The Authority and Reliability of the Bible with Dr. Michael Kruger

Nov 30, 2020

Dr. Michael Kruger, President of Reformed Theological Seminary and a leading scholar on New Testament origins, dives into the reliability and authority of the Bible. He discusses why biblical authors are seen as authoritative and addresses criticisms surrounding authorship and forgery. Kruger provides evidence for Gospel authorship and explains how the New Testament canon was gradually recognized. He emphasizes the importance of historical scrutiny and the care taken in textual transmission, all while encouraging open discussion in church communities.

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ANECDOTE

College Challenge Sparked A Career

Michael Kruger traced his interest to a college religion class with Bart Ehrman that challenged his unprepared faith.
That struggle led him into scholarly work and a career defending the New Testament's reliability.

INSIGHT

Authors Claim Divine Authority

Biblical authors position themselves as authoritative spokesmen for God, not inventors of scripture.
This authorship claim undergirds why Christians treat these books as God's word.

INSIGHT

Early Testimony Strengthens Authorship Claims

Early church testimony creates a strong chain linking John the Apostle to the Gospel of John.
Irenaeus learned from Polycarp, who knew John, making authorship historically probable.

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On today’s episode of the Journeywomen podcast, we’re discussing the authority, reliability, and development of the Bible with Dr. Michael Kruger. If you’ve ever had questions about the reliability of the scriptures, how they came to be, or whether or not they stand up to scrutiny, this episode is for you. Dr. Kruger is one of the leading scholars in the study of the origins of the New Testament, particularly the development of the New Testament canon and the transmission of the New Testament text. Dr. Kruger serves as the President and Samuel C. Patterson Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at Reformed Theological Seminary, in Charlotte, NC.

He is the author of numerous books, most recently Christianity at the Crossroads: How the Second Century Shaped the Future of the Church (SPCK, 2017; IVP Academic, 2018). Other publications include The Gospel of the Savior (Brill, 2005), The Heresy of Orthodoxy (Crossway, 2010, with Andreas Köstenberger), Canon Revisited (Crossway, 2012), and The Question of Canon (IVP, 2013). He is also the editor of and contributor to A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament (Crossway, 2016) and co-editor of The Early Text of the New Testament (Oxford, 2012) and Gospel Fragments (Oxford, 2009). In addition, Dr. Kruger served as president of the Evangelical Theological Society (2019), and is on the editorial board of the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society and The Bulletin for Biblical Research.

FULL SHOW NOTES

RESOURCES

Surviving Religion 101: Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping the Faith in College by Dr. Michael Kruger (forthcoming 2021)

Dr. Kruger’s website

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

Matthew 5:17-18

John 5:39

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

How does understanding the authority and reliability of the Bible change how you will read and study it? How does it change how you view God?
How can you encourage someone in your life in their belief of the authority and reliability of Scripture?
What are the implications of trusting that the Bible really is true and reliable? How will this change your life?
What practical steps can you take to grow your understanding of the authority and reliability of the Bible?
What are you going to do or implement as a result of what you’ve learned this week?

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