Condensed Theology Lecture 3

8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 3

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Condensed Theology

A Primer in Systematic Theology


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Bibliology:The Doctrine of Scripture

What does the Bible teach about

itself?


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Where Were Going Six lessons on the Bible Addressing the following subjects:

Revelation & Inspiration Authority Sufficiency Power

Unity Necessity Truthfulness

Inerrancy Infallibility

Clarity Illumination

Hermeneutics Grammatico-historical exegesis Canonical interpretation Redemptive-historical interpretation

Canonicity


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Authority Reasoned fromInspiration


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What Is Inspiration?

Inspiration refers to the notion that thewords of Scripture are themselves the very

words of God. The term rather poorlyreflects the language of 2 Tim 3:16 (AllScripture is inspired by God), which wouldbe more accurately rendered, God-

breathed (All Scripture is God-breathed).


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Watershed Texts for Inspiration

2 Tim 3:16-17: All Scripture is inspired by Godand profitable for teaching, for reproof, forcorrection, for training in righteousness; so thatthe man of God may be adequate, equipped forevery good work.

2 Pet 1:20: But know this first of all, that noprophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's owninterpretation, for no prophecy was ever madeby an act of human will, but men moved by theHoly Spirit spoke from God.


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The Logic of Biblical Authority

Since the Bible is the word of God, itcarries with it the very authority of the God

who breathed it into existence


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Old Testament Evidence forBiblical Authority


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Old Testament Evidence Exod 7:1-4: Then the LORD said to Moses,

See, I make you as God to Pharaoh, and yourbrother Aaron shall be your prophet. You shallspeak all that I command you, and your brotherAaron shall speak to Pharaoh that he let thesons of Israel go out of his land. But I willharden Pharaoh's heart that I may multiply Mysigns and My wonders in the land of Egypt.When Pharaoh does not listen to you, then I willlay My hand on Egypt and bring out My hosts,My people the sons of Israel, from the land ofEgypt by great judgments.


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Old Testament Evidence

Num 12:6-8: [The Lord] said, Hear now Mywords: If there is a prophet among you, I, theLORD, shall make Myself known to him in avision. I shall speak with him in a dream. Not so,with My servant Moses, He is faithful in all Myhousehold; With him I speak mouth to mouth,Even openly, and not in dark sayings, And he

beholds the form of the LORD. Why then wereyou not afraid To speak against My servant,against Moses?


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Old Testament Evidence Deut 18:14-20: For those nations, which you shall dispossess, listen

to those who practice witchcraft and to diviners, but as for you, theLORD your God has not allowed you to do so. The LORD your Godwill raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from yourcountrymen, you shall listen to him. This is according to all that you

asked of the LORD your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly,saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, letme not see this great fire anymore, or I will die. The LORD said tome, They have spoken well. I will raise up a prophet from amongtheir countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, andhe shall speak to them all that I command him. It shall come aboutthat whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in Myname, I Myself will require it of him. But the prophet who speaks aword presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded himto speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, thatprophet shall die.


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New Testament Evidence forBiblical Authority


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New Testament Evidence

1 Cor 14:37: If anyone thinks he is aprophet or spiritual, let him recognize that

the things which I write to you are theLord's commandment. 2 Pet 3:2: that you should remember

the words spoken beforehand by the holyprophets and the commandment of theLord and Savior spoken by your apostles.


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Rev 22:18-19: I testify to everyone whohears the words of the prophecy of this

book: if anyone adds to them, God will addto him the plagues which are written in thisbook; and if anyone takes away from thewords of the book of this prophecy, God

will take away his part from the tree of lifeand from the holy city, which are written inthis book.


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1 Thess 2:13: For this reason we alsoconstantly thank God that when you

received the word of God which you heardfrom us, you accepted it not as the word ofmen, but for what it really is, the word ofGod, which also performs its work in you

who believe.


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2 Pet 1:20-21: But know this first of all,that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of

one's own interpretation, for no prophecywas ever made by an act of human will,but men moved by the Holy Spirit spokefrom God.


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2 Peter 3:15-16: and regard thepatience of our Lord as salvation; just asalso our beloved brother Paul, accordingto the wisdom given him, wrote to you, asalso in all his letters, speaking in them ofthese things, in which are some thingshard to understand, which the untaughtand unstable distort, as they do also therest of the Scriptures, to their owndestruction.


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The Nature of ScripturesAuthority

Inherent and Canonical Authority


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Inherent Authority

When we speak of the Bibles inherentauthority, we mean simply what we haveasserted so far; namely, that since the Bibleis Gods word, inherent in it is the authority ofthe God who breathed that word

Therefore the Scripture is inherently

authoritative in that it possesses Godsauthority even if not a single human beingever recognized that authority


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Canonical Authority

Do not confuse this use of canonical withone that refers to the delineation of thegenuine books of the Bible

Canon very basically means rule orstandard or norm

Thus when we speak of Scriptures

canonical authority, we are speaking of itsstatus as the authoritative rule or standardor norm for Christian faith and practice


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Canonical Authority

The characteristic of canonical authority isderivative of inherent authority

In other words, we assert that the Bible isthe authoritative norm or standard or rulefor Christian faith and practice because itis inherently authoritative

Put differently, since the Bible is Godsword to us, it is the authoritative rule forChristian faith and practice


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Inspiration Grounds CanonicalAuthority

Three Propositions from 2 Tim

3:16-4:2


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Inspiration Grounds Canonical

Authority: The Propositions1. Inspiration is the ground for

Scriptures profitableness

2. Inspiration is the ground forScriptures sufficiency

3. Inspiration is the ground for

Scriptures use


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Authority: The Text 2 Timothy 3:16-4:2: All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof,for correction, for training in righteousness; so

that the man of God may be adequate, equippedfor every good work. I solemnly charge you inthe presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who isto judge the living and the dead, and by Hisappearing and His kingdom: preach the word; beready in season and out of season; reprove,rebuke, exhort, with great patience andinstruction.


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Proposition 1:

Inspiration Grounds Profitableness 2 Tim 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God andprofitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, fortraining in righteousness

Pauls claim that all Scripture is God-breathed is notsimply coordinate with its profitableness; rather it isthe ground for its profitableness

That is, the Scripture is profitable for teaching, forreproof, for correction, and for training inrighteousness precisely because it is God-breathed

Put negatively, if all Scripture were not God-breathed it would not be profitable for teaching, forreproof, for correction, and for training inrighteousness


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Proposition 2:

Inspiration Grounds Sufficiency 2 Tim 3:17 so that the man of God may

be adequate , equipped for every goodwork.

The word translated adequate does notmean enough to get by; it is a ;r t i o j(rtios ), and means pertaining to beingqualified to perform some function.Helpful glosses include fully qualified orproficient.


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Proposition 2:

Inspiration Grounds Sufficiency 2 Tim 3:17 so that the man of God may be

adequate, equipped for every good work. The word translated equipped is evxh r t i s me,n o j

(ex rtismnos ), and means to make someonecompletely adequate or sufficient for something.Helpful glosses include, to make adequate, orto furnish completely, or to cause to be fullyqualified.


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Proposition 2:

Inspiration Grounds Sufficiency 2 Tim 3:17 so that the man of God may beadequate , equipped for every good work.

So when we speak of sufficiency we refer to

the inspired Scriptures unique capacity for fullyqualifying the man of God and for furnishing himcompletely with all he needs to perform everygood work.

He needs nothing more and nothing less thanthe teaching, reproof, correction, and training inrighteousness that comes from Scripture


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Proposition 2:

Inspiration Grounds Sufficiency 2 Tim 3:17 so that the man of God may

be adequate , equipped for every goodwork.

When we say that Scriptures inspirationgrounds its sufficiency, we are saying thatprecisely because all Scripture is God-breathed it is all that is necessary fully toqualify and fully to furnish the man of Godfor every good work


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Proposition 3:

Inspiration Grounds Use 2 Tim 4:1-2: I solemnly charge you in the

presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His

appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word;be ready in season and out of season; reprove,rebuke, exhort, with great patience andinstruction.

Precisely because the written word of God isGod-breathed, it follows that the church must becommitted to preaching that word


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Proposition 3:

Inspiration Grounds Use 2 Tim 4:2: Preach the word; be ready in

season and out of season; reprove,rebuke, exhort, with great patience andinstruction.

Notice that the preaching of the wordoutlined in v 2 involves reproof, rebuke,

exhortation and instruction


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Proposition 3:

Inspiration Grounds Use 2 Tim 3:16; 4:2: All Scripture is inspired by God andprofitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, fortraining in righteousnesspreach the word; be ready inseason and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, withgreat patience and instruction.

Notice also that the commands to reprove from theword, to rebuke from the word, to exhort from the word,and to instruct from the word are linked closely with thewords profitableness expressed in 3:16: All Scripture isinspired by God and profitable for teaching , for reproof ,

for correction , for training in righteousness. The nature of the word as profitable for teaching, forreproof, for correction, and for training in righteousnessgoverns its prescribed use in v 4: preach thewordreprove, rebuke, exhortinstruct.


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Proposition 3:

Inspiration Grounds Use 2 Tim 4:1-2: I solemnly charge you in the presenceof God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge theliving and the dead, and by His appearing and Hiskingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and

out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with greatpatience and instruction. Since the profitableness of the word is rooted in its

character as inspired, and since the use of the wordflows from its profitableness, it follows that the use

of the word is also rooted in its character as inspired This is why we say, Precisely because the writtenword of God is God-breathed, it follows that thechurch must be committed to preaching that word.


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Authority: The Propositions1. Inspiration is the ground for

Scriptures profitableness

2. Inspiration is the ground forScriptures sufficiency

3. Inspiration is the ground for

Scriptures use


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Authority Remember that canonical authority refers toScriptures status as the norm, standard, or rulefor Christian faith and practice

This, we said, flows from Scriptures inherentauthority as the God-breathed written word ofthe Lord

2 Tim 3:16-4:2 demonstrates this assertion bypresenting God-breathed Scripture as profitableand sufficient and by prescribing the preachingof the God-breathed Scripture in season andout of season.


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Additional New TestamentEvidence for Canonical Authority


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New Testament Evidence:

Appeals to Scriptures Authority Jesus himself as well as the New

Testament authors, frequently appeal tothe Scripture as the final arbiter/authorityin the things of religion


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Appeals to Scriptures Authority Matt 12:3: But [Jesus] said to them, Have younot read what David did when he becamehungry, he and his companions

Matthew 19:4: And He answered and said,Have you not read that He who created themfrom the beginning made them male andfemale

Matt 21:16b: And Jesus said to them, Yes;have you never read, Out of the mouth ofinfants and nursing babies you have preparedpraise for yourself?


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Appeals to Scriptures Authority Matt 4:4: But [Jesus] answered and said, It iswritten, Man shall not live on bread alone, buton every word that proceeds out of the mouth of

God. Matt 4:7: Jesus said to him, On the other hand,it is written, You shall not put the Lord your Godto the test.

Matt 4:10: Then Jesus said to him, Go, Satan!For it is written , You shall worship the Lord yourGod, and serve him only.


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Appeals to Scriptures Authority The formula it is written may literally be

rendered it stands written and is used toexpress the authoritative character of thequotation.

The Apostle Paul uses the phrase some29 times

He uses a similar phrase in 1 Tim 5:18 ;Rom 9:17; 10:11.


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Appeals to Scriptures Authority 1 Tim 5:17-18: The elders who rule well areto be considered worthy of double honor,especially those who work hard at preachingand teaching. For the Scripture says, Youshall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing[Deut 25:4], and The laborer is worthy of hiswages [Luke 10:7].

Old and New Testaments are equallyauthoritative


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Summary

The Bible has inherent, essential authoritybecause it is the word of God. When itspeaks, God himself is speaking.

The Bible also is canonically authoritative;that is, it is the rule for Christian faith andlife, the final arbiter of all things for

Christian faith and life.


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Responding to ScripturesAuthority

How do we know that the Bible isabsolutely authoritative?


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Responding to Scriptures Authority

1. The self-attesting character of Scripture2. The inward testimony of the Holy Spirit

3. The place of external proofs


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The Self-Attesting Character of

Scripture The Bible cannot be proved to be theauthoritative word of God by appeal to ahigher authority

Any such appeal would itself invalidateScriptures authority as the word of God

Thus we believe the Bible to be theauthoritative word of God because theBible testifies that it is the authoritativeword of God


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The Inward Testimony of the Spirit

1 Cor 2:13-14: which things we also speak, not in wordstaught by human wisdom, but in those taught by theSpirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spiritof God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannotunderstand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

1 Thess 2:13 For this reason we also constantly thankGod that when you received the word of God which youheard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men,but for what it really is, the word of God, which also

performs its work in you who believe. The Lord does not convince us of the authority ofScripture apart from or in addition to the word, butthrough the word itself.


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The Place of External Proofs

By external proofs we mean things such as theBibles historical accuracy, internal consistency,prophetic veracity, unparalleled influence in the

history of the world, majesty, profundity, etc. Though ultimately no unbeliever can beconvinced of the authority of the Bible as theword of God apart from the work of the Spirit,and although there is ultimately no higherauthority to which appeal can be made toprove the divinity of the Scriptures, externalproofs have their place


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The Place of External Proofs

We should have good reason for believing whatwe believe about the Bible. After all, if God isthe author of Scripture than the evidence of his

fingerprint will be found all over the word hebreathed.

Nevertheless, when all is said and done,evidence for the authority of Scripture does not

speak for itself, it is interpreted by people with orwithout the Spirit. Unregenerate man is blind tothe truth of the evidence right before his eyes.


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Help from the Confession

The authority of the Holy Scripture, forwhich it ought to be believed, dependsnot on the testimony of any man orchurch, but wholly upon God its author(who is truth itself). Therefore it is to bereceived because it is the word of God

(Chapter 1, Paragraph 4).


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Help from the Confession We may be moved and induced [= persuaded] by the

testimony of the people of God to gain a high andreverent estimation of the Holy Scriptures. We may besimilarly affected by the nature of the Scripturestheheavenliness of the contents, the efficacy [= power] ofthe doctrine, the majesty of the style, the consent of allthe parts, the scope of the whole, which is to give allglory to God, the full disclosure it makes of the onlyway of mans salvation, together with many otherincomparable excellencies and entire perfections. Byall the evidence, the Scripture more than proves itselfto be the word of God. Yet, notwithstanding this, ourfull persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth ofScripture and its divine authority, is from the inwardwork of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with theword in our hearts (Chapter 1, Paragraph 5).


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Conclusion


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Conclusion

The Bible is authoritative in itself,essentially, inherently, because it is theword of God

One of the properties of the Bible as theword of God is its canonical authority,whereby it functions with respect to us as

the rule or norm or standard for Christianfaith and life


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Conclusion The essential, inherent authority of the Bible is self-

attesting; there is no higher authority to which appealcan be made than the Scripture itself

Nevertheless, the Bible will never be accepted as thevery word of God without the inward testimony of theHoly Spirit

Various external proofs, such as the fulfillment ofprophecy, its historical accuracy, its influence in humanhistory, and many other incomparable excellencies and

entire perfections, though encouraging and helpful forthe believer, will finally be unconvincing.


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Glossary


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Glossary

Inherent Authority: The Bible is Godsword, therefore it carries with it theauthority of God himself

Canonical Authority: The Bible is the ruleor standard or norm for Christian faith andlife, the final arbiter in every dispute for

faith and life

Condensed Theology Lecture 3

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