One of the things I have observed in this forum is that many (if not all) holds to the notion that “The Bible contains the Word of God”. And as for my previous posts, I brought out the idea of comparing that particular opinion with this: “The Bible is the Word of God”.
What is the fuss between these two?
I have asked some of you what will be the implications of these two, but to no satisfaction, based on the manner answers were thrown back.
Well, taking a close examination, this questions the very foundational doctrine of Biblical Inspiration. Taking the former: is it accurate? How about the latter?
Let’s exhume Scriptural evidences…
The former statement does not fit what the Bible says about itself.
The entire collection (66 Books, i.e. recognized by Christian Churches as inspired) speaks as the very words of God in many places. I urged you to think through the statistics (you may do the counting yourself if you like – just get a good Concordance or any Bible Lexicon) and go through the verses that will be mentioned and see for yourself.
1. “Thus says the Lord” occurs over 400 times in the Old Testament.
2. “God said” occurs 42 times in the Old Testament and four times in the New Testament.
3. “God spoke” occurs 9 times in the Old Testament and 3 times in the New Testament.
4. "The Spirit of the Lord spoke" through people in 2 Sam. 23:2; 1 Kings 22:24; 2 Chron. 20:14.
What is/are the problem(s) that we will encounter with the first statement?
• We must ask which parts of the Bible is the Word of God and which are not.
*Dilemma: The problem in answering this question is that the one who seeks to do so inadvertently places himself as the judge of what is and what is not inspired and without error.
• By what standard would such a person make such judgment?
Jesus’ statements:
Luke 24:44-45, He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.
You can see that Jesus spoke about what has been written about Him in the Old Testament. How does He refer to the Scriptures (i.e., in our modern words: The Holy Bible)? Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms. Putting on a Jew’s hat, this is a common designation for the Old Testament. Therefore, Jesus says that the written form of the Old Testament is Scripture. Jesus goes on to deal with the religious leaders who would violate these Scriptures which he called “the word of God.”
• Matthew 15:6, he is not to 'honor his father' with it. Thus you nullify
the word of God for the sake of your tradition.
• Mark 7:13, "Thus you nullify
the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that."
• John 10:35, If he called them ‘gods,' to whom
the word of God came—and the Scripture cannot be broken—
Jesus never said the scriptures
contain the word of God. He said they were
the word of God. Therefore, we can see that the word of God is the
written form of Scripture.
Even the Apostle Paul warns us not to exceed to what was
written.
Look with me at
1 Corinthians 4:6
Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not take pride in one man over against another.
Look also with me at
2 Timothy 3:16 – 17
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The word "inspired" literally means "God-breathed." This is an interesting phrase, since it implies that the Scriptures are from the
mouth of God.
Also see
2 Peter 1:21
For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Prophecy (one of the literary forms in some of the books in the Bible that we should notice) is not the product of human will but by the workings of the Holy Spirit (a member of the Trinity, who is also God).
What else then?
As Matthew Slick (
www.carm.org) says:
It is the written form that is proclaimed as being Scripture, unbreakable, the word of God, and the standard of which we are not to exceed. This can only be true, if the written form is the Word of God, not just something that subjectively contains the word of God.
Moreover…
When claims that the Bible contains the word of God but is not the word of God are made, there arise some problems. The problem, notably, is that this undermines the very trustworthiness of God's Word. How are we to decide what is and is not inspired, and therefore true, if the very breath of God moving through a sinner results in documents with mistakes (if there are any)? Does this inspire trust in God's Word? Does it promote security and rest in believing God's Word?
Obviously not.
This undermines the faith of Christians and is, naturally, a dangerous and false teaching.
*Adapted from
www.carm.org
The Problem of Selectivity
Originally Posted by mordecai_327
...thanks bro
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