How Did God Give Us the Bible? (01/14/2001)

Okay, I got advice from Marianne on how to work this heater now, so it's her fault from here on out. We're not sure that it's working right, but well actually the heater we know is working right, but.

We've tried to put it on air and I don't know it's gonna come on or not, but I do think we have the heat killed hopefully. Are y 'all gonna make is as hot down there as it is up here. We could open some doors seriously if we need to.

Yeah. Would anyone like us to crack the door a little bit back there you want to. Would you do that for us Jonathan? Maybe get a yeah. It'd be too cold. Oh. That's no we need to hear from the ladies. I think the ladies are comfortable right.

Okay, as long as the ladies are comfortable. That's where we have to keep it. Okay, well, I'll be all right. Brother Otis, they just don't take off anymore. Yeah. Now that might freeze Debra now. Debra's upset so I Think you can see why we're wanting to elect some deacons.

We let them handle these problems like this. Actually, they'll be a scapegoat for problems like this. That'll be good. Well this morning We're talking about continuing our discussion of Bibliology, which is the study of the Bible what the Bible says about the Bible and Remember that it has several sections.

Let me Review those with you. They'll be in the handout you're gonna receive after church and you not to give that to you right now because you'd be fumbling through that and reading it during the whole sermons, but you can pick it up afterwards, but.

There are seven divisions of the study of the Bible. The first is revelation. The second is inspiration some of these in our minds. We kind of merge them together and we don't really make that much distinction.

But the theologians do because for the sake of study they make a distinction everywhere. So we will look at the theological distinction between revelation and inspiration. I think really for us you could almost merge it into one thing.

But some of the subtle differences are important. I think the third third Study would be on authority the authority of the scriptures and in the illumination of the of the scriptures by the Holy Spirit and then interpretation proper methods of interpretation and then Animation in other words, the book is alive.

It's a living book and then preservation which I'm really looking forward to getting to that and a great deal of study. We'll go into that particular part because it deals with manuscript evidence and whether or not your current version of the Bible.

Your copy is accurate. And so God has not only promised to give us that he's given us the perfect word. But he's also promised in the scriptures that he has preserved it. So the question is how did he preserve it and there are a couple of main different theories and no telling how many and all.

But there are two major theories and we'll discuss those when we get to that now. As far as interpretation to look forward to that study, I believe this now. We have some lively discussions in Sunday school and from what I've learned today we have lively discussions in the car on the way to Sunday school and Some of us have lively discussions in the office when we're at work during the week.

So. But here's what I really believe I think there have been some mistakes made by the church through the years that have caused unnecessary division. I think a lot of times our seminaries and then it comes down to our pastors teach teach the people.

To hate the other groups, you know. The other groups are wrong because we have to be right and so we want to be exclusive that can be a mistake. But I'll tell you what I think is the the best cure and that is the fifth Study that we're going to do and that's the study on interpretation.

I believe this if if you go through The five or six different points of correct Bible interpretation and you can agree on those. Then you can study together. It doesn't matter what background you come from.

It doesn't matter what your box for God was. Up to this point in your life. I'll promise you God will change that box as you study anyway. But to me, it's interesting to talk to people that have different backgrounds.

But I'll tell you this if if the different people will know proper Bible interpretation methods. Then as they study they will come as they live they'll learn from each other. But the point is they'll come to the truth.

Because I think that's the key the key is not what background you came from or what seminary you went to or what group you hang around with the key is are you honest and applying principles of proper interpretation to every passage even your favorite passages and.

So it is it's very important and I think we'll learn a lot when we get to that but today we're going to talk about inspiration and The slight differences between that and revelation now. To put it in a nutshell as we begin Revelation is a larger if you won't put it in mathematical terms mrs. Rogers.

It's a larger set and Inspiration is a subset of that larger set. So That will help you to think of it that way just a little bit. Revelation is a larger scope because it includes all kinds of Revelations that God has given to men whereas inspiration at least as far as how the theologians to define it deals only with the written word.

So that's a good way to remember it as well. The inspiration is when the human authors were Breathed upon by God and given the Word of God and that is so inspiration is kind of limited to that area whereas revelation also includes Examples such as when the angel came to Joseph and told him to take Mary and the baby into Egypt that was revelation.

But Joseph didn't write that down and give that to everybody like like Paul did some things so it was not inspiration. But it was revelation. So that's the difference. Let me give you a definition. From Lewis Barry Schaefer on inspiration.

It is the theological use. Or let's put it this way the theological use of the term inspiration is a reference to that Controlling influence which God exerted over the human authors by whom the Old and New Testament were written it was it has to do with the reception of The divine message by these men as well as the accuracy with which it is transcribed.

Schaefer says this and and I really feel this is important. It's written a hundred not quite a hundred years ago. So it's a little more difficult to comprehend. So I'll read it five times so we can get this.

Okay, but think about the gist of what he's saying here and the truth of it in place of man's native agnosticism born of his fallen human limitations a God-given revelation is bequeathed to man in a permanent Written form which not only expands the field of man's knowledge into the realms of infinity.

But serves ever as a corrective of those fallible shifting fancies and theories which human ignorance unceasingly engenders. Now When the children leave our school they can read paragraphs like that and understand them in that wonderful, but didn't that beautifully written?

He points out two things that man in his natural which he calls his native State is an agnostic. Which means just a natural man that's not saved. It's not like he doesn't think God's there because he can look around see the trees and see God's creation.

So God has revealed himself to those men, but they're agnostic in the sense. They don't know about God. They don't know if he's an energy force. They don't know what he is. They don't know if he's alive still.

They just know something was there and they don't know God personally. It's so that we call that an agnostic. Schaefer says that men are naturally that way when they come into this world and so they also have all manner of human limitations because of the fall and he says what the Bible is it is a God-given Revelation which has been bequeathed to mankind in a permanent form Written which not only expands the fields of man's natural understanding.

It goes far beyond his ability to know things. It takes him into places. He could never have known into the heavenlies and. But the second thing he says it does is it acts the Bible acts as a corrective.

To those fallible shifting fancies and theories which human ignorance unceasingly engenders and if you read his book on Bibliology you'll find all of these different theories that men have come up with a lot of the German theologians and other theologians from around the world have come up with to try to minimize the accuracy of the Bible.

They have a thing called higher Criticism where they come in and they analyze the Bible like they would any piece of literature to see if it's accurate and if the Authors that claim to wrote it actually wrote it and so forth.

And so they try to bring the Bible under man's humanistic authority and The Bible was not given to man for that reason. It was given to man to be the authority and so that's who he's referring to when he says the Bible will actually correct even those people even the ones who try to analyze it and Tear it apart and find problems with it.

It will actually come back and correct those people and so Schaefer's book is magnificent and it's Breadth of listing all the different Heretical heretical theories and we'll discuss some of them this morning.

So let's talk about some of the theories of inspiration that man has come up with natural man. I'm convinced that many of these theologians were never born again. They just had an academic interest in the Bible and Satan energized them.

And so they also made money from it. Many of them have been the ones who published the modern Bibles and their bestsellers and they make a lot of money from Dealing with the Bible and maybe making some changes to make you think you need a more modern version and so forth.

There's a lot of money and all that and so who knows what the motivation of a natural lost man is to deal with the Bible but we know they do it and. So let's look at some of these theories and I want us to learn what the right one is.

So let's look at a couple of the wrong ones. First of all, there's one called the mechanical or the dictation theory. Now what we're talking about for the rest of this morning is simply How did God give us his Bible?

How was it given into this world? One theory is called the dictation theory or the mechanical theory and It Actually is not quite right, but it makes sense unless you really think it through and study the scriptures.

This one holds that God dictated the scriptures to man. So that God literally dictated them straight to the man. Exactly, and it says it's as if there is no human author involved. Well, it's not accurate and we can show that from the scriptures.

Although I sure like that theory better than the ones that say man just wrote it. But at least this theory gives God the credit. It gives God all of the credit and acts as if man was not involved at all.

Now anyone who studied the Bible knows that's not true because God has always worked together with man. That's just the way he chose to do it. So this theory Elevates the part of God to the exclusion of any role that man played in the scriptures and giving of the scriptures.

If this were true, then the style and writing would be uniform. Because it would just be God's style and you would not see any of the idiosyncrasies of the men involved that were the human Penman or the human authors at all if this theory were true.

Let me give you an example that a couple of examples that disprove this theory turn with me to Romans chapter 9 in verse 1. Let's just follow along with me and it says I say the truth in Christ. I lie not My conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.

For I could wish that myself were cursed from Christ for my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh. Can you not see Paul's personality coming out in that scripture? Can you not see his own heart involved in this?

And so There is the human aspect to the giving of the scriptures therefore the mechanical dictation theory is incorrect. Let me give you an actual verse that that shows this proofs disproves it doctrinally.

Look at 2nd Peter chapter 3 in verse 15. Turn back to 2nd Peter chapter 3. This is a magnificent little passage of scripture right here. I remember first time I studied this I Guess the first or second year I was saved when I was really studying theology every day.

When I saw this I said man this is really neat that God put this in here because this helps me fight the agnostics and the liberals and those who don't believe God's Word is accurate, but This speaks specifically to the New Testament.

There's a lot of scriptures that you could say talk about the Old Testament's inspiration and so sometimes the Critics will say well, yeah, but there you know, the New Testament is not accurate. Well, this one speaks of the New Testament.

It says an account now remember that this is the human author Peter writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. But he writes about another human author Paul and speaks about him and proves that Paul's writing was inspired by God.

It's fascinating. It says an account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation even as our beloved brother Paul. Also, according to the wisdom given unto him hath written so if you were going to diagram that sentence miss Deborah.

Who wrote who is it? Who is this sentence saying wrote these things? Who's the subject? Paul so it is Paul who hath written so here we see the human agent involved. So he says now God gave Paul this wisdom but He hath written unto you as also in all of his epistles.

So now this takes the scope of all of the epistles of Paul are included in this truth. That's given to us all of his epistles speaking in them of these things in which are some things hard to understand.

Yeah. There are some difficult things especially in Paul's day to the Jewish mind. Some of these ideas of grace and liberty in Christ and not being under the law. I mean a they could not fathom these things the fact that a Gentile could be saved these things were hard to understand and so It says that this is true.

These things were hard to understand which they are that are those that are unlearned and unstable wrestle with these things. Now look at this phrase as they do. Also the other Scriptures now what other scriptures do you think he's referring to?

That's right. So these same people that can't understand Paul's writing could not understand the Old Testament either the other scriptures now. Would you say that the phrase other scriptures implies that Paul's writing were scriptures and were considered to be?

Scriptures by Peter and that Peter had already reviewed all of the epistles of Paul. Now see sometimes we're under the idea that they didn't you know that it was hundreds of years later before they had all of these.

Well, they're not every person like we are today has six Bibles in their home back in those days. But the elders of the churches by this time, which I would guess about 60s 866, but let me look and see.

That's I got it. Right second Peter somewhere in that ballpark by that as early as 866 at least Peter had reviewed the epistles of Paul and Considered them to be scriptures. So the church was beginning to have the New Testament scriptures well.

It's amazing that we see here that two things one. They're considered to be holy scriptures. But number two, it says Paul wrote them. So we do see the human Aspect as well. Now, that's not such a problem today that mainly the problem we fight today is they don't see the divine aspect.

But it's also an error to get out of balance and say that it was just dictated because it wasn't just dictated. God worked together with these men and in these men to create the perfect Word of God. So Let me read you this phrase by Schaefer once again.

He points out that the human penman did not always understand why they wrote what they wrote we know that's true. Can you think of examples in the Old Testament where they wrote something and they you know, they accurately recorded The scriptures, but they didn't have a clue what it meant yet many examples I think what I can think of is the life of Joseph as Moses wrote Moses writes of the life of Joseph.

Do you think that he fully understood that he was a type of Jesus Christ in all aspects of that? There's no way he could have seen that we see it with hindsight. So they wrote faithfully they didn't always even understand what they wrote if one is left free to write in behalf of another and Then it is discovered that while writing according to his own feelings style and vocabulary he has recorded the precise and exact message of the one in whose behalf he wrote and As perfectly as though it had been dictated by that one.

The conviction is engendered that a supernatural accomplishment has been wrought. That's a nice flowery way to say that when you understand that God gave the scriptures. But he used the human penman. He used their their character.

He used their training. He used their vocabulary. He used their heart. He used the person as well and yet it came out exactly as The divine author God wanted it then we have a miracle. There's no other way to explain it.

It's it's as miraculous as we'll see a little later on as we liken this to the fact that Jesus Christ is fully man and fully God at the same time. And there've been a lot of people who try to put theories of the person of Christ and take away the humanity part or take Away the divine part, but the truth is in the middle.

It's the balance same way goes here. Now this there's a second false theory and it's called partial inspiration. According to these people Inspiration only reaches into the quote doctrinal areas and the Bible is not always Accurate in other areas with regard to history or science.

Now this was a liberal view that's been down through every century. You've always had men who have who have been skeptics and ungodly men who have said things about the Bible. But particularly in the 19th century you had a lot of people who call themselves theologians.

Who came in and they began to have these types of theories? Why do you suppose they had these theories at that time? I believe much of it comes down to Darwin and the fact that The whole world of science was coming out with they called them facts, which we now know were nothing but false theories.

But in that day they were viewed as Scientific facts that seemed to contradict certain aspects of the Bible. For example, the geologic column seemed to teach that the world was billions of years old. Whereas the Bible at that time everyone believed that that the Bible account of the history of the earth was true.

It was only six to eight thousand years old. So now we have a seeming scientific contradiction. So those who were not faithful to God and to the Word began to try to change the Bible to fit the science of the day so they said well the Bible is still accurate where it deals with salvation and atonement and The church and things like that, but it's not always accurate when it deals with science.

So they compromised didn't they and they got caught because now all these years later a hundred years later more than a hundred years later. We have all these brilliant scientists like dr Carl Ball who visited with us here and others across the country and across the world.

Who have taken the same data and proved that it fits the creation model better than the theory of evolution? But they compromised the Bible because they were afraid they feared man. Well, these theories come from this sort of thing.

What's beautiful that Schaefer points out to it also in his book that even back in that day There were many battles over the accuracy of the Bible as to the naming of biblical Ancient cities and so forth that had never been found.

They said well, they didn't exist. You know, it's just little stories and things and then all of a sudden ten years later twelve years later fifteen years later an archaeologist out there in the Middle East digs up the city and finds it finds an old piece of pottery with the name on it and Archaeology has just one after another Born up the accuracy the historical scientific accuracy the Bible through and through.

So really we're in in better position today than they were in the 19th century. They had to live by more faith if they were gonna hold that the Bible is absolutely accurate than we do because we got all The proof on our side today.

So it's fantastic that time we live in and yet don't you find it interesting that those who lived in that day that were God's people. Seem to love the book more than we do. Now, let's go to a third type of inspiration.

It's called degrees of inspiration. Some believe that certain portions of the scriptures are more accurate than others because they are more inspired than others. Now that's not even good grammar. I mean that's like saying the glass is is more full than your glass.

You can't be more you're the fuller. You're not full. It's an absolute the word full is absolute. The word inspired is an absolute term. It's either inspired because it means God breathed. It's either God breather.

It's not you can't be more God breathed than someone else did not some other portion of Scripture. But that's what the theory was and once again this one arose in the same time period trying to battle Darwin I believe and so certain portions of the scriptures were supposed to be more accurate than others.

This leads to the idea that the Bible is infested with errors and this is a false concept. The fourth one and This one is pretty prevalent. I mean I had a debate with a man in this church one time years ago about this issue and he thoroughly disagreed with me.

Because I was saying that I believe that the words the very words were inspired. He was saying no God just inspired the ideas the concepts that God gave the broad idea and let the men write the fill in the filler and I knew that was wrong.

And yet that's what he believed and that is a formal Theory, it's called the concept not the words are inspired. The theory being that God imparted the ideas and left the human author free to express them in his own language.

Now, let me show you some obvious problems with that theory. First of all Can anyone please show me how you can transfer an idea accurately without words. If you can't I mean ideas are made up of words.

So that's an impossible theory if you go into a court of law. One word in the testimony can change the verdict. If you look at some of the covenants and promises throughout the Bible many of them are based on the importance of one key word and.

So this is a ridiculous theory. The Bible itself when referring to its own message never calls attention. Merely to the concept it always speaks in this manner and let me give you some verses. Turn to 1st Corinthians 2 13.

We're really testing you today. We're giving you doctrinal material. With the heat too high if you can last through this till lunch you are in fact anointed. All right. 1st Corinthians 2 13. Which things also we speak not in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches.

I want you to underline the word words. Notice that it doesn't say which thing which concepts the Holy Ghost teaches it says which things we also speak. Not in the words Which man's wisdom teach but in the words that the Holy Ghost teaches so it emphasizes the words.

Now turn to John 6 and verse 63. John 6 63. I'm giving you the biblical background to be able to form a proper idea of How God inspired the Bible and also to refute some of these false ideas. John 6 63 it is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing.

The words notice it's plural. Speaking of individual words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life. Jesus said so Jesus emphasized the words. Not the concepts. Now look at John 17 8. Flip forward.

There are a few chapters. While you're turning there, I'm gonna quote one to you from the Old Testament. So you don't have to turn to it, but in Exodus 20 and verse 1. The whole passage begins with this and God spake all these words.

Saying and then it goes on into the whole passage the words were emphasized now in John 17 8. For I have given unto them the words. Which thou gave us me not the concepts not the whole idea. But the actual literal words and they have received them.

Well God's people do receive them. It's the devil's people who want to say well, no, it's not accurate down to the words. It's just the ideas. I mean, they'll give us anything they can as long as they can take away the words.

They want to take away that accuracy because if they can take away the accuracy down to the words or as Jesus said to the jot and the tittle to the cross of the tea and the dot of The eye if they can take that away.

Then all of a sudden you don't know which verse you can believe in which one you can't which verse can you rely upon and? Place your whole life upon and which one might be one of these that's less inspired.

And I remember when I first was saved. I was aware of the liberal thought having gone to Baylor University. Where they taught that none of the miracles all of the miracles could be explained with natural phenomena and so forth.

I was very aware of the fact that they wanted to say that's only some of the scripture was inspired. Why would one want to say that because it then it puts you in control of being smart enough to know which is which?

And I knew very immediately when I got saved. I wasn't that smart so I was gonna have to go with the verbal inspiration theory that all of its inspired so I don't have to pick and choose and Some men do think they're smart enough to do that though.

So this concept of the idea rather than the words. Being inspired is false. Another one is this is called the theory of natural inspiration. Well. One man said this and he was one of the proponents of this idea natural inspiration it would be along these ideas.

It's kind of like in in history. You have men who are outstanding like Shakespeare. He has a kind of a natural ability that others didn't have to write. Or you might think of Edison who had a natural ability to invent more than others and in that same way.

They're saying that's how the Bible was written. So anybody could have written it you just had to have a little bit more natural ability than other people and one man who? espoused this said inspiration is only a higher potency of what every man possesses in some degree and Another man answered him by saying this the inspiration of everybody is equivalent to the inspiration of nobody.

You get it. See the other group things. Well, anybody can be inspired and they're saying well if that's true, there's no inspiration. Well, that's a pretty good point. But actually second Thessalon second Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 in the Bible is what refutes this view.

It is not natural inspiration and the way you find it is to go into the Greek language where it says all scripture is given By inspiration of God and study the word inspiration in the Greek Greek language.

It is theo neustos which means God breathed. God breathed and the fact is if the word were translated accurately in English, it would not be inspiration. It would be expiration. Because the view is not on man being able to breathe it in the view is on God breathing it out.

God breathed his word out to man and we now have it. So natural inspiration just went in the trash. All right. Let's go to the next one mystical inspiration. Mystical inspiration is a very modern phenomenon.

It's been around for all 2 ,000 years, but it has become very very popular in these last days. Mystical inspiration is held by many people. David Koresh would be a great example, but there are many in more Common Christian circles who really if you've got them talking about what they believe.

About how things work and how God works in people. They would lead you to believe that. There is such a thing as mystical inspiration so that if I could beat my body. And I could bring myself down into a place where I'm totally separated from the world I become a mystic they won't use that word today that they wouldn't use that but they say I become a person who God can Trust so much that he'll give me a Revelation that he doesn't give anybody else and then I can share that with you.

That is a very prevalent view. That's called mysticism. Let me tell you something. That is our minion ism in his worst because what people need to realize is even with regard to the gifts that the Bible speak that God speaks of in first Corinthians and Romans the gifts that God gives it always says that God sovereignly gives them God the Holy Spirit of God is the one who sovereignly places those gifts within the people whom he chooses.

You cannot choose your gift. You can covet them. You can say man. I wish I could sing. You know I'll start to say like Brenda, but I really wish I could sing more like Russ. But It doesn't mean God's going to choose to give that to me and so You see these people don't bring in the sovereignty of God.

They just think if I can make myself good enough I can force God to give me stuff that I have that other people and it's a false conception. It was very prevalent in the 19th century. In fact BB dr. BB Warfield who is a great church historian and well known for that wrote this in the year 1894 about another man named Schleyer Mocker.

Does that does that sound? German or what? I'm not sure what that thing is, but apparently Dr. Schleyer Mocker was a genius. He was an absolute genius with words. His pen was mighty and he wrote many books espousing this idea of mystical inspiration.

And so let me read to you what dr. Warfield wrote about this man and his effect on his generation. He writes this and I quote Dr. Warfield and it's more extreme manifestations. Now. He's talking about mystical inspiration and it's more extreme Manifestations it has formerly tended to sever itself from the mainstream of Christian thought and even to form separate Sects, this would be like a David Koresh situation where God's given him, you know revelation on what the seventh seal is.

I found an old tape the other day with his voice on it and I listened to it a little bit and he's talking about the Secrets in the seventh seal. That's why you need to follow me in my teaching because I'm gonna tell you what the seventh seal is in the book of Revelation.

So anyway, he thought he had something nobody else had well Warfield pointed out even back in 1894 that there were manifestations of this it normally turned into sex, but he says with with Schleiermacher.

He his brilliance has caused this idea to break in upon the church like a flood and Washed into every corner of the Protestant world as a consequence. We find men everywhere who desire to acknowledge as from God only such scripture as quote.

Finds them that must have been a little phrase that that group used this scripture found me. So this is true. Who cast the clear objective of God's will to the mercy of the currents of thought and feeling which seep up?

And down in their souls, whatever they felt on that day was something God said you see and that's prevalent today. The charismatic movements full of it. Just whatever I feel if I feel it since I'm saved and since I know I'm walking with God.

That means it's a message from God. This is mysticism and he goes on and says that They take whatever currents of thought and feeling which seep up and down in their souls and despite these attempts to introduce Lord Lord conceptions.

The doctrine of plenary inspiration of the scriptures which looks upon them as an oracle looks at the Bible as an oracle. Which is the proper way to look at it and all of its parts and elements alike of God Trustworthy and all its Affirmations of every kind remains today as it has always been the vital faith of the people of God and the formal teaching of the organized church so he says even though you have powerful men like Schleyer Mocker and today we we have our Kenneth Copeland's and all of these different powerful men on the radio and television who are saying that they have these Revelations and so forth doesn't matter how powerful they get.

The truth is historically the church the true church throughout all of time has believed in verbal plenarily Plenary inspiration of the Bible which we'll discuss what that means because it brings us to this place right now so the seventh form of Thinking on Bible inspiration is called verbal plenary inspiration.