1. October 1, 2017

2. Our Study An Introduction to the Bible
A Message and Theological Summary of the Bible’s Books
How to Read, Study, and Understand the Bible
Overview
Inspiration
Canonization
Transmission
Translation
09/24/17
The Message of the OT
The Message of the NT
Redemptive History 1
Redemptive History 2
11/05/17
10/01/17
11/12/17
10/15/17
11/19/17
10/22/17
12/05/17
10/29/17

3. Dan Brown – The Da Vinci Code
The Bible did not arrive by fax from heaven…The Bible is the product of man, my dear. Not of God. The Bible did not fall magically from the clouds. Man created it as a historical record of tumultuous times, and it has evolved through countless translations, additions and revisions. History has never had a definitive version of the book.
   Dan Brown – The Da Vinci Code

4. F.F. Bruce – The New Testament Documents: Are they reliable?
…we do not quarrel with those who want more evidence for the NT than for other writings… because the universal claims which the NT makes upon mankind are so absolute, and the character of its chief Figure so unparalleled that we want to be as sure of its truth as we possibly can…   
F.F. Bruce – The New Testament Documents: Are they reliable?

5. An Introduction to the Bible Inspiration

6. Our Study – Inspiration
Inspiration: Biblically defined and explained
2 Timothy 3:16
2 Peter 1:20-21
Distinguishing inspiration from
Revelation
Illumination (i.e. interpretation)
Theories of inspiration
Natural
Illumination
Dictation
Concept
Partial
Evidences for inspiration
Internal
External
Discussion

7. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training righteousness in 17so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. – 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Scope = All
Impact = profitable
Source = Inspiration, i.e. theopneustos, God- breathed

8. – 2 Peter 1:20-21 Process Divine causality Human agency
20 Above all, you know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from the prophet’s own interpretation, 21 because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
– 2 Peter 1:20-21
Process
Divine causality
Human agency
Scriptural authority

9. Some Questions… What is inspired?
Scripture or the writers (the prophets)?
Autographs? Copies? Translations? (We’ll answer this concretely later)

10. Definition of Biblical Inspiration…
Inspiration is that mysterious process by which divine causality worked through the human prophets (writers) without destroying their individual personalities and styles to produce divinely authoritative and inerrant writings. – Norman Geisler

11. Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy
1. God, who is Himself Truth and speaks truth only, has inspired Holy Scripture in order thereby to reveal Himself to lost mankind through Jesus Christ as Creator and Lord, Redeemer and Judge. Holy Scripture is God's witness to Himself. 2. Holy Scripture, being God's own Word, written by men prepared and superintended by His Spirit, is of infallible divine authority in all matters upon which it touches: it is to be believed, as God's instruction, in all that it affirms: obeyed, as God's command, in all that it requires; embraced, as God's pledge, in all that it promises. 3. The Holy Spirit, Scripture's divine Author, both authenticates it to us by His inward witness and opens our minds to understand its meaning.

12. Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy
4. Being wholly and verbally God-given, Scripture is without error or fault in all its teaching, no less in what it states about God's acts in creation, about the events of world history, and about its own literary origins under God, than in its witness to God's saving grace in individual lives. 5. The authority of Scripture is inescapably impaired if this total divine inerrancy is in any way limited or disregarded, or made relative to a view of truth contrary to the Bible's own; and such lapses bring serious loss to both the individual and the Church.

13. Distinguishing Inspiration From…
Revelation
10 Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit, since the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. – 1 Corinthians 2:10
Revelation involves disclosure, whereas inspiration involves receiving and recording
Revelation is when God communicates truth that was not known before to the human mind (William Evans)
All recorded revelation is inspired, but not all inspired scripture is revelation. (Elaborate…)

14. Distinguishing Inspiration From…
 Illumination (or interpretation)
14 But the person without the Spirit does not receive what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually.  15 The spiritual person, however, can evaluate everything, – 1 Corinthians 2:14-15a
Illumination is the apprehension and understanding of truth
Revelation unveils truth, inspiration captures and communicates truth, illumination understands truth
Illumination comes by a process: prayer, study, community

15. Theories of Inspiration…
Means
Meaning
Natural
Spiritual genius, e.g. Shakespeare or Morrison
God speaks through the same source as human creativity
Illumination
Spirit-given insights that were captured
A form of interpretation and insight of wisdom
Dictation
Suppress or marginalize human instrumentality and focus on divine dictation without any human participation
Concept
The Spirit inspires the ideas, the human works out the expression
Imperfect expression, but perfect intention
Partial
Some is inspired by God, and some not so. Usually spiritual is inspired, historical and “scientific” is not
Verbal-Plenary
All scriptural words are fully inspired of God

16. Evidences of Biblical Inspiration From…
 Internal
The Bible seems to be inspired (prima facie)
The Bible’s witness, e.g. 2 Tim 3:16-17, Heb 4:12, 2 Peter 1:20-21
The Bible’s saving and transformation power
The Bible’s unity and consistency (one core message and no contradictions in doctrine or fact)
External
The Bible’s historicity
Corroborated prophecy
The Bible’s influence (or success)
The Bible’s indestructibility
Success of the testimony about Christ

17. The Bible does not CONTAIN the Word of God it IS the Word of God