The Bible: Inspiration & Purpose

Rev. Christopher J. RespassABI—Major Bible Themes, Lesson 2Fall 2014

Classic Text on Inspiration

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness

2 Timothy 3:16 ESV

Theories of Inspiration1. Verbal, Plenary Inspiration. The Spirit of God

guided the choice of words used in the original writings (autographs).

a) plenary—”full inspiration.” The entire Bible is inspired, not just parts of it.

b) Infallible—unfailingly accuratec) Inerrant—Bible does not contain any error as a statement of factd) This applies to the original writings only.

Theories of Inspiration2. Mechanical or Dictation Theory. God dictated the Scriptures and the authors

were simply stenographers.

Q: If this is true, wouldn’t the vocabulary and style be the same throughout all 66 books?

Theories of Inspiration3. Concept Theory. God inspired the

theological concept, but not the precise words. For example, God might have originated the concept of “righteousness” but he did not give the authors the precise words to describe it.

What happens if the human authors misunderstood God?

Wouldn’t this open the door for considerable error in the Scriptures?

Theories of Inspiration4. Partial Inspiration. This view affirms that

only parts of the Bible are inspired.

How do you know which parts of the Bible are inspired and which ones are not?

Does this theory make the reader the final judge as to which portions are inspired and which ones are not?

Theories of Inspiration5. Neo-Orthodox Theory. While not

necessarily denying the supernatural elements in the Bible, this theory posits that there are errors in the Bible and cannot be taken literally. Under this thinking, the Bible becomes a channel of divine revelation only when it is comprehended and its truth realized by the individual reader.

a) Channel of revelation (e.g., how a flower might tell us something about God)

b) “that’s true for you, but not true for me…”

Theories of Inspiration

Does the Neo-Orthodox theory of inspiration make the individual the authority as to what is true and what is false in the Scripture?

Does this pose a problem?

Theories of Inspiration6. Naturalistic Inspiration Theory. The Bible is just a human book without supernatural,

divine guidance. This view destroys any distinctive claim for the divine authority of the Bible.

θεόπνευστος(theopneustos: God-breathed)

“The inspiration extends no so much to the authors but to the Word of God itself. While the authors were fallible and subject to error, God breathed through them His infallible Word, and by divine power and guidance so directed the human authors that what they wrote was indeed the infallible Word of God.”

MBT 22

Purpose & Subject

The Bible is God’s message to man. Its supreme purpose is the glorification of God. God manifests his glory by expressing and revealing truth which produces an infinite blessing and benefit to God’s creatures. To that end, the Bible works to glorify God by reveal his truth.

Purpose & SubjectI. Jesus Christ. The Bible reveals the Lord Jesus

Christ as its ultimate subject.

1. Jesus as the Creator. Christ was the main actor in the creation of all things (Gen.1:26, Col. 1:16).

2. Jesus as the supreme ruler of the world. As the creator, Jesus has the right to rule over it. Scripture attributes sovereignty to God the Father, but Scripture also reveals that it is the Father’s will that every knee bow and tongue confess Jesus as Lord (Phil. 2:9-11).

Purpose & Subject3. Jesus as the Incarnate Word. Jesus “is the physical embodiment of what God is and a revelation of the nature and being of God” (MBT,26). (John 4:24, Col. 2:9, Heb. 1:3)

4. Jesus as Savior. “One of the central purposes of God, as revealed in Scripture, is to provide salvation through Jesus Christ for a lost race.”(MBT, 27)

Purpose & SubjectII. History of Man in the Bible

1. The Bible as a whole unfolds God’s plan and purpose for the human race.

2. The Bible shares how all things will fare and culminate with humanity

QUESTIONS

Home Work

Chapter 4 The Bible: Divine Revelation