The Bible: Its Nature, Authority and Transmission
This domain examines what the Bible claims to be, why Christians treat it as authoritative, and how the text reached us. Expect definition questions plus a structured essay such as 'Explain how the Old Testament text was preserved'.
Nature and authority
- General revelation: creation and conscience (Ps 19:1; Rom 1:19-20). Special revelation: Scripture and, supremely, Christ (Heb 1:1-2).
- Inspiration: the writings are 'God-breathed' (2 Tim 3:16); prophets spoke as they were carried by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet 1:20-21). Inspiration shapes the text; illumination shapes the reader.
- Authority: Scripture commands, rebukes and creates faith. Jesus settles disputes with 'It is written' (Matt 4:4).
Canon
39 Old Testament books in three divisions - Law, Prophets, Writings. 27 New Testament books received on the grounds of apostolic origin, agreement with the rule of faith, and use in worship. The church recognised the canon; it did not invent it.
Transmission
- Masoretes standardised Hebrew vowel pointing; the Dead Sea Scrolls (1947) show how carefully the text was copied.
- The Septuagint translated the Hebrew into Greek from the 3rd century BC; about 5,800 Greek New Testament manuscripts survive, including Sinaiticus and Vaticanus.
- Jerome's Vulgate, Tyndale's New Testament (1526), the King James Version (1611) and the Chichewa Buku Lopatulika (1922) trace the chain into Malawi's pulpits.
Worked example
'Why do Christians call the Bible authoritative?' A weak answer says 'the church decided'. A strong answer argues from God's own character, cites 2 Tim 3:16, notes that Christ appealed to Scripture as final, and adds that the Spirit convinces believers while the church merely discerns the voice of its Lord.
Traps
- Confusing inspiration with illumination.
- Claiming the King James Version is the original text.
- Treating the canon as a church invention.
- Discussing manuscripts without naming a single one.