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The verbal and plenary inspiration of the Bible

“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, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men supernaturally inspired; that it has truth without any admixture of error for its matter; and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the age, the only complete and final revelation of the will of God to man; the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds and opinions should be tried. By the "Bible" we mean that collection of sixty-six books, from Genesis to Revelation, which, as originally written does not only contain and convey the Word of God, but is the very Word of God. By "inspiration" we mean that the books of the Bible were written by holy men of old, as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, in such a definite way that their writings were supernaturally and verbally inspired and free from error, as no other writings have ever been or ever will be inspired. (from Articles of Faith: Of the Scriptures) Basic truths: [1] God specifically revealed himself to mankind through the Bible. [2] The Bible is inspired. God superintended the authors of the Old and New Testaments such that what they wrote were exactly what He wanted to be written. Definition of terms [1] The word “inspiration” describes the process by which God gave the Bible to man. He did not mechanically dictate the Scriptures to the human authors. Rather, He superintended or “carried along” the writers (2 Peter 1:21) without destroying their individual vocabularies, writing styles, etc. [2] The term “plenary inspiration” means that Bible as a whole is the Word of God. The Bible does not merely contain God's Word. It is God's Word. Each and every word is fully inspired (Matt 5:18). [3] The term “verbal inspiration” means that God guided the human authors of the Bible as to the very words they used (1 Corinthians 2:13). The divine aspect of inspiration [1] God is the source of all Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16) [2] The Bible is “inerrant” or without error (Titus 1:2; John 17:17). Since God Himself is the source of the Scriptures, they are without error. Furthermore, since the entire Bible is inspired, the entire Bible is inerrant. [3] The Bible is “infallible” or authoritative on all matters (John 10:35; 2 Peter 1:3). [4] The Bible is relevant (2 Timothy 3:16). Difference between inerrancy and infallibility Inerrancy emphasizes the Bible’s truthfulness. Infallibility, on the other hand, emphasizes its authority. Because the Bible is the infallible Word of God, it is the final authority on all matters. The human aspect of inspiration [1] The Bible was written in human language, the Old Testament in Hebrew and the New Testament in “koine” or common Greek. [2] The Bible was written over more than 1,500 years by over 40 different authors. Each author wrote from the context of his own personal, family and cultural background, personality, vocation, circumstances, etc. God superintended or “carried along” the writers (2 Peter 1:21) without destroying their individual vocabularies, writing styles, etc. in such a way that the final product was exactly what He wanted. We can see for example, the differences between the Gospel written by John and the epistles written by Apostle Paul. Further study (Be like the Bereans! Acts 17:11) [1] A Theological Journey: Pt. 1 Our Foundation, by Luke Harris [2] Can I Trust the Bible? by Randy Weece [3] Archeological Finds Confirm The Bible, by Jarred Edgecombe [4] Inspiration and Inerrancy, by M. James Sawyer, Th.M., Ph.D. [6] The Bible: The Inerrant Word of God, by J. Hampton Keathley, III, Th.M For available sermons, please surf to Sermon / Preaching resources. Sermons are also available from South McGehee Baptist Church, McGehee, Arizona; Central Baptist Church, Lowesville; First Baptist Church, Mountain View, Missouri; Swift Creek Baptist Church; Word of Life Baptist Church, Pottsville, Philadelphia; Palm Springs Baptist Church, California; South Woods Baptist Church; Grove Baptist Church, Ulster; Dudley Baptist Church, United Kingdom; Independent Fundamental Baptist Sermons, Fundamental Christian Radio Broadcasts, Off-Site Audio Page and The Christian Radio Tuner “How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in His excellent Word! What more can He say than to you He hath said, to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?”

What is verbal plenary inspiration? 17 de July de 2024

Answer The Bible is God’s Word to humanity. It was written by human authors, but God prompted and guided them to write what they did. Every word, word form, and word placement found in the Bible’s original manuscripts was divinely and intentionally written. This is the orthodox view of the church and is known as verbal plenary inspiration. Inspiration, the quality of being “God-breathed,” refers to the fact that God supernaturally guided the authors of the Bible to write exactly what He wanted to communicate. Everything in Scripture is there because that’s what God desired to say to humanity. The extent of that inspiration is defined by the dual terms verbal and plenary. Verbal means that every word of Scripture is God-breathed. Every single word, not just the ideas behind the words, is in the Bible because God wanted it there. The word plenary means “complete or full”; when used to describe the inspiration of God’s Word, plenary means that all parts of the Bible are equally of divine origin and equally authoritative. The apostle Paul implicitly taught the verbal plenary inspiration of the Word of God. In Galatians 3:16, he wrote, “The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say ‘and to seeds,’ meaning many people, but ‘and to your seed,’ meaning one person, who is Christ.” Paul used the number of the noun—the fact that Moses wrote a singular word, not a plural—as the basis for his argument that Christ fulfills the covenant. This supports verbal inspiration. In Romans 15:4, Paul wrote that “everything that was written in the past was written to teach us” and in 2 Timothy 3:16 that “all Scripture is God-breathed.” Everything and all are words that support the doctrine of plenary inspiration. Second Peter 1:21 says, “For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” ThThis passage reveals how God led human authors to write Scripture. Men wrote as they were “carried along” or “moved” (KJV) by the Holy Spirit. What we read in the Bible is indeed God’s words to us. According to Jesus, even the smallest letter within a word and the slightest pen stroke within a letter are God’s design and will be fulfilled, “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” (Matthew 5:18). The term verbal plenary inspiration should not be taken to mean that the words in the Bible themselves are “holy.” The Greek word halas “salt” in Matthew 5:13 is not “holy” simply because it’s found in the Bible. Other, non-inspired writings also contain the word halas, and their use of the word does not make them special. What verbal plenary inspiration does mean is that all the words, forms of words, combination of words, and wording in the Bible are God’s divine intention for Scripture. The words, phrases, and clauses work together to give us His message, and each portion of Scripture is purposefully there. Verbal plenary inspiration applies to the original manuscripts of the books of the Bible. The Bible translations we have today are the works of scholars who have studied copies of the original manuscripts, but the doctrine of inspiration does not extend to translations. Most modern translations are trustworthy, but no one translation is divinely inspired in the way the original manuscripts are. Also, the doctrine of verbal plenary inspiration does not mean that God condones or encourages all the actions recorded in the Bible. For example, God states that murder is sinful, yet He also inspired historical records of people committing murder. So, the Bible contains true history as well as God’s moral instructions. The Ten Commandments are inspired, and so is the written record of Absalom’s murder of Amnon; both parts are equally important.Messages are instructive, and both texts are inspired. The interpretation and application of the Ten Commandments differ from that of Absalom’s story and require sound biblical hermeneutics. Verbal plenary inspiration is an important concept and tenet of the Christian faith. God’s inspiration of the Scripture’s text extends to the very words themselves and to all parts of Scripture and all subject matters of Scripture. The doctrine of verbal plenary inspiration stands in contrast to the belief that only parts of the Bible are inspired or that only the thoughts or concepts dealing with religion are inspired. Verbal plenary inspiration is an essential characteristic of the Word of God, as His words reveal who He is and what He has done for us through Christ (see John 5:39-40;Acts 8:35).

The Holy Spirit in Inspiration – II Timothy 3:16-17 Jan 5, 2015 | Pneumatology

From what you know about the Holy Spirit, what would you say is His most important work? (Regeneration?) After His work in salvation what would you say is His most important work? (Inspiration???) How much can we know about God through human observation? If the Lord didn’t reveal our spiritual need would we have ever understood it? If the Lord hadn’t revealed His salvation would we have ever been able to guess it? How important is the Bible to us spiritually? The inspiration of the Scriptures is one of the major doctrines of our church and of Christianity in general.What is the difference between the idea of Biblical inspiration and the inspiration that a novelist might have for his next book? Have you ever been inspired by a beautiful sunset? What does that mean? (Moved?) Have you ever been inspired by a sermon or by an example – to make some improvement in your life? Even if you were led of the Holy Spirit through that sermon is that the same thing as Biblical inspiration? Elihu in Job 32:8 said, “But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.” The inspiration of the Holy Spirit very often does give us the ability to understand some difficult doctrine or scripture, but that is different from the inspiration what was given to the word of God which was written by Paul or Isaiah. “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, throughly furnished unto all good works.” The words “inspiration of God” are a translation of “theopneustos.” “Theopnuestos” is a compound word made up of “theos” and “pneustos” which mean what? Remember that “pneustos” which literally means “breathed” is related to “pneuma” which means “Spirit.” This verse tells us two things about the scriptures, the first is that it is inspired of God. What is the second? (Profitable.) Is something very profitable if it is not honest or accurate? This is the result of the inspiration of God – absolute accuracy. Nothing less than plenary, verbal inspiration of the scriptures explain the demands of the scriptures themselves. What does “plenary” mean? (Complete in every respect, entire.) What does “verbal” mean? (Words.) The inspiration of the Scriptures was primarily the work of the Holy Spirit. But keep in mind what I said last week: Whenever we picture one person of the Trinity doing something, we need to picture the rest of the Trinity in the background. This holds true of Bible inspiration. The Holy Spirit may be the agent of inspiration, but the Father is the source and the Son is the theme. Or is it the Son who is the source and the Father or the God-head is the theme? Remember that one of the Names given to the Son is “The Word.” Why is that? II Peter 1:20-21 – “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 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.” The words “knowing this first” imply that this is foundational doctrine. What does the word “scripture” mean? (Holy writing.) No prophecy of the scripture, poetry of the scripture, history of the scripture or gospel of the scripture was written by the private mind or heart of any man. All scripture was given to us through holy men of God, who were moved by the Holy Ghost. Why would it be foolish for me to say that the word “moved” in II Peter 1:21 is the same word that we looked at in Genesis 1:2: “And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters”? Even though those are not the same word, I don’t think that it’s a mistake to place them side by side. Think of the inspiration of the Old Testament Scriptures. Did the writers of the Old Testament always understand what it was that they wrote or prophesied? What might be some examples? Nevertheless, did they realize that they were giving forth the Word of God? Just because not every paragraph begins with a statement of God’s inspiration, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t an implied understanding. Did David, Moses, or Isaiah ever say, “I don’t know if the Lord agrees with this or not, but here is what I think?” Turn to the first verses of II Samuel 23, written toward the end of David’s life. “Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me….” Not only did David say that God spoke to him and through him, but wasn’t he more specific? What does that mean: “and his word was in my tongue.” Listen to Isaiah 59:21 – “As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.” Jeremiah 1:9 – “Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.” Guess how many times we find the words “thus saith the Lord” in the Bible? (413 times.) And that doesn’t include all verses which give us words like: “the Word of Jehovah,” “thy word”, “my word,” “the words of His mouth,” “the words of the Holy One,” and “His words.” Does the fact that we don’t have clear and frequent references to the Holy Spirit inspiring this word mean that it is not the Spirit speaking? Remember that the Holy Spirit does not bring attention to Himself, except when necessary. Nevertheless, there is New Testament and Christological proof that the Old Testament scriptures were inspired by the Holy Spirit. Matthew 22:41-46 – “While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David IN SPIRIT call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.” Mark 12:35 – “And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the Son of David? For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly.” Acts 1:15 – “And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,) Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.” When Paul was talking to the Jews at Rome in Acts 28:25 he said, “Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” II Peter 1:20-21 – “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 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.” The Holy Spirit moved those Old Testament writers and prophets; He carried them along. Someone has estimated that there are about 3,000 references to the divine inspiration of the Scriptures and many of them refer specifically to the work of the Holy Spirit. Now think about the extent of that Holy Spirit inspiration. How did Adam know about his own creation? How did Isaiah and Ezekiel know about Lucifer’s rebellion and fall? These were things revealed to men by God Himself – particularly by the Holy Spirit. But what about the argument that heathen writings also refer to these sorts of things? How is it that hundreds of prophesies were spoken or written hundreds of years before their fulfillment? Were they guesses? What was the source of those prophesies? What was the source of the law which Moses recorded? In both these cases we are talking about revelation. How is revelation different from inspiration, even though the source of both is the same? Was the poetry of David dictated by God? Were the histories of Joshua and Judges dictated by God? Were the proverbs dictated by the Lord? If they weren’t dictated then how or what was inspired? Remember that Christ said that the words of David were actually Holy Spirit inspired. Peter said that David and the others were “carried along” by the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit inspiration in the New Testament. Is there any difference between inspiration in the two Testaments? Are the writings of the New Testament of a different authority or authenticity than those in the Old? Just because Peter says that the prophecies of the Old Testament were Holy Spirit inspired, does that mean that the prophecies of the New Testament are not? The penmen of the New Testament indicate that they considered what they wrote as scripture. Listen carefully to I Timothy 5:17-18 – “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.” Who can quote the scripture which says, “The labourer is worthy of his reward?” The word cannot be found in the Old Testament. But when the Lord Jesus was instructing his evangelists in Luke 10, He said,“And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.” Paul equated Deuteronomy 25:4 and Luke 10:7 as equally inspired of God. In this case he equated the words of Moses and the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then Peter confessed his own difficulty with the scriptures written by Paul. II Peter 3:14-16 – “Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” Now let’s conclude with a little math exercise: If all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and what Paul wrote was scripture, Who gave Paul His New Testament books? If the inspired scriptures were actually the writing of holy men as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and the Paul’s writings were inspired, then by whom was he moved as he wrote? The doctrine of Bible inspiration is the same in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. And it was the third person of the Trinity who brought about the inspiration of the scriptures.

THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN INSPIRATION

July 30, 2017 / Wooster Baptist Temple

The Person of the Holy Spirit is associated with much false teaching by the various prophets and tongues speakers of the Charismatic movement. Multitudes claim new revelations and special gifts of wisdom and knowledge. In opposition to all this, we have, “a more sure word of prophecy” (II Pet. 1:19-21) which is the Bible. The Holy Spirit has given us so complete a revelation in the Scriptures that His work is now that of “illumination” rather than “inspiration.” Those who claim to receive new revelation today are false teachers, because God has completed His revelation to man in the sixty-six books of the Bible. He closes the Bible with a warning to anyone who would add to or take away from His finished revelation (Rev. 22:18-19). The Bible stands as a beacon of truth to the whole world. It seems as a “dead letter” to those who have never prayed over its contents, but hunger for the excitement of something new. The Bible, as the greatest work of the Spirit in revelation, is in every way superior to: Tradition – Matthew 15:1-9Science – I Timothy 6:20  Even true science, which deals in fact, can never delve into the areas made plain in the Scripture.Fables – II Timothy 4:4 The Book of Mormon gives us an example of modern fables.The occult – Isaiah 8:19-20.Sign workers – Deuteronomy 13:1-3 While signs were used to confirm God’s Word, yet lying signs and wonders are also permitted to deceive those who do not love the truth (Heb. 2:3-4).False prophets.Opinions – Proverbs 14:12.The work of God’s Spirit in inspiration may be summed up by stating that “we believe in the verbal, plenary inspiration of the Holy Scriptures.” The remainder of this study will be spent in examining this statement. I. INSPIRATION A. THE BIBLE IS AN INSPIRED BOOK (II Tim. 3:16). The word “inspiration” means “God breathed.”Holy men were inspired by God to write the Bible (II Pet. 1:21).Men of God were moved by the Spirit as the wind moves a boat.Whether the various portions of God’s Word were given by dictation (Ex. 20:1), vision (Revelation 1:11), or inner guidance (Lk. 1:1-3), yet it is clear that all must be viewed as God’s Word (Heb. 4:12).B. INSPIRATION INSURES THAT EVERY WORD OF THE BIBLE REPRESENTS THE MIND OF THE SPIRIT. Inspiration must never be understood as a mere sharpening of the human intellect.The Spirit of God moved holy men like David, Jeremiah and others to speak (II Sam. 23:1-3; Jer. 1:4-9).Some of the prophets had to study their own writings to gain understanding of what they had written (I Pet. 1:10-12).The emphasis of the word “inspiration” is that the Scriptures came from God.Many talk of “inspired men” but it is the Bible and not human authors which was inspired.II. VERBAL INSPIRATION A. TO BE VERBALLY INSPIRED MEANS THAT THE VERY WORDS OF SCRIPTURE ARE INSPIRED. To teach that the Bible writers were merely assisted by God or that their doctrines alone were inspired is to fall short of the Bible doctrine of inspiration.B. THE PROOFS OF VERBAL INSPIRATION ARE MANY. We are told that the Holy Spirit teaches “words” (I Cor. 2:13).Our Lord taught that every jot and tittle of Scripture was certain (Mt. 5:18).David taught that the Lord’s “words” were pure and would be preserved (Ps. 12:6-7).Others testified that the inspiration they received was verbal (Jer. 1:9; II Sam. 23:2).Paul was so convinced that every word of Scripture was inspired that he built doctrines on one letter of scripture (Gal. 3:16).III. VERBAL PLENARY INSPIRATION A. THE WORD “PLENARY” MEANS FULL AND IMPLIES THAT ALL OF THE BIBLE IS INSPIRED. The Bible does not contain God’s Word in places, but it is God’s Word in its entirety.This is stated very plainly in II Tim. 3:16.B. THE VERBAL PLENARY INSPIRATION OF GOD’S WORD IS UPHELD BY OUR LORD AND HIS APOSTLES. Christ used all the Old Testament in teaching (Lk. 24:27). He quoted books like Jonah or Daniel which are now attacked by critics.The book of Psalms is spoken of as God’s Word (Acts 1:16; 4:24-25).The Apostle Paul quotes both Moses and Luke as having equal authority(I Tim. 5:18). a. He first quotes Moses (Deut. 25:4). b. And then he quotes Luke (Lk. 10:7). c. Moses, who led Israel out of Egypt and wrote the first five books of the Bible, was a great prophet. d. Luke, on the other hand, was a younger man than Paul and was not even an apostle, yet Paul recognized both men’s writings as of equal authority.Peter viewed Paul’s epistles as “Scripture”(II Pet. 3:15-16).The early church knew nothing of “degrees of inspiration” or uninspired portions of the Bible. All was believed to be “God-breathed.”IV. INSPIRATION LIMITED A. IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT ONLY SCRIPTURE IS INSPIRED. To extend inspiration beyond the Bible is to actually undermine God’s Word as a complete revelation.We are warned not to add to God’s Word (Rev. 22:18).B. THOSE WHO CLAIM TO RECEIVE NEW REVELATIONS IN OUR DAY STAND IN OPPOSITION TO THE WORD OF GOD. CONCLUSION When a person understands that the Holy Spirit has completed His work in inspiration, and is now involved in opening hearts to understand the Scripture, he will be delivered from the error of seeking revelations from God’s Spirit apart from Scripture.

📷Inspiration by Kevin Bauder | Apr 2, 2021 | In the Nick of Time

When people think about the inspiration of the Bible, they tend to imagine it as a process. They think of inspiration as a way of stating how the Bible got to be what it is. Trying to answer the how question is one of the reasons that we are surrounded by so-called “theories of inspiration.” Some theories suggest that God gave ideas to the writers, which they then expressed in their own words. Others argue that God simply dictated every word of the finished text. Still others speak in terms of inspired writers rather than an inspired text. Some talk about documents other than the Bible being inspired to some degree, and some see the Bible as inspired to varying degrees. To clear up these misunderstandings, our doctrine of inspiration should rest firmly upon the Bible’s own use of that term. The only biblical passage that speaks directly about the inspiration of the Bible is 2 Timothy 3:16. Unfortunately, the older translations tend to obscure the meaning of the text. Both the King James and the New King James versions read, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable….” In this translation the first verb is given, which does not even appear in the Greek text. Alternatively, the American Standard Version of 1901 reads, “Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable….” This translation seems to imply that some scriptures are inspired while others are not, and that only the inspired scriptures are profitable. This verse is critical for defining a biblical doctrine of inspiration. Given the variety of ways in which it has been interpreted, how should we understand it? The answer is that we will grasp its meaning correctly only if we pay close attention to its grammar and structure. The first thing to notice about the verse is that the Greek text does not contain a verb. That is not an uncommon occurrence: Greek sentences have ways of implying verbs rather than stating them outright. In this case, the implied verb must be some form of the verb to be. The verse is stating that every (or all) scripture is something. But what is it? The verse contains two adjectives: inspired and profitable. This is the point at which a problem arises. Are both adjectives to be understood as predicates of every scripture? Or is inspired a qualifier that narrows the scope of the scripture that is in view? In other words, should the verse be translated, “Every scripture is inspired and profitable,” or should it be translated, “Every inspired scripture is profitable”? The first usage is called the predicate usage; the second is the attributive usage. As shown above, Bible translations have gone in both directions. How, then, is an interpreter to make a choice? The hard work has already been done. During the late 1970s Daniel Wallace wrote his Th.M. thesis for Dallas Seminary on this problem. He later published the results as, “The Relation of Adjective to Noun in Anarthrous Constructions in the New Testament,” Novum Testamentum 26 (1984) 128-167. Wallace decisively showed that in constructions like that of 2 Timothy 3:16, both adjectives must be taken as predicate adjectives. In other words, the verse is predicating two properties that apply equally to every (or all) scripture. The first is that all scripture is inspired. The second is that all scripture is profitable. For the moment we can set aside the discussion of what the verse means when it says that all scripture is profitable. What we want to do is to explore the meaning of all scripture being inspired. The Greek term translated inspired is a compound word that Paul appears to have coined just for this occasion. The word is theopneustos, which means something like God-breathed (see the New International Version for this exact translation). What the verse affirms is that every scripture possesses the quality or property of being God-breathed. The meaning of the text is not that God has breathed something into scripture, as if scripture might stand on its own as a human product apart from being God-breathed. Instead, the verse is teaching that every scripture is itself breathed by God. A more interpretive but very legitimate way of translating this verse is to say that all scripture is “breathed out by God.” Indeed, the International Standard Version uses just that language. Inspiration, then, does not answer a how question but a what question. It does not tell us how scripture came into existence but what scripture is. It is God-breathed. It is the product of God, something that proceeds from God Himself. To state it differently, the subject of inspiration is the scripture itself. Scripture is inspired—all of it. The writers are not inspired. The ideas are not inspired. The scriptures (i.e., the writings) themselves are inspired. Since inspiration applies to the writings, not the writers, then it must involve the words. One cannot have writings without words, sentences, grammar, and syntax. If the writings are inspired, then all these matters are included within the orbit of inspiration. This teaching is sometimes called verbal inspiration. Furthermore, since inspiration applies to all scripture (the entire Bible), then there are no degrees of inspiration. Either a writing is inspired or it is not. Either it is breathed by God or it is not. Consequently, the whole of scripture—the entire Bible—is inspired. This teaching is sometimes called plenary inspiration. Finally, if all scripture is God-breathed, i.e., it is the product of God and proceeds from God Himself, and if God is incapable of error, then scripture must include no error in anything that it affirms. Of course, the Bible might inerrantly record the errors that others have committed (and it does), but the Bible does not affirm those errors. A necessary consequent of verbal, plenary inspiration is the inerrancy of scripture. 2 Timothy 3:16 provides a very strong statement of the divine origin of scripture. This statement does not contradict in any way the genuinely human authorship of the biblical text. Exploring that issue, however, would take us beyond the scope of our present discussion. Perhaps we can return to it at some future point.

Every Word of God Proverbs 30:5-6

Introduction: Not only is the doctrine of the inspiration of Scripture a foundational doctrine for Bible-believing Christians, so also is the doctrine of the preservation of Scripture. Paul wrote to Timothy, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16) What is the difference between inspiration and preservation?

- "Inspiration of God" means "God-breathed," thus the inspiration of Scripture is Scripture breathed-out by God. We believe in plenary, verbal inspiration of Scripture. This is what 2 Timothy 3:16 teaches. * Plenary = full or all * Verbal = word-for-word * Inspiration of God = breathed-out by God - Preservation means, in this context, that God has divinely and miraculously preserved, throughout every generation, what He originally inspired. Though God uses men to preach and write His Word, preservation does not have anything to do with man's ability or inability. - The clearest illustration I can give you, showing the difference between inspiration and preservation, is this: "Brother ___________, please write down exactly what I tell you to write down." This is inspiration, because he has written down word-for-word what I have asked him to write. "Now, Brother ___________, copy word-for-word what Brother ___________ has written down." "Brother ___________, take both pieces of paper and read them back to me, and tell me the difference." Of course there is none, but only one is inspired, and the other one is an exact copy and both have equal authority. This is inspiration versus preservation.

However, preservation is not dependent upon man's ability to copy God's Word from one generation to the next. God promised that He Himself would preserve It, and this is what we are going to look at in this study. Let me give you some facts concerning the preservation of God's holy Word.

1. God is true, and men are liars. - Romans 3:4

"God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged." - Preservation of Scripture must be taught in light of what God says about it, not what man thinks about it. - Men may tell us that God has not preserved His Word and that we have no pure Word of God yet even today. - Men say that the preserved Word of God surely exists somewhere, but no one knows where It is. - The record shows that God always tells the truth and that man was born with a lying tongue. When we have to choose whom to believe, God or man, our choice should be a simple one. Let God be true and every man a lair! - God is true, and His Word is truth, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." (John 17:17) - God's Word is pure. It has passed the tests of time: * Psalm 12:6, "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times." * Psalm 119:140, "Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it." * Proverbs 30:5, "Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him."

2. Does the Bible teach the preservation of Scripture clearly?

- The answer is "yes." God is true, and all men are liars, so let's look at what God says about the preservation of His Word. * 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." * Psalm 119:160, "Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever." * Ecclesiastes 3:14, "I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him." * Isaiah 40:8, "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever." * Matthew 5:18, "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." * Matthew 24:35, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." * Luke 16:17, "And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail." * 1 Peter 1:23-25, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you." - The Scriptures plainly state that God Himself has taken the responsibility of preserving His Word to every generation. He inspired His Word once but has promised to preserve His Word forever. Psalm 12:7 states, "Thou shalt keep them [God's Words], O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever." Psalm 119:89 says, "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven."

3. Every Word of God is important.

- There are four references to "every Word" of God: * Deuteronomy 8:3, "...that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live." * Matthew 4:4, "...Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." * Luke 4:4, "...It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God." * Proverbs 30:5, "Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him." - Though the thoughts of God are important, His thoughts are expressed through His Word. - If we are going to live by every Word of God, we must make sure that we have an every-Word Bible. For example, the King James Bible is a direct translation of Scripture from the Greek and Hebrew manuscripts. In It, you will find a word-for-word translation. On the other hand, the New International Version is called a dynamic equivalent and not a translation at all. A dynamic equivalent combines many Greek and Hebrew texts together, and from them, exhibits a thought, i.e., a paraphrase, rather than a word-for-word translation. * The American Standard Version is a translation; however, it is a translation of a different set of Greek and Hebrew manuscripts than those from which the King James Bible was translated. The two sets of manuscripts differ greatly. * The set of manuscripts, from which we translate the King James Bible, is the set of manuscripts regarded and proven to be the preserved Word of God through all these centuries. The other set of manuscripts was discovered more recently and contradicts the received manuscripts from which the King James Bible is translated. Things that are different cannot be the same! * The truth is, the more recently discovered manuscripts, often termed as the oldest and best manuscripts, leave many Scriptures out. Sometimes, it's only a word; other times, it is entire verses and even complete passages. For example, the Revised Standard Version begins John 8 with verse 12 instead of verse 1. It also leaves out verse 53 of John 7. The RSV also removes completely Mark 16:9-20. In addition to these major passages, the RSV has completely excluded Matthew 12:47; 17:21; 18:11; 21:44; 23:14; Mark 7:16; 9:44; 9:46; 11:26; 15:28; Luke 17:36; 22:20; 23:17; 24:12; 24:40; John 5:4; Acts 8:37; 15:34; 24:7; 28:29; Romans 16:24; and most of 1 John 5:7. The NIV does much the same thing. At least the New American Standard Version includes these verses but prints them in italics indicating they have no manuscript authority. How sad! - We are commanded to live by "every Word" of God. How can we live by every Word if we cannot read every Word in our Bibles? By the way, are there any major doctrines affected by excluding these passages of Scripture? Let's see. * "Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them. Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen." (Mark 16:9-20) * "And every man went unto his own house. Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." (John 7:53-8:11) * "Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee." (Matthew 12:47) * "Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting." (Matthew 17:21) * "For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost." (Matthew 18:11) * "And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder." (Matthew 21:44) * "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation." (Matthew 23:14) * "If any man have ears to hear, let him hear." (Mark 7:16) * "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." (Mark 9:44 & 46) * "But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses." (Mark 11:26) * "And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors." (Mark 15:28) * "Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left." (Luke 17:36) * "Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you." (Luke 22:20) * "For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast." (Luke 23:17) * "Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass." (Luke 24:12) * "And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet." (Luke 24:40) * "For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had." (John 5:4) * "And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." (Acts 8:37) * "Notwithstanding it pleased Silas to abide there still." (Acts 15:34) * "But the chief captain Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands." (Acts 24:7) * "And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves." (Acts 28:29) * "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." (Romans 16:24) * "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." (1 John 5:7) - Anyone, who can read, can clearly see that the meaning of Scripture is affected when these verses are excluded. Christians, who use these other versions of Scripture, cannot live by every Word of God, because they do not contain every Word of God.

4. What should our conduct be concerning the preserved Words of God?

- There are a few passages of Scripture that tell us how to treat God's Words. * Deuteronomy 4:2, "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you." * Deuteronomy 12:32, "What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it." * Revelation 22:18-19, "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." * Galatians 1:8-9, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." - To put it plainly, we should not tamper with, change, add to, delete from, or disregard in any way the Word of God.

5. How does God regard His Own Word?

- As truth; "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." (John 17:17) - As effectual; "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." (1 Thessalonians 2:13) - As exalted; "I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name." (Psalm 138:2) - As eternal; "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven." (Psalm 119:89)

Conclusion: That Book you hold right there in your hands is the Word of God. It is perfectly infallible in Its inspiration and preservation.

It is called the Word, the Word of God, the Word of Christ, the Word of truth, the holy Scriptures, the Scripture of truth, the Law of the Lord, the Sword of the Spirit, and the Oracles of God. It is pure, true, perfect, precious, quick, and powerful. It was written for our instruction and intended for our use. The Word of God is regenerating, quickening, illuminating, able to convert the soul, able to make the simple wise, sanctifying, faith-producing, hope-producing, obedience producing, able to cleanse the heart, able to cleanse the way, able to keep us from a destructive path, admonishing, comforting, and heart-rejoicing. It should be our standard and should be believed, appealed to, read, known, received, searched daily, memorized, taught to children and to all, spoken of continually, not handled deceitfully, and should be obeyed. As a Christian, you should love It exceedingly, delight in It, regard It as sweet, esteem It above all things, long after It, stand in awe of It, keep It in remembrance, hide It in our hearts, hope in It, meditate in It, rejoice in It, trust in It, obey It, and speak of It.

Proverbs 30:5-6 warn us that if we change His Words, He will reprove us and prove that we are liars.

103 – The Bible – God’s Word

BIBLE INSTITUTE OF CORRESPONDENCE

COURSE: THEOLOGY 1 LESSON 3

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THE BIBLE GOD’S WORD

INTRODUCTION:

1. It is reasonable that God would and could reveal Himself. 2. The Bible claims to be this revelation. 3. Do we find it to be what it claims, by its own content?

I.     THE BIBLE IS HISTORICALLY ACCURATE

1. No historical fact stands refuted. 2. Historical authenticity does not prove divine origin.

II.    INDICATIONS THE BIBLE IS GOD’S REVELATION

1. The probability that God would give a testimony of this nature. 2. The reasonable assumption that continuity suggests supernatural origin. 3. Proofs that the Bible is God’s revelation.

i. Uniqueness denies mere human production.

a). Its depth of meaning b). Its power, charm and attraction c). Its incomparable conciseness.

ii. The revelation of things man alone, could not learn.

a). Creation’s account. b). The doctrine of angels. c). The omnipresence of God. d). The problem of human redemption.

iii. The unity of the Bible

a). Of its design (fall and redemption). b). Of its teaching concerning God. c). Of its teaching concerning man. d). Of its teaching concerning salvation. e. Of its teaching concerning law. f. Of its progressive unfolding of doctrine.

III.   THE ACCURACY OF THE BIBLE IN SCIENCE PROVES DIVINITY.

1. Not a science book, yet scientifically accurate. 2. It does not contain the scientific errors of its day.

III: The number of stars.

Illustrations:

i. Isaiah 40:22📷 – Earth’s circle. ii. Gravitation – Job 26:7📷. iii. The Northern empty expanse – Job 26:7📷 iv. The weight of air – Job 28:25📷 v. Earth’s rotation, day and night alternate – Lk. 17:34-36📷 vi. The number of the stars – Ps. 147:4📷 vii. The law of evaporation – Ecc. 1:7📷 viii. The importance of the blood – Gen. 9:4📷

3. Fulfilled prophecies prove it.

i. Of Cyrus – (Isa. 44:28📷) ii. Babylonian captivity – (Jer. 25:11) iii. Prophecies of Christ –(Ps. 22:18📷, Ps. 34:20📷, Jn. 19:36📷, Ps. 41:19📷, Jn. 13:18📷, Isa. 53:9-12📷, Mat. 27:38📷, Mat. 27:57-60📷….dozens more).

4. The personal testimony of Christ’s quotations proves it is God’s Word.

IV.   WHAT CONSTITUTES THE BIBLE?

We claim the 66 books.

1. Christ accepts the 39 Old Testament books. 2. Christ promised a further revelation (New Testament).

V.    IS THE BIBLE SUFFICIENT AND FINAL?

1. Basically all sects claim the need of additional revelation and the presence of it. 2. Paul says no, Scripture was given for and is sufficient for all this.

104 – The Inspiration of the Bible BIBLE INSTITUTE OF CORRESPONDENCE COURSE: THEOLOGY I LESSON # 4 Audio Player 00:00 00:00 Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. THE INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE Read II Timothy 3:16📷 INTRODUCTION: 1. The entire scope of the credibility of Scripture, as divine revelation, depends 100% upon the doctrine of inspiration. 2. To depart from this opens the door to simple human philosophy. Explain – Did God write a book? Or did men write the book? 3. It opens the door to obscurity in: i. Moral credibility – immediate efficiency. ii. Continuity of wisdom – eternal efficiency. iii. Finality of revelation – eternal sufficiency. I. DEFINING INSPIRATION Greek Theopneustos = Theos” (breathed of God) 1. Thus the Scripture is the “Words of God.” II. THE HUMAN ELEMENT (II PETER 1:21📷) 1. Men were not mere “pens,” they spake. They were prophets, not secretaries. 2. But they spake “as they were moved of God” meaning (what God told them to say) 3. Thus, we have both the divine and human element. One does not forbid the other. III. INSPIRATION IS MIRACULOUSLY ACCOMPLISHED 1. Since it is absolutely of God, infallibility is sure. God makes no mistakes. 2. God did not select the word for, but through the prophets. III: Verbal, plenary inspiration. IV. METHODS IN INSPIRATION 1. Objective revelation – Ex. 20:1📷, Dan. 9:21-23📷, Rev. 17:7📷 2. Supernatural vision – Rev. chapter one 3. Passivity: Writing without any understanding – I Pet. 1:10📷 4. Divine illumination – Acts 1:16-20📷, Acts 2:16-21📷, Rom. 4:1-3📷, Rom. 10:5-11📷 5. God’s direction in infallible historical record. 6. Subjective revelation, by quickening their thoughts and teachings. V. THE EXTENT OF INSPIRATION 1. “All of Read,” though spoken by men, is as accurate as Jesus’ words. VI. PROOFS OF VERBAL INSPIRATION 1. Scripture = Words. Inspired Scripture = Verbal inspiration. 2. The statement of Paul – I Cor. 2:13📷. 3. Peter’s statement concerning Paul’s writings and other’s – II Pet. 3:1📷,2📷,15📷,16📷, and Acts 1:16📷. 4. New Testament “quotations,” that were expository – Rom. 4:6-7📷, from Ps. 32:1📷, and Rom. 10:6-8📷 from Deut. 30:11-14📷. 5. Matthew affirms it. – Mat. 1:22📷, Mat. 2:15📷 6. Luke affirms it. – Lk. 1:70📷 7. Writer of Hebrews – Heb. 1:1📷 8. Peter – Acts 1:16📷 9. Paul’s emphasis on singular word. – Gal. 3:16📷 10. Old Testament writers “Thus sayeth the Lord.” 11. Fulfilled prophecy 12. The Lord Jesus’ own statement – Jn. 10:35📷 III: The impossibility of infallible meaning without infallible words.

105 – Objections Against Inspiration Answered

BIBLE INSTITUTE OF CORRESPONDENCE

COURSE: THEOLOGY I LESSON # 5

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OBJECTIONS AGAINST INSPIRATION ANSWERED

INTRODUCTION:

1. The proposition of inspiration is that:

i. God has spoken rightly according to holiness. ii. He has, by inspiration, recorded accurately. iii. He has instructed us therein as to conduct.

2. It is logical then that the rebel:

i. wants to decide on his own conduct. ii. and that without confessing wrong actions. iii. thus will deny that God has spoken, so the rebel may decide.

3. Thus endless attacks have been lodged against the inspiration of, and thus the Bible. 4. I shall try to categorize these objections, then state them, then show the folly of them. 5. Of necessity they cannot be covered.

I. THE ARGUMENT FOR LOSS OF SCRIPTURE THROUGH TRANSLATION

1. How do we know men translated it correctly? 2. We do not have the original, so we have nothing.

III: Concepts of Mormonism and “corre­ctors of Scripture.”

3. Answer: (1) Such argument is against translation as a practice. 4. We (most Christians) cannot speak or read original languages. 5. The Bible promises preservation of God’s Word. (Ps. 12:6-7📷) 6. Inspiration without preservation is worthless. 7. Existence only in dead languages is not preservation.

II. PASSAGES OF IMPRECATION, CONTRARY TO “GOD’S NATURE”

1. Imprecatory – Psalms (Ps. 58:6📷, Ps. 109:10📷, Ps. 137:8-9📷) 2. Imprecations of Noah, against Ham. (Gen. 9:25📷) 3. Imprecation of Deborah. (Jud. 5:24-31📷)

III. PASSAGES OF SO-CALLED OBSCENITY, INCOMPATIBLE WITH GOD

1. Such as revelation of Onan’s sin and Judah’s incest. (Gen. 38:1-10📷) 2. Such as Elijah’s prophecy “eat their dung,” etc. (II Kings 18:27📷) 3. Such as Simeon and Levi slaying those sore from circumcision. (Gen. 34📷)

Answer:

i. The “obscenity” of these comes from man’s profaning of words. ii. These are accounts of sin. iii. Have you ever known of anyone reading this for lewd sport?

IV. SUPPOSED UNSCIENTIFIC OR HISTORICALLY ERRONEOUS PASSAGES

1. Joshua’s long day. 2. Jonah and the whale. 3. Crossing the Red Sea.

Answer: These are accounts of supernatural events.

V. SO-CALLED INCONSISTENCIES

1. Non-verbatim quotations of New Testament from Old. 2. Animal sacrifices, commanded and denounced. (Isa. 1:11-13📷, Jer. 7:22📷, Amos 5:21-24📷, Micah 6:6-8📷) 3. Numerical variations such as Num. 25:9📷 and I Cor. 10:8📷. 4. Matthew’s supposed mistake attributing Zechariah to Jeremiah. 5. Stephen’s supposed mistake. (Gen. 23:17-18📷, Acts 7:16📷) 6. The genealogies of Christ in Matthew and Luke. 7. Inscriptions over the cross. 8. Accounts of the details of the resurrection.

III: Folly of a young woman writing about the “4,000, 5,000 feeding controversy.” These difficulties soften as we study, and as we fully corroborate Scripture they will melt like wax in the sunlight.