the truth of gods word

SESSION FOUR

The Truth of God’s Word

God’s Living WordRediscovering the Truth of the Bible

QUESTIONS TO EXPLORE

• How is the bible authoritative in our lives?• How do we know the bible is “true?”• Does the bible contradict itself? • How do we read the bible faithfully?

But first…a review!

New Creation(Parousia / Resurrection)

Awaiting New Creation(Heaven / Paradise)

Building forNew Creation(Earthly Ministry)

Foretaste of New Creation(Transformed Life)

~ Life After Life After Death

~ Life After Death

~ Life Before Death

~ Eternal Life Begins

How is the bibleauthoritative in our lives?

Crisis of Authority

• The Church’s Identity of Crisis• The Reformation• The Enlightenment• Electricity / Quantum Physics

• Crisis of Authority• Solo Scriptura• Denominational “Authority”

The Inspiration and Authority of Scripture

• Inspiration• Revelation• Authority

Authority of God exercised through Scripture

Theological Claims versus Historical Claims

How do we know the Bible is true?

Does the Biblecontradict itself?

How do we read the Bible faithfully?

Nine Theses On Interpreting Scripture

1. Scripture truthfully tells the story of God’s action of creating, judging and saving the world.

Nine Theses On Interpreting Scripture

2. Scripture is rightly understood in light of the church’s rule of faith as a coherent dramatic narrative.

Nine Theses On Interpreting Scripture

3. Faithful interpretation of scripture requires an engagement with the entire narrative: the New Testament cannot be rightly understood apart from the Old, nor can the Old be rightly understood apart from the New.

Nine Theses On Interpreting Scripture

4. Texts of scripture do not have a single meaning limited to the intent of the original author. In accord with Jewish and Christian traditions, we affirm that scripture has multiple complex senses given by God, the author of the whole drama.

Nine Theses On Interpreting Scripture

5. The four canonical Gospels narrate the truth about Jesus.

Nine Theses On Interpreting Scripture

6. Faithful interpretation of scripture invites and presupposes participation in the community brought into being by God’s redemptive action -- the church.

Nine Theses On Interpreting Scripture

7. The saints of the church provide guidance in how to interpret and perform scripture.

Nine Theses On Interpreting Scripture

8. Christians need to read the Bible in dialogue with diverse others outside the church.

Nine Theses On Interpreting Scripture

9. We live in the tension between the "already" and the "not yet" of the kingdom of God; consequently, scripture calls the church to ongoing discernment, to continually fresh re-readings of the text in light of the Holy Spirit’s ongoing work in the world.

NEXT WEEK

Rediscovering the Practice of Prayer

• What is the purpose of prayer?• Does God answer prayer? • Does prayer change external circumstances?• How do we develop a discipline of prayer?