October 1, 2017

Our Study An Introduction to the Bible A Message and Theological Summary of the Bible’s Books How to Read, Study, and Understand the Bible Overview Inspiration Canonization Transmission Translation 09/24/17 The Message of the OT The Message of the NT Redemptive History 1 Redemptive History 2 11/05/17 10/01/17 11/12/17 10/15/17 11/19/17 10/22/17 12/05/17 10/29/17

Dan Brown – The Da Vinci Code The Bible did not arrive by fax from heaven…The Bible is the product of man, my dear. Not of God. The Bible did not fall magically from the clouds. Man created it as a historical record of tumultuous times, and it has evolved through countless translations, additions and revisions. History has never had a definitive version of the book.    Dan Brown – The Da Vinci Code

F.F. Bruce – The New Testament Documents: Are they reliable? …we do not quarrel with those who want more evidence for the NT than for other writings… because the universal claims which the NT makes upon mankind are so absolute, and the character of its chief Figure so unparalleled that we want to be as sure of its truth as we possibly can…    F.F. Bruce – The New Testament Documents: Are they reliable?

An Introduction to the Bible Inspiration

Our Study – Inspiration Inspiration: Biblically defined and explained 2 Timothy 3:16 2 Peter 1:20-21 Distinguishing inspiration from Revelation Illumination (i.e. interpretation) Theories of inspiration Natural Illumination Dictation Concept Partial Evidences for inspiration Internal External Discussion

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training righteousness in 17so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. – 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Scope = All Impact = profitable Source = Inspiration, i.e. theopneustos, God- breathed

– 2 Peter 1:20-21 Process Divine causality Human agency 20 Above all, you know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from the prophet’s own interpretation, 21 because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. – 2 Peter 1:20-21 Process Divine causality Human agency Scriptural authority

Some Questions… What is inspired? Scripture or the writers (the prophets)? Autographs? Copies? Translations? (We’ll answer this concretely later)

Definition of Biblical Inspiration… Inspiration is that mysterious process by which divine causality worked through the human prophets (writers) without destroying their individual personalities and styles to produce divinely authoritative and inerrant writings. – Norman Geisler

Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy 1. God, who is Himself Truth and speaks truth only, has inspired Holy Scripture in order thereby to reveal Himself to lost mankind through Jesus Christ as Creator and Lord, Redeemer and Judge. Holy Scripture is God's witness to Himself. 2. Holy Scripture, being God's own Word, written by men prepared and superintended by His Spirit, is of infallible divine authority in all matters upon which it touches: it is to be believed, as God's instruction, in all that it affirms: obeyed, as God's command, in all that it requires; embraced, as God's pledge, in all that it promises. 3. The Holy Spirit, Scripture's divine Author, both authenticates it to us by His inward witness and opens our minds to understand its meaning.

Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy 4. Being wholly and verbally God-given, Scripture is without error or fault in all its teaching, no less in what it states about God's acts in creation, about the events of world history, and about its own literary origins under God, than in its witness to God's saving grace in individual lives. 5. The authority of Scripture is inescapably impaired if this total divine inerrancy is in any way limited or disregarded, or made relative to a view of truth contrary to the Bible's own; and such lapses bring serious loss to both the individual and the Church.

Distinguishing Inspiration From… Revelation 10 Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit, since the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. – 1 Corinthians 2:10 Revelation involves disclosure, whereas inspiration involves receiving and recording Revelation is when God communicates truth that was not known before to the human mind (William Evans) All recorded revelation is inspired, but not all inspired scripture is revelation. (Elaborate…)

Distinguishing Inspiration From…  Illumination (or interpretation) 14 But the person without the Spirit does not receive what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually.  15 The spiritual person, however, can evaluate everything, – 1 Corinthians 2:14-15a Illumination is the apprehension and understanding of truth Revelation unveils truth, inspiration captures and communicates truth, illumination understands truth Illumination comes by a process: prayer, study, community

Theories of Inspiration… Means Meaning Natural Spiritual genius, e.g. Shakespeare or Morrison God speaks through the same source as human creativity Illumination Spirit-given insights that were captured A form of interpretation and insight of wisdom Dictation Suppress or marginalize human instrumentality and focus on divine dictation without any human participation Concept The Spirit inspires the ideas, the human works out the expression Imperfect expression, but perfect intention Partial Some is inspired by God, and some not so. Usually spiritual is inspired, historical and “scientific” is not Verbal-Plenary All scriptural words are fully inspired of God

Evidences of Biblical Inspiration From…  Internal The Bible seems to be inspired (prima facie) The Bible’s witness, e.g. 2 Tim 3:16-17, Heb 4:12, 2 Peter 1:20-21 The Bible’s saving and transformation power The Bible’s unity and consistency (one core message and no contradictions in doctrine or fact) External The Bible’s historicity Corroborated prophecy The Bible’s influence (or success) The Bible’s indestructibility Success of the testimony about Christ

The Bible does not CONTAIN the Word of God it IS the Word of God