The Doctrine of the Bible - Events - Revelation - Inspiration - Inscripturation - Illumination

Bibliology

The doctrine of the bible, the teaching of the called out ones regarding the writings, the scriptures, the canon.

Events - Revelation - Inspiration - Inscripturation - Illumination

Events of Revelation

1. Historical/Act: call of Abraham, Isaac's birth, Joseph to Egypt, the Exodus (Passover)

2. Speech/Word: "The word of the LORD came to me, saying" Jer 18.1; Joel 1.1, Hosea 1.1; "My beloved son, in whom I am well pleased" Always comes in human language, no "God language"

3. Incarnation: Hebrews 1.1-2;

a. revelation as event most fully occurs.

b. Revelation as act and word come together

c. Jesus speaking was God himself speaking, surpasses prophets and apostles

d. God lived among men and showed his attributes to them; actions, attitudes, affections.

Scripture as Revelation

1. Inscripturation is the inspired recording of the revelation. It is also revelation of God if it is accurately recorded.

2. Revelation is both the process of revealing and the telling of it.

3. Progressive revelation - later revelation builds upon earlier revelation, complementary and supplementary to it.

4. Process moving toward redemption.

Inspiration (God breathed; theopneustos)

1. "Supernatural influence of the Holy Spirit upon the Scripture writers which rendered their writings an accurate record of the revelation or which resulted in what they wrote actually being the Word of God."

2. New Testament authors viewed OT inspired: 2 Peter 1.20-21; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Acts 1:16 in preaching of Peter; 3:18;, 21; 4:25;

3. Jesus' view: corrected interpretations of opponents, not their view of scripture. Temptation responded w/ scripture; John 10:35 not broken.

Theories of Inspiration

1. Intuition theory - high degree of insight, natural endowment like religious geniuses

2. Illumination theory - influence of Spirit but involves only heightening of normal powers, no special communication of truth, work is different in degree not kind from Spirit's work with all believers.

3. Dynamic theory - combination of divine and human elements in the process of inspiration and the writing of the Bible, work of God is leading person to thoughts or concepts he should have, distinctive personality comes into play, divine thoughts in unique ways.

4. Verbal theory - influence of Spirit extends beyond the direction of thoughts to the selection of words used, so intense that each word is the exact word which God wants used at that point, however most who hold this view make the careful point that this is not dictation.

5. Dictation theory - God actually dictated the Bible to the writers. Passages where the Spirit is said to have spoken are applied to every passage, no distinctive style attributable to the different authors of the books.

Assemblies of God view "Scriptures are verbally inspired of God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct."

1. "The original documents bear the marks of divine inspiration." p21

2. "The Bible, in their original expression are entirely trustworthy as the voice of the Holy Spirit" p21

3. "Personalities and particular vocabularies are obviously distinguishable, variety of walks of life are clearly observable." p22

4. "The Holy Spirit prompted the original thought in the mind of the writers. He then guided their choice of words to express such thoughts; and lastly, He illumines the mind of the reader . . . that they potentially may comprehend the same truth as was originally in the mind of the writer." P22 (1 Cor. 1 with Paul thinking about baptism)

5. "Inspiration of Scripture also extends to the words and the entirety of the text of the original documents, or autographs, of these men." P24

6. "the words themselves in the original documents are fully authoritative." P25

Infallibility and/or Inerrancy

"Fully truthful in all of its teachings."

1. Absolute inerrancy - the Bible's scientific and historical data is fully true because the authors intended to teach science and history, discrepancies can and must be explained (1 Chron 23, 2 Sam 24, God/Devil; 2 Chronicles 4.2 and pi x diameter of circle)

2. Full inerrancy - does not aim to give scientific and historical data, but it is fully true; they are reported as they are seen by the human eye, popular descriptions, general references or approximations, yet they are correct in the way they teach it.

3. Limited inerrancy - Bible is inerrant and infallible in its salvific doctrinal references. Distinction between nonempirical, revealed matters and empirical natural references. Scientific and historical references in the Bible reflect the understanding current at the time of the Bible, authors subject to limitations of their time. Inspiration did not raise authors above ordinary knowledge regarding these things but its ok because the Bible does not claim to teach science or history, it is fully truthful and inerrant for the purposes it was written.

4. Inerrancy of purpose - Bible inerrantly accomplishes its purpose: bring people into fellowship with Christ (not communicate truths). Factual inerrancy is inappropriate term, truth is means to accomplish end.

5. Accommodated revelation - does not desire the term, Bible came through human channels and thus has some of the shortcomings of human nature. True for historical, scientific, and even theological views. Paul develops his thought regarding resurrection, and has personal opinions on women, marriage, celibacy, etc. (1 Cor 15 vs. 2 Cor 5), no need to harmonize them (2 Sam 23 vs. 1 Chron 21). Inspiration is for the communication of the truth that needs to be communicated, the word inerrancy is not necessary.

6. Revelation is not prepositional - Bible is not revelation,