#4 Bibliology - Inspiration & Canonicity

Foundations in Christian Doctrine #4 Bibliology - Inspiration & Canonicity Implications of Inspiration 1. ________________ & _______________: • Titus 1:2; Rom 3:4 (cf. Num 23:19; Heb 6:18) • Prov 30:5 (cf. Jn 17:3, 17; Ps 119:160) • Infallibility: Jn 10:35 (cf. Is 55:11; Mt 5:18; 24:35) 2. _____________: (Is 55:11; 2 Tim 3:16; Heb 4:12; etc.) 3. _______________: (2 Tim 3:15; contrast 2 Pet 3:16) 4. ________________: (1 Cor 2; 2 Cor 3). Canonicity Etymology: Canon “_________________ ________” De nition: Canonicity is the process whereby the people of God __________ books as the Word of God because of divine inspiration and thus the books were included in the Canon of Scripture. Principles for Canonicity:1 1. Was it written by a prophet of God? Test of a Prophet… 2. Did the writer have credentials from God? 3. Did it tell the truth about God, man, etc.? 4. Did it possess the life-transforming power of God? 5. Was it received or accepted by the people of God for whom it was originally written? Norman L. Geisler and William E. Nix, From God to Us: How We Got Our Bible (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2012), 93. 1 fi 1 Foundations in Christian Doctrine Test of a Prophet The most important of the previous principles is that of the prophetic nature of the book. 1. ___________________ Did he lead people to the one true God? (Compare 1 John 4:1-3.) 2. _______________________ Did everything that he said come to pass? A true prophet necessitated a 100% accurate track record. 3. _______________________ Notice, all further revelation must align with previous revelation. God would not contradict Himself. Canonicity, Cont. Key Questions: 1. Why not the Book of Mormon? 2. Why not the Apocrypha? Next Week • • • • Preservation What does Scripture have to say about Preservation? Is there good evidence that Scripture has been preserved? How do we know that the Bible we hold in our hands, portions of which are 3500 years old, is still accurately the Word of God? Homework Find Scripture(s) in which God promises to preserve His Word. 2