Lecture Two—Bibliology: The Bible

The term Bibliology (from Greek biblos meaning “book”) refers particularly to the study of the nature of the Bible as divine revelation. It often includes such topics as revelation, inspiration, inerrancy, canonicity, textual criticism, illumination, and interpretation. IA. The Meaning of the Term “Revelation”6 1B. Contemporary Usage 2B. Theological Usage IIA. General Revelation 1B. Definition 2B. In Creation 1C. Psalm 19:1-6 2C. Romans 1:18-20 3B. In Human Nature—Romans 2:14-15 4B. In Providentially Controlled History 1C. Acts 14:15-17 2C. Acts 17:22-31 5B. Summary and Conclusions 1C. The Objectivity of General Revelation 2C. The Possibility of Natural Theology? 3C. Relationship to Special Revelation and Human Responsibility 4C. Some Common Ground Between Believer and Unbeliever? IIIA. Special Revelation 1B. General Definition 2B. The Nature of Special Revelation 1C. The Unveiling of a Person—John 5:39-40 2C. The Language of Analogy 3C. The Language of Condescension & Accommodation 3B. The Modes of Special Revelation 1C. In Dreams—Genesis 20:3 2C. In Visions—Zechariah 1:8ff. 3C. In Theophanies—Joshua 5:13-15 4C. Divine Speech—Job 38-41 5C. Special Acts—Exodus 14-15 6C. Jesus Christ—John 1:18 7C. Scripture—2 Timothy 3:16 1D. Propositional Revelation 2D. The Various Genres in Scripture 3D. Scriture and History 4B. The Goal of Special Revelation—John 5:39-40; 2 Tim 3:16-17 5B. Alternative Views of Revelation 1C. Liberalism 1D. Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) 2D. Friedrich Schleiermacher (1763-1834) 2C. Neo-Orthodoxy 1D. Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) 2D. Karl Barth (1886-1968) 3D. Emil Brunner (1889-1966) 3C. Effects of Liberalism and Neo-Orthodoxy upon Biblical Studies 1D. The Bible Only A Witness To Revelation 2D. Man Needs To Experience God IVA. Inspiration 1B. Claims in Scripture 1C. The Self-Referential Problem 2C. A Solution 2B. Inspiration Proper 1C. Definition of ‘Inspiration’ 1D. The Need/Reason for Inscripturating God’s Truth 2D. The Goal 3D. The Initiative and the Process 4D. The Product (Verbal/Plenary) 2C. Key Texts 1D. 2 Timothy 3:16 2D. 2 Peter 1:20-21 3C. Problems Defining Inspiration 1D. The Statements of Scripture 2D. The Phenomena of Scripture 3D. Solution 4C. Defective Theories 1D. Naturalistic Inspiration 2D. Partial Inspiration 3D. Conceptual Inspiration 4D. Spiritual Illumination 5D. Dictation VA. Inerrancy7 1B. Definition 2B. Relationship to Inspiration 3B. Problems 1C. Philosophical 2C. Textual Phenomena 3C. Dismissal through Guilt by Association 4C. The Value of the Doctrine VIA. Canonicity8 1B. Definition 2B. The Old Testament Canon 1C. The Origin of the Canon 2C. Time of Completion and Books Included 3B. The New Testament Canon 1C. The Expectation of Further Revelation in Light of OT Promise 2C. Jesus and the Apostles: Biblical Texts 3C. The Impetus for a Collection 1D. Death of the Apostles 2D. Marcionism 3D. Gnosticism 4D. Montanism 4C. Factors Involved in the Collection 1D. Apostolicity 2D. Catholicity 3D. Orthodoxy 4D. Usage 5C. The Date and Meaning of the “Close of the Canon” VIIA. Textual Criticism9 1B. Definition 2B. Old Testament Materials 1C. Hebrew Manuscripts 1D. Important Manuscripts and Codices 2D. Qumran Scrolls 2C. Samaritan Pentateuch 3C. Important Versions 1D. Septuagint (LXX) 2D. Aramaic Targums 3D. Syriac Version 4C. Other Versions and Witnesses 1D. Old Latin 2D. The Vulgate 3D. Coptic Versions 4D. Ethiopic Version 5D. Armenian Version 6D. Arabic Versions 3B. New Testament Materials 1C. Greek Witnesses 1D. Papyri 2D. Uncials 3D. Minuscules 4D. Lectionaries 2C. Important Early Versions 1D. Latin 2D. Syriac 3D. Coptic 3C. Church Fathers 4B. The Process of Textual Criticism 1C. The Old Testament 2C. The New Testament VIIIA. Illumination 1B. Definition 2B. Key Texts 1C. 1 Corinthians 2:9-14 2C. Ephesians 1:18 3C. 2 Timothy 1:7 3B. Problems with Illumination IXA. Interpretation10 1B. Definition 2B. The Nature of Meaning and Communication 1C. Authorial Intent 2C. Problems and Solutions 3B. The Method of Interpretation 1C. Grammatical and Genre Oriented 2C. Historical 3C. Synthetic/Organic 4B. The Nature of Understanding 1C. By Looking On 2C. By Experiencing First-Hand 5B. The Role of the Spirit XA. Application11 1B. Know the Interpretation 2B. Formulate Scriptural Principles 3B. Meditate and Correlate 4B. Apply in Theory/Practice -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6 For a discussion of “revelation,” and closely linked ideas, see David S. Dockery, Christian Scripture: An Evangelical Perspective on Inspiration, Authority, and Interpretation (Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman, 1995). See also Avery Dulles, Models of Revelation (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1992). 7 For several articles dealing with the evangelical doctrine of inerrancy see, Norman L. Geisler, ed., Inerrancy (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1980). 8 On the issue of the canon, see Roger Beckwith, The Old Testament Canon of the New Testament Church and Its Background in Early Judaism (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985); F. F. Bruce, The Canon of Scripture (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1988); Harry Y. Gamble, The New Testament Canon: Its Making and Meaning, New Testament Series, ed. Dan O. Via (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1985); Bruce M. Metzger, The Canon of the New Testament: Its Origin, Development, and Significance (Oxford: University Press, 1987). 9 On OT textual criticism, see Ernst Würthwein, The Text of the Old Testament, trans. Erroll F. Rhodes (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979); Bruce M. Metzger, The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration, 3rd ed. (New York: Oxford, 1992). 10 Some good introductory works on biblical interpretation include: Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart, How To Read the Bible for All Its Worth: A Guide to Understanding the Bible, 2d ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1993); Leland Ryken, How To Read the Bible as Literature (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984); Robert H. Stein, A Basic Guide to Interpreting the Bible: Playing by the Rules (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1994); William W. Klein, Craig L. Blomberg, and Robert L. Hubbard (Dallas: Word, 1993); Moisés, Silva, ed., Foundations of Contemporary Interpretation: Six Volumes in One (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996); Grant Osborne, The Hermeneutical Spiral: A Comprehensive Introduction to Biblical Criticism (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1991); John R. W. Stott, Understanding the Bible, rev. ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984); R. C. Sproul, Knowing Scripture (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1977); D. A. Carson, Exegetical Fallacies, 2d ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996). For a more in depth and scholarly analysis of the problem of meaning as it relates to Biblical interpretation see, Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Is There a Meaning in This Text: The Bible, The Reader, and the Morality of Literary Knowledge (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998).