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The Inspiration of the Bible

The Inspiration of the Bible. The meaning of inspiration. God-breathed God wrote perfectly Every word from God Clear instruction to mankind Difficult to believe? A simple matter for the creator of the universe. Two approaches. The authority of Jesus

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The Inspiration of the Bible

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  1. The Inspiration of the Bible

  2. The meaning of inspiration • God-breathed • God wrote perfectly • Every word from God • Clear instruction to mankind • Difficult to believe? • A simple matter for the creator of the universe

  3. Two approaches • The authority of Jesus • Jesus affirms inspiration of the Old and New Testament • The general qualities of the Bible

  4. General qualities • Wisdom • Revolutionary thought • “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28 NKJV) • “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her…” (Ephesians 5:25 NKJV)

  5. General qualities • Wisdom • Direction to a straight pathway (Gal. 5:19-23) • Turns world upside down • Poor are rich (Matt. 11,5) • Heart matters more than the external (1 Sam. 16:7; Matt. 23:25)

  6. General qualities • Wisdom • Earth is round • “It is He who sits above the circle of the earth…” (Isaiah 40:22 NKJV) • Processes of rain • “For He draws up drops of water, Which distill as rain from the mist, Which the clouds drop down And pour abundantly on man.” (Job 36:27-28 NKJV)

  7. General qualities • Agreement • 40 men over 1,600 years • Parallels between Old and New Covenants • Prophecy • Concerning Jesus • Concerning other events

  8. Prophecies of Jesus • Specific details • Virgin birth • God-with-us • Bethlehem • Everlasting ruler • 30 pieces of silver • Crucifixion • Garments divided • Sinless • Dying for the sin of all

  9. Historical prophecies • Describes the succession of kingdoms before Christ in Daniel 2:31-49 • Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, God’s eternal kingdom • Describes Greece by name in Dan. 8 • “And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king.” (Daniel 8:21 NKJV)

  10. Historical prophecies

  11. 2nd way: authority of Jesus JESUS Apostles Old Testament New Testament

  12. Direct statements of OT insp. Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods"'? "If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), "do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'? (John 10:34-36 NKJV) Quote from Psalm 82:6 Jesus speaks of OT as perfect to every word He uses the fact that the word “gods” is accurate to make His point We should have as much confidence in the scriptures as Jesus

  13. Direct statements of OT insp. Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me." (Luke 24:44 NKJV) If all fulfilled, it must be completely accurate and inspired

  14. Law, prophets, and psalms (Adam Clarke’s Commentary)

  15. Law, prophets, and psalms = 39 books of modern Protestant Old Testament (Adam Clarke’s Commentary)

  16. Implied OT inspiration • Every time Jesus quotes, refers, and holds people to the standard of the scriptures • Examples: Matthew 21:42, 22:29, 26:54-56; John 5:39, 7:38, 7:42, 19:36, and 20:9

  17. 2nd way: authority of Jesus JESUS Apostles Old Testament New Testament

  18. NT: Authority to Apostles • Implied by Jesus’ intent to send them out • Great commission (Matt. 28:18-20) • Jesus knew whether they would be faithful to the truth when He sent them

  19. NT: Authority to Apostles But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning. (John 15:26-27 NKJV) Speaking to the 12 Apostles (Matt. 26:20; Mark 14:17; Luke 22:28-30) Apostles bear witness through the Holy Spirit Additional passages: John 14:26; 16:13

  20. NT: Authority to Apostles • John 17 prayer • Spoken only about the 12 Apostles • (v. 12) Would not be true that only one was lost if speaking of more than the 12 Apostles • While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. (John 17:12 NKJV)

  21. John 17 • V. 6: They have kept God’s word • V. 8, 14: They have the truth from God • V. 17: Jesus intended for them to be sanctified by the truth

  22. John 17 I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; (John 17:20 NKJV) Jesus intended for others to believe through the 12 Apostles

  23. 2nd way: authority of Jesus JESUS Apostles Old Testament New Testament

  24. Apostles  New Testament • Books written by the 12 Apostles • Book of John (if it was not John, it must have been one at the Passover meal (John 21:20-24) • Book of Revelation • 1 & 2 Peter

  25. Apostles  New Testament • Paul’s writings • Peter confirms in 2 Peter 3:15-16 • Paul’s writings = • “scripture” • Distortion causes one’s destruction …as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. (2 Peter 3:15-16 NKJV)

  26. Apostles  New Testament • Book of Luke • Paul quotes Luke 10:7 as inspired in 1 Tim. 5:17-18 • Considered at same level as Deuteronomy 25:4 • Book of Acts is almost certainly a continuation of Luke Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture says, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain," and, "The laborer is worthy of his wages." (1 Timothy 5:17-18 NKJV)

  27. Challenges: Gospels and Epistles • Second approach uses facts from the Gospels and Epistles before establishing inspiration • Statements of Jesus • Authorship of Epistles • The key is to combine the first and second methods • The general characteristics establish accuracy • Based on main ideas

  28. Challenges: same time • New and Old Testaments written at same time • Contradicts secular historical knowledge (Josephus, Dead Sea scrolls) • How create such a masterful falsity?

  29. Challenges: alteration • Alteration of the Bible over time • Old Testament • Recorded very accurately and strictly. Few differences in O.T. accounts • Dead Sea scrolls confirm

  30. Challenges: alteration • New Testament • Earliest N.T. manuscripts date to 2nd century • Various parts of the world that do not vary largely • Doctrine safe, just spelling errors, syntax, etc.

  31. Challenges: which books? • Many non-canonical books exist (Apocrypha, etc.) • 2nd method provides authority for specific books • Those that agree • Otherwise, if have qualities of inspiration

  32. Seek, and you will find (Mt. 7:7) • This is just an appetizer • To really see the power, you need to read it—more than that, live it

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