This week we are starting a new summer class, “A Case for Christianity” that continues the theme of Christian Apologetics with an emphasis on how to share your faith with others including answering tough questions asked of Christians in our culture today. We will also continue a Bible survey as part of our individual Bible study by going through the book of Numbers which is part of the Torah (first five books of the Bible).

If you’re a Christian, or just interested in the “real” teachings of Christianity (versus what the culture portrays today), do this class with us. It will help you answer questions for yourself or others who ask, and most of all it will help you grow closer to God through His Word, and more importantly through His Son Jesus. All sessions include a time for prayer and reflection, an “apologetics” presentation, and a Bible study piece. You will also find the presentation notes, Bible study survey format and additional resources here. Example answers will be posted as well for your review, and or to use as a future study or leader’s guide.

Watch the class presentation for the introduction to this class:

Presentation Notes

A Case for Christianity

Session One: Class Introduction

Prayer cards: Take a minute and write your name on the index card provided, and add any special prayer request you might have. Exchange cards at the end of the class this evening.

At your table groups, do the following:

1. Introduce yourself, and then answer this question: Why are you taking this class (what are you hoping to learn), and what is your previous experience in Bible study?
2. Recite the Memory Verse(s):

“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.”  Psalm 1:1-2 (NIV)

Things you will need:

1. A Notebook/binder to store your notes (unless you are doing it electronically)
2. A good study Bible like the Life Application Study Bible in the NASB, NIV or NLT version

Or a study Bible of your choice is fine…

Translations and versions can be generally categorized as seen in the following example:

Literal Translations: Word for word translations that work closest to the original Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic

-New American Standard Bible

-King James Version

-New King James Version

-Revised Standard Version

-New Revised Standard Version

-English Standard Version

Dynamic Equivalent Translations: Thought for thought translations with clearest reading and closest meaning possible that finds equivalent concepts in English

-New International Version

-Christian Standard Bible

-New Living Translation

-New English Version

-Revised English Version

Paraphrases: These have story like qualities and are not recommended for in-depth study

-Message Bible

-Good News Bible

-Living Bible

-Phillips

-New Century Version

Note: All of the major versions can also be found in topical Bibles. Some are focused on particular groups or subjects. For example, there are student study Bibles, Bibles for men or women, and Bibles that have a specific focus like apologetics, archeology, culture, and life application.

MINISTRY STATEMENT

The purpose of this class is to provide participants with the information and tools needed to address the questions asked of Christians in our culture today (1 Peter 3:15). This includes an emphasis on…

1. Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13; John 17:1-3 the entire chapter is a model)
2. Bible Study – proper Biblical interpretation through the use of hermeneutics (Matthew 22:37; 2 Timothy 2:15)
3. Apologetics – a defense of the historicity, inerrancy and inspiration of the Christian Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21)
4. Discipleship (Matthew 28:18-20; Hebrews 10:23-25)

• This ministry believes that it is the responsibility of every person to invest serious time looking into the claims of Christianity because what we believe to be true about God, human purpose and destiny defines us in this life and more importantly in the next (John 14:1-3).
• This ministry is committed to providing Biblical truths based on the teachings of Jesus and his Apostles (John 14:6-7; 2 Peter 1:16-19; 1 John 1:1-4). The most important question we must answer in this life is the one Jesus asked of his disciples: “Who do you say that I am?” (Luke 9:18-20).

Four important areas of Christian growth

1. Prayer (emphasis on modeling Jesus)
2. Hermeneutics (Bible study knowledge based on proper context)
3. Apologetics (sharing and defending our faith)
4. Discipleship (sharing our Christian Walk with others)

Rate yourself for each of those areas on a scale of 1-3:

Not confident: 1

Somewhat confident: 2

Very confident: 3

If you are a returning student, what areas, if any, have you improved on?

Christian Apologetics – Conversational Topics (10 of the most common questions asked of Christians)

We will cover these topics over the course of our classes:

1. Why are you a Christian (and not of some other belief)?
2. What is a Christian Worldview (and how does it affect your daily life)?
3. What is the importance of Truth in a worldview?
4. Does God exist, and where did I come from? (The origin question: Creation vs. Evolution)
5. If God exists, then why is there Evil and Suffering in the world?
6. Who am I, and what is my purpose in life? (The question of identity)
7. Are miracles possible?
8. How do we know the Bible is the Word of God?
9. Who is Jesus (who do I say Jesus is)?
10. What is my destiny (what happens after we die)? 

“Christianity has so much evidence, it is like death by a 1000 paper cuts!”
-J. Warner Wallace

 BIBLE STUDY

The Importance of Study

OWN YOUR FAITH!

KNOW WHAT YOU BELIEVE AND WHY YOU BELIEVE IT!!

THEN SHARE IT WITH OTHERS!!!

Hermeneutics

• Hermeneutics is simply studying the Bible in its proper context, like you would do with any book.
• Hermeneutics provides some basic guidelines for studying the Bible so that we can be sure that what we are reading and sharing with others is correct:

Principle #1: Never read a Bible verse by itself

Principle #2: Let the Bible interpret the Bible (use cross-referencing)

Principle #3: Use the Hermeneutical format as you read and study…

Bible Study Survey Format

Old Testament

Category:         Torah               

Book:               Numbers         

1. Author: Who wrote the book and when?(Include anything you can find about the author and when it was written)

2. Audience: Who was it written to?(Include anything you can find about the people, the culture or societal norms, of that time period)

3. Purpose: Why was it written?(Include anything you can find about their circumstances and what was, or had been, going on)

4. Content: What is in each chapter?Basic:  Write out chapter by chapter titles. Going Deeper: Add a short summary under your titles, 3-5 sentences Advanced: Look for these things to put in your summary notes: Is there anything in this chapter that relates to one of the Covenants (Adamic, Abrahamic or Mosaic)? Where’s Jesus? Is there anything in this chapter that foreshadows/pictures Jesus? The Shelf: Note any questions or a’has you have about the chapter.

Some helpful notes for studying the Torah
(Genesis-Exodus-Leviticus-Numbers-Deuteronomy)

As Christians we are not under the Mosaic Law because it was given directly and specifically to the Nation of Israel for three purposes:

• Ceremonial Laws (sacrifices and offerings)
• Governmental/Civic Laws (to guide and keep the Nation from chaos and to set them apart from all the other Nations)
• Moral Laws (to keep them pure and Holy as representatives of God to the other Nations).
• Anything Jesus taught that repeated something in the Law we are obligated to follow (not for salvation) as we are His. All who believe and trust in Jesus, including the Jewish people, are free from the penalty of the Law because Jesus gave His life, and then resurrected in defeat of death and Satan, for the very purpose of covering us, so that we do not have to do anything works based to attain forgiveness and eternal life. It is then a gift of grace we receive by faith, not of ourselves, so that no one can boast. (See Ephesians 2:8-9).

We must read the Old Testament in light of its ancient culture

For example: Family groups, including servants/slaves, were important for survival, keeping in mind the rough environment and living conditions at that time. God’s Law regulated the treatment of people, unlike the harsh treatment seen in other cultures; and God was gracious, yet just, in that the laws and rituals He gave were for the people’s protection, including women and slaves, and required fair and just treatment in various situations, which was not common in the other cultures of that day.

In application: 

These Laws represent the way God wanted His people Israel (as role models to the other Nations) to love Him first and take care of each other.

For Christians, this is summed up in the Great Commandment when Jesus tells us to ‘love God, and to love our neighbors as ourselves, and we are expected to be role models, representing Him.

The Law was also given to show that no one is able to keep God’s Laws perfectly, yet there is a penalty for sin without Jesus. Everything we do in this life has consequences, thus showing the need for a Messiah who could save us and cover us from that penalty (death). Jesus fulfilled that promise from God, (along with the hundreds of prophecies about Him).

Some helpful notes as you read and study the book of Numbers

Keeping in mind that the Old Testament is mainly a “historical narrative” and it is important to get the big picture of that narrative before doing deeper dives into particular topics.

As you read and study look for the following things:

1. Covenants
2. Where’s Jesus?
3. The Shelf

COVENANTS

1. The Adamic Covenant: The focus is on the Genesis 3:15 “Seed Promise” that would be carried through the Nation of Israel, specifically the tribe of Judah, culminating in the person of Jesus.

2. The Abrahamic Covenant: The Genesis 12 promise God made to Abraham is unconditional in the sense that God would fulfill it, but God also gave a requirement of circumcision that would be a sign of His people’s obedience to Him under this covenant.

This covenant encompassed three things: 

• A Nation
• A Land
• A Blessing

3. The Mosaic Covenant found throughout the Torah (Exodus-Deuteronomy) further unfolds the Abrahamic Covenant, but is a conditional covenant specifically for the Nation of Israel to function governmentally, societally and morally:
   • The Law will set them apart from the other nations as a representative of the one true God
   • The expectation is obedience to the Law and consequences as the result of disobedience (and they will fail, thus showing them, and us, the need for a savior and redeemer = Jesus)
   • The Law will, in many ways, foreshadow the coming Messiah, Jesus

WHERE’S JESUS?

JF = Jesus Foreshadowed

Look for persons or events that “picture” something Jesus would say, be or do as He fulfills the covenants and prophecies of the Old Testament.

THE SHELF:

Note any questions, or a’has, or special verses, or events, or stories you would like to remember as you read and study. This will help us not to get hung up on “rabbit trails” as we are surveying to get the “big picture.”

LET’S PRACTICE!

We will now cover how to begin a Bible study in the book of Numbers together in class! Let’s begin by answering the first three parts of the survey format, and the beginning of number four, content. The following are example answers:

1. Author: Who wrote the book and when? (Include anything you can find about the author and when it was written)

• Moses is the author of this book which is part of the first five books of the Bible known as the Torah (Hebrew), Pentateuch (Greek), also known as “the Books of Moses”
• Moses’ story is told in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy
• The Bible tells us that God gave Moses all that is in the Torah at Mt. Sinai, and he wrote during the forty-year period of wandering in the desert after the exodus from Egypt, 1446-1406 BC

Biblical reference examples for Moses’ authorship: Exodus 17:14, 24:2-4, 34:27; Numbers 33:1-2, Deuteronomy 31:9, Joshua 1:8, 2 Kings 21:8; and most importantly Jesus spoke of Moses’ authorship many times as exampled in John 5:46-47

2. Audience: Who was it written to? (Include anything you can find about the people, the culture or societal norms, of that time period)

• The Nation of Israel is the intended audience and it was given to them during their forty-year wilderness wanderings after the exodus from Egypt (prior to entering the Promised Land).
• Additionally, God gave it to them through Moses and commanded them to teach it to the people of God for generations to come.

3. Purpose: Why was it written? (Include anything you can find about their circumstances and what was, or had been, going on)

• The Hebrew name for Numbers is Bamidbar, which means “In the Wilderness” and in this book they will be in the wilderness for some forty years due to their disobedience.
• The theme of Numbers narrates the gradual fulfillment of the promises to Abraham, that his descendants would be a great Nation, the people of God, and would occupy the land of Canaan.
• The book also shows the reality of God’s presence with Israel in the pillar of cloud and fire over the Tabernacle day and night, and even though He must discipline them, He never leaves them.
• In this book we find the question has been answered as to why, at the end of Exodus, the people could not enter the “tent of meeting” in the Tabernacle where God’s presence was (because of God’s holiness and His shinning glory). We find that now they could enter the “tent” due to the implementation of the laws in the book of Leviticus. The first verse in the book of Numbers says: “Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt” (compare with Exodus 40:34-35).
• Numbers also shows us how Israel’s unbelief and disobedience delays the entry into Canaan (by some forty years) and costs many lives; nevertheless, by the end of the book Israel is ready to enter the land.

4. Content: What is in each chapter?

• Basic:  Write out chapter by chapter titles.
• Going Deeper: Add a short summary under your titles, 3-5 sentences
• Advanced: Look for these things to put in your summary notes:

1. 1. 1. Is there anything in this chapter that relates to one of the Covenants (Adamic, Abrahamic or Mosaic)?
      2. Where’s Jesus? Is there anything in this chapter that foreshadows/pictures Jesus?
      3. The Shelf: Note any questions or a’has you have about the chapter.

PREPARING FOR THE JOURNEY

Chapter 1: The First Census of the Nation – Census of Israel’s Warriors; Levites Exempted

In this chapter we read about God’s command to Moses to take a census, every male 20 years and older, for the purpose of war (conquest of the Promised Land). We also read about the assigned heads of each of the twelve tribes. The number is 603,550. The tribe of Levi were not to be numbered according to the LORD because their duties were to the Tabernacle.

Interesting Note: It is ironic that when the nation is numbered again at the end of the book with the second generation, after this generation dies off in the wilderness, the number is 601,730, almost exactly the same. They had not lost their children to famine or disease in the wilderness as they had complained about, and it was their children who would lead them into the Promised Land.

C = We see a pointing to the Abrahamic Covenant in this first chapter with the listing of the twelve tribes of Israel (and their leaders) that fulfills God’s promise to Abraham of a “nation” and of for a “land” as they prepared to enter the land of Canaan (the Promised Land).

JF = If we follow the “seed promise” from Genesis 3:15 through to the tribe of Judah we find the designated leader of the tribe of Judah is Nahshon the son of Amminadab in Numbers 1:7. Then if we cross-reference to the New Testament and look at Jesus’ genealogies in Matthew 1:4 and Luke 3:32-33 we find these names in the direct line of Jesus.

Chapter 2: Arrangement of the Camp by Tribes

In this chapter God tells Moses and Aaron how to have the tribes set up and arrange their camps around the “tent of meeting” in the Tabernacle. The arrangements would be in order by who would pick up and leave camp first and where they would set up camp when they stopped. The tribe of Levi would always camp around the Tabernacle in four groups to attend to the duties of setting up, maintaining and breaking down the Tabernacle for travel.

JF = We find the following about tribe of Judah, Jesus’ lineage: 1) They would lead the others by going out first (Jesus said “follow” Him); 2) they were on the east side where the entrance to the Tabernacle was (Jesus said that “He was the door”); and 3) the final arrangement of the camp was in the shape of a cross with the Tabernacle in the middle where the presence of the LORD was located in the “tent of meeting.”

HOMEWORK:

Read Numbers chapters 3-11 and do the following: This would continue #4 – Content from the Bible survey format…

• Basic: Write a title for each chapter (could include more than one depending on topics in that chapter).
• Going Deeper: Take notes to summarize the chapter (no more than three to five sentences). However, you can add to your summaries if you glean something important from your study partners.
• Advanced: Look for these things to put in your summary notes:

a.Is there anything in the chapter that relates to one of the Covenants (Adamic, Abrahamic or Mosaic)?

b.Where’s Jesus? Is there anything in the chapter that foreshadows/pictures Jesus?

c.The Shelf: Note any questions or a’has you have about the chapter.