The following is a part of a historical and faithful study
beginning at 7:00 pm on Wednesday evenings.
at the church of Christ in Carthage, Missouri, south of the Ford dealership
PLEASE JOIN US!
beginning at 7:00 pm on Wednesday evenings.
at the church of Christ in Carthage, Missouri, south of the Ford dealership
PLEASE JOIN US!
Art AppreciationAnalyze the painting, shown (right). Check out the details.
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"Religious Nutters"
| | What kind of people were the Pilgrims? Explorers? Pioneers? Rough and tumble politicians and soldiers? Not any of these. Most of us have learned about the Pilgrim's landing at Plymouth Rock, but the Mayflower Compact is the important part of the story. The agreement is a foundational part of the American government. Let's look more closely at that document and discuss what it means. |
The Mayflower Compact
| Describes the Plimouth Plantation website: When the Pilgrims left England, they obtained permission from the King of England to settle on land farther to the south near the mouth of the Hudson River (in present-day New York). Because they chose to remain where they landed in New England, they needed a new permission (called a patent) to settle there. On November 11, 1620, needing to maintain order and establish a civil society while they waited for this new patent, the adult male passengers signed the Mayflower Compact.  Text of the Mayflower Compact An additional source for worksheets that aid in the analysis of this document and the events surrounding it may be located at this link: Coming to America. | In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, etc. What is significant about the Mayflower Compact? What do you notice? What do you wonder? To the left, you will find a copy of the Compact in William Bradford's own handwriting. The original, signed document no longer exists, but according to the town historian, the document was signed by 41 of the male passengers – all but one of the freemen, three of the five hired men, and two of the nine servants. |
The Big Questions
Our focus for this study hinges on answering these two big questions. The goal is to get closer to the answers each week in our class.
How did we we get the Bible?
Is the Bible accurate and dependable?
Is the Bible accurate and dependable?
Timeline of the English Bible
We are familiar with the King James Authorized version of the modern English Bible from 1611, but many people would be surprised to hear that this version was really not the first. Timelines posted online can become quite tedious and distracting, so let's stick to our text. Neil Lightfoot, in Chapter 16 of How We Got the Bible, gives us a simple timeline that serves our general understanding. We'll get to that timeline, but first let's consider some questions:
- For the longest time, the struggle was whether or not to put Scripture into the hands of the common man. Why would that be the case?
- Who benefits from maintaining Biblical ignorance in the general population?
- Is Biblical ignorance still an issue in the 21st Century? Explain and discuss why?
- Why is it important to read the Scriptures for yourself?
| Portions of Scripture were translated into English, or Anglo-Saxon, as early as the first millennium. The year 1066 is a turning point in world history. Many of the world's conflicts, especially involving Europeans, were a result of Holy Wars waged in the name of "Christianity". These conquests, inquisitions, and crusades brought the Bible's lack of availability to the masses into question. Still, the English language was different in those days. Translating was complicated and access to Hebrew and Greek sources must have been limited. It is not difficult to understand the origin of the term Protestant, especially among the period of the Renaissance and the Reformation. Discuss this vocabulary along with the added terms of Restoration and Revival. | The video above does an excellent job of describing the historical background from which the British colonies in America would emerge. We still feel the effects |
Under the chapter title "The English Bible to 1611", Neil Lightfoot provides the following dates in How We Got the Bible. Let's dive into each as we review Chapter 16.
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Eighty percent of the King James (Authorized) Bible is a preservation of the Tyndale translation from 1525. Lightfoot wrote, "William Tyndale is truly the father of the English Bible."
These accounts may do little for your faith in the trustworthiness of the Bible. They do, however, show the lengths that people have gone through to get us to our point in history. Undoubtedly, throughout the ages - through the Renaissance, Reformation, Restoration, and Revival, the New Testament church did and does survive (in spite of the major historical record).
These accounts may do little for your faith in the trustworthiness of the Bible. They do, however, show the lengths that people have gone through to get us to our point in history. Undoubtedly, throughout the ages - through the Renaissance, Reformation, Restoration, and Revival, the New Testament church did and does survive (in spite of the major historical record).
Anticipatory, Guiding Questions
In the next lesson, we will delve into more recent translations of the Bible with a discussion of Chapter 17 in How We Got the Bible.
In the next lesson, we will delve into more recent translations of the Bible with a discussion of Chapter 17 in How We Got the Bible.
- Do you feel that your preferred translation is an excellent representation of God's intention for life on earth?
- Is your preferred translation "good enough to get by"?
- How important is it for you to understand a translation?
- How can we be certain that we have everything we need and that our Bible is accurate?
- Have there been mistakes in translation that will affect our salvation?
Application Question
How important is it?
Is it important to you that the Bible comes from reliable sources, or is it just a collection of wise sayings and advice for living? Many atheists agree that there is wisdom in the teachings of Jesus Christ, but they do not believe that Jesus is a Messiah, that He performed miracles, that He walked out of His own grave, or that He prepares a place where His faithful disciples will be rewarded for eternity.
We contend that the Bible and everything it contains is supported by:
We contend that the Bible and everything it contains is supported by:
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So how important is it to you that the Bible can be proven true? Do you believe there is irrefutable evidence to its validity? Is proof something that strengthens your personal faith in the existence of God?
Should faith alone be enough to drive you to drive you to your knees? Or is "blind" faith a stronger kind of faith? If so, then why did God provide so much evidence?
Should faith alone be enough to drive you to drive you to your knees? Or is "blind" faith a stronger kind of faith? If so, then why did God provide so much evidence?
Go forward with us - or in this case, back to the beginning - as we continue our study next time.
