Definition
Inspiration - "theopneustos" - God so moved the authors of Scripture that the resulting product was the Word of God written, totally without error in the autographs, in every area including theology, history, geography, and science.
Reasons for Accepting This View
An Inductive Case for Verbal Inspiration
- Demonstrate the relative historical reliability of the gospel records.
- Bibliographical test - Are there enough copies to reconstruct the originals?
- Internal test - Does the author disqualify himself by contradictions or known factual errors?
- External test - Do other historical materials confirm or deny the author's testimony?
- Note the claims of Christ to Deity recorded in the gospels.
- Verify the claims deductively by eliminating unsatisfactory explanations (not covered here).
- Therefore, since Christ is God, His teaching on bibliology is authoritative.
Christ's Teaching on Bibliology
The Old Testament
Mt. 5:18*; Jn. 10:35; Jn. 5:39-47**; Mk. 12:36; Mt. 19:4-5; Mt. 22:29-32; Mt. 12:39,40; Lk. 17:26-32; Lk. 24:44
His Own Words
Mt. 24:35*; Mt. 7:24-37; Jn. 3:5 "truly I say", etc.
The Apostles Writings
Jesus pre-authenticated the apostles' writings: Jn. 14:26*; Jn. 15:26,27; Jn. 16:13,14
The Human Authors Corroborate Christ's Position
The Old Testament
Josh. 1:8; 22:5; II Sam. 23:2; Heb. 9:3,30; Neh. 10:29
The New Testament
I Cor. 14:37*; II Pet. 3:2; II Pet. 1:16-21; Rev. 1:3; Rev. 22:18,19; I Tim. 5:18; I Thess. 2:13,15; II Pet. 3:15,16; Gal. 1:11-12; Jn. 21:24; II Tim. 3:16 4.
Communicating a Defense of Biblical Authority
Several approached are effective if applied correctly, and in our view, carry more weight with non-Christians than the inductive argument above.
- Fulfilled prophecy
- Christ's teaching on bibliology where appropriate
- Presuppositional proof
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