Worship Service | February 8, 2026 | The B-I-B-L-E (Part 2: The Story Behind the Story)

The Bible is presented as a single, coherent story grounded in a concrete historical event: the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. That event launched a movement whose eyewitnesses transmitted teaching orally, later committing memory and, in many cases, words to writing. Early apostolic letters—especially Paul’s—circulated among churches, while the four Gospels emerged from eyewitness networks and careful investigation. Luke explicitly frames his account as the result of careful inquiry into eyewitness testimony. Over the first century the New Testament writings were copied and shared; by the fourth century church leaders catalogued a 27-book New Testament that matched the documents already trusted across diverse communities.

The Hebrew scriptures were not discarded but adopted as the story’s backstory: law, prophets, and writings provided the narrative soil in which Jesus’ life and mission were understood. Gentile converts found in those scriptures a surprising outline of one God, human failure, promise, and a suffering servant who pointed forward to Jesus. The process of forming the canon was communal and pastoral—books were tested for authorship, coherence with the apostolic witness, usefulness for teaching, and antiquity. Some early Christian writings were retained as helpful but not elevated to the same authoritative level; others were rejected for late origin or inconsistent teaching.

Persecution shaped preservation: many copies were hidden and reproduced at cost of life; later imperial tolerance allowed scholars to compare and compile texts more openly. Compared to other ancient literature, the New Testament enjoys an unusually close link between events and surviving manuscripts and an unparalleled number of witnesses. This historical confidence supports trusting Scripture as not merely interesting history but as a formative authority. The writings were meant to do more than inform: they teach truth, expose error, correct course, and equip for good works. The recommendation is practical—read the Gospels, weigh contemporary claims against the words of Jesus, and allow the scriptures to shape life and faith.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Scripture is historically rooted The Bible’s story begins in a specific historical moment—the death and resurrection of Jesus—which generated eyewitness testimony and an oral culture that preserved teaching before it was written. This anchoring to time and people gives the writings a verifiable axis, not a floating mythology. Recognizing that roots trust in the documents’ claims rather than demanding faith divorced from facts. [35:50]
• 2. Eyewitness testimony matters Early leaders appealed to named witnesses and large-group sightings to defend the resurrection, treating the event as contestable and testable, not legendary. This shows the movement’s confidence that truth could withstand scrutiny and that faith was not a private hallucination but a public proclamation backed by witnesses. Such testimony invites inquiry rather than forbids it. [41:04]
• 3. Community determined canonical authority The canon emerged through dialogue, testing, and pastoral concern—books were measured by authorship, consistency with apostolic teaching, and usefulness for the church. Authority was not asserted by one ruler but recognized in the life of believing communities across geography and time. This communal formation underscores that Scripture’s authority is relational and ecclesial, shaped by the church’s fidelity to the apostolic witness. [55:51]
• 4. Scripture transforms, not just informs All Scripture is described as useful to teach, correct, and train for righteousness—its aim is moral and spiritual formation, not merely intellectual assent. The texts are instruments of transformation, intended to expose error, shape character, and equip people for service. Approaching the Bible as a formative tool reframes reading from information-gathering to apprenticeship in Christlike living. [63:18]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [30:32] - A movie analogy and curiosity
• [31:13] - Why Scripture matters
• [32:28] - 2 Timothy and the charge to guard truth
• [33:03] - What “wholesome teaching” means
• [35:50] - Resurrection as the historical center
• [41:04] - Paul’s eyewitness argument
• [46:29] - Manuscript reliability compared
• [55:51] - How the canon was recognized
• [63:18] - Scripture’s purpose and benediction

Bible reading: 2 Timothy 3:14-17 (ESV)
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Observation questions

1. What four specific things does Paul say Scripture is profitable for in 2 Timothy 3:16?
2. According to the sermon, what was the central historical event that launched the movement which produced the New Testament? [35:50]
3. What two criteria did the early church use to test whether a book should be included in the canon, as mentioned in the sermon? [57:46]
4. How does the timeline for the writing of the Gospel of John and the number of its ancient manuscripts compare to other ancient biographies, like that of Alexander the Great? [46:29]

Interpretation questions

1. Paul tells Timothy that Scripture is "breathed out by God." What does this imply about the origin and authority of the biblical writings?
2. The sermon states that the process of forming the canon was "communal and pastoral." What does this suggest about how God intended his people to recognize and use authoritative scripture? [55:51]
3. The sermon mentions that Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15, lists over 500 eyewitnesses to the resurrected Jesus, most of whom were still alive. Why would this detail be a powerful argument for the truth of the resurrection in that historical context? [42:12]
4. How does understanding the historical reliability and communal recognition of the Bible affect one's view of its claims, as opposed to seeing it as a collection of myths or private spiritual insights?

Application questions

1. Scripture is described as useful to teach, correct, and train for righteousness—its aim is moral and spiritual formation. In what area of your life do you most need to shift from merely gathering biblical information to allowing it to correct your course and train you?
2. The early church compared teachings they heard to the words of Jesus and the apostolic witness. What is a popular idea or teaching you’ve encountered recently that you need to weigh against the words of Jesus to see if it is true? [01:00:41]
3. People have given their lives to preserve and protect the Scriptures so that we could have them. How does knowing this history of sacrifice change the way you value and interact with your own Bible? [54:37]
4. The sermon encourages reading the Gospels for oneself. If you were to start reading one of the Gospels this week, what is one question you would bring to your reading, hoping to find an answer?
5. The Bible’s authority is described as relational and ecclesial, shaped by the church’s fidelity to the apostolic witness. How does being part of a community that studies the Bible together provide a safeguard against misinterpreting it on your own? [55:51]