Note: This post is regularly updated with new handouts and MP3 recordings.
Have you ever had a time in your life when you really (I mean really) doubted the truth of the Bible? Maybe you wondered whether everything you ever believed was a lie. Anyone who’s gone through such an experience, and come out on the other side, knows how much their spiritual health is tied to their trust in Scripture.
In short, understanding the origins and authority of the Bible is a practical issue. It’s a spiritual issue. While I am convinced that most evangelicals believe the truth of the Bible, I think far fewer can articulate why they believe it, or know how to defend it against attacks.
For these reasons, I am excited to launch a new Sunday School class at my home church, Christ Covenant Church (PCA): “How Did We Get Our Bible? The Origins and Authority of Scripture.” This is a lay-level introduction to the key doctrines of Scripture, as well as defense against the many and varied attacks on the Bible in our world today.
The class is part of a larger new initiative at Christ Covenant where we are transitioning to a topic-based Sunday School program rather than the standard age-and-stage model. We were thrilled to see the enthusiasm last week as we had record Sunday School attendance across our seven classes (many with standing room only!).
For those in my class who want to do further reading on the origins and authority of the Bible, you will want to check out my Top Ten List for Books on the Authority of Scripture. These are, in my opinion, some of the best works on the subject over the last few generations.
Below is a class description along with the schedule for the 13-weeks we will meet. Each week I will update the schedule below with the handout and MP3 recording (sorry, no recording for week one but we will record the others!).
Class Description: Ever since the serpent in the garden asked, “Did God really say?”, there have been never-ending challenges to the trustworthiness of God’s word. Even as believers, we can doubt and wonder about where the Bible came from, how it was put together, and whether it is really God’s word. This class will tackle some of these toughest challenges so that we can renew our trust and confidence in the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible.
Teachers: Mike Kruger (Teacher in Residence) and Peter Leach (Pastoral Intern)
Class Schedule (begins 9:30AM)
- Jan 5: Core Beliefs about the Bible: Meaning and Importance of Inspiration (handout)
- Jan 12: Core Beliefs about the Bible: Jesus’ Own View of Scripture (handout and [MP3 download])
- Jan 19: Core Beliefs about the Bible: How Do We Know the Bible is God’s Word? (handout and [MP3 download])
- Jan 26: Core Beliefs about the Bible: Sola Scriptura and the Reformation (handout and [MP3 download])
- Feb 2: Core Beliefs about the Bible: Role of Scripture in the Christian Life (Teacher: Peter Leach. Handout and [MP3 download])
- Feb 9: Class cancelled due to weather
- Feb 16: Special Missions Sunday
- Feb 23: Objections to the Bible: What about the So-Called “Lost” Books of the Bible? (handout and [MP3 download])
- March 1: Objections to the Bible: What about Offensive Passages and Doctrines (handout and [MP3 download])
- March 8: Objections to the Bible: Does the Bible Make Historical Mistakes? (handout and [MP3 download])
- March 15: Objections to the Bible: Why Are There So Many Differing Interpretations? (handout and [MP3 download])
- March 22: Objections to the Bible: Have the Words of the Bible Been Changed? (handout and [MP3 download])
- March 29: Objections to the Bible: What about Apparent Contradictions? (handout and [MP3 download])
If you are in the area, feel free to join us. Or you can just check out the recordings and handouts here each week.