Thursday, October 04, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Monday, September 17, 2007
The Chicago Statement of Inerrancy
Chicago Statement of Inerrancy, 1982
A Short Statement
1. God, who is Himself Truth and speaks truth only, has inspired Holy Scripture in order thereby to reveal Himself to lost mankind through Jesus Christ as Creator and Lord, Redeemer and Judge. Holy Scripture is God's witness to Himself.
2. Holy Scripture, being God's own Word, written by men prepared and superintended by His Spirit, is of infallible divine authority in all matters upon which it touches: it is to be believed, as God's instruction, in all that it affirms: obeyed, as God's command, in all that it requires; embraced, as God's pledge, in all that it promises.
3. The Holy Spirit, Scripture's divine Author, both authenticates it to us by His inward witness and opens our minds to understand its meaning.
4. Being wholly and verbally God-given, Scripture is without error or fault in all its teaching, no less in what it states about God's acts in creation, about the events of world history, and about its own literary origins under God, than in its witness to God's saving grace in individual lives.
5. The authority of Scripture is inescapably impaired if this total divine inerrancy is in any way limited or disregarded, or made relative to a view of truth contrary to the Bible's own; and such lapses bring serious loss to both the individual and the Church.
A Short Statement
1. God, who is Himself Truth and speaks truth only, has inspired Holy Scripture in order thereby to reveal Himself to lost mankind through Jesus Christ as Creator and Lord, Redeemer and Judge. Holy Scripture is God's witness to Himself.
2. Holy Scripture, being God's own Word, written by men prepared and superintended by His Spirit, is of infallible divine authority in all matters upon which it touches: it is to be believed, as God's instruction, in all that it affirms: obeyed, as God's command, in all that it requires; embraced, as God's pledge, in all that it promises.
3. The Holy Spirit, Scripture's divine Author, both authenticates it to us by His inward witness and opens our minds to understand its meaning.
4. Being wholly and verbally God-given, Scripture is without error or fault in all its teaching, no less in what it states about God's acts in creation, about the events of world history, and about its own literary origins under God, than in its witness to God's saving grace in individual lives.
5. The authority of Scripture is inescapably impaired if this total divine inerrancy is in any way limited or disregarded, or made relative to a view of truth contrary to the Bible's own; and such lapses bring serious loss to both the individual and the Church.
The Character of Scripture: Inspiration
INPIRATION: It’s God’s StoryThe Definition: Biblical Passages
- All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Tim 3:16
- And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Pet 1:19-21
Verbal Inspiration
o Words and sentences are divinely given, not just larger concepts of ideas.
Plenary Inspirations
o All of Scripture, without distinction should be considered God’s Word - Summary
"Inspiration is the supernatural and providential influence of God's Holy Spirit upon the human authors which caused them to write what He wished to be written for the communication of truth to others." J. I. Packer
The Character of Scripture: Narrative
NARRATIVE: IT'S A STORY
Unity: It is one story.
Unity: It is one story.
- Good Literature
Introduction—Conflict—Climax—Resolution - Covenant
I will be your God and you will be my people - From acorn to oak tree
Historicity: It is a story in time and place.
- Acts 2:32: God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of this fact.
- I John 1:1-2: That which was from the beginning which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life.
Perspicuity: The story is clear.
Westminster Confession of Faith I.VII
All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all: yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation are so clearly propounded, and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them.
Friday, September 14, 2007
The Origin of Scripture Part 2
CAN YOU TRUST YOUR BIBLE?: Transmission and Formation
- THE OT: Anal Retentive for your Encouragement
· Josephus : No one has ventured either to add, or to remove, or to alter a syllable.
· Josephus said that a copy of the Hebrew Bible was rescued from the burning temple in 72 AD
· Massoret 500-950 - Rules for Everything from details about how it was copied, Type of ink, Guidelines for margins, The breadth of lines, Size of Script, Number of columns on a page, Qualifications for spacing b/n letters, Rules for writing God’s name, Never alter the text
Refused to change the text even slightly even if it would not alter meanings
They counted every verse, word, and letter of the Hebrew bible. They knew how many letters were in each book.
The Talmud said that the Prophet Ezra and his company of scribes counted all the letters of the law
My son, be careful of your work, for your work is the work of heaven. Should you omit one letter or add one letter the whole world would be destroyed. R. Meir 200 BC - THE NT: YOU KEEP WHAT YOU VALUE
See Chart on this post
Matthew 5:17-19
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
The Origin of Scripture
REVELATION:
Intro Question: In what ways has God shown you Himself?
The Need for Scripture
- General Revelation
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. Psalm 19:1-4
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, becoming understood from what has been made so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:20 - How is this helpful and not helpful?
o Relational ramifications?
o Is it sufficient?
o For what and whom?
o What can we know?
o What can’t we know?
We cannot know HIS NAME!
Sin’s Effect
Before the Fall: We saw God clearly even if not exhaustively
After the Fall: Sin ruined our vision
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God made it plain to them. Romans 1:18-19
Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. Romans 1:18
How is this helpful and not helpful?
o Humility of knowing?
o Finitude and Fallen-ness?
The Provision of Scripture
- Special Revelation: God’s Gift of Spectacles
· Scripture is a record of God’s promise to redeem
· Scripture is a record of the fulfillment of that promise in Christ
· There is no way to know Christ outside of robes of Scripture
CANON: HOW DID THE BIBLE COME TO BE?
- Theories of Formation
Start with the Source: Old Testament
· The OT claims to be giving Words from God
· Jesus thought the OT was God’s Word
· Interchangeability of Bible said… and God said…
Start with the Source: NT
· The Unique Nature of the NT: In medias res
· Covenant and OT Expectation - Apostolic Commission
· Authority: Acts 13:47; Matt 10:40; John 14:13; 17:18, Gal
· Mission: 2 Timothy 1:13 - The Self-Understanding of the NT authors
· Are the critics right?
· NT authors believed they were inspired by God
· NT authors believed each other's writings were Scripture - Back Track: Old and New
· Dead Sea Scrolls
· Josephus
· Talmud
· Church Fathers
· Melito of Sardis (170 A.D.)
· Origen (185-254 A.D.)
· Athanasius (345-410)
· Church Fathers NT agreement
· Controversies Prove the Point: Marcion
· The Canon is Received more than Adopted
· The Canon is Initiated by God
· The Writers of the Scripture knew they were inspired
· And so did everybody else around them
Thursday, September 13, 2007
The Schedule
Date Class
9-Sep The Origins of Scripture
16-Sep The Authority and Unity of Scripture
23-Sep Who is God?
30-Sep Who are we?
7-Oct Jesus’ Life, Death & Resurrection:
14-Oct The Way Salvation Works
21-Oct How We Grow in Christ
28-Oct Particulars of Protestant Theology
4-Nov Particulars of Reformed Theology
11-Nov What’s a Church?
18-Nov Worship and the Sacraments
Foundations
Christ Central Family, I am walking into new chartered territory. This, I hope, will be the first ever interactive blog SS class in Christ Central History. So if you missed the first class, here is the cover and the outline of the weeks to come. Our hope in this is to set deep and firm pillars down in our lives so that we might travel the journey in Christ with surer steps.
Peace,
Pastor Giorgio
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