2 Peter 3, What do ya’ know: The Bible is God’s Word (1)

(We completed our study of 12 Character Traits and expect in the future to return for another group of traits.  Quite a few years ago we did a series of messages on basic Bible doctrine, highlighting some of the sections in our church Doctrinal Statement.  Pardon the “slang” but the series was entitled, “What do ya’ know for sure?”  For the next little while we will post these Bible studies.)

THE BIBLE IS GOD’S WORD

Doctrinal statement: We believe in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as verbally inspired of God and inerrant in the original writings, and that they are of supreme and final authority in faith and life.

1)    The definition of Inspiration.

Lewis Sperry Chafer: “The true doctrine of inspiration contends that God so directed the human authors that, without destroying their own individuality, literary style, or personal interest, His complete and connected thought toward man was recorded.”

a)    Inspiration is an act of God.  The word “inspired” in 2 Tim. 3:16 literally means “God breathed.”  The Holy Spirit carried along those men who wrote Scripture; out of the Spirit’s ministry the men spoke (2 Peter 1:21).  We would disagree with the idea that Paul was inspired as, say, Shakespeare was inspired. 

b)    Inspiration is verbal (applies to the words of the Bible).  Jesus said, Heaven and earth shall pass away but my words will by no means pass away (Mt. 24:35).  His “words” were inspired, not just the general thought expressed by those words.  His words (again, plural, each individual word) that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life (Jn. 6:63).  Do not think that Jesus’ words replaced or improved upon the words of the Old Testament.  Do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets (Mt. 5:17a).  We disagree with the idea that the meaning or thoughts of Scripture are inspired but not the words. 

c)    Inspiration is plenary (applies to ALL of the Bible).  That’s what 2 Tim. 3:16 says: All Scripture is inspired of God.  And again, all that Moses wrote and all the words of the prophets (Matt. 5:17-18).  After Jesus rose from the dead, He told His disciples that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me (Lk. 24:44).  When Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would inspire His Apostles, He said the spirit would guide them into “all truth” (Jn. 16:12-13).  Paul used the OT Scriptures, quoting specific passages (e.g. 1 Tim. 5:18).  Peter noted that this truth applied to the writings of Paul, in other words, to the NT (2 Pt. 3:15-16).  Peter placed the writings of himself and the other Apostles on the same level as the OT words of the prophets (2 Pt. 3:1-2).  We disagree with the idea that “spiritual matters” are inspired but not matters of history and science.