Study the Bible with Pastor Gregory

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1. The Inspiration of God’s Word: "We believe the Holy Scriptures to be the verbally inspired Word of God, …"
   
   
1. The Process of Inspiration
   
   
1. Although the actual process by which God worked in inspiration is a mystery, it is important to understand that it refers more to the process and product than to the people involved.
2. The term for "inspiration" is "Theopneustos" – from two Greek words – 2 Timothy 3:16:
1. "Theos" = God
2. "Pneuma" = wind or breath
3. As such, the Scriptures are "God-breathed" indicating the quality or source of revelation as God guided those chosen to author His Word – 2 Peter 1:20-21
4. Some faulty views of inspiration include:
1. Mystical (Illumination) Inspiration – referring to a transcendent experience produced by an elevated or intensified awareness of God on the part of the authors.
2. Endorsement Theory – teaches that human authors wrote only with their human ability and then God endorsed it and gave it His authority.
3. Dynamic Theory – Parts of the Bible are truly guided by the Holy Spirit, but that the authors added things that aren’t from God.
4. Mechanical Theory – teaches that the Bible was essentially dictated to the authors who acted merely as recording secretaries.
5. The correct view of inspiration is expressed by John Walvoord: "God so supernaturally directed the writers of Scripture that without excluding the human intelligence, their individuality, their literary style, their personal feelings, or any other human factor, His own complete and coherent message to man was recorded in perfect accuracy - the very words of Scripture bearing the authority of divine authorship."
   
   
2. The Plenariness of Inspiration
   
   
1. How much of the Bible is truly inspired?
2. We believe that inspiration extends to the every single letter and word – commonly summarized by indicating a "verbal, plenary inspiration." -
1. Verbal Inspiration – that it extends to the words themselves – cp. Matthew 5:18
2. Plenary Inspiration – that it extends to every part – 2 Timothy 3:16
3. We believe that this describes the "autographs" – that is, exactly what the Biblical writers wrote – not to the versions and translations of the original writings.
4. The reliability of our texts is more a matter of the doctrine of preservation than it is inspiration.
5. This is why we want to exercise caution in what versions that we endorse as a church – the philosophy of those producing the text must be to remain as true and accurate in the reflection of the original writings as possible.
1. The best texts are those that attempt to directly reflect every word of the original Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek –
1. The King James Version or NKJV
2. The New American Standard Bible
2. Those texts that take liberties in order to convey the concepts taught in Scripture and may at places depart from an attempt to utilize the same vocabulary as the original are somewhat inferior – eg. the "Dynamic Equivalence" of the New International Version.
   
   
3. The Purpose of Inspiration
   
   
1. The reason God has revealed Himself in Scripture is that man might ultimately be reconciled to Him through faith in His Son.
2. It is therefore appropriate to state that God has, in Scripture, provided us everything we need for life and godliness – cp. 2 Peter 1:3-4.
   
   
2. The Influence of God’s Word: "… the final authority for faith and life, …"
   
   
1. The Perspicuity of Scripture
   
   
1. The Word of God is not shrouded in mystery, secrecy and unintelligibility – it is designed to be understood by those to whom it was given – mankind.
2. However, the difficulty rests in the fact that the truths of God have to be comprehended spiritually – a task impossible for a natural man who is spiritually dead – 1 Corinthians 2:12-16
3. Thus, the meaning of Scripture is to be found as a person diligently applies what is called the "literal, grammatical, historical method of interpretation" under the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit – John 16:13
   
   
2. The Power of Scripture – 2 Timothy 3:16-17
   
   
1. It is the only source whereby men can be freed from the bondage of that which exalts itself against the knowledge of God and enslaves men – compare 2 Timothy 2:25-26 and 2 Timothy 3:17
2. This deliverance is why we are told that the Scripture is profitable for four things:
1. It provides us with God’s Standard – "teaching …" (doctrine)
2. It provides us with how we have Strayed – "… reproof, …"
3. It provides us with the Solution to our struggle – "… correction …"
4. It provides us with the Stability to avoid further straying – "… instruction in righteousness"
3. It is thus that Jesus teaches that we are sanctified through the truth and thereby freed from darkness – cp. John 17:17; John 8:31-32.
   
   
3. The Integrity of God’s Word: "… inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God-breathed."
   
   
1. The Inerrancy of Scripture – Luke 16:17
   
   
1. Having already addressed the issue of the original writings, it is necessary that we underscore the reality of the inerrancy of Scripture.
2. This is often were people struggle with the doctrines of Scripture – that the Bible is entirely true and never false in all it affirms, whether that relates to doctrine or ethics or to the social, physical, or life sciences.
3. Thus, there are no contradictory teachings, unintelligent or naive superstitions, or half-baked ideals presented as truth.
4. It also affirms that when Science and the Bible seems to conflict, Science must give way to the Master-Designer of the Universe who established Scientific Law.
   
   
2. The Infallibility of Scripture – 2 Peter 1:19
   
   
1. This differs from Inerrancy in that it addresses the fact that the Scriptures possess no false or inaccuracies with reference to what was revealed.
2. It is the doctrine that teaches that the inspired authors accurately recorded God’s Word and that nothing is improperly recorded.

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