My thoughts on the Authority, Inspiration, and Inerrancy of Scripture...

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. 

1

Elwell, Walter A. 2001. Evangelical dictionary of theology. Grand Rapids, Mich: Paternoster Press

The Bible Stands Alone

 "The manner in which the Bible has been produced argues against its unity.  The Bible was penned on two continents, written in three languages, and its composition and compilation extended through the slow progress of sixteen centuries.  The various parts of the Bible were written at different times and under the most varying circumstances.  Parts of it were written in tents, deserts, cities, palaces, and dungeons.  Some parts in times of imminent danger and others in seasons of ecstatic joy.  Among its writers were judges, kings, priests, prophets, patriarchs, prime ministers, herdsmen, scribes, soldiers, physicians, and fishermen.  Yet, despite these varying circumstances, conditions, and workmen, the Bible is one Book; behind its many parts there is an unmistakable organic unity.  It contains one system of doctrine, one code of ethics, one plan of salvation, and one rule of faith."

                                                   -- A. W. Pink

This quote from A. W.  Pink rely captures what a treasure we have in the Bible.  God has spoke with immense clarity, and compiled His revelation into one volume.  Let us not consider it archaic or dogmatic; it is living and active.  God's Word does not deserve to collect dust, it deserves tattered, overused pages worn out from constant use.

More thoughts on John 15:1-8...

It is so tempting to view the fruits of our labors as a means to salvation. After all, they are tangible things that are unarguably good. We must realize that fruit is the outworking of inner spiritual transformation through the indwelling Spirit of Christ. It is the transformation in us that comes first. The fruit is merely an indicator of spiritual condition. However, it is an honest one that speaks truth even if we don't want it to. The vine metaphor definitely expands the concept of relationship with God. As our gardener, He is working on us as we abide in Him. This communion goes beyond the boundaries of human relationships. We rely on Him to rescue us, to change us, and to keep us for eternity.

Salvation, Discipleship, and Eternal Security in John 15

John 15:1-8 teaches that Jesus is the true vine, the only source of eternal salvation. The metaphor of the vine has appeared before in the Old Testament as a reference to Israel (Psalm 80). Jesus assertion that He is the true vine contrasts Himself with Israel. The Law failed to bring final cleansing from sin, the Temple was not the ultimate dwelling place of the Spirit of God, and the Feasts of Israel only looked forward to events to be completed in Jesus. John Calvin said, “we are, by nature, barren and dry, except in so far as we have been engrafted into Christ, and draw from him a power which is new, and which does not proceed from ourselves.”

In regards to discipleship, Jesus is teaching us to abide in Him. In John 14, Jesus introduces us to the “mutual indwelling” of Jesus and the believer. The vine illustrates that reality. Jesus is the vine, and His disciples are the branches. “The branches derive their life from the vine; the vine produces its fruit through the branches” (Carson 514). This passage also calls the Father the “gardener.” Jesus says He (the Father) prunes the branches to make them more fruitful. It only makes sense that as the disciple submits to leadership of Christ and begins to abide in Him, the Father begins to cut away the dead parts, or the sin in the life of the believer.

Verse two of John 15 states, “Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away.” This is often taken to mean that a believer can lose their salvation if they are not obedient. This misses the point of this verse, and it is not consistent with the overall teaching of Jesus. Earlier in John, Jesus taught that it was the will of the Father that He lose none of those He has been given (John 6:39). The point of this verse is, “there are no true Christians without some measure of fruit. Fruitfulness is an infallible mark of true Christianity” (Carson 515). The truth is that outworking of the salvation of a believer is fruit in the life of the believer. Abiding in Christ is evidence of inner transformation that cannot be reversed. There have always been, and will always be those who outwardly profess allegiance to Christ, but are truly never converted. Those are the branches that will be cut away.

Works Cited:

Carson, D. A. The Gospel According to John. Grand Rapids, Mich: Inter-Varsity Press,

1991. Print. Nov. 26, 2012.

Calvin, John. Calvin's Commentary. Christian Classics Etherial Library. Biblos.com. Web. Nov. 16, 2012.23

My Worldview

What do you find are the major differences or conflicts between a non-theistic worldview and your own?

My worldview consists of salvation by grace through faith, not of my own works, but as a gift from God. This is where all worldviews diverge from true Christianity. I believe that this life is filled with eternal purpose, and everyday brings new opportunity to win souls for Christ. The non-theistic worldview sees everything in a fatalistic sense. Non-theism holds that this life is all there is, and our existence is limited to this physical world. This worldview, when reduced to its lowest common denominator, ultimately says there is no point in life. My worldview values life over all other things or experiences, and seeks to share life eternal with as many people as possible.

How might your approach to evangelizing someone of a non-theistic religion differ from that of a theistic one?

I would approach a theistic worldview by pointing out that every religion besides Christianity requires its adherents to scale the mountain of deeds to work his way to God. The Christian believes that God lowered Himself to our level and came down the mountain to us. People of non-theistic religions must be shown there is more to life than this fleeting physical existence. God is not just an unknown force, He is the eternal being that created us in His image. We were born to be in fellowship with our Maker. Unfortunately we are a people fallen to sin, and only God Himself can deliver us. He completed our salvation through His own son, God in the flesh, Jesus Christ. Faith in Christ and in His atoning death is the only remedy to our broken relationship with Him. He is a loving and personal God who has revealed Himself to mankind, and seeks a relationship with us. He is also a God of order. Looking at His creation, we find exquisite detail and unparalleled order that can only be divinely ordained. Humankind, the crown jewel of His creation, did not come into existence arbitrarily. We are here for a purpose, to glorify God. It is that purpose which orders and defines our lives.

Balanced media consumption?

I believe Christians are falling for a trap.  We cannot know the Scriptures that our forefathers passed down to us if we do not devote ourselves to study them.  We cannot study the Scriptures if our allegiance is to the next episode of some debaucherous and hedonistic television drama or pointless reality show.  Men and women were burned at the stake so that we might have God's Word in our language, yet we take this treasure for granted.

The amount of television being consumed is staggering.  The fact that our children are taking in twice as much useless nonsense as actual schooling is unacceptable.  As Christians, our commitment should be to content and not entertainment.   Should not our lives be radically different from those of the world?   Parents desperately need to reign in this “cultural narcissism” amongst children before it consumes them.  Our allegiance should be to developing the minds of the next generation so that the torch of the gospel may be passed on.  My wife and I do not have cable, and rarely watch television at all.  However, this has not always been the case.  Before we truly committed to serving Christ, we watched a good bit of television.  We were convicted by the mindless time wasting that was stealing our opportunity to know God personally.   I can always tell when my children have been watching teenage sitcoms because their attitude changes, and their behavior jumps ahead to adolescence.  If we are truly Imago Dei, the image of God, then how can we abdicate the responsibility to think and reason to a mindless electronic beast?

Treasure in Heaven

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Luke 12:32.

Why do we cling so tightly to possessions? What are we so afraid of? The creator of heaven and earth and all things allows us to call Him Father. Not only that, but He is giving His kingdom to us, His flock, as an inheritance. This passage puts all our anxiety about stuff into perspective. Jesus is telling His disciples this right on the heels of a parable about a rich fool who stored up things for himself, but was not rich toward God. He is trying to get them to understand that the treasure we must labor for is not of this world, it is of the next. Our efforts, our attention, and our focus must be on things eternal; things that really matter. So what if you don't have all the latest and greatest stuff, it's only temporary anyway. Hold loosely to the things of this world, and remember, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”