1 BASIC BIBLICAL DOCTRINES BIBLIOLOGY WEEK 4 VI. The Inspiration of the Bible A. Definition of Inspiration: "TO BREATH UPON OR INTO SOMETHING" It's that mysterious process by which God worked through the Human prophets to reveal his word. 2315. theopneustos, divinely breathed in:--given by inspiration of God. 2 Tim. 3:16,17 All Scripture is God-breathed * and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. * Italic emphasis mine 1. Mysterious: We do not know the exact workings, but we are aware of the outcome. 2. Causality: The 2 Pet. 1:21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 3. Instruments: B. Different Views of Inspiration 1. Liberalism a. Key Phrase: The Bible the word of God 1) Key Word: or A summary on how John Hicks thinks Jesus, only a man, came to be regarded also as God "It was natural and intelligible both that Jesus, through whom men had found a decisive encounter with God and a new and better life, should come to be hailed as son of God, and that later this poetry should have hardened into prose and escalated from a metaphorical son of God to a metaphysical God the Son. - John Hicks, The Myth of God Incarnate
2 b. It's Foundation 1) Strong Philosophical idealism 19th century- Higher criticism 2) Emphasizes c. Its view of inspiration 1) A remarkable human book with only inspiration from God 2) Humanistic - One may understand the Word of God by and. d. Objections to Liberal Views 1) It is naturalistic - It eliminates the 1 Cor. 2:13,14 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned 2) It is Isa. 55:7-9 Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 3) It is 2. Neo-orthodoxy
3 a. Key Phrase: The Bible the Word of God 1) Key Word: b. Its foundation 1) In the Early 2) Is a reaction to 3) In Existentialism - Soren Kierkegaard is known as the father of existentialism. The emphasis is on one's personal existence. It takes an experiential point of view. It is not seeking signs and miracles but on the contrary it is a personal enlightenment about God that is more true than scripture. Theologian's like Paul Tillich. c. Its view of inspiration imperfect channel to confront man with His perfect Word 1) The Bible becomes the Word of God when He chooses to use this 2) To understand the Bible it must be demythologized. Striped of the supernatural and historical importance. Satan is not a real being but it is important to understand the story of Satan. Evil is in your mind. "What a primitive mythology it is that a divine Being should become incarnate, and atone for the sins of man through his own blood... man's knowledge and mastery of the world have advanced to such an extent through science and technology that it is no longer possible for anyone seriously to hold to the New Testament view of the world" - Rudolf Bultmann, New Testament and Mythology d. Objections to Neoorthodoxy 1) It's - It separates historical events from their meanings. Luke 1:1-4 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning,
4 it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. John 21:24-25 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. 2) It's I John 4:1-3 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. 3) It's 3. Conservative (Orthodox) View a. Key Phrase: The Bible the word of God 1) Key Word: b. The Fact of Inspiration - II Tim. 3:16-17 1) God-breathed - (Greek) Theopneustos 2) Meaning Breathed out not breathed on by God. 3) Significance - The Word of God from God and not man. c. The Inspiration Theories 1) The or Theory God. a) The human prophet severed as a secretary for the dictation of
5 b) Problem: If so the style and writing would be uniform II Peter 3:15,16 Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. reporters but as active contributors in the writing of Scripture. c) Biblical response: God used human agents not as passive Rom. 16:25-27 Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him-- to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen. Hebr. 1:1,2 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 2) The Concept or View inspired. a) It is not the words but rather the thoughts or ideas that God weakens its divinity. b) Problem: It explains the Bible's humanity but in so doing it man, but He did so using man's symbols or language. c) Biblical Response: God gave full expression of His thoughts to John 6:63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. John 17:8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 3) Spiritual Illumination View Spirit, can be the author of inspired Scripture. a) In this view any devout Christian, illuminated by the Holy
6 writings that are inspired. b) Problem: It is not the writers who are inspired, rather it is the the inspired writers. c) Biblical Response: God anointed His Word to be infallible not Prov. 30:5 "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. John 17:17 "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 2 Peter 1:20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 4) The Orthodox View a) Inspiration - In the original writings 1) The spirit guided the choice of the words used. style and vocabulary but with out the intrusion of error. 2) The human writer's characteristics are preserved in their b) Inspiration 1) The accuracy which verbal inspiration secures is extended to every portion of the Bible so that it is in all its parts both infallible as to truth and final as to Divine authority. Even the letters were inspired: Matt. 5:18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. (2 Peter 1:21) producing Spirit-breathed writings (II Tim. 3:16) 2 Pet. 1:21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. Inspiration is... God s superintendence of the human authors so that, using their own individual personalities, they composed and recorded without error His revelation to man in the words of the original autographs. Charles C. Ryrie
7 International Council on Biblical Inerrancy Chicago Statement on Scripture (1978) Article I We affirm that the Holy Scriptures are to be received as the authoritative Word of God. We deny that the Scriptures receive their authority from the Church, tradition, or any other human source. Article II We Affirm that the Scriptures are the supreme written norm by which God binds the conscience, and that the authority of the Church is Subordinate to that of Scripture. We deny that Church creeds, councils, or declarations have authority greater than or equal to the authority of the Bible. Article III We affirm that the written Word in its entirety is revelation given by God. We deny that the Bible is merely a witness to revelation, or only becomes revelation in encounter, or depends on the responses of men for its validity. Article VII We affirm that inspiration was the work in which God by His Spirit, through human writers, gave us His Word. The origin of Scripture is divine. The mode of divine inspiration remains largely a mystery to us. We deny that inspiration can be reduced to human insight, or to heightened states of consciousness of any kind. Article VIII We affirm that God in His Work of inspiration utilized the distinctive personalities and literary styles of the writers whom He had chosen and prepared. We deny that God, in causing these writer to use the very words that He Chose, overrode their personalities. C. Distinguishing Revelation, Inspiration and Illumination (SEE APPENDIX 4) 1. : The act of God in which He discloses what man could not find out for himself. It s Supernatural disclosure. 2. : That mysterious process by which the Divine causality worked through the human prophets without destroying their individual personalities and styles to produce Divinely authoritative writings.
8 3. : The process by which God enlightens the mind of man so that man subjectively understands the objective disclosure of God. He helps us to understand His Word. D. The Result of Inspiration - II Tim. 3:16-17 2 Tim. 3:16,17 All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. When we read the Bible, it reads us. It repairs our spiritual clock, winds it, corrects it and sets it going. And that's what the Bible is all about. Decision Magazine 1. Profitable or useful for: a. Doctrine - b. Reproof - c. Correction - d. Instruction in righteousness - e. Thoroughly furnished for good works -