From the Series: Survey of Bible Doctrines
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I. Inspiration – How did God produce the Bible?
A. Definition: God’s superintending of human authors
so that, using their own individual personalities, they composed and
recorded without error in the words of the original autographs His
revelation to man (Ryrie).
B. Theories of Inspiration
1. Natural inspiration – There is no supernatural element. The Bible was written by great men, who often erred.
2. Partial inspiration – The Bible contains God’s
words but must be sorted out (“demythologized”) to find them. Other
parts are purely human and may be in error
3. Conceptual inspiration – The thoughts of
scripture are inspired but the actual words used are not. There is
factual and scientific error.
4. Dictation theory of inspiration – The writers
passively recorded God’s words without any participation of their own
styles or personalities.
5. Verbal, plenary inspiration – All of the actual
words of the Bible are inspired and without error (see definition). This
fits the Bible’s description.
C. Defense for verbal, plenary inspiration
1. The Bible claims it (2 Tim.3:16)
2. The Bible describes it.
a. “God-breathed writings (2 Tim.3:16)
b. “Spirit-enabled” writings (2 Pet.1:20,21)
c. God-superintended the writers and writings (2 Pet. 1:21)
d. Scripture describes the “God-Spirit-Man” interaction
1) Zech.7:12 – “The words which the Lord of Hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets.”
2) Acts 4:24,25 – “God…who by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of our father David…did say.”
3. God used several methods of inspiration.
a. Direct dictation (Deut. 9:10)
b. Superintending human research (Luke 1:1-4)
c. Spoken revelation (Gal.1:12)
4. Inspiration is “verbal.” The very words are inspired. (1 Cor.2:12,13; Gal.3:16; Matt.22:31-32).
II. Inerrancy – How do we know the Bible is completely true?
A. Definition: “Scripture is without error. It tells the truth.”
B. The problem
1. Inerrancy is an issue because some religious
“scholars” have repeatedly redefined such terms as “infallible” to mean
the Bible could still have factual historical errors.
2. When inerrancy is not held, one by one certain
Bible doctrines (deity of Christ, etc.), historical facts (such as the
literal creation), and other biblical views (on issues such as
homosexuality or women’s roles) are denied.
C. The Bible claims inerrancy
1. Logical reasoning
a. The Bible is God’s word (Matt.4:4-11).
b. God is always truthful (Titus 1:2; Heb.6:18).
c. Therefore the Bible is completely true (inerrancy).
2. The teachings of Christ
a. Matt.4:4 – “every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
b. Matt.5:18 – “the smallest letter or stroke shall not pass away from the law until all is fulfilled.”
c. John 10:35 – “scripture cannot be broken.”
D. Clarification of Inerrancy
1. Inerrancy still allows for approximation, free
quotations, figures of speech, language of appearances (“the sun set,”
etc.) and different (but not contradictory) accounts of the same event.
2. As inerrantists we acknowledge that there are
sometimes “apparent” contradictions but we affirm that with further
knowledge the seeming discrepancy would disappear. This is continually
the case as archaeology, etc. repeatedly confirms Bible statements. For
brief explanations on some “apparent” contradictions see Charles Ryrie, Basic Theology, pp. 95-104.
III. Illumination – How does Scripture change lives?
A. Definition: The ministry of the Holy Spirit helping the believer to understand and apply the truth of the Bible (Ryrie).
B. Description:
1. Illumination is the work of the Spirit (John 16:12-15; 1 Cor.2:10; 1 John 2:27).
2. Illumination is the Holy Spirit’s work in
believers (1 Cor.2:12-15; Eph.1:18) and not in some mystical function of
the words of scripture.
3. In illumination the Holy Spirit will use our
study and meditation to not only help us understand scripture but to
apply it to our lives.
4. The Bible reader’s accuracy, honesty and spiritual life can all affect the Spirit’s ministry of illumination (1 Cor.3:1-3).
5. The Spirit uses those with the gift of teaching/exhortation to aid in illumination (Eph.4:11-13; Rom.12:7).
IV. Canonicity – How do we know the right books are in the Bible?
A. Definition: The collection of 66 books were
properly recognized by the early church as the complete authoritative
scriptures not to be added to or subtracted from.
B. Tests of Canonicity
1. Is it authoritative (“Thus saith the Lord”)?
2. Is it prophetic (“a man of God” 2 Peter 1:20)?
A book in the Bible must have the authority of a spiritual leader of
Israel (O.T. – prophet, king, judge, scribe) or an apostle of the church
(N.T. – It must be based on the testimony of an original apostle).
3. Is it authentic (consistent with other revelation of truth)?
4. Is it dynamic (life-changing)?
5. Is it received (accepted and used by believers)? (Norman L. Geisler & William Nix, A General Introduction to the Bible, pp. 137-144)
C. Formation of the Canon
1. How the Old Testament books were determined.
a. The New Testament refers to Old Testament books as “scripture” (Matt.21:42, etc.).
b. The Council of Jamnia (A.D. 90) recognized our 39 books.
c. Josephus (A.D. 95) indicated that the 39 books were recognized a authoritative.
2. How the New Testament books were determined.
a. The apostles claimed authority for their writings (1 Thess.5:27)
b. The apostle’s writings were equated with O.T. Scriptures (2 Pet.3:2,15,16).
c. The Council of Athenasius (A.D. 367) and the
Council of Carthage (A.D. 397) recognized the 27 books in our N.T. today
as inspired.
D. The Apocrypha (other books included in the Catholic Bible) is not Scripture.
1. The Apocrypha is never quoted as authoritative in scriptures.
2. Matthew 23:35
– Jesus mentioned that the close of Old Testament historical scripture
was the death of Zechariah (400 B.C.) This excludes any books written
after Malachi and before the New Testament.
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