Understanding the Bible: Trust, Culture, and Personal Encounter

Devotional

Day 1: The Historical Foundation of Faith

The New Testament documents were written at a time when eyewitnesses to Jesus' life, death, and resurrection were still alive. This historical proximity ensures that the accounts could be verified or challenged by those who were present, making it difficult for them to be mere fabrications. The early dating of these texts, combined with their detailed and sometimes counterproductive content, supports their authenticity. This historical reliability challenges the notion that the stories of Jesus were later legends, inviting us to trust in the Bible's account of His life and work. [05:45]

"For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty." (2 Peter 1:16, ESV)

Reflection: Consider a moment in your life where you doubted the historical reliability of the Bible. How can you seek out evidence or resources this week to strengthen your understanding and trust in its authenticity?

Day 2: Understanding Scripture Beyond Cultural Lenses

Our cultural context can often lead to misunderstandings of the Bible's teachings. For instance, references to slavery in the Bible are frequently misinterpreted through the lens of modern history, rather than the context of the first-century Greco-Roman world. This calls for patience and deeper study to grasp the true message of Scripture. By acknowledging our cultural blinders, we can approach the Bible with humility, seeking to understand its teachings in their original context and allowing them to speak into our lives today. [21:02]

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2, ESV)

Reflection: Identify a specific teaching or story in the Bible that you find difficult to understand or accept. How can you research its historical and cultural context this week to gain a clearer understanding?

Day 3: The Divine Challenge to Culture

The Bible's ability to offend every culture at some point suggests its divine origin. If it were merely a human creation, it would align perfectly with one culture or another. Instead, it offers a transcendent perspective that challenges all cultures, urging us to examine our assumptions and biases. This divine challenge invites us to engage with Scripture not as a product of human culture, but as a living word that speaks into every aspect of our lives, calling us to transformation and growth. [26:08]

"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on a cultural belief or value that you hold. How does the Bible challenge this belief, and what steps can you take to align your life more closely with Scripture?

Day 4: Encountering Jesus Through Scripture

A fully authoritative Bible is essential for a personal relationship with God. The story of the Emmaus disciples illustrates how Jesus opened the Scriptures to them, revealing that all of it points to Him. This encounter shows that the Bible is not about us and our efforts, but about Jesus and His work for us. By engaging with Scripture, we are invited into a personal encounter with Jesus, allowing our hearts to be transformed and our relationship with God to deepen. [29:00]

"And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself." (Luke 24:27, ESV)

Reflection: Set aside time this week to read a passage of Scripture with the intention of encountering Jesus. How does this passage reveal His character and work in your life?

Day 5: Embracing a Challenging Bible

A Bible that can challenge and contradict us is crucial for a genuine relationship with God. Without it, we risk creating a "Stepford God" that only affirms our beliefs. A fully authoritative Bible leads us into a transformative relationship with Jesus, inviting us to allow Scripture to challenge and change us. By embracing a Bible that speaks truth into our lives, we open ourselves to the transformative power of God's word, leading to a deeper and more authentic faith. [36:38]

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16, ESV)

Reflection: Think of an area in your life where you resist the Bible's teachings. What practical steps can you take this week to allow Scripture to challenge and transform this area of your life?

Sermon Summary

In today's exploration of the Bible's trustworthiness, we delved into the historical, cultural, and personal dimensions of Scripture. The journey began with the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, who were initially unable to recognize Jesus. This narrative serves as a metaphor for our own struggles to see the truth and relevance of the Bible in our lives. Historically, the New Testament documents are too early, too counterproductive, and too detailed to be mere legends. The accounts of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection were written when eyewitnesses were still alive, making it impossible for them to be fabricated without being challenged. The cultural critique of the Bible often stems from misunderstandings or cultural blinders. We must consider that the Bible might not teach what we think it does, and our cultural context can distort our understanding. For instance, the Bible's references to slavery are often misinterpreted through the lens of modern history, rather than the context of the first-century Greco-Roman world.

Culturally, the Bible challenges every society at some point, which is a testament to its divine origin. If it were merely a product of human culture, it would align perfectly with one culture or another. Instead, it offers a transcendent perspective that can offend and challenge us, urging us to examine our assumptions. Personally, a fully authoritative Bible is essential for a deep relationship with God. It is not a cold, legalistic document but a living word that guides us into a personal encounter with Jesus. The Emmaus disciples experienced their hearts burning within them as Jesus opened the Scriptures to them, revealing that all of it points to Him. This encounter illustrates that the Bible is not about us and our efforts but about Jesus and His work for us. To truly know God, we must allow the Bible to challenge and contradict us, leading us into a transformative relationship with Him.

Key Takeaways

1. century context. This calls for patience and deeper study to grasp the true message. [21:02]
3. Cultural Offense as a Sign of Divine Origin: The Bible's ability to offend every culture at some point suggests its divine origin. If it were merely a human creation, it would align with one culture. Instead, it challenges all cultures, urging us to examine our assumptions and biases.

4. Personal Relationship Through Scripture: A fully authoritative Bible is essential for a personal relationship with God. The Emmaus disciples' hearts burned within them as Jesus opened the Scriptures, revealing that all of it points to Him. This encounter shows that the Bible is about Jesus and His work for us, not about our efforts.

5. The Necessity of a Challenging Bible: A Bible that can challenge and contradict us is crucial for a genuine relationship with God. Without it, we risk creating a "Stepford God" that only affirms our beliefs. A fully authoritative Bible leads us into a transformative relationship with Jesus.

** [21:02]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:09] - Introduction to the Emmaus Story
[00:53] - The Disciples' Misunderstanding
[01:59] - Jesus Reveals the Scriptures
[03:07] - Modern Skepticism of the Bible
[04:18] - Trusting the Bible Historically
[05:45] - Early New Testament Accounts
[09:46] - Counterproductive Content
[12:16] - Detailed Narrative Form
[14:12] - Trusting the Bible Culturally
[19:16] - Cultural Blinders and Misunderstandings
[23:28] - Slavery and Cultural Context
[26:08] - Cultural Offense and Divine Origin
[29:00] - Personal Relationship Through Scripture
[36:38] - The Necessity of a Challenging Bible
[38:14] - Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What was the initial reaction of the disciples on the road to Emmaus when they encountered Jesus, and why were they unable to recognize Him? [00:40]
According to the sermon, what are the three reasons given for trusting the New Testament documents historically? [05:31]
How does the sermon describe the cultural context of slavery in the first-century Greco-Roman world compared to modern perceptions? [21:50]
What was the reaction of the Emmaus disciples when Jesus opened the Scriptures to them, and what does this signify? [02:50]

Interpretation Questions

How does the historical reliability of the New Testament challenge the notion that the accounts of Jesus were fabricated? [05:45]
In what ways might cultural misunderstandings affect our interpretation of the Bible, and how can we address these misunderstandings? [19:16]
Why does the sermon suggest that the Bible's ability to offend every culture is a sign of its divine origin? [26:08]
How does understanding the Bible as a narrative about Jesus rather than about us change our approach to Scripture? [30:25]

Application Questions

Reflect on a time when you struggled to see the relevance of the Bible in your life. How can the story of the Emmaus disciples encourage you to seek a deeper understanding of Scripture? [00:40]
The sermon emphasizes the importance of a fully authoritative Bible for a personal relationship with God. How can you ensure that your approach to the Bible remains open to challenge and transformation? [36:38]
Consider a cultural assumption you hold that might be challenged by the Bible. How can you approach Scripture with an open mind to allow it to speak into your life? [19:16]
The sermon discusses the importance of understanding the historical and cultural context of biblical passages. What steps can you take to deepen your study of the Bible in this way? [21:02]
How can you cultivate a personal encounter with Jesus through Scripture, similar to the experience of the Emmaus disciples? What practical steps can you take this week to make this a reality? [29:00]
Reflect on a part of the Bible that you find challenging or offensive. How can you engage with this text in a way that seeks understanding rather than dismissal? [26:48]
Identify a specific area in your life where you need to allow the Bible to challenge and contradict you. What changes can you make to align more closely with biblical teachings? [36:38]

Sermon Clips

The New Testament accounts of Jesus are written too early to be legends too early for example look at the very beginning of this passage here's the Gospel of Luke Luke has written this account of Jesus and what does he say to his readers he says I haven't carefully investigated everything from the beginning and I've checked what I what I've written with verse two eyewitnesses. [05:45]

Paul who wrote his letters only 15 or 20 years after the events of Jesus life says things like this in first Corinthians 15 he says that many people saw Jesus appear to them after his death and at one point he appeared Jesus appeared to 500 people at once and then Paul says most of them are still alive and you can still go talk to them. [06:37]

The New Testament documents essentially show that what what Jesus said his death his resurrection his claims to be deity those things really happen they're written you could write documents two or three hundred years later when all the eyewitnesses were dead and say anything you wanted about a figure especially back then but you couldn't say Jesus was crucified when thousands of people both pro and con were still alive who had seen whether he was or not. [09:29]

The theory is that the the Bible doesn't give you what actually happened instead what you have here in the Gospels is what the church leaders wanted you to believe happened because this is the view of Jesus that helps them consolidate their power and and build their movement oh really okay well if I'm a church leader you know living about 80 years 70 years after Jesus and I'm concocting these stories what I put in there that Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane asked the Father if he could get out of it. [09:52]

The documents are too counterproductive in their content to be legends too counterproductive why well the theory is that the the Bible doesn't give you what actually happened instead what you have here in the Gospels is what the church leaders wanted you to believe happened because this is the view of Jesus that helps them consolidate their power and and build their movement. [09:52]

Please consider the possibility that it doesn't teach what you think it teaches please consider that it doesn't really teach what you think it teaches in here and we'll get back to this in a minute you notice the Emmaus disciples are very upset why as Jesus is going to show them they think the Bible teaches something it doesn't they're all upset you see but Jesus says well you know you didn't really understand this this is not what the Bible teaches it teaches this you need to consider that you need to be patient with those texts. [15:30]

Please consider the possibility that you are miss under the understanding what the Bible teaches because of your own cultural blinders your own cultural blinders the Emmaus disciples understandably misunderstand understandably unders understand the the prophecies about the Messiah because as Jews they were really only thinking of the redemption of Israel they actually say that in verse 20 and 21 and they weren't thinking of the redemption to the whole world and therefore they had cultural blinders on. [19:26]

If the Bible really was the revelation of God and therefore it wasn't the product of any one culture but came from God wouldn't it contradict every culture in some point I mean each culture would be different but wouldn't have to contradict each culture at some point and therefore wouldn't it half if is really from God wouldn't it have it would have to offend your cultural sensibilities at some point and therefore when you read the Bible and you find some part of it outrageous and offensive that's proof that is probably true. [26:08]

A completely authoritative Bible is the prerequisite for a warm personal relationship with God it's not the enemy of it so for example look at verse 32 when the disciples the Emmaus disciples look back on every single thing everything that was has been said they summarized it like this we're not our hearts burning within us as he opened to us the scripture now in English heart is the source of you it's the seat of your emotions right when you and I think of heart we mean the seat of our emotions. [29:00]

There are two ways and only two ways to read the Bible you can read the Bible's if it's all about you and what you must do and what you have to you know run around doing in order to get the blessing or you can read every part of the Bible if it's all about him and what he has done for you is it all about you or is all about him let's do what he did that day let's begin it with Moses because I saw we have time to just begin with Moses. [30:33]

Unless you have a completely authoritative Bible that can contradict you and come after you you've got a step for God you've put a chip in him in fact you actually have a God of your own making it's not a real God it's just you just writ large I've fully absolutely entirely authoritative and trustworthy Bible but you have to submit to whether you like it or not is not the enemy of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and God it is the precondition. [36:38]

The person who had the greatest relationship with God was Jesus he said well of course he was God's Son yeah I know but he was also he came as a human being and therefore he was our example and he bled Scripture he was always talking about he wasn't scripture cannot be broken yes of course I could do that Peter but then how would the scripture be fulfilled you know neither description or the power of God and when he confronted the devil how did he do it Scripture when he confronted hell on the cross he quoted Psalm 22. [37:54]

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