Bible Fact or Fiction Did God Really Write the Bible?

Transcription

1 Bible Fact or Fiction Did God Really Write the Bible? Key Faith Foundation: All Scripture Is Inspired by God Key Scriptures: 2 Timothy 3:14-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21

2 Bible basis for teachers 2 Timothy 3:14-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21 O Grapple Question: Did God Really Write the Bible? O Key Faith Foundation: All Scripture Is Inspired by God God used several people to write the books of the Bible, so we can confuse kids when we tell them God wrote the Bible. Use this lesson to help kids understand that, even though God might not have written words on paper, God is the Bible s author. God spoke to Moses, John, Paul, and others who listened to God and wrote the Bible so that, today, we can read God s most important message. The Bible is God s true word, written to share that Jesus came to give us life through his death and resurrection and to show us how to live for God each day of our lives. In 2 Peter 1:19-21, Peter argued against false teachers who apparently accused the apostles of making up stories about Jesus and his power. Peter referred to writings of the Old Testament prophets to prove that Jesus was who he claimed to be. Peter put all prophecy and authorship of Bible texts into perspective: Those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God. According to 2 Timothy 3:14-17, Timothy grew up learning the Scriptures. Paul emphasizes the importance and reliability of God s Word. Certainly Paul s statement in verse 16 regarding all Scripture applies to the whole of what we know as the Bible today. The term inspired by God assures us that God was involved in the writing of the Bible as he worked through human authors. That assurance helps us know that what we have in the Bible today is what God wants us to have. It tells us everything about him that he wants us to know. This passage will help kids understand that when we study the Bible carefully and use it as our source for teaching, correcting, preparing, and equipping, it will have a special and significant impact on our lives. understanding preteens Older children begin to question the reliability of what they re told and told to believe. So they may start questioning the source of God s written Word. Use this lesson to assure them that Scripture is a gift from God and contains his rock-solid truth. 40

3 the lesson at a glance Lesson Sequence What Kids Will Do Supplies 1 grapple community (5 minutes) Build relationships. DVD player Christian music CD CD player snacks 2 grapple games (10-15 minutes) 3 grapple time (10 minutes) 4 grapple team time (15 minutes) Choose two games to play. Act as scribes as they learn about who wrote the Bible. Study Bible verses that shed light on the Bible s origin and purpose. 2 identical trash cans tape balloons one chair for each player DVD player Grapple DVD paper pencils Bible paper pencils copy of the Grapple Team Guide for each person 5 grapple team reports (10 minutes) Report what they learned from the Bible passage they studied. newsprint markers tape 6 grapple prayer (5 minutes) Choose a prayer option. paper pencils 7 grapple dare Hear the Grapple dare. 41

4 1 grapple community Play Christian music as kids enjoy snacks and friendship. Give kids this discussion starter as they eat. Say: Ask at least three people to name a favorite book. 2 grapple games Say: We re going to play a game, but you ll get to choose. Would you rather play Dunk It (p. 104), which involves a balloon version of basketball? Or would you like to play Appliances (p. 103), where you create working models of machines with your bodies? Have kids vote on the game they d like to play. Then lead kids in playing the game. Say: Now we ll play another game. Would you rather play Pileup (p. 105), where you ll see which categories you each fit into? Or would you like to play Crows and Cranes (p. 104), where you need to listen carefully for certain words before tagging people? Have kids vote on the game they d like to play. Then lead kids in playing the game. 3 grapple time 42 Cue the Grapple DVD to the Straight Talk clip. Lead the entire group in the following: Today we re going to play a game called I Scribe. I ll tell you a story one phrase at a time, and we ll pass the paper around the room so that each person gets a chance to write part of the story. Ready? Hand paper and pencil to the youngest person in the group. Read from Luke 15:11-20, breaking the story into verses or short phrases to accommodate the number of kids in your group. After you ve read a phrase, pause to give one person time to write the phrase and pass the paper and pencil to the next person. When you ve read the story and everyone has had a chance to write, hold up the paper for everyone to see. If we were going to put the author s name on this story, whose name would we write? Why? Pass the paper around again, starting with the person wearing the most blue, and encourage kids to write their names on the paper if they believe they can take credit for writing the story.

5 Did you write your name on the paper? Why or why not? Why shouldn t you get credit for writing this story? Who do you think should get credit for writing the Bible? Explain. Let s watch a DVD clip as we think more about who really deserves the credit for writing the Bible. Show the Straight Talk clip on the Grapple DVD. Did God really write the Bible if there are so many different authors? Let s go to our Grapple Team Time and grapple with that. 4 grapple team time Break into Grapple Teams. Encourage Grapple Team leaders to check in with kids about their week. Grapple Team leaders will facilitate discussion, using the Grapple Team Guide on pages grapple team reports At the end of Grapple Team Time, have kids work with their team to choose one of the options below to report what they discovered. Option 1: Bible Scene To share what you discovered, act out a scene to show what you think it might have looked like as the Bible was being written. Option 2: Bible Mural Have each person in your team draw a picture of something you discovered about who wrote the Bible. Create a mural by taping the individual pictures together. Match Grapple Teams that chose Option 1 with Grapple Teams that chose Option 2. Have teams present their reports. (Do this one team at a time if you have only two Grapple Teams.) 6 grapple prayer Read the Grapple prayer options. Have the group choose one prayer option that everyone will do. Allow kids time to pray about what they discovered. Then close in prayer. Option 1: Letter Prayers Write a letter to God thanking him for using people to record his words to us in the Bible. 43

6 Option 2: Whistle Prayers Softly whistle a favorite Bible song as you pray and ask God to use the Bible to teach you. 7 grapple dare Say: God might not have written words on paper, but God is the author of the Bible. God spoke to men Moses, John, and Paul, for example and these men listened to God and wrote the Bible so that today we can read it. The Bible is God s true and important message to tell us that Jesus came to save us, and it shows us how to live for God each day of our lives. Here s your Grapple dare: This week I dare you to read a chapter of the Bible each day as you learn more about God s most important message to you. (Find the Parent Page for this lesson on the enhanced DVD. Have each child give a copy to his or her parent. Alternatively, send the file to parents via .) 44

7 grapple team guide In your Grapple Team, use this guide to grapple with today s question. Find a book of the Bible written by Paul, David, Peter, Solomon, Joshua, or John. Then report back to your team as if you were doing a news broadcast about the book being written. So, if these men have their names on a book of the Bible or they signed a letter in the Bible, did God really write the Bible? Makes you wonder, doesn t it? Let s find out. Read 2 Peter 1: List the two sources for the Bible, according to these Scriptures, and two things that these Scriptures say the Bible didn t come from. Based on these verses, who is the author of the Bible? What does this make you think about the Bible? Read 2 Timothy 3: What do these verses say is the ultimate purpose of the Bible? If you can trust that God wrote the Bible, what does that mean about trusting the ultimate purpose of the Bible? How does knowing this impact your life?

8 Read 2 Timothy 3: According to these verses, what are three reasons why the Bible can be useful in your life? List them here in your own words. Pick one of these reasons and describe what that would look like in your life. As a team, write phrases you ve listed above to form a sentence about who wrote the Bible and how the Bible applies to your life. It s time to report breaking news: Create a 60-second news broadcast about the real author of the Bible. grapple team reports With your team, choose one of the options below to report what you discovered. Option 1: Bible Scene To share what you discovered, act out a scene to show what you think it might have looked like as the Bible was being written. Option 2: Bible Mural Have each person in your team draw a picture of something you discovered about who wrote the Bible. Create a mural by taping the individual pictures together. W grapple team guide