00:30:10.359
 Isn't it an

00:30:10.359 --> 00:30:11.019
 astounding

00:30:11.019 --> 00:30:11.920
 astounding

00:30:11.920 --> 00:30:13.359
 book?

00:30:13.700 --> 00:30:14.440
 A bunch of men

00:30:14.440 --> 00:30:15.420
 couldn't have colluded

00:30:15.420 --> 00:30:16.500
 to pull this thing

00:30:16.500 --> 00:30:17.400
 off.

00:30:17.400 --> 00:30:19.060
 Now I know

00:30:19.060 --> 00:30:19.620
 that that's not

00:30:19.620 --> 00:30:20.000
 an argument

00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:20.440
 that you can

00:30:20.440 --> 00:30:21.259
 bank your life

00:30:21.259 --> 00:30:22.140
 on but for me

00:30:22.140 --> 00:30:22.740
 in addition

00:30:22.740 --> 00:30:23.340
 to the more

00:30:23.340 --> 00:30:24.420
 objective arguments

00:30:24.420 --> 00:30:26.300
 I have to say

00:30:26.300 --> 00:30:27.720
 that it feels

00:30:27.720 --> 00:30:28.480
 like what it

00:30:28.480 --> 00:30:29.019
 claims

00:30:29.019 --> 00:30:30.360
 to be.

00:30:31.060 --> 00:30:32.140
 God illuminates

00:30:32.140 --> 00:30:32.900
 the text to me

00:30:32.900 --> 00:30:33.620
 he makes it

00:30:33.620 --> 00:30:34.180
 come

00:30:34.180 --> 00:30:35.440
 alive.

00:30:35.580 --> 00:30:36.340
 I hope he does

00:30:36.340 --> 00:30:36.860
 the same

00:30:36.860 --> 00:30:38.160
 for you.

00:30:39.380 --> 00:30:39.840
 Paul wrote

00:30:39.840 --> 00:30:40.400
 in 1 Corinthians

00:30:40.400 --> 00:30:41.019
 chapter 2

00:30:41.019 --> 00:30:41.720
 and verse 14

00:30:41.720 --> 00:30:42.660
 the natural person

00:30:42.660 --> 00:30:43.360
 does not accept

00:30:43.360 --> 00:30:43.740
 the things

00:30:43.740 --> 00:30:44.160
 of the Spirit

00:30:44.160 --> 00:30:44.600
 of God

00:30:44.600 --> 00:30:45.240
 for they are

00:30:45.240 --> 00:30:46.019
 folly to him

00:30:46.019 --> 00:30:46.759
 and he is not

00:30:46.759 --> 00:30:47.200
 able to

00:30:47.200 --> 00:30:47.920
 understand them

00:30:47.920 --> 00:30:48.680
 because they

00:30:48.680 --> 00:30:50.279
 are spiritually

00:30:50.279 --> 00:30:52.019
 discerned.

00:30:53.839 --> 00:30:55.039
 So we contend

00:30:55.039 --> 00:30:55.619
 that the Bible

00:30:55.619 --> 00:30:57.059
 is God's

00:30:57.059 --> 00:30:58.339
 inspired word

00:30:58.339 --> 00:30:59.160
 to mankind

00:30:59.160 --> 00:31:00.839
 and if so

00:31:00.839 --> 00:31:02.259
 if it's inspired

00:31:02.259 --> 00:31:03.039
 then it follows

00:31:03.039 --> 00:31:03.879
 that it is

00:31:03.879 --> 00:31:04.779
 inerrant

00:31:04.779 --> 00:31:05.160
 it doesn't have

00:31:05.160 --> 00:31:06.099
 any error in it

00:31:06.099 --> 00:31:06.559
 because God

00:31:06.559 --> 00:31:07.359
 cannot lie

00:31:07.359 --> 00:31:08.519
 and it is

00:31:08.519 --> 00:31:09.920
 authoritative

00:31:09.920 --> 00:31:11.259
 because he is

00:31:11.259 --> 00:31:12.619
 God

00:31:12.619 --> 00:31:12.679
 God

00:31:12.679 --> 00:31:13.399
 and so

00:31:13.399 --> 00:31:14.079
 we should

00:31:14.079 --> 00:31:15.119
 in closing

00:31:15.119 --> 00:31:15.559
 I want to

00:31:15.559 --> 00:31:16.559
 quote

00:31:16.559 --> 00:31:18.039
 two scholars

00:31:18.039 --> 00:31:18.739
 Gary Phillips

00:31:18.739 --> 00:31:19.559
 and William

00:31:19.559 --> 00:31:20.279
 Brown

00:31:20.279 --> 00:31:20.899
 they say

00:31:20.899 --> 00:31:21.359
 quote

00:31:21.359 --> 00:31:23.239
 it is true

00:31:23.239 --> 00:31:23.719
 however

00:31:23.719 --> 00:31:25.619
 that the quality

00:31:25.619 --> 00:31:26.339
 of the New Testament

00:31:26.339 --> 00:31:26.839
 manuscripts

00:31:26.839 --> 00:31:28.000
 is less than

00:31:28.000 --> 00:31:28.519
 that of the

00:31:28.519 --> 00:31:29.119
 Old Testament

00:31:29.119 --> 00:31:29.599
 ones

00:31:29.599 --> 00:31:31.299
 more variant

00:31:31.299 --> 00:31:31.879
 readings do

00:31:31.879 --> 00:31:32.319
 exist

00:31:32.319 --> 00:31:32.759
 although these

00:31:32.759 --> 00:31:33.219
 are usually

00:31:33.219 --> 00:31:33.819
 matters of

00:31:33.819 --> 00:31:34.359
 spelling

00:31:34.359 --> 00:31:35.039
 or word

00:31:35.039 --> 00:31:35.459
 order

00:31:35.459 --> 00:31:36.779
 not matters

00:31:36.779 --> 00:31:37.959
 of doctrine

00:31:37.959 --> 00:31:39.819
 however

00:31:39.819 --> 00:31:40.419
 because there

00:31:40.419 --> 00:31:41.299
 are so many

00:31:41.299 --> 00:31:41.759
 manuscripts

00:31:41.759 --> 00:31:42.740
 of the New Testament

00:31:42.740 --> 00:31:43.420
 available

00:31:43.420 --> 00:31:44.819
 by comparing

00:31:44.819 --> 00:31:45.980
 the readings

00:31:45.980 --> 00:31:46.680
 the original

00:31:46.680 --> 00:31:47.539
 can be

00:31:47.539 --> 00:31:48.839
 reconstructed

00:31:48.839 --> 00:31:50.420
 the result

00:31:50.420 --> 00:31:51.279
 of the science

00:31:51.279 --> 00:31:51.960
 of textual

00:31:51.960 --> 00:31:52.480
 criticism

00:31:52.480 --> 00:31:53.879
 is an almost

00:31:53.879 --> 00:31:54.559
 pure

00:31:54.559 --> 00:31:55.680
 text

00:31:55.680 --> 00:31:57.059
 and most

00:31:57.059 --> 00:31:57.960
 of the remaining

00:31:57.960 --> 00:31:59.299
 textual problems

00:31:59.299 --> 00:32:00.720
 have reasonably

00:32:00.720 --> 00:32:01.579
 sure

00:32:01.579 --> 00:32:03.000
 answers

00:32:03.000 --> 00:32:05.379
 that's so good

00:32:05.379 --> 00:32:06.799
 so good

00:32:06.799 --> 00:32:07.480
 that the careful

00:32:07.480 --> 00:32:08.019
 work

00:32:08.019 --> 00:32:09.140
 has been

00:32:09.140 --> 00:32:09.839
 and is

00:32:09.839 --> 00:32:10.480
 being

00:32:10.480 --> 00:32:11.619
 done

00:32:11.619 --> 00:32:12.199
 and so

00:32:12.199 --> 00:32:12.539
 it's

00:32:12.539 --> 00:32:13.239
 carefully

00:32:13.239 --> 00:32:13.679
 noted

00:32:13.679 --> 00:32:14.239
 for us

00:32:14.239 --> 00:32:14.559
 when there

00:32:14.559 --> 00:32:14.919
 is

00:32:14.919 --> 00:32:15.479
 something

00:32:15.479 --> 00:32:16.479
 a tad

00:32:16.479 --> 00:32:17.779
 odd

00:32:17.779 --> 00:32:19.459
 the Bible

00:32:19.459 --> 00:32:20.159
 translators

00:32:20.159 --> 00:32:20.919
 and textual

00:32:20.919 --> 00:32:21.239
 critics

00:32:21.239 --> 00:32:21.799
 are not

00:32:21.799 --> 00:32:22.379
 trying to

00:32:22.379 --> 00:32:22.819
 hide

00:32:22.819 --> 00:32:23.399
 anything

00:32:23.399 --> 00:32:24.959
 from us

00:32:24.959 --> 00:32:25.979
 that's why

00:32:25.979 --> 00:32:26.359
 I think

00:32:26.359 --> 00:32:27.079
 these variances

00:32:27.079 --> 00:32:27.639
 should give

00:32:27.639 --> 00:32:28.139
 us even

00:32:28.139 --> 00:32:28.959
 more

00:32:28.959 --> 00:32:30.059
 confidence

00:32:30.059 --> 00:32:30.479
 no one's

00:32:30.479 --> 00:32:30.699
 trying to

00:32:30.699 --> 00:32:31.119
 pull anything

00:32:31.119 --> 00:32:31.419
 over

00:32:31.419 --> 00:32:32.059
 on you

00:32:32.059 --> 00:32:33.659
 double

00:32:33.659 --> 00:32:34.379
 brackets

00:32:34.380 --> 00:32:35.180
 they're

00:32:35.180 --> 00:32:35.800
 trying to

00:32:35.800 --> 00:32:36.160
 draw your

00:32:36.160 --> 00:32:36.520
 attention

00:32:36.520 --> 00:32:36.920
 although I

00:32:36.920 --> 00:32:37.240
 still think

00:32:37.240 --> 00:32:37.420
 it should

00:32:37.420 --> 00:32:38.000
 be a footnote

00:32:38.000 --> 00:32:38.500
 they're

00:32:38.500 --> 00:32:39.080
 trying to

00:32:39.080 --> 00:32:39.420
 draw your

00:32:39.420 --> 00:32:39.780
 attention

00:32:39.780 --> 00:32:40.300
 that the

00:32:40.300 --> 00:32:40.700
 earliest

00:32:40.700 --> 00:32:41.240
 manuscripts

00:32:41.240 --> 00:32:42.280
 do not

00:32:42.280 --> 00:32:43.120
 include

00:32:43.120 --> 00:32:44.180
 chapter 7

00:32:44.180 --> 00:32:44.880
 verse 53

00:32:44.880 --> 00:32:46.380
 through chapter

00:32:46.380 --> 00:32:46.920
 8

00:32:46.920 --> 00:32:48.220
 and verse

00:32:48.220 --> 00:32:48.660
 11

00:32:48.660 --> 00:32:50.800
 so

00:32:50.800 --> 00:32:52.640
 with minds

00:32:52.640 --> 00:32:53.200
 toward

00:32:53.200 --> 00:32:54.500
 the great

00:32:54.500 --> 00:32:55.080
 mercy that

00:32:55.080 --> 00:32:55.480
 Christ

00:32:55.480 --> 00:32:56.180
 shows to

00:32:56.180 --> 00:32:56.500
 sinners

00:32:56.500 --> 00:32:58.240
 that's

00:32:58.240 --> 00:32:59.060
 there in the

00:32:59.060 --> 00:32:59.920
 text but it's

00:32:59.920 --> 00:33:01.080
 all over

00:33:01.080 --> 00:33:01.560
 the rest

00:33:01.560 --> 00:33:01.800
 of the

00:33:01.800 --> 00:33:02.080
 Bible

00:33:02.080 --> 00:33:03.460
 I hope

00:33:03.460 --> 00:33:03.759
 you'll look

00:33:03.759 --> 00:33:04.640
 forward with

00:33:04.640 --> 00:33:05.180
 me to

00:33:05.180 --> 00:33:06.360
 concluding our

00:33:06.360 --> 00:33:06.880
 study of

00:33:06.880 --> 00:33:08.100
 John 7

00:33:08.100 --> 00:33:08.800
 at verse

00:33:08.800 --> 00:33:09.880
 52

00:33:09.880 --> 00:33:10.759
 and then

00:33:10.759 --> 00:33:11.519
 picking up

00:33:11.519 --> 00:33:12.160
 in chapter

00:33:12.160 --> 00:33:12.740
 8

00:33:12.740 --> 00:33:13.360
 and verse

00:33:13.360 --> 00:33:13.860
 12

00:33:13.860 --> 00:33:15.100
 next time

00:33:15.100 --> 00:33:15.580
 we're together

00:33:15.580 --> 00:33:16.560
 let's pray

00:33:16.560 --> 00:33:16.880
 together