WHY THIS DIVISION?

The test of the Bible's authority begins with asking, "Is what we read in the Bible today the same as what was written long ago?"

If not, then the original text, regardless if true, might be considered lost.

1. INTRODUCTION to investigating the Bible

1.1 Are the historical manuscripts reliable?
1.2 What is the scientific method of investigation?
1.3 What is the legal method of investigation?


2. What is INSPIRATION?

2.1 What is inspiration?
2.2 On what basis is inspiration discerned?
2.3 What are the attributes of inspiration?


3. How do we determine the AGE of the documents?

3.1 Why do we need to know the age?
3.2 Isn't it as simple as checking ancient calendars?
3.3 The turbulent history of establishing ancient dates.
3.4 What are the current methods being used?
3.5 Intrabiblical confirmation


4. WHEN were the biblical books written?

4.1 A prerequisite disclaimer.
4.2 The effect of the Enlightenment on document dating.
4.3 Scholarship of the Enlightenment
4.4 Modern scholarship.
4.5 Dates of origin for each book of the Bible.


The quick-summary DATE CHART


5. Is the Bible COMPLETE?

5.1 The Old Testament.
5.2 The New Testament.
5.3 After the Apostles.
5.4 Is the Bible open to future inclusions?
5.5 What about the existence of secret books?


6. How were the manuscripts PASSED DOWN through the ages?

6.1 Were biblical writings preceeded by centuries of oral transmission?
6.2 What was the ancient process for duplicating documents?


7. Have the original words been LOST OVER THE CENTURIES?

7.1 Is the wording of today's Bible error free or not?
7.2 What are examples of textual criticism?
7.3 Where are the errors in the Bible?
7.4 What percent of ancient documents are in agreement?


8. What EARLY MANUSCRIPTS of the Bible exist today?

8.1 The Old Testament: the Dead Sea Scrolls.
8.2 The Old Testament: the Septuagint.
8.3 The Old Testament: the Masoretic Text and others.
8.4 The New Testament: various...


9. Have critics DISCREDITED the early manuscripts?

9.1 Criticism and perceived contradictions.
9.2 Where to continue this discussion.


10. How can different TRANSLATIONS exist of the same Bible?

10.1 Why don't we just have one translation?
10.2 The nature of language.
10.3 From one language to another.
10.4 The most popular English translations.


11. What are the APOCRYPHA and PSEUDEPIGRAPHA?

11.1 The Roman Catholic Church on the Apocrypha.
11.2 Problems with the Apocrypha.
11.3 First century rejection of the Apocrypha.
11.4 The Apocrypha today.
11.5 What is the pseudepigrapha?

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"For myself, I must say, that having for many years made the evidences of Christianity the subject of close study,...It is indeed the Word of God."

- Simon Greenleaf
Harvard Law
Professor Royall