Introduction

I.         What is the Bible?

II.        How does that Work?

III.      Genre

IV.       Biblical Theology

 Biblical Theology Worksheet

We will be digging into the Bible together at our tables. Take some time for each person to read the passage to themselves and then begin to answer the following questions. Please take notes on your own sheet. Leave room for other notes/insights as we share as a class. Select someone to report back from your group to the class. Feel free to jot down other thoughts from the whole class debrief time.

Passage:     ____________________________________

Can you summarize your findings in one sentence? A Bumper Sticker version?

The Story and The Law

I.         Biblical Theology:                Deuteronomy 5:1-21

II.        Law Given

III.      The Law

IV.       Which laws do we have to follow?

Psalms

How Did We Get It?

1. How Did We Get It?

II.        A More Dynamic Vision

III.      Biblical Criticism:    A Long Journey Back to Where We Started

IV.       The Psalms

V.        Biblical Theology

Together as a group pick one of the Psalm types and then do a Biblical Theology worksheet. If your Psalm is too long feel free to do the worksheet on a representative section. Summarize your work and be prepared to share it with the larger group.

Biblical Criticism Approaches

Over the last couple centuries Biblical studies has focused increasingly on applying literary analysis or criticism to the Scriptures. Like all “tools” it can be helpful or it can be hurtful depending on how it’s used.  Forms of Biblical Criticism are:
1.        Textual Criticism:  What was the “original” (final/canonical) text, based on the various existing versions?
2.        Literary/Source Criticism (Wellhausen):  When and by whom and for what purpose was the text originally written down?
3.        Form Criticism (Gunkel, Mowinkle): What oral precursors are discernable behind the text? What was its “life-setting”? Genre?
4.        Tradition Criticism: What was the process by which this tradition was passed down and shaped through history?

5.        Redaction Criticism: When and by what process (of collecting and editing) did it reach its final literary form?

6.        Rhetorical/Literary Criticism: What are its literary forms, structures and themes? How does it function to accomplish its purpose?

The most recent development in Biblical Criticism has helped correct some of the tendencies in the other tools by refocusing out attention on the final form.

7.        Canonical Criticism (Childs): How, why, when did this text gain ‘canonical’ status as a sacred text? How does it function as such?

Written Sources for Canonical Books: (Pre-canonical writings)

Who Wrote the Pentateuch?

It was Moses:

It says so in the Old Testament

But our final version has some extras that
indicate someone else edited it.

Moses wrote it but it appears to have been
Redacted or edited into it’s final form.

A dynamic vision of God’s work in the Scripture would see the whole process as “Inspiration” under God’s direction.

The Prophets

I.         The Time of the Prophets

All Dates are B.C.

II.        The Prophet and His Message

III.      One Prophet Amongst Many - Micah

The Kings and Prophets
of Israel and Judah

United Kingdom

Divided Kingdom

Bibliography:  Old Testament Survey, Kevin Conner & Ken Malmin, Bible Temple Publishing

Biblical Theology Worksheet

We will be digging into the Bible together at our tables. Take some time for each person to read the passage to themselves and then begin to answer the following questions. Please take notes on your own sheet. Leave room for other notes/insights as we share as a class. Select someone to report back from your group to the class. Feel free to jot down other thoughts from the whole class debrief time.

Choose from:

Passage:     ____________________________________

Can you summarize your findings in one sentence? A Bumper Sticker version?

Wisdom Notes

I.         Biblical Theology Worksheet on Proverbs

Do a Biblical Theology worksheet on Proverbs 2:1-11  

Wisdom is:
Knowing the right thing to do at the right time in the right way.

II.        Wisdom – Get IT!

1. Wisdom Defined

Wisdom is one of the primary genre in the OT. Jews would break the OT down like this – Moses (i.e. Law), the Prophets and the Writings – (i.e. wisdom)

Jeremiah mentions three classes of religious leaders (Jeremiah 18:18)
“They said, "Come, let's make plans against Jeremiah; for the teaching of the law by the priest will not be lost, nor will counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophets. So come, let's attack him with our tongues and pay no attention to anything he says."

B.        Focused on how to live successfully in Everyday Life

Wisdom literature is different than the other categories. Prophets focused on holiness and obedience to God, addressing the nation. Law based on the rules and regulations. Wisdom focuses on how to be successful in every day life.

how to discipline an unruly child,
how to teach children what they need to know to survive as an adult,
the dangers to the community of gossip and slander,
the need for hard work and providing the necessities of life,
why wicked people seem to prosper,
the arrogance of sudden wealth. 

Note: These are not guarantees, not laws of the universe. These are guidelines for behavior, general principles that are generally true.

            C.        No “Thus Saith the Lord” 

It doesn’t say anywhere in Proverbs “thus saith the Lord” or that the Word of the Lord came to me. In fact it’s almost the opposite. The words of wisdom in Proverbs are said to come from

The first 8 chapters are filled with “my son heed the word of your father” chapter 10 “the proverbs of Solomon”, chapter 24 “sayings of the wise” chapter 25 “more Solomon written down by men of Hezekiah” chapter 30 “sayings of Agur” chapter 31, “sayings of King Lemuel”

Even there they don’t claim a vision from God. In fact the reality is far more dynamic, more real life.

Example: In your handout I gave you. A comparison of a collection of Egyptian sayings called Amenemope. Most scholars believe that this was written before Solomon lived. I

That doesn’t mean that this is not Scripture. The Canonization process has confirmed it to be that. It just goes to show that like any human writings there are sources that shape the end product.

Especially in wisdom – collections of sayings. Like Poor Richard’s Almanac by Ben Franklin in the late 1700’s or “Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergartent” by Robert Fulghum.

Canonical Criticism – recognizes that the books that have been defined as canon by the People of God over the ages need to be taken at face value as our Scriptures. Getting behind them and picking them apart is left up to other criticism schools.

            D.        But it assumes a foundation of faith in Yahweh

One example of that is in the last column of the Amenemope comparison. Solomon has studied wisdom but he has taken it to a new level – not just about what works on a human functionality plane but in reference to God.

But an even clearer sign of that come from the book itself. In our Biblical theology worksheet where did wisdom come from?

In fact most of the book contrasts the wise person and the fool.

            E.         It’s only Wise if it’s Lived in My Life

A final key theme – is that Wisdom is only wise if it’s lived out. Doctrine is a bit the same but you can believe the right thing and be considered okay. Wisdom in here is reflected in your life. It is wise to do the right thing not just know the right thing to do.

III.      Job – Wisdom Through Story

1. Types of Wisdom – Sayings and Stories

There are two primary categories of wisdom. There are the proverbs – pithy sayings, rules or maxims that you can memorize. But there are also stories. (i.e. Aesop’s Fables).

The book of Job is more of the latter – some of the parables are that way in the Gospels.

1. Theodicy – the theme of Job

What do you think of when you think of Job?

Job is one of the oldest stories in the Old Testament and a key theme is in technical terms the problem of theodicy

that attempts to reconcile the existence of evil or suffering in the world with the assumption of a benevolent God.  At it’s core “how can you have both an all powerful good God and then have bad things happen?” 

This is the question that Job wrestles with through the book. His friends have opinions to offer. Most of which boil down to “Job, you’re getting what you deserve. You just need to repent and it will all be right.” Job refutes them each in turn as they go back and forth. Until finally Job denies their claims and has about five chapters of soliliquy. And then Elihu steps in and begins his speech of 6 chapters. He’s closer to the truth than anyone else but even that is not enough.

C.        Ultimate Answer = an Encounter with God

An encounter with God. That’s what we are going to do our Biblical Theology exercise on…

Job 40:1-14

What is the final answer to the theodicy?  God gets to figure that out.

IV.       Biblical Theology Worksheet on Job

 Job 40:1-14

V.        Final Exam

Overlap Between other Ancient Wisdom Sayings
and the Book of Proverbs

Modified from