Authority
is the power to command obedience, to determine, or to judge. To say
that the Bible has authority is to say that it stands alone as the
one and only standard for living. God is omnipotent, omnipresent,
and all-powerful. Thus God's revealed Word has the right and the
power to demand obedience and alignment with its statutes. The Word
that proceeds from the mouth of God is inherently authoritative. The
Bible also points to God, who is the source of all authority. Both
externally, and internally, it is clear that the Bible is the “embodiment
of God's self disclosure1.” It is
the instrument by which humankind measures its existence, and its
relationship with the Creator.
Inspiration
is the supernatural influence of the Holy Spirit on the writers of
scripture that gives their written words the trustworthiness and the
authority that comes only from God. I have always held an “all or
nothing” view of inspiration. If God only inspired some parts of
scripture, then how can we know what parts are inspired? In order
for the Bible to be viewed as wholly inspired and infallible, it must
be inspired in its entirety. The authors of scripture were not only
inspired to write, every word of the ensuing text is inspired by the
Spirit. Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is
God-breathed.” If Paul was truly inspired by the Holy Spirit, then
God has left us no room to doubt the inspiration of the Bible as a
whole. Jesus had no intention to change “one jot or tittle” of
the Old Testament. His entire ministry and mission was to fulfill
the Old Testament scriptures. The Bible's consistent message of
redemption, from beginning to end, points us to one divine author
writing through the pens of many different vessels.
Inerrancy
is the assertion that the Bible is right and true in every aspect.
It contains no mixture of error, and it is authoritative in all
realms of life. The original autographs of scripture are entirely
true and never false when interpreted correctly.
The best and strongest argument for inerrancy is the Biblical
argument. From cover to cover, the Bible consistently teaches that
it is the Word of God. In some places it is by implication, in
others it directly states its own case. For the Bible to claim that
it is authoritative, it must be without error. Furthermore, if the
tense of a word can transform an entire passage, then every detail
must be absolutely correct. The slippery slope argument, which holds
that if inerrancy is in doubt then all other doctrine crumbles, is
the weakest argument for inerrancy. While inerrancy is fundamental
to correct interpretation of scripture, some mixture of correct and
incorrect doctrine can still be held. Until all is revealed, no
theologian will have every aspect of all doctrine correct.
Scriptural
inspiration and scriptural inerrancy are intertwined in God's
revelation. God is the source of all truth, and “only speaks
truth1.” In order for God to transmit the truth
of his Word through men and produce an infallible product, he must
have inspired the authors by his Holy Spirit. It is the only way
fallen men could have penned God's perfect Word. Apart from inspired
authors, it is illogical and impossible for the Bible as we know it
to be inerrant.
My
view that the Bible is inspired and written by the Holy Spirit
through human authors, authoritative on all aspects of life, and
completely true with no mixture of error affects every part of my
life. The Bible's teaching has radically transformed the way I view
my marriage and my role as husband. It frames every lesson I teach
my children and it has shown me the importance of my role as father.
God's perfect Word chisels away at my heart every time I dive into
it. Something so simple as teaching the Word to a few adults on
Sunday morning has forever altered the course of my life. Praise God
that his word is living and active.
Elwell, Walter A.
2001. Evangelical dictionary of theology. Grand Rapids,
Mich: Paternoster Press
No comments:
Post a Comment