Reflections On The Inerrancy Conference

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry coming to you from Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. No Compromise Radio is a program dedicated to the ongoing proclamation of Jesus Christ, based on the theme in Galatians 2, verse 5, where the Apostle Paul said, �But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.

In short, if you like smooth, watered-down words to make you simply feel good, this show isn�t for you. By purpose, we are first biblical, but we can also be controversial. Stay tuned for the next 25 minutes as we�re called by the Divine Trumpet to summon the troops for the honor and glory of her King.

Here�s our host, Pastor Mike Abendroth.

Catching Up After the California Trip and Inerrancy Conference

No Compromise. Radio ministry, Pastor Steve Cooley, the Tuesday Guy at the Tuesday Guy. Buenos dias, senores. Steve, it�s probably been one month. What is month in Espanol? Mesa? Mesas? No, no. What is it?

Semana? Semana?

What�s a month? I don�t know. I don�t know. It�s been too long. Mesa feels, or maybe it is a month. I don�t know. I don�t know. I don�t know either. I mean, I�ve forgotten all the time stuff because I just don�t know.

Mas o menos. Yeah, mas o menos.

Anyway, it�s been about a month. Yeah, it�s been a month, and it�s kind of fun to sit down and do No Compromise Radio, especially in light of the California trip.

Tell me about your trip to California. I thought you were going to say, especially in light of the Lord�s soon return.

Well, that�s Maranatha.

May he show up before this airs. That would be great. I would be very blessed by that. California, what did I do? I mean, I just visited family and just kind of. I mean, I went and ate too much. I think I put on about four or five pounds, but that�s what.

When you�re around family, they�re just like, hey, have something to eat.

And family food is so good. It�s comfort food to the ultimate. Si, el gordo. But you went there originally with a group of men from Bethlehem Bible Church for the Shepherds Conference, Uber Conference.

I think it was called the Inerrancy Summit.

Yes, yes, I did. Yeah, I was laughing because I was thinking about how little sleep I had for the two days before I went out there. And then I get in the car. In fact, one of our guys would go with me to just kind of smack me in case I start falling asleep.

And then the car conks out. I had to get a second rental car, all that. So, shout out to Jonathan Newton. Thanks for keeping it real there, bro.

Steve, for me as well, I get back from Israel late on Saturday night, technically Sunday morning, then preach Sunday morning, then fly out on Monday night. And the wind currents were so bad. Because you flew earlier in the day, I flew later.

Basically, Virgin Airlines said we might have to stop in Vegas and fill up with fuel because the current, you know, it was like we were going to hunt 399 miles an hour into the wind.

The pilot told us, he said, because the flight was just over seven hours, he goes, it has never taken him that long to fly to LA, ever. And I'm like, well, that says something, you know, so it was bad.

John MacArthur, Strange Fire, and the Pushback Against Charismatic Critique

So MacArthur has a conference, Strange Fire Conference, and he critiques the charismatic movement through Leviticus 10 and Nadab and Abai, who? I like how you said that. And he got some flack for it. Was the flack warranted?

What was the pushback for?

Why did he receive that? Was the flack warranted? Well, I didn't think so. The flack was, you know, basically that John MacArthur had painted with a broad brush and not all charismatics were as bad as TBN, you know, kind of thing.

And hey, that's true. But he didn't paint with a broad brush. I think he named names when he had to, and he was reserved when he didn't have to be. So I thought he was, if anything, kind of restrained.

Well, I don't know if it's true or not. But then I heard Mark Dever talk to John and say, John, in light of the last conference, the Strange Fire Conference, why don't you make the Shepherds Conference into an inerrancy conference?

And this will be, you know, kind of what we're for, not what we're against or something.

Yeah, and I thought it was great. You know, the charismatic book burning on Tuesday night.

Now, you might want to cover your children's ears for that. Yeah. It might be really, you know, scurrilous.

Oh, yeah, it wasn't true. What I said wasn't, it was a joke, ladies and gentlemen, a joke. There was no book burning.

Why Inerrancy Matters for Preaching and Scripture

Okay, Steve, let's talk about inerrancy generally, and then we can focus maybe on a couple of the sessions and some of the things that were good to be reminded of when it comes to the relationship between preaching and inerrancy.

First inerrancy in general and a definition. I learned this week, Steve, that Augustine was the first person who coined the term inerrant. Well, he was a pretty smart guy.

He didn't have everything right, but he had quite a few things right.

So, then according to Michael Horton, Luther and Calvin spoke of scripture as free from error. And so, isn't that a good definition of inerrancy?

Well, let's see, inerrancy to be free from error. Yes. I'd say that. Yeah. No errors whatsoever. Yeah. Okay. So, is that fair to say? Yeah, when we say inerrancy, it's I-N-E-R-R-A-N-C-Y, not I-N-E-R-R-O-R, A-N-C-Y.

Inerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrl. Calvin is clowns.

Oh, we'll get to that in a second. Yeah, that was pretty funny. Inerrancy, no errors, and then infallibility, it's a broader term, it's a more general term that you can trust the Bible.

The documents are reliable. Is that fair to say? Yes, I'd say that's very fair to say. Okay. That's a reliable statement you made. Oh, I'm sorry. Am I being.

No, that was very nice. I like that. I like your your wit repartee. Yeah, but I don't want to cause anybody have to cover their ears. I know I know especially children. Inerrant means no errors. Infallible means there can be no errors.

Amen, some people. They they they equate the two terms. They cannot err.

The earth Caldeas. You know, that's how you say. Well, you can say er are her or air. Oh you can yes I guess you can say whatever way you like. Yes, but I mean, it's correct. I had a seminary prof who used to keep saying er and I thought he was wrong.

So I went home and looked it up and I found out. Oh, he's actually right. Yeah, so Nietzsche and.

So There were 4 ,500 men who were pastors and elders and deacons and seminary students who attended this inerrancy conference and We know the scriptures are inerrant, but I'm certain that the enemy Along with liberal liberalism wants to attack Such a view of scripture, but Steve I was not ready for the Calvinist clowns Poster board and sign ministry to greet us the very first day.

Service, Hospitality, and the Volunteer Spirit at Grace Community Church

Yeah, welcome to California, right?

I mean we get in on Monday. I Think I went to sleep pretty early Monday night because I was a zombie and you know. You get up and you show up at the conference and here's somebody right across the street from the parking lot carrying this Sign, you know and it says.

What it's like. Hey Calvinist with Calvinist with a K, you know with an a word I should be right Calvinus I.

Thought they were first Steve. I knew they were misspelling some words, but I thought they were like against the Unit of measurement for heat, you know, there's Celsius. That's Calvin. That's Calvin. I know I thought they were even I thought they were against Kelvin.

Absolute zero minus two hundred and seventy three point six degrees or whatever it is. You know, I think so.

Yes, and so I did the same thing. I got in late, but I my clock was all messed up. So I got up early internal clock that is I got up early sunny warm Palm trees all the wind had blown out this smog and I walk Onto the campus of Grace Church and I looked at the guy and I was taken aback by this Matthew 23 Hebrews 9 Calvinistic clowns thing.

I looked right at him and and he looked at me and he goes you idiot.

Yeah, yeah, he did the same thing, you know, he said when I was walking across the street. He said welcome to the circus you clowns and I thought. Somebody asked me about it later. What did I think. And I just said well, you know.

Like my seminary prof used to say you have to be winsome to win some and he certainly was.

Winsome. Steve if I was an arm minion, I mean Armenian, I mean Harmoniological no, but if I was gonna spell something wrongly or if I was gonna try to you know Go to our minion conference might my attack might be a little bit different.

Yeah, I don't know.

You know if he was trying to tweak actually, I just think he was bonkers.

But you know, let's neither her. No there so we get past that and there's lots of people serving. Let's talk a little bit about ministry. The Lord Christ saves us gives us spiritual gifts. Every person in the body of Christ has one and These days you could divide them into two groups speaking and serving.

What's was the servant attitude of the men and women at Grace Community Church when these pastors descended on a.

Grace Community Church campus. It's it's always so terrific. I think I think I heard a total I was there the Friday after the conference. I was at a Bible study there because you know, I like to get my spiritual batteries recharged when I'm in, California anyway, I Think one of the men there one of the elders at Grace said that there were 1500 Volunteers that week and you know, it's just it's just terrific.

I mean, I here's here's what the best thing to me about it. You know unlike any restaurant or any store not even Nordstrom or whatever that you go in whatever you ask for. You get I mean there was a time where I wanted a water bottle I couldn't find one and so I'm walking around the book.

They had this book tent. They've converted like a big portion of the parking lot into a tent and they had all the books in from the conference I got saved there by the way. Did you have the tent revival?

Yeah so anyway I was walking around there and I see a guy. Caring a young man walking away with a like a couple cases of water and I said, where are those going? Can I you know, can I follow you and get one and an older guy just looks at my you know Name tag and just opens it up and gives you one, you know, it's just like you you're the customer.

You're always but the attitude there is just like whatever you guys want. However, we can minister to you. That's what we're here for and I'm it really is awesome.

I think it was the shirt that said I hi I'm Tuesday guy and then he immediately gave you the water. With ice and everything else.

I you know I have to deny that and I all the children can now uncover their ears that that did not happen I did not have a shirt that said hi.

First Peter chapter 4. Above all keep loving one another earnestly since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling as each has received a gift. Use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied.

Grace, and that's exactly what we saw demonstrated at Grace Community Church. And and you know, here's here's the thing, too this is this is all weekdays Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday, and People I I talked to a number of people who'd actually taken vacation.

One guy said he takes his vacation every year during Shepherds Conference not so we can go. But so we can serve. And I just thought and this is you know, the mark of true Service and it really is amazing.

Well to God be the glory on this one.

I hope it doesn't come across as some boast because I didn't do anything Regarding this but Steve for me to see my son Luke who's 18 and a master's college student say dad I've got a quick study and I have to do my work study program as well and work and then I'll get a ride because I need to get back down to the campus at Grace Church to serve as a volunteer.

That was pretty nice. That was kind of a tear-jerking moment when I would look across campus and see my son Luke serving other men. As as a volunteer there, it's pretty pretty amazing. Who'd have thunk it.

I mean here, you know, he goes to church here and he's serving at the Shepherds Conference. But that's because you know, he's a student back there, but I know that's cool.

My cave and Roth was Steve Cooley today on no compromise radio. You can always write us at info at no compromise radio .com. Steve we're talking generally today about inerrancy due to the Shepherds Conference theme inerrancy.

How a High View of Scripture Shapes Expository Preaching

Steve. What would you say? Is the correlation between a high view of Scripture that is God and man Wrote Scripture, but of course God is making sure that there are no errors there and Preaching. In other words, if you've got a high view of Scriptures, will that affect your preaching and if so, how?

Well, I think if you have a high view of Scripture, you're gonna stay in the Scripture, right? You're gonna. Your want is gonna be to give as much Scripture as much truth to your people as possible because you're going to then trust your sovereign Lord to transform people through the preaching your word.

What you won't do is Veer away from it and find, you know. Just kind of pick and choose. Find little jumping-off points so that you can say what you really want. You know. Get away from Scripture as fast as you can so that you can just pour out your humor and your.

You know, perhaps your own personal wisdom, you know, you want to stick to the Bible. I mean says and by the way. That is not to say that I would never be humorous or that I would never involve my you know.

Oh, yeah, or that I would never, you know mention some kind of personal insight during a sermon. But that is to say that your goal would be to preach the word and to stay in the word as much as as humanly possible.

Steve when I Contemplate Sola Scriptura Scripture alone is sufficient. Then I say to myself, you know if traditions of man Were without error if the magisterium was out without error if other people without error, then you know what?

We could just kind of not just preach the Bible, but since all those are clouded with the air of humanity and sin Why don't we preach from something that is authoritative and Incapable of error and free from error both of those infallibility and inerrancy and so that's why it's so wonderful to preach something.

That's truth. Don't we deserve to give truth to God's people?

Well, shouldn't we want to don't we deserve? I don't know, you know, anytime I hear the word deserve. I'm like. You know unless it's attached to the Lord, you know God deserves Praise. God deserves a lot of things.

I don't really think I deserve a whole lot. Okay, just God. Does God deserve.

To have under shepherd his under shepherds preach his word. Yes people. Yes. Well, you know you theological guys, it's Calvinist clowns strike again. All right. So how about if if a pastor doesn't preach the Bible exposition Lee?

Could you ask yourself the question with any merit? I wonder if he even thinks it's inerrant. So his his theology is is affecting his methodology.

Yeah, I would I would certainly wonder why he doesn't do that if he doesn't want to expose the text. Well, why is that? You know, he obviously thinks it's Deficient or you know cannot hold the people's attention or something else, you know, I mean, it's like That people can only listen to 10 minutes at a time anyway, so I don't want to really bore them.

You know that kind of thing. Why wouldn't he?

Preach exposition. Lee. That would be a question to ask him. Think about those who are news reporters. Brian Williams. And of course, we're no better than a Brian Williams. But how about scripture. When I'm reading Harold Lenz L's definition the very nature of Inspiration renders the Bible infallible, which means that it cannot deceive us.

It is inerrant in that it is not false.

Mistaken or defective. And When it gets back to this, right, is it fan new stuff? Is it God breathed if God breathed it out if it is the very breath of God written down by men You know using their personalities, etc, etc.

If it is that Then how can we then say that it has error in it? What what happened, you know, when when did God sort of take his eye off the ball and you know, oops. You know Jack Jack Haley died, did you know that yes a fine former Bruin I know fine former Laker former bowl.

Yeah, but I mean for me, it's all about UCLA.

Notable Sessions: MacArthur, Ligon Duncan, Dever, and Other Breakouts

I know Steve let's talk about some of the specific sessions if you had to pick one of the sessions. Delivered there at the Shepherds Conference some were by Mark Dever Alistair Begg John MacArthur Ian Murray Carl Truman Steve Lawson Derek Thomas a bunch of nobodies.

Yeah, what. Which one was your favorite? Message and why.

Okay, if you're gonna say which one was my favorite, I'll just be honest. Can I be honest? I think I can well Let's see, I I'm gonna sound like a homer, but I'm gonna have to go with the last one the the Friday night Message and I'll tell you the reason why you know, it's by MacArthur.

Yes by MacArthur. It's one of those sermons you listen to in the beginning. You just go, you know. He's talking about the Sadducees and the Pharisees and this debate and humdrum humdrum, you know, come on.

Can we get into the text and then he goes to the text and it was like here's what I would put it was like in a boxing analogy, it was like jab jab jab jab jab jab jab jab jab jab jab jab jab jab knock out and You know, it was like when you when he threw the the haymaker it was lights out and I thought it was great I don't want to give it away.

I want people to listen to it. But when he gave the You know the the meaning of the text when he revealed everything that he was going to reveal it was pretty powerful and a powerful testimony of scripture of Jesus Christ to scripture, you know and the inerrancy and the Usefulness of scripture in order to answer theological questions, so well.

Jesus always considered in the way he viewed scripture and used it. He always considered it as inerrant, right? Yes. Yeah, and so I always think if the Messiah would come along I did not hear that final message.

But I I say to myself if Jesus knew there were errors in the Hebrew manuscripts and He comes along. He is Messiah. He's the word incarnate. I think he instead of affirming everything he would have said this part got trans this what this part got Transmitted correctly and this part here got transmitted incorrectly.

Let me correct it. And by the way that whole Jonah deal. It's just a myth. You guys are taking it to literally.

Yeah, instead of things like him saying you have heard it said but I say to you he'd say it's something like you have read. But I say to you right, but he never said that not one time. Did he ever said?

Did he ever say you have heard it or you've read it, you know, thus saith the scripture. But I say to you, you know, he never contradicted scripture ever. In fact, he always referred to it as.

What it is the Word of God? Well, I'm not saying this particular message was my favorite. Although this is one of the things that I enjoyed the most was encouraged by the most. Was most thankful for is in Ligon Duncan's message on 2nd Timothy chapter 3.

He talked about verse 14, but as for you Paul writing to Timothy. But as for you Timothy continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed. Knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings.

Which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. And so for Paul to say to Timothy, by the way. Remember your mom and your grandmother remember their view of Scripture. Remember how they thought it was God-breathed and authoritative and sufficient and how we send off our kids to colleges and universities into the workforce.

And. There is something very Meaningful and impactful for a young man or woman to sit back and say yes. But you know you liberals are tell me telling me the Bible's full of errors. But my godly mom and my godly dad that's not the way they think of scripture.

Wasn't that wonderful?

Yep, very powerful very powerful and I would uh, you know from the breakout sessions I've heard good things about Farnell's, although I haven't listened to it yet. But I would say Abner Chow's breakout session was awesome.

Really enjoyed that. I have the handouts from Grissani's I was going through that that's that's really looks really good, too. By the way, MacArthur's message was from Matthew 22 verses 23 to 33 so really excellent, you know what Steve?

I think maybe John pulled out my first book that Jesus Christ Prince of Preachers and Christ view of preaching and and the Word and I have a little section there from Matthew 22. Maybe John looked at my notes.

I'm pretty sure he didn't. And so we want to encourage the listeners of no compromise radio. If you have not listened to the main sessions I think even many of the breakout sessions you can just go to Shepherds conference org and they have a Vimeo link and you can watch and listen to these very Encouraging messages.

Public Reading of Psalm 119 and Christ-Centered Interpretation

Psalm 119 by Mark Dever. He read the entire I don't know. What is that 176 verses?

Yeah, and and then I started counting his reading mistakes and I think you know, it would you know. And this is gonna sound like I'm being critical. I'm not listen if you've done public reading. It's not easy.

And I think he made like three little mistakes along the way and corrected each one, but I just said.

I Really thought it was impressive. I thought that was a good public scripture reading. Yes, and had the right inflection everything else. And then when he gave many allusions to The Passion Week the Lord's death and Return a resurrection rather in Psalm 119 the way he did it.

Doesn't this remind you of. Is this an allusion of and focusing on making it a Christ centered message? Even though Psalm 119 is not necessarily Messianic. By category and and I yeah.

I thought it was really excellent. Some of the guys were asking me about it afterwards and and you know, I Cuz I thought what he did Was was really excellent. I really enjoyed the Reading and by the way, just what he said about it afterwards.

He goes, you know, some of you might have been a little antsy while I spent an entire 15 minutes Reading the scripture and I just thought that was kind of just kind of like a little dig, you know. Because we shouldn't have been antsy, you know, but he didn't also he didn't announce he was gonna read the whole thing.

I don't think at a time but and oh, yeah, that was that was wise. Yeah, but.

But you know, he he didn't say it was a Messianic Thing but he did say and I thought this was wise the way he did it. You can't help but read Psalm 119 and say to yourself. Well who could talk that way.

Who would have the right? Let's say to talk that way. Unless it had been you know Jesus because who could say that I'm more wise than all my teachers, you know. And all these kind of things. And and it would only be the Lord who could say that.

Well, we hope you listen to some of those messages where we were encouraged. The Shepherds conference org. The inerrancy conference. Did you get any good free books there. Any book you want to recommend the people to read if they are interested in inerrancy?

Well, I mean the coolest book that we got was the BB Warfield one because it just looks cool, right? I mean, you know, I'm looking forward to kind of tackling that but.

See what is the MacArthur book by Crossway 2015 that has probably 12 to 15 chapters. That were all single articles written by a Barton Payne.

John Murray taking every captive every thought captive is that it is that I. I don't remember the name of the book. That sounds like a little politics book. It's something that he edited and put together different articles.

So yeah looks looks really. My problem is I wish I would have thought of that But it wouldn't have sold as many.

I have no response to that. All right. Well, you are my boss. Well, especially on Tuesdays. And may I just say that. Contrary to what some people may think not one of the.

Speakers at the conference mentioned you. Yeah, I was wondering about that in the bookstore and all that stuff. Not not one. Yeah, yeah, but they came to me and they said where's Tuesday guy?

Not the speakers though. It did. What day is it?

No compromise radio with pastor Mike Avendroth is a production of Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. Bethlehem Bible Church is a Bible teaching church firmly committed to unleashing the life transforming power of God's Word through verse-by-verse Exposition of the sacred text.

Please come and join us. Our service times are Sunday morning at 1015 and in the evening at 6. We're right on route 110 in West Boylston. You can check us out online at bbcchurch .org or by phone at 508 835 3 400.

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