The Inspiration of the Bible, part 2

Intro

Review

Inspiration - the Bible is breathed out by God

Revelation - the Bible is God’s revelation to humanity

Claims of the Scripture to inspiration

In this part -

Continuation on Claims to Bible Inspiration

Infallibility and Inerrancy of the Scripture

Current and Varying Views on Inspiration

What is Infallibility and Inerrancy

Infallibility defined

The Origin of the Bible Meaning of the Terms

“Infallibility” may be called the subjective consequence of divine inspiration; that is, it defines the Scripture as reliable and trustworthy to those who turn to it in search of God’s truth. As a source of truth, the Bible is “indefectable” (that is, it cannot fall away or defect from the standard of truth). Consequently, it will never fail or deceive anyone who trusts it.

Inerrancy defined

The Origin of the Bible Meaning of the Terms

“Inerrancy” is a closely related concept, but a later and less widely accepted term. It connotes that the Bible contains neither errors of act (material errors) nor internal contradictions (formal errors). The concept of infallibility addresses itself to one’s personal knowledge of God and assurance of salvation. Inerrancy is concerned more specifically with the accurate transmission of the details of revelation.

The beginning of the attack against the Bible’s inerrancy and infallibility

During the Reformation, there was no need to produce explicit statements on these issues, since even the RCC affirmed them.

Their primary goal was to speak against RCC’s exaltation of tradition to a status equal to or even superior to Scripture

The ‘Rationalists’ were the first to make serious claims against the Bible

The Origin of the Bible Verbal Inspiration and Inerrancy

Rationalists made the first serious claims that the Bible was like any other human book, and hence fallible. That presupposition led to repeated misunderstandings (and at times to falsifications) of the nature and content of Scripture.

The first attacks against the Bible’s inerrancy and infallibility came from those who began to question the identity of the Bible.

Is the Bible really the Word of God? In what way?

Their argument is -

if the Bible is the Word of God - then no question.

if the Bible is only the Word of God confessionally, or partially, or instrumentally - then, there is reason to assume that it contains errors, being a human work

The attacks grew as a negative response to the discovery of more manuscripts

later manuscripts have differences with the earlier ones

in truth - all available manuscripts are 99% accurate (NT)

Biblical claims to Inerrancy and Infallibility

The Scripture is inerrant and infallible because it came to us by Inspiration of God

2 Tim 3.16 “16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,”

2 Peter 1.21 “21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”

Jesus’s claim

Matthew 5:18 NKJV

18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.

Matthew 5:18 NIV

18 For truly I tell you, 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.

Paul’s confession

Acts 24:14 NKJV

14 But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.

Inerrancy applies to the Autographs

The Origin of the Bible Inerrancy and the Autographs

Properly speaking, inerrancy is attributed only to the original writings or “autographs” of Scripture, which no longer exist. Biblical scholars generally agree that the existing manuscripts of the Bible contain some copyists’ errors, usually detectable by comparing later manuscripts with the earliest ones available and by applying textual criticism. Critics of inerrancy and infallibility sometimes argue that since the doctrine applies only to the autographs, it is essentially irrelevant today.

the autographs no longer exist

Manuscripts and modern translations do have errors -

because of copyist errors

BUT - due to the emergence of more manuscripts, they are 99 percent accurate.

Infallibility applies to the message of the Scripture.

Because God is infallible and inerrant, His Word must be the same.

Why is this important?

The results of questioning the infallibility and inerrancy of the Bible

People began to question its authority

People began to question the authencity of its account, especially on the supernatural and spiritual -

creation

virgin birth

miracles

resurrection

sin

hell

People began to question its teachings -

sin

hell

homosexuality

marriage

Current and Varying views on the Doctrine of Inspiration

On the Bible as the Word of God

Three main views on the Word of God

Orthodox - The Bible IS the Word of God

Liberal - The Bible CONTAINS the Word of God

Neo-orthodox - The Bible BECOMES the Word of God

Those who ho that the Bible IS the word of God differ in the following -

essentially (orthodox)

partially (liberals)

instrumentally (neo-orthodox, neo-evangelicals)

Among evangelicals -

evangelicals - the Bible is God’s Word essentially

neo-evangelicals - the Bible is God’s word confessionally

Among orthodox views -

orthodox - the Bible is a revelation; revelation is propositional;

neo-orthodox - the Bible is only a record of revelation; revelation is personal;

On the means of operation of inspiration

God produced the Bible by means of -

verbal dictation through ‘secretaries’ (extreme fundamentalists)

verbal inspiration through prophets (orthodox)

human instuition through natural processes (liberal)

divine elevation of human literature (liberal-evangelical)

human recording of revelational events (neo-orthodox)

inspiration of only redemptive truths or purpose (neo-evangelicals)

Conclusion

Where do we stand on these matters?

We believe that the Bible is, in essence, the Word of God.

We believe that the Bible is inerrant - that it does not contain error or internal contradictions

We beleive that the Bible is infallible - that it is truthful in its content, and therefore trustworthy in its messsage.

Psalm 119:89 NKJV

89 Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.

Psalm 119:160 NKJV

160 The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.

Proverbs 30:5–6 NKJV

5 Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. 6 Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.