VARIOUS THEORIES CONCERNING THE BIBLES INSPIRATION

VARIOUS THEORIES CONCERNING THE BIBLES INSPIRATION

 

 

 

Any Discussion of This Subject Involves Three Questions

1. Is the Bible inspired? a non-technical question.   
2. What is the nature of this "inspiration"?
3. What is the extent of the Bible's inspiration?

 These Questions are Different in Character

• The first is non-technical and most men would agree that the Bible is "inspired" in some sense.
• But when we ask what the nature of this inspiration is, and how far does it extend, we meet many different and conflicting theories.
• Several of these theories may be briefly considered:

(1) The Ordinary Theory: God influenced the writers of the Bible, as other great writers like Tennyson, Plato, Philo, etc. This degrades inspiration to the level of mere genius.

(2) The Limited Theory: Parts of the Bible are inspired. This means the Bible is not the Word of God, but contains the word of God. Reduces the matter to subjectivism, for there is no infallible judge to tell which parts are inspired.

(3) The Degrees Theory: Some parts are more inspired than others. This fits in with human values. This is a judgment philosophy.

(4) The Dynamic Theory: Material is of God, but the form is of man. The thoughts are God's but the words are man's. This theory is unscientific. Thoughts cannot be communicated apart from words (symbols).

(5) The Moral Theory: or spiritual theory. Moral or Spiritual teach­ings of the Bible are inspired. Historical or scientific elements may or may not be true. The weakness of this theory is its incon­sistency. If the Bible cannot be trusted on purely earthly things, how can it be trusted on heavenly things? Modern science pushes this theory.

 (6) The Mechanical Theory: Writers were machines through which God dictated the Bible. There is an element of truth here, but it ignores the facts of God's methods. God never works in a purely mechanical way.
 

(1) Balaam and the Ass: seeming dictation here had to do with the giving of the revelation not the writing of the record. Inspiration has to do with record.

(2) All the above theories have to do with more with revelation and are inadequate, if not wrong.

Our Method

Our method will be set these theories aside and formulate our doctrine on the basis of the testimony of the Book itself.

To begin we shall tentatively define Inspiration as simply "true" or "Trustworthy." Is the Bible inspired? -- That is, can the records be depended upon to be trustworthy because they are true?

 The lines of proof for the Inspiration are both numerous and convincing: Internal Proof

(1) Unity thru 66 books, 40 writers, controversial subjects, different documents.

(2) Righteous character of the Bible. It is "the good Book," "The Holy Bible."

(3) The transforming power of the Bible in the lives of men.

(4) The consciousness of authority when it speaks.

(5) The fulfillment of its prophecies to the letter.

(6) The scientific accuracy of its pronouncements.

(7) The theological consistency throughout. External Proof

(8) Its indestructibility through the centuries. The Word of God is living.

 The crowning proof of the Bible's inspiration is found in the testimony of Christ Himself.

A reverent textual criticism is in order, but the crowning proof is the voice of Christ. The Father said some things of His son: Luke 9:35; Mk. 9:7; Mt. 17:5

"And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him."

"And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him."

"While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him."

Whatever Christ said about this book is the attitude we must take, "for the servant is not greater than his Lord."
Strong is correct in saying that Christianity is not dependent upon verbal inspiration of the Bible. However, Christ taught that the Bible is inspired. We do not base our belief in Christ because it is found in the Bible. We believe the Bible to be true because Christ said it was.