F.F. Bruce's "The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?"

Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams.

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...the character of Jesus can be known only from the New Testament records

Actually, this is incorrect. The character of Jesus can only be known through oral tradition as was passed on by the original apostles and handed down from generation to generation, even to today; the Bible is a product of this. The New Testament wasn't even compiled until the late 4th century, and the authority with which the early Church had to deem the Bible as legitimate is the same authority that exists today :)

Along the same lines, N.T. Wright wrote a terrific book supporting the historical veracity of the Resurrection accounts. I recommend it to all. The Resurrection of the Son of God:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0800626796/qid=1102695561/sr=2-3/ref=pd_ka_b_2_3/102-7434261-1567361

Thank you!

From this site here:

Bibliology: The Doctrine of the Written Word
Revelation Scripture is the Word of God by J.I. Packer
One Year Bible Reading Plan by M'Cheyne (Online ESV)
Outline of Sinclair Ferguson, "How does the Bible Look at Itself?" in Inerrancy and Hermeneutic edited by Harvie M. Conn by Rev. Charles R. Biggs (word)

Nature And Scripture (.pdf)
From The Infallible Word: A Symposium, by the members of the faculty of Westminster Theological Seminary, pp. 255–293 The two forms of revelation—revelation through nature and revelation in Scripture—be set in careful relationship to one another. Do the two forms of God’s revelation to sinners cover two distinct interests or dimensions of human life? Do they speak with different degrees of authority? Just what, we are bound to ask, is the relation between them?

Bible Research Internet Resources for Students of Scripture by Michael D. Marlowe
The New Testament and Its Context Prof. Barry D. Smith
What the Bible Says About Various Topics Basic learning and reference tool
21 Questions on The Doctrine of Scripture by Francis Turretin (1623-1687) New!
Bibliology: The Doctrine of the Written Word by J. Hampton Keathley III
Can We Trust a Book Written 2000 Years Ago? By Dick Tripp
Is Bibliolatry Possible? by S.M. Baugh

The Books of the Bible by Phyllis Hunt
The Doctrine of the Word By Samuel Waldron (comprehensive)
Getting the Big Picture in the Bible by CHAIM
How the whole Bible fits together and points to Messiah
God's Revelation to Man by Chris Schlect
The Preservation of the Textus Receptus by Paul Mizzi
Translation Theory and Methods by Michael Marlowe (and others)

Must I Learn How To Interpret The Bible? By D. A. Carson
The Formation of the New Testament Canon by B.B. Warfield
Apostles and Prophets and the Foundation of the Church by Bob DeWaay
The Whole Counsel of God by Bob DeWaay
Is your Modern Translation Corrupt by James R. White
Answering the Allegations of KJV Only Advocates
"God told me" and the Sufficiency of Scripture By Mark Dever
Special Revelation, Inspiration, The Bible's Completion by Paul D. Adams
Who Wrote The First 5 Books of the Bible? - ALLIS-ARCHER-GREEN-UNGER-YOUNG
How is the Bible the Word of God by George Eldon Ladd
The Two Testaments by F.F. BRUCE
Hebrew Bible Audio Clips

Doctrine of the Bible by Valley Bible Church lessons on Revelation, Inspiration, Inerrancy, Canonicity, Transmission, and Translation

Bibliology Series by Leon Stump: Includes canon of Scripture, the doctrine of inspiration, the transmission of the text, translations, and principles of interpretation. This is a sound treatise, including much interaction with scholarly works.

A THEOLOGY OF SCRIPTURE by John Stevenson
Has God Spoken? The Doctrine of Revelation
Who Wrote the Bible? The Doctrine of Inspiration
Are the Right Books in the Bible? The Doctrine of Canonicity
Has the Bible Been Changed? The Doctrine of Textual Criticism
In Search of Anceint Manuscripts. The Tools of Textual Criticism
With Men of Other Tongues. The Process of Translation
What does the Bible Say About Itself? The Bible on the Bible

Inerrancy
The Inerrancy of the Autographa by Greg Bahnsen
Divine Origin and Character of Scripture by Gerrit Hendrik Hospers
The Autographs of Scripture by Paul Mizzi
Inductivism, Inerrancy, and Presuppositionalism By Dr. Greg Bahnsen
Is the Bible Inerrant? by Prof. John M. Frame
An explanation of why "inerrant" is a good word to describe God's written Word
The Adequacy of Human Language” by J. I. Packer—An Outline Summary
Inspiration and Inerrancy by M. James Sawyer, Ph.D.
Inerrancy and Infallibility of the Bible by P D Feinberg
Does Inerrancy Really Matter? by James M. Boice
The Inerrancy of Scripture by Keith VanHoozer
Biblical Inerrancy by John Gerstner (book)
Hermeneutics and the Doctrine of Scripture in Post-Reformation Reformed Thought
by Martin I. Klauber
Innerancy and Preaching by John MacArthur
Modernism and Biblical Inerrancy by Brian M. Schwertley
Inerrancy and inspiration of the Bible by CARM
The Infallibility of Scripture by C. H. Spurgeon
The Inspiration, Inerrancy,and Authority of the Bible by Ron Rhodes
Inerrancy In The Old Testament Historical Books by Paul Benware Author & Theologian
The Inspiration, Inerrancy & Authority of the Holy Scriptures by John Kohler
The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy

Revelation, Inspiration, and Scripture: Systematic Theology I Small Group Study Notes by Dr. King Counts (Mnt. View PCA)
Prolegomena and Introduction; Religion and Theology; General Revelation; Special Revelation; Inspiration; Perfections and Proofs of Inspiration; The Canon of Scripture (Old Testament); The Canon of Scripture (New Testament); Rules in the Study and Interpretation of Scripture

"To preach the Bible as 'the handbook for life,' or as the answer to every question, rather than as the revelation of Christ, is to turn the Bible into an entirely different book. This is how the Pharisees approached Scripture, as we can see clearly from the questions they asked Jesus. For the Pharisees, the Scriptures were a source of trivia for life's dilemmas. To be sure, Scripture provides God-centered and divinely revealed wisdom for life, but if this were its primary objective, Christianity would be a religion of self-improvement by following examples and exhortations, not a religion of the Cross." -Michael Horton

Inspiration
Our Lord's View of the Old Testament by By The Rev. J.W. Wenham, M.A., B.D.
Doctrine of Inspiration by G.H. Hospers
The Inspiration of Scripture by Donald MacLeod
The Humanness of Scripture by Donald MacLeod
The Inspiration of Scripture by James W. Scott
The Inspiration of the Bible by Rick Wade
The Inspiration and Authority of Scripture by Herman Ridderbos
The Doctrine of Inspiration by G.H. Hospers
The Human Writers of the Scripture by E.J. Young
The Divine Inspiration of the Bible by A. W. Pink (book)
The Inspiration of the Bible by A.A. Hodge
The Inspiration and Authority of the Scriptures by B. B. Warfield
The Meaning of "Theopneustos" by B.B. Warfield
Early Church Comments On Inspiration by B.B. Warfield
The History of the Doctrine of Inspiration by M. James Sawyer, Ph.D.
Inspiration and Inerrancy by M. James Sawyer, Ph.D.
Theories of Inspiration by M. James Sawyer, Ph.D.
Inspiration, Authority and Criticism in the Thought of Charles Augustus Briggs by M. James Sawyer, Ph.D.
The Synoptic Problem and Inspiration: A Response by Daniel B. Wallace, Ph.D.
"The Defense of Inspiration" - (Selected Scriptures) by John MacArthur
Our God-Breathed Bible by John MacArthur
"The Inspiration of Scripture" by John MacArthur
Prolegomena: Inspiration by Pastor Bob Burridge
Who Wrote the Bible? The Doctrine of Inspiration by John Stevenson
Revelation and the Inspiration of Scripture by John Fork
The Wonderful Unity of the Bible Attests to its Authorship A.W. Pink
The Inspiration of the Bible by Rick Wade
Articles Defending the Inspiration and Trustworthiness of the Bible by Matt Perman
Is Sola Scriptura a Protestant Concoction? by Dr. Greg Bahnsen Highly Recommended*

The Inspiration of Scripture by Lorraine Boettner

"For as the aged, or those whose sight is defective, when any books however fair, is set before them, though they perceive that there is something written are scarcely able to make out two consecutive words, but, when aided by glasses, begin to read distinctly, so Scripture, gathering together the impressions of Deity, which, till then, lay confused in our minds, dissipates the darkness, and shows us the true God clearly"

- John Calvin, Institutes of Christian religion

Either the Bible will keep you away from sin, or sin will keep you away from the Bible!

The evidence for our New Testament writings is ever so much greater than the evidence for many writings of classical authors, the authenticity of which no-one dreams of questioning. And if the New Testament were a collection of secular writings, their authenticity would generally be regarded as beyond all doubt. It is a curious fact that historians have often been much readier to trust the New Testament than have many theologians.

- F. F. Bruce, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? [1949], p. 15

That "No prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophets’ own interpretation." 2 Peter 1:20
That all Scripture was written as "Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." 2 Peter 1:21
That "God Spoke . . . through the prophets . . . and by His Son." Hebrews 1:1-2
That "All Scripture is God-breathed." 2 Timothy 3:16
The Word of God, once given and written, is exact in all details down to each letter and stroke of the pen. Matthew 5:18
That "The Scripture cannot be broken." John 10:35
That "The Word of the Lord stands forever." 1 Peter 1:25

Authority & Sola Scriptura
Freedom and Authority by Dr. J. I. Packer
The Authority of Scripture by Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981)
Who Really Speaks for God by John H. Armstrong - On the issue of Authority considering Roman Catholic and Protestamnt perspectives
The Inspiration and Authority of Scripture by Herman Ridderbos
The Inspiration and Authority of the Scriptures by B. B. Warfield
Authority: The Church & The Bible by Edmund P Clowney
Why Should We Believe the Bible? by John Rogers
The Authority of Scripture: Notes on Westminster by Douglas Wilson
The Authority of Scripture by William Webster
Sola Scriptura and the Early Church By William Webster
The Authority of the Old Testament by Rev. P. Andrew Sandlin
The Bereans Rejected Sola Scriptura?? A Review and Rebuttal of an article in This Rock by James White
The Bible Is the Authoritative Word of God by Dr. Ken Schurb
The Scripture Sufficient Without Unwritten Traditions By Thomas Manton
Scripture and Tradition by Dr. Sinclair Ferguson
Is the Bible the Only Revelation from God? by Greg Herrick, Ph.D.
The Protestant Rule of Faith by Charles Hodge
Christ's View of the Authority of Canonical Scripture: A Paradigm for Systematic Theology by Christopher Louis Lang
Sola Scriptura by A.A. Hodge
Is Sola Scriptura a Protestant Concoction? by Dr. Greg Bahnsen
The Concept and Importance of Canonicity by Greg Bahnsen
New Testament Statements of Inspiration by Bernie L. Gillespie (pdf)
The Sufficiency of the Written Word
by Dr. John F. MacArthur, Jr
The Sufficiency of Scripture by John MacArthur
Traditionalism and Sola Scriptura Part I; Part II by John M. Frame
Does the Bible Teach Sola Scriptura? James White vs. Patrick Madrid (debate)
What Did the Early Church Believe About Scripture Alone? by William Webster
Sola Scriptura? by Brian Schwertley (e-book)
What Do We Mean by Sola Scriptura? by Dr. W. Robert Godfrey
Scripture Alone by Bernie L. Gillespie
Sola Scriptura by Kevin Efflandt on the cardinal doctrine of the Reformation. The Bible is complete, authoritative, and sufficient.
Is the Doctrine of Sola Scriptura Really Biblical? by Tony Warren
Authority in the Bible by C F H Henry
On Continuing Revelation by John Calvin
Does The Bible Teach Sola Scriptura? Gerry Matatics vs. James White - Reformed/Catholic debate
Authority in the Bible by G W Knight, III, H D McDonald & C F H Henry
Surprised by What? A Defense of Sola Scriptura by Jake Magee
This article is an examination of various Roman Catholic apologist's arguments against the doctrine of Sola Scriptura as found in the original "Surprised by Truth" book

Six sermons on THE SURE WORD OF GOD by Geoff Thomas associate editor of the "Banner of Truth"

Interpretation/Hermeneutics
Rules in the Study and Interpretation of Scripture (PCA)
The Two Ages and Redemptive History Two Age
"How to Study Your Bible: Interpretation" by John MacArthur
Must I Learn How To Interpret The Bible? By D. A. Carson
What Are We Looking For In the Bible? By Michael S. Horton
Interpreting the Bible by Bruce Waltke
The Holy Spirit and Hermeneutics by Daniel B. Wallace, Ph.D.
Reformed Hermeneutics: How we interpret the Bible
Hermeneutics and the Creation Wars R. Scott Clark
A Reformed Confession Regarding Hermeneutics By Dr. Greg Bahnsen
Recommended Biblical Studies Resources On Biblical Hermeneutics by Two Age
Biblical Interpretation by CARM
The Interpretation of Scripture by Pastor Bob Burridge (GIRS)
Hermeneutics and Biblical Theology By Dr. Steven M. Baugh
We must realize that there is one theme running throughout all of the books of the Bible, tying the subplots, characters, and sub-themes into one grand redemptive drama.
A Christological Hermeneutic: Crisis and Conflict in Hermeneutics by Donald G. Bloesch Monergism.com Sub-Section on Hermeneutics

Geneva Institute of Reformed Studies (lessons)
Prolegomena: Revelation, Divine Self-Disclosure by Pastor Bob Burridge
Prolegomena: The Canon of Scripture by Pastor Bob Burridge
Prolegomena: Inspiration by Pastor Bob Burridge
The Preservation of Scripture by Pastor Bob Burridge
Translation of Scripture by Pastor Bob Burridge
The Interpretation of Scripture by Pastor Bob Burridge

Perspectives on the Word of God, part 1 by: John M. Frame
Introduction; and The Nature of the Word of God

Perspectives on the Word of God, part 2 by: John M. Frame
The Media of the Word of God

Perspectives on the Word of God, part 3 by: John M. Frame
The Word of God and Christian Ethics

General Bible
Bible Gateway
Net Bible by Biblical Studies Pres

To preach the word . . . and not to follow it with constant and fervent prayer for its success, is to disbelieve its use, neglect its end, and to cast away the seed of the gospel at random.

JOHN OWEN

The character of Jesus can only be known through oral tradition as was passed on by the original apostles and handed down from generation to generation, even to today; the Bible is a product of this. The New Testament wasn't even compiled until the late 4th century, and the authority with which the early Church had to deem the Bible as legitimate is the same authority that exists today :)

I've seen this general statement before. It appears to be caused by certain historians who confused the codification of the various written materials of the day into a canon that would be accepted by all as representing the revealed Word of God. The canon was codified about AD400, but that canon was based on written material that already existed, not oral material.

The short book referenced in this thread has a comment on this point:

One thing must be emphatically stated. The New Testament books did not become authoritative for the Church because they were formally included in a canonical list; on the contrary, the Church included them in her canon because she already regarded them as divinely inspired, recognising their innate worth and generally apostolic authority, direct or indirect. The first ecclesiastical councils to classify the canonical books were both held in North Africa-at Hippo Regius in 393 and at Carthage in 397-but what these councils did was not to impose something new upon the Christian communities but to codify what was already the general practice of those communities.

BTW: I've skimmed the book this thread is linked to. It looks pretty well done, although it is pretty short considering the complexity of the overall subject matter. From what I saw in my initial run through, the book is consistent with the known historical record.

Oops, that post was a lot longer than I had intended. Sorry about that!

SITREP - for future reference

He was actually responsible for it or not-has a value all its own, and a man who accepts and follows that teaching can be a true Christian even if he believes that Christ never lived at all.

Is the person who proposed this logic a member of the Ninth Circuit?

The character of Jesus can only be known through oral tradition as was passed on by the original apostles and handed down from generation to generation, even to today; the Bible is a product of this.

I'm not sure I entirely agree with that. John was an eyewitness and Paul wrote his epistles within a few years after the Crucifixion.

Yikes!

BMFLR.

Yikes!
________________________________________

Sorry, my fat finger posted too fast. I wasn't supposed to post the whole thing! :P

BMFLR?

Translation, please! I don't read q[rotin;kj cvj er[oijnfg skn[;fkjn[kjnsfmfn g'jk.

Thanks

Book Marked For Later Reading.

John is an "alleged" eyewitness, which the Church verified upon canonizing the current New Testament we have today, while the Gospel of Thomas, another "alleged" eyewitness, was left out. Ultimately, it was the early Church fathers and the tradition passed down from the 11 apostles that formed everything we know of Jesus today, and even the Bible itself.

For example, Paul very rarely recounts an event of Jesus' life BUT when he does he always prefaces his account with "as was handed on to me."

For example, Paul very rarely recounts an event of Jesus' life BUT when he does he always prefaces his account with "as was handed on to me."

Of course, he wasn't an eyewitness, but he talked to eyewitnesses so beyond the first saying, it was not an oral tradition.

Gal 1:18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.
Gal 1:19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother.
Gal 1:20 Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.

Your use of "alleged" is irrelevant since this is not a mathematical proof nor a criminal trial. There are written documents that point to the facts, not an oral tradition, cleaned and published centuries later. The fact that there are ancient writings excluded from the canon indicates a tradition of writing.

Your use of "alleged" is irrelevant since this is not a mathematical proof nor a criminal trial. There are written documents that point to the facts, not an oral tradition, cleaned and published centuries later. The fact that there are ancient writings excluded from the canon indicates a tradition of writing.

And what "facts" do we have to verify anything that is written in the Gospels? I don't recall the history books ever mentioning that Jesus walked on water. The only remotely factual documentation of any part of Jesus' life, with the exception of his death (Shroud of Turin), is what is found in the New Testament and the books that compile the New Testament are considered true because the early Church said they were. Many stories of Jesus' life in the various churches were considered "inspired text" prior to any official decree of the Church but were later excluded from the canon. For example, with what "facts" do we have to prove that Jesus did not have a child with Mary Magdelene? None, apart from what the early Church taught and later passed down through generations.

WOW. Thanks. Bookmarked for slow digestion. hope your wife is fine......per prayer request on tagline.