This is the first lesson of a basic study of Bible survey.

1. BASIC BIBLE SURVEY
L1 Overview
Jerry F. Smith, PhD ● Missionary Pastor-Teacher ● Faith Missionary Church World Outreach Ministry ●
jfrsmth@gmail.com ● http://pastorjerrysblog.blogspot.com/ ● http://c-ed.blogspot.com ●
http://fmcoutreach.blogspot.com/
Ministry Essentials Training

2. What is the BIBLE?

3. What is the Bible?
The Bible is a collection of books,
accepted by the Christian Church as
uniquely inspired by God, and thus
authoritative in matters of faith and
practice.
The sixty-six books of the Bible are a
PERFECT UNITY.
GOD Himself is its AUTHOR.

5. How do I know the
Bible is FROM GOD?

6. Verses that attest to the Bible’s Divine origin:
2Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness:
2Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will
of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by
the Holy Ghost.
1Corinthians 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the
words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy
Ghost teacheth …
John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father
will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring
to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

7. Where did the events
of the Bible take place?

8. Biblical Regions
The events of the Bible
primarily take place in
one central location in
what we call the
Middle East.

11. How long did it take to
write the Bible?
In what years was it
written?

12. The Bible was written over a period of nearly 1500
years.
Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible
between 1440 and 1400 B.C.
The New Testament was completed in the latter part
of the first century (ca. 4-0 BC – 95 AD).
There were about 40 different human authors
involved in the writing of the Bible
These men differed in background, education,
culture and profession.

13. The Bible discusses matters from
Creation to the Early Church
The OT covers the time from CREATION to CHRIST’s DEATH
The NT covers the time from CHRIST’s RESURRECTION to the
BEGINNINGS of the CHURCH
About 6000 years from CREATION until NOW

14. Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Ruth
Judges
Job
Gospels
NT Books
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Ezra
Esther
Nehemiah
Daniel
Ezekiel
1-2Kings
2Chron
Joel
Micah
Isaiah
Zeph.
Habakkuk
Jeremiah
Jonah
Nahum
Obadiah
Lam.
1-2Sam
1Chron
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Sol
Amos
Hosea

15. Who were the HUMAN
writers?

16. Human Authors
• Job, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
Deuteronomy = MOSES - 1400 B.C.
• Joshua = JOSHUA - 1350 B.C.
• Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel =
SAMUEL/NATHAN/GAD - 1000 - 900 B.C.
• 1 Kings, 2 Kings = JEREMIAH - 600 B.C.
• 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah = EZRA -
450 B.C.
• Esther = MORDECAI - 400 B.C.

17. • Psalms = several DIFFERENT authors, mostly
DAVID - 1000 - 400 B.C.
• Isaiah = ISAIAH - 700 B.C.
• Jeremiah, Lamentations = JEREMIAH - 600 B.C.
• Ezekiel = EZEKIEL - 550 B.C.
• Daniel = DANIEL - 550 B.C.
• Hosea = HOSEA - 750 B.C.
• Joel = JOEL - 850 B.C.
• Amos = AMOS - 750 B.C.
• Obadiah = OBADIAH - 600 B.C.
• Jonah = JONAH - 700 B.C.
• Micah = MICAH - 700 B.C.

18. • Nahum = NAHUM - 650 B.C.
• Habakkuk = HABAKKUK - 600 B.C.
• Zephaniah = ZEPHANIAH - 650 B.C.
• Haggai = HAGGAI - 520 B.C.
• Zechariah = ZECHARIAH - 500 B.C.
• Malachi = MALACHI - 430 B.C.
• Matthew = MATTHEW - A.D. 55
• Mark = JOHN MARK - A.D. 50
• Luke = LUKE - A.D. 60
• John = JOHN - A.D. 90
• Acts = LUKE - A.D. 65

19. • Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians,
Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1
Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2
Timothy, Titus, Philemon = PAUL - A.D. 50-70
• Hebrews = UNKNOWN, mostly likely Paul, Luke,
Barnabas, or Apollos - A.D. 65
• James = JAMES - A.D. 45
• 1 Peter, 2 Peter = PETER - A.D. 60
• 1 John, 2 John, 3 John = JOHN - A.D. 90
• Jude = JUDE - A.D. 60
• Revelation = JOHN - A.D. 90

20. Bible Writer Occupations
MOSES was a political leader, trained in the highest
schools and universities of Egypt.
AMOS was a simple herdsman.
JOSHUA was a military general.
NEHEMIAH was a royal cupbearer.
DANIEL was a prime minister.
SOLOMON and DAVID were kings.
MATTHEW was a tax collector for the Roman Empire.
LUKE was a physician.
PETER was a fisherman.
PAUL was a rabbi.

21. What are some things
that show that the
BIBLE is really a
supernatural book?

22. The Supernatural Features
Of The Bible
Prophetic Accuracy
Historical Accuracy
Scientific Accuracy

23. Prophetic Accuracy
Isaiah 48:5 I have even from the beginning
declared it to thee; before it came to pass I
shewed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine
idol hath done them, and my graven image,
and my molten image, hath commanded them.
The distinctive mark of God’s prophecies (as
opposed to false religions) have been that they
are completely accurate in their fulfillments.
This is an obvious EVIDENCE of the supernatural
origins of the Bible.

24. Precisely Fulfilled Prophecy
Behold, the former things are
come to pass, and new things do
I declare: before they spring
forth I tell you of them (Isaiah
42:9).

25. The ancient Egyptian city of Thebes (Ezekiel 30:14-
16) was destroyed in 336 B.C.
Eze 30:14 And I will make
Pathros desolate, and will
set fire in Zoan, and will
execute judgments in No
[Thebes].
15 And I will pour my fury
upon Sin, the strength of
Egypt; and I will cut off the
multitude of No.
16 And I will set fire in
Egypt: Sin shall have great
pain, and No shall be rent
asunder, and Noph shall
have distresses daily.

26. The city of Memphis in ancient Egypt (Ezekiel 30:13)
destroyed in the 6th Century A.D.
Eze 30:13 Thus
saith the Lord
GOD; I will also
destroy the idols,
and I will cause
their images to
cease out of
Noph [Memphis];
and there shall be
no more a prince
of the land of
Egypt: and I will
put a fear in the
land of Egypt.

27. BABYLON
Mighty Babylon, Isaiah &
Jeremiah declared its doom.
These prophets further claimed
that the ruins would be
avoided by travelers, that the
city would never again be
inhabited, and that its stones
would not even be moved for
use as building material (Isaiah
13:17-22 and Jeremiah 51:26,
43).

28. The destruction of the ancient city of Babylon and
accompanying barrenness of the land (Isaiah 13:20-22),
fulfilled in 539 B.C.
Isa 13:20 It shall never be inhabited,
neither shall it be dwelt in from
generation to generation: neither shall
the Arabian pitch tent there; neither
shall the shepherds make their fold
there. 21 But wild beasts of the desert
shall lie there; …
Jer 51:26 And they shall not take of
thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone
for foundations; but thou shalt be
desolate for ever, saith the LORD.
Jer 51:43 Her cities are a desolation, a
dry land, and a wilderness, a land
wherein no man dwelleth, neither doth
any son of man pass thereby.

29. The ancient city of Tyre, (Ezekiel 26:3-14) was
destroyed in 332 B.C., and again in 1291 A.D.
Eze 26:4 And they shall
destroy the walls of
Tyrus, and break down
her towers: I will also
scrape her dust from
her, and make her like
the top of a rock.
5 It shall be a place for
the spreading of nets
in the midst of the sea:
for I have spoken it,
saith the Lord GOD:
and it shall become a
spoil to the nations.

30. Historical Accuracy
The BIBLE has maintained
it’s historical accuracy
throughout the ages

31. The Bible has been shown to be a
Historical Document
And as such, can be used as scientific
evidence of historical events
Compared to the amount of other ancient
writings in existence, the Bible has more
manuscript evidence supporting its
RELIABILITY and ACCURACY than all other
classical writings combined.

32. Archaeological Support for the Bible
The Bible's accuracy and reliability
has been proved and verified over
and over again by archeological
finds produced by both believing
and non-believing scholars and
scientists.
This includes verification for
numerous customs, places, names,
and events mentioned in the Bible.

33. Extra-Biblical
Accounts of the
Flood
• A number of Babylonian documents have been discovered
which describe the same flood told of in Genesis 6-9.
• The Sumerian King List Men had long life spans before the
flood and shorter life spans after the flood.
• The 11th tablet of the Gilgamesh Epic speaks of
an ark, animals taken on the ark, birds sent out during the
course of the flood, the ark landing on a mountain, and
a sacrifice offered after the ark landed.

34. Extra-Biblical Accounts of
the Tower of Babel
• Sumerian tablets record the confusion
of language as we have in the Biblical
account of the Tower of Babel (Genesis
11:1-9). There was a golden age when
all mankind spoke the same language.
Speech was then confused by the god
Enki, lord of wisdom.
• The Babylonians had a similar account
in which the gods destroyed a temple
tower and “scattered them abroad and
made strange their speech.”

35. Chariot wheels
found at the
bottom of the red
sea at the point
where Israel was
said to cross.

36. Scientific Accuracy
The Bible has stood the test
of time and has remained
scientifically accurate
throughout the ages.

37. The Bible is not a
science book, but
when it talks about
the natural world, it
is accurate.

38. “He telleth the number of the stars;
he calleth them all by their
names.”
Psalm 147:4
It’s been estimated that there are about
66, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000 stars
in the universe!

39. Starlight Differs Among the Stars
1 Corinthians 15:41
There is one glory of the
sun, another glory of the
moon, and another glory of
the stars; for one star differs
from another star in glory.
Distant stars look alike to
the naked eye.
They seem to be just points
of light. However, analysis
of their light spectra reveals
that each is unique and
different from all others.

40. Singing Stars
Science has recently
discovered that stars
emit radio waves,
which are received on
earth as a high pitch.
God mentioned this in
Job 38:7 "When the
morning stars sang
together..."

41. Ps 104:2 Who coverest thyself with light as
with a garment: who stretchest out the
heavens like a curtain:
It is a scientific fact that the
universe is expanding. The
Lord told us so before any
telescopes were invented.
Furthermore, it is not
expanding flatly, but in
waves. Like a curtain.

42. “The heavens declare
the glory of God; and
the firmament sheweth
his handywork.”
Psalm 19:1

43. Ps 33:6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens
made; and all the host of them by the breath of his
mouth.
UNIVERSE
“uni” (one) + “verse” (a group of words)
ONE VERSE (UNIVERSE):
Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven
and earth.

44. GOD MADE
EARTH VERY
SPECIAL

45. There’s something very special about our planet.
Our Solar System

46. MARS
VENUS
NEPTUNE
PLUTO

48. OUR PRIVILEGED PLANET
Uniquely
designed
for life

49. Isaiah 45:18
God … formed the earth and
made it; … he formed it to be
inhabited ...
“na siyang Dios na nag-anyo sa
lupa at gumawa niyaon, na
kaniyang itinatag, at hindi niya
nilikha na sira, na kaniyang
inanyuan upang tahanan”

50. “It is he that
sitteth upon the
circle of the
earth…”
Isa 40:22
The book of Isaiah was written sometime
between 740 and 680 BC. This is at least
300 years before Aristotle suggested that
the earth might be a sphere.

51. He stretcheth out
the north over the
empty place, and
hangeth the earth
upon nothing.
Job 26:7
Only the Bible describes what we know to
be true.

52. Job 36:27 For he
maketh small the
drops of water:
they pour down
rain according to
the vapour thereof:
28 Which the
clouds do drop and
distil upon man
abundantly.

53. The Jet
Stream
Ec 1:6 The wind
goeth toward the
south, and turneth
about unto the
north; it whirleth
about continually,
and the wind
returneth again
according to his
circuits.

54. Underwater Mountains
Jonah 2:6 “I went down to the bottoms of the mountains …”

55. Man from Dust
Researchers at NASA's
Ames Research Center
confirmed that every element
in man can be found in the
soil…”
Readers Digest, November 1982
www.evolutionfairytale.com/bibleevidences/scientif.htm
Ge 2:7 And the LORD
God formed man of the
dust of the ground, and
breathed into his nostrils
the breath of life; and
man became a living
soul.

56. Life is in our blood
The blood carries water and
nourishment to every cell,
maintains the body’s
temperature, and removes the
waste material of the body’s
cells.
The blood also carries oxygen
from the lungs throughout the
body.
In 1616, William Harvey
discovered that blood circulation
is the key factor in physical life
confirming what the Bible
revealed 3,000 years earlier.
Le 17:11 For the life of the flesh
is in the blood: and I have given it
to you upon the altar to make an
atonement for your souls: for it is
the blood that maketh an
atonement for the soul.

57. Running Water
Until recent years, doctors
washed their hands in a bowl
of water, leaving invisible
germs on their hands.
However, the Bible says
specifically to wash hands
under "running water.”
http://www.creationists.org/scientific-foreknowledge-in-the-
bible.html
Le 15:13 And when he
that hath an issue is
cleansed of his issue; then
he shall number to himself
seven days for his
cleansing, and wash his
clothes, and bathe his
flesh in running water, and
shall be clean.

58. Happiness Heals
Happiness can promote
physical healing
It appears that this was
discovered only within the
past 10-50 years by
scientists.
The LORD said it over 2,500
years ago.
http://www.creationists.org/scientific-foreknowledge-in-
the-bible.html
Pr 17:22 A
merry heart
doeth good like
a medicine: but
a broken spirit
drieth the bones.

59. What were the BIBLE
languages?

60. In what languages was the
Bible written?
Hebrew
Aramic
Greek

61. How was the Bible
PRESERVED?

62. Preserved
Psalm 12:6-7
The words of the LORD are pure
words: as silver tried in a furnace of
earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt
keep them, O LORD, thou shalt
preserve them from this generation
for ever.
“words” (plural) = EVERY single word

63. Who decided which books
belong in the OLD Testament?
The Hebrews accepted the
books we have in our Old
Testament as genuinely inspired
by God.

64. Safeguarded
• From the writings of Moses, the Scriptures were
safeguarded by successive generations of priests,
Levites and scribes who took GREAT CARE in copying
and preserving these books.
• When a scroll was COMPLETE, scribes checked its
accuracy by reading it to one another.
• If a SINGLE ERROR was made in copying, the entire
scroll was destroyed, rather than merely correcting
the error.
• When a scroll became WORN or DAMAGED, it was
destroyed – the primary reason even older copies
aren't available today.

65. A Different Order
• Finally, the Jews adopted a definite order for the
Scriptures, which is DIFFERENT than the one
Christians use today.
• For example, the LAST book in the Hebrew Scriptures
is Chronicles, which follows Ezra-Nehemiah, a book
that covers a later historical period.
• The Jamnia Sanhedrin about 90 A.D. endorsed the
Old Testament books as SACRED SCRIPTURE, settling
this issue among the Jews for good.

66. Who decided which books
belong in the NEW Testament?
During the 1st Century A.D., the books of
the New Testament were written over a
period of approximately 45 years (50-95
A.D.), copied by hand, and circulated
among churches (Colossians 4:16)
throughout the Roman Empire, which
extended from England and Spain to the
Middle East.

67. How did the books of the New
Testament come into existence?
In the early years, not all churches had
equal access to these 27 books.
They would slowly be copied and
circulated among the churches and it
would have taken many years for them to
have saturated the empire.

68. How did the books of the New
Testament come into existence?
Then during periods of persecution, copies
of these books were seized by the Roman
government and burned.
So each book became known by a specific
church one at a time or, at most, a few at a
time as copies arrived at that church over a
period of many years.

69. The New Testament Canon –
How Was It Developed?
In the beginning, the account of
Jesus' life on earth and his
teachings were passed on to new
Christians through a body of oral
tradition taught by the Apostles
and their associates (Acts 2:42).

70. The New Testament Canon –
How Was It Developed?
They were given the Holy Spirit
to help them recall all that Jesus
had taught them (John 14:25-26;
Luke 12:11-12).

71. The New Testament Canon –
How Was It Developed?
Then, for a time as the New Testament
books were written, the written witness
existed side by side with the oral tradition.
But during the 2nd century A.D., the written
Word gradually replaced the oral tradition
as the primary source of Christian teaching.

72. The books of the OLD Testament and
(probably) the earliest copies of the NEW
Testament books were laboriously
copied by hand from one papyrus or
leather scroll to another by SCRIBES
who were carefully trained in copying
methods to ensure that there were no
additions or omissions.

74. Few Old Copies Exist
Any scroll that became heavily WORN or DAMAGED
from use was DESTROYED and REPLACED with a
new copy.
As a result, very FEW really old copies of Old
Testament books have survived to the present day.
Until the discovery of the DEAD SEA SCROLLS in
1947 in caves near Qumran, Palestine, no copies of
Old Testament books produced prior to the time of
Christ were known to exist.

76. The Early Church and Texts
CORRUPTION (both accidental and
purposeful: false apostles, false
teachers) in the New Testament text
was greatest in the first TWO centuries
after the ascension of Christ (roughly
80-200 AD).
But GOD is ABLE to PRESERVE His Words

77. • The OLD manuscripts are those which the
early church did not recognize and did not
use
–Therefore, they were “older” and in better
condition
• The Textus Receptus texts were used,
reused, and used again and again by the
early church
–They wore out, and would naturally be newer

82. The grass withereth, the
flower fadeth: but the
word of our God shall
stand for ever.
Isaiah 40:8

83. What is the BIBLE
about?

84. Colossians 1:16
For by him were all things created,
that are in heaven, and that are in
earth, visible and invisible,
whether they be thrones, or
dominions, or principalities, or
powers: all things were created by
him, and for him:

85. Revelation 4:11
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to
receive glory and honour and
power: for thou hast created all
things, and for thy pleasure they
are and were created.

86. John 5:39
Search the scriptures; for in
them ye think ye have
eternal life: and they are
they which testify of me.

87. Luke 24:27
And beginning at Moses and
all the prophets, he
expounded unto them in all
the scriptures the things
concerning himself.

88. John 20:31
But these are written, that ye
might believe that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God; and
that believing ye might have
life through his name.

89. Ephesians 1:9-12
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his
will, according to his good pleasure which he hath
purposed in himself:
10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he
might gather together in one all things in Christ,
both which are in heaven, and which are on
earth; even in him:
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance,
being predestinated according to the purpose of him
who worketh all things after the counsel of his own
will:
12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who
first trusted in Christ.

90. 1Corinthians 10:11
Now all these things happened
unto them for ensamples: and
they are written for our
admonition, upon whom the
ends of the world are come.

91. 1Peter 2:2
As newborn babes, desire
the sincere milk of the
word, that ye may grow
thereby:

92. Romans 15:4
For whatsoever things were
written aforetime were written
for our learning, that we
through patience and comfort
of the scriptures might have
hope.

93. What is the BIBLE about?
It’s GOD’s STORY!
Written for our BENEFIT
That we may know our BEGINNING and ENDING
That we may know our GOD and CREATOR in a
personal way through JESUS CHRIST
That we may LEARN and GROW
That we may be COMFORTED in trials
That GOD may be GLORIFIED

94. The whole PURPOSE of this course . . .
Is to get you FAMILIAR with the BIBLE:
It’s CONTENTS
It’s PEOPLE
It’s PLACES
It’s CULTURE
So that your BIBLE will become more REAL to you!

95. Basic Bible Survey
To get you FAMILIAR with the BIBLE:
1. Overview
2. Old Testament
3. New Testament
4. Bible Culture
So that your BIBLE will become more REAL to you!

96. THE END