Last week we studied:

1. The history of writing.
2. Pictures are the earliest form of writing (i.e. Hieroglyphics) that have been discovered (3,000 to 4,000 B.C.).
3. Writing of alphabet type has been found in the area of Mt. Sinai, dating back to 1500 B.C.
4. The types of writing material.
5. Stone, clay, wood, leather, and papyrus were the earliest materials used for writing.
6. Papyrus was the most common in the N.T. times, but was soon replaced by vellum.
7. Papyrus was not very durable, and for that reason the original autographs of the Bible writers probably no longer exist.
8. The Bible itself.
9. Writing, in ancient times, was most generally in roll form. The roll was eventually replaced by the codex (book form). The O.T. and N.T. are the compilation of 66-books. They were not originally in one volume, but were gathered together and put together as we have them today.

Tonight's lesson is going to be over the manuscripts of the Bible. The original copies (autographs) of the Bible writers are not available, but thousands of ancient manuscripts are. Tonight's lesson is based on a study of those manuscripts upon which our Bible is based. The format of tonight's lesson:

• Discuss the research assignment questions handed out last week.
• Watch film number two.
• Answer questions concerning the film.

Questions For Consideration

1. In what language was most of the O.T. written?
2. What are some peculiarities of the Hebrew language?
3. How much of the O.T. is written in Aramaic?
4. What evidence is there that Aramaic was still widely used in N.T. times?
5. In what language was the N.T. written?
6. Since we do not have the original autographs of the N.T. writers, how do we know our Bibles say what they originally wrote?
7. How would you describe the work of a Bible scribe?
8. What are the most common variants in the manuscripts?
9. How important is the evidence of the Dead Sea Scrolls in confirming authenticity of the O.T.?

THEREISTHEREFORENOWNOCONDEMNATIONTO
THEMWHICHAREINCHRISTJESUSWHOWALKNOT
AFTERTHEFLESHBUTAFTERTHESPIRITFORTHE
LAWOFTHESPIRITOFLIFEINCHRISTJESUS
HATHMADEMEFREEFROMTHELAWOFSINAND
DEATHFORWHATTHELAWCOULDNOTDOINTHATIT
WASWEAKTHROUGHTHEFLESHGODSENDINGHIS
OWNSONINTHELIKENESSOFSINFULFLESHAND
FORSINCONDEMNEDSININTHEFLESHTHATTHE
RIGHTEOUSNESSOFTHELAWMIGHTBE
FULFILLEDINUSWHOWALKNOTAFTERTHE
FLESHBUTAFTERTHESPIRITFORTHEYTHAT
AREAFTERTHEFLESHDOMINDTHETHINGSOF
THEFLESHBUTTHEYTHATAREAFTERTHE
SPIRITTHETHINGSOFTHESPIRIT

Research Assignments For Lesson #2

1. Read at least one source on the subject of “inspiration.”
2. Give the various explanations of how the Bible was given by inspiration.
3. How do we know that the Bible is the inspired word of God?
4. Why is it important for the Bible to be the inspired word of God?