The Development and Reliability of the Bible Part 1: The Old Testament

August 21, 2020

Where did the Old Testament come from? Is there any reason that Christians should view it as the word of God?

Key take-aways:

  • The Bible did not arrive as a leather bound edition. These were individual writings collected in a book.
  • The Old Testament books were written over about a 1,000 year period.
  • We do not know as much about the writing and collecting of the Old Testament as we do about the New Testament.
  • The Septuagint (abbreviated LXX) is a Greek translation of the Old Testament made around 200 years before the time of Jesus. (Dr. Black discusses the LXX on this video.)
  • The Dead Sea Scrolls preserve ancient copies of almost all of the Old Testament.
  • Jesus and the Apostles quote, rely on, and consider the Old Testament as the authoritative Word of God.

Jimmy L. Stokes II has served as preaching minister at the Northeast Side Church of Christ in Bartlett, TN (metro Memphis) since 2010. Bro. Stokes grew up in the Memphis area and is active in the community on a variety of fronts and creatively engages community issues with faith, serves on the Planning Commission in Horn Lake, MS. God uses both his preaching and his musical talents to bless the church. Stokes earned a B.S. in Religious Studies at Southwestern Christian College. He is married to Akilah (Hill) and they have one daughter, Xaria.

Dr. Allen Black is the dean of HST and Professor of New Testament. He has been at HST since 1983, and teaches the Gospels, Hebrews, 1 Peter, and New Testament Exegesis. Black has served as Adult Education Minister at the Highland Church of Christ for over 35 years.

Harding School of Theology, a graduate school of theology (seminary) in Memphis, TN, has been equipping ministers since 1958. Accredited by the Association of Theological Schools, and offering degree programs at the master’s and doctoral levels, HST equips Christian leaders to higher standards of ministry scholarship and challenges them to a deeper faith in God. Combining academic rigor and interpersonal connections, HST emphasizes student engagement in ministry as they study. HST is associated with Churches of Christ, is part of the Stone-Campbell Movement, and is part of Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas.

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