The reality of Scripture indicates a glorious message – the omniscient God desires to communicate with us. The way we undertake bibliology will be the single most determining factor in developing our theology.
Inspiration
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. -2 Timothy 3:16-17
- While there are many inspiring books, there is only one inspired Book.
- The Scriptures were given through expiration and not dictation.
- The human authors still wrote with their unique personalities, intentionalities, and vocabularies, but the content comes from the authority of God.
The Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God.
Inerrancy
Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:20-21)
- Inerrancy means that there are no errors contained in the Scriptures.
- God ensured that what was written was exactly what He desired for us to read.
- The Scriptures have dual authorship – God and man.
Infallibility
10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11)
- Since God is perfect, so must His revealed Word be as well.
- God does not lie (Num. 23:19; Heb. 6:18), so we can trust what He tells us.
- God’s promises will come to pass.
Canonicity
So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter. (2 Thessalonians 2:15)
- Canon means “measuring rod” or “norm.”
- When we speak of the canon of Scripture, we mean the collection of books that make the Bible by which the church is to be measured.
- Scripture was not officially canonized until the 4th century, but practically it existed since the beginning of the early Church.
- A heretic named Marcion denounced certain portions of the New Testament that connected it with portions of the Old Testament he deemed as undesirable.
- Once he created his canon, church leaders convened to combat this dangerous trend.
- Essentials for Canonicity
- Apostolic Origin – The document had to be written by an Apostle or under the direction of an Apostle.
- Wide Reception – The document might have been directed toward an individual person or congregation but understood to be dispersed widely.
- Compatible Theology – The document must align well with the other accepted portions of Scripture.
- “We believe that the church was providentially guided by the mercy of God in the process of determining the canon and thereby made the right decisions, so that every book that should be in the Bible is in the Bible” (Sproul, 39).
Authority
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. (2 Timothy 3:15)
- We can believe that God’s Word is true because God’s Word says that it is.
- Circular Reasoning – Revealed Scripture vs. Rationalist Worldview
- Scripture has unique authority upon the life of the believer – nothing else can supersede it.
- You don’t understand the truths of Scripture until it bears weight upon your life.
Travis Agnew serves as the Lead Pastor of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. His most recent book is Just (About) Married.