THE INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE Psalm 119:89; Matthew 5:17-18; 24:35; John 10:35; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21
DEFINITION: VERBAL PLENARY INTERPRETATION Inspiration is the act of God by which He communicated His Word and directly controlled the writers so that what was written was free from error in it s original autographs.
1A. THE PRINCIPLE OF INSPIRATION 2 Timothy 3:16a All Scripture is given by inspiration of God 1B. THE TRANSLATION - "every (all) word(s) God-breathed"
1B. THE TRANSLATION 1C. INSPIRATION REFERS TO THE WRITINGS, NOT THE WRITERS 2C. EVERYTHING THAT IS WRITTEN IS INSPIRED 3C. THAT WHICH WAS WRITTEN IS THE RESULT OF THE CREATIVE BREATH OF GOD
2B. THE THEORIES (four basic theories) 1C. ORDINARY OR NATURAL - The human authors were "inspired" to write under an inward prompting 2C. LIMITED - parts of the Bible are inspired
2B. THE THEORIES (four basic theories) 2C. LIMITED - parts of the Bible are inspired 1D. SOME parts are more inspired than others 2D. Only the MORAL AND SPIRITUAL TEACHINGS are inspired
2B. THE THEORIES (four basic theories) 2C. LIMITED - parts of the Bible are inspired 3D. Only that which proves to be the TRUTH is inspired. 3C. THOUGHT the THOUGHTS are of God; the WORDS are of men (Neo-Orthodoxy)
2B. THE THEORIES (four basic theories) 4C. DICTATION OR LITERAL The bible IS the Word of God, without error in the ORIGINAL AUTOGRAPHS 1D. Emphasis on the WRITERS controlled by the filling of the Spirit (1 Peter 1:21) The one being moved contributes nothing to the movement, but is the object being moved.
2B. THE THEORIES (four basic theories) 4C. DICTATION OR LITERAL 2D. Emphasis on the WRITINGS that which is inspired is written includes WORDS John 8:58 includes LETTERS Matt. 5:18 includes GRAMMATICAL FORM Gal. 3:16 (argument rests on singular form of a noun)
2A. THE PROBLEMS OF INSPIRATION 1B. INEXACT QUOTATIONS cf. Isaiah 40:3 & Matthew 3:3 1C. The doctrine of VERBAL INSPIRATION does not require the writers to quote word for word.
1B. INEXACT QUOTATIONS 2C. Sometimes the N.T. writer has no intention of quoting VERBATIM. 3C. The N.T. writer may be giving only an INTERPRETATIONof an O.T. passage 4C. Translation from one language to another always produces some VARIATION.
1B. INEXACT QUOTATIONS 5C. The author of a book may quote his own WORDS freely (Holy Spirit).
2A. THE PROBLEMS OF INSPIRATION 2B. VARIANT REPORTS (Synoptic Gospels) 1C. The writers simply view the same subject from different ANGLES using different VOCABULARY.
2A. THE PROBLEMS OF INSPIRATION 2B. VARIANT REPORTS 2C. Jesus Christ could have easily taught the same parable and truth on many DIFFERENT occasions, using DIFFERENT vocabulary
2A. THE PROBLEMS OF INSPIRATION 3B. LITERARY STYLES (like Paul vs. John) 1C. The Bible s style has not been able to be REPRODUCED 2C. God is the Creator of all literary styles
2A. THE PROBLEMS OF INSPIRATION 3B. LITERARY STYLES 3C. Individual writers often display more than one style in their own writings
2A. THE PROBLEMS OF INSPIRATION 4B. ANTAGONISTIC PASSAGES 1C. Romans 3:5 2C. 1 Corinthians 7:6 3C. I Corinthians 7:10, 12
2A. THE PROBLEMS OF INSPIRATION 5B. UNSCIENTIFIC EXPRESSIONS today 1C. We use such expressions 2C. Scientists use such expressions in everyday life and in their own writings
2A. THE PROBLEMS OF INSPIRATION 5B. UNSCIENTIFIC EXPRESSIONS 3C. The Bible uses the LANGUAGE OF APPEARANCE.
2A. THE PROBLEMS OF INSPIRATION 6B. MANUSCRIPT TRANSMISSION 1C. INSPIRATION and PRESERVATION are two different things. 2C. The problem of the number of variant readings is often exaggerated.
2A. THE PROBLEMS OF INSPIRATION 7B. CONTRADICTORY STATEMENTS 1C. You must who that the passage was in the ORIGINAL text 2C. You must show that the translation is absolutely CORRECT.
4C. You must show that the present state of our scientific knowledge is FINAL. 2A. THE PROBLEMS OF INSPIRATION 7B. CONTRADICTORY STATEMENTS POSSIBLE 3C. You must show that your interpretation is the ONLY ONE.
2A. THE PROBLEMS OF INSPIRATION 7B. CONTRADICTORY STATEMENTS 5C. You must show that the task of reconciliation is IMPOSSIBLE
BIBLE FACTS.
Next Tuesday - Jeff Russell The Doctrine Of God