Where did the Bible Come From? (seminar)

When we travel in Canada, we usually offer several seminars to churches, schools, small groups, etc. – you can see the current list here.

The “Where did the Bible Come From?” seminar may be a little harder to picture than most, so I want to share a bit of an outline of some of the things we cover. This was originally put together in Spanish as 8 studies, but last time we were in Canada I translated and “Canadianized” it, and condensed it into “part 1” and “part 2”, which could be a Friday evening/Saturday morning, or a morning/afternoon.

So here is a bit of an overview, with some of the things we do and cover in the seminar. If you’re in Alberta or Saskatchewan, and are interested, we can talk!

Where did the Bible Come From?

Day 1 (or morning)

The Four Witnesses

• What is “evidence”? (Laura Secord and the Bible)
• The surprising new religion of the first century
• The Resurrection
• Video: Can you respond to Deepak Chopra?
• The claims of the Da Vinci Code
• Group Activity: Compare a Gospel with a “Lost Gospel”

The Hebrew Scriptures

• Wait – do we have too many books? Or too few? (Canon part 1)
• Who wrote the “Books of Moses”?
• The Dead Sea Scrolls and the copying of the OT

Day 2 (or afternoon)

Copy, Copy, Copy
Can we possibly know what was originally written?

• Group Activity: Examine the ancient texts of Javier the Louse (and experience for yourself the brilliant way that God preserved His Word)
• Common copying errors
• Which books? (Canon part 2)
• Answering the Da Vinci Code

Field Trip: The Bible Translation Museum

Today’s Bibles

• Today’s Bible Versions (and where they came from)
• The Bible: Key Words to know
• Group Activity: Can you respond to these actual comments from Canadians about the Bible?
• The Bible Origins Contest
• (hand out prizes)

Final Review

• So – where did the Bible come from?
• 9 Key Points to Remember
• Key Passages
• Final words from Ignatius of Antioch and the Apostle John

This seminar is for teens to seniors, suitable for a minimum of 5 people. Some set up time, tables and chairs, and the ability to show PowerPoint/video are needed.

As you can see, I mean to make this very practical, to help you in your own study of Scripture, and to help you answer what you see in the media, hear from a friend, or learn in high school/university.

Again, if you’re interested, contact us and we’ll see what we can do!