3). Relation between Old Testament and New Testament
- The New Testament is a continuation of the Old Testament.
- Not two separate trees of life, but one and the same.
- With a time of rest (about 400 years), Jesus came into this world.
- With the appearance of Jesus, the early Church, Apostolic teaching, and with the revelation of Jesus Christ , the Scriptures was complete.
- Christianity cannot be separated from the past. It was not an accident or an afterthought, but foreknown before the foundation of the world. The Incarnation of Jesus Christ is the central point of all history. History is nothing but His Story i.e. what God has done to humanity.
4). Who has written the Bible?
All the scripture is written by the breadth of God, inspired of God through the Holy Spirit. It contains 66 books written by over 40 authors over a period of 1600 years.
5). What is Septuagint?
Septuagint (sometimes abbreviated LXX) is the name given to the Greek translation of the Jewish Scriptures. The Septuagint has its origin in Alexandria, Egypt and was translated between 300-200 BC.The Septuagint contains the standard 39 books of the Old Testament canon, as well as certain apocryphal books.
7). Who are the people that God is speaking about ?
God is speaking to all humanity irrespective of caste, creed, religion, background. Initially God chose one person Abraham and through him a nation was established called Israel. Through Israel whose people are called Jews, God sent a Saviour i.e. the Lord Jesus Christ to save the humanity from eternal destruction. So God is primarily speaking to all the people of this world so that they may be redeemed and accept the free gift of salvation which Christ Jesus has provided.
8). What is Apocrypha ?
The term “Apocrypha” was coined by the fifth-century biblical scholar, Jerome, and generally refers to the set of ancient Jewish writings, written during the period between the last book in the Jewish scriptures, Malachi, and the arrival of Jesus Christ. The apocryphal books include Judith, Tobit, Baruch, Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus), the Wisdom of Solomon, First and Second Maccabees, the two Books of Esdras, additions to the Book of Esther, additions to the Book of Daniel, and the Prayer of Manasseh.
Apocrypha was never considered part of the canonical Jewish scripture. However, the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox churches include the Apocrypha in their Bible (except for the books of Esdras and the Prayer of Manasseh).
9). How did the Bible come and when?
‘The Bible’ is actually a collection of 66 books, written by about 40 different authors from all walks of life (kings, priest, prophets, fishermen, a tax collector, tent maker, half brother of Jesus etc.) over a period of 1,600 years. Each book was considered God-breathed and was received as part of the canon of Scripture, since it came from a recognized speaker of God (normally a prophet or apostle, or someone under their supervision), and contained no historical, factual or doctrinal mistakes.
10). When was Bible compiled?
The term “canon” is used to describe the books that are divinely inspired and therefore belong in the Bible. The difficulty in determining the biblical canon is that the Bible does not give us a list of the books that belong in the Bible. Determining the canon was a process conducted first by Jewish rabbis and scholars and later by early Christians. Ultimately, it was God who decided what books belonged in the biblical canon. Hebrew believers recognized God’s messengers and accepted their writings as inspired of God.
11). How did the Bible circulate before the advent of Printing Press?
The first copies were made by engraving symbols on a slab of rock. The ancient invention of ink or dye enabled early scribes to make marks on animal hides, which could be scrubbed and used again. When the discovery of Papyrus made by Egyptians the Old Testament was changed from leather scrolls, to papyrus. The sheets of papyrus were sewed together and placed between two pieces of wood for covers. This type of book was called a codex. Actually the term Bible comes from the Greek word for “papyrus plant” (biblos). The oldest surviving manuscript of any part of the New Testament is a papyrus fragment containing part of (Jn. 18). Scholars estimate that it was written about 125 AD.