Log in
Register
Search
Search titles only
By:
Search titles only
By:
Forums
New posts
Forum list
Search forums
Leaderboards
Games
Our Blog
Blogs
New entries
New comments
Blog list
Search blogs
Credits
Transactions
Shop
Blessings: ✟0.00
Tickets
Open new ticket
Watched
Donate
Log in
Register
Search
Search titles only
By:
Search titles only
By:
More options
Toggle width
Share this page
Share this page
Share
Reddit
Pinterest
Tumblr
WhatsApp
Email
Share
Link
Menu
Install the app
Install
Forums
Discussion and Debate
Discussion and Debate
Politics
International Politics
New NDP Leader/Leader of the Opposition
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="FtcdatSAPoD" data-source="post: 61147676" data-attributes="member: 311828"><p>This is the real issue that needs to be talked about.</p><p> </p><p>The following are theories of Inspiration</p><p> </p><p> <strong><u>The natural theory</u></strong>--the Bible writers were inspired only in the sense that a poet or writer is inspired naturally. In other words, that spark of divine inspiration that supposedly is in all men simply burned a little brighter in the hearts of the Bible writers.</p><p> </p><p> However, 2 Peter 1:20 says, "no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."</p><p> </p><p> <u><strong>The mechanical theory</strong></u>--God coldly and woodenly dictated the Bible to his writers as an office manager would dictate an impersonal letter to his secretary.</p><p> </p><p> The Bible is the story of divine love, and God is anything but mechanical or cold concerning inspiration. The Holy Spirit never transgressed beyond the limits of the writer's vocabulary. We can see this because the highly educated Paul used a larger, more complicated vocabulary than the fisherman, Peter. The Church has never held what has been stigmatized as the mechanical theory of inspiration. The sacred writers were not machines. Their self-consciousness was not suspended; nor were their intellectual powers superseded. Holy men spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. It was men, not machines; not unconscious instruments, but living, thinking, willing minds, whom the Spirit used as His organs....[T]he sacred writers impressed their peculiarities on their several productions as plainly as though they were the subjects of no extraordinary influence. [2]</p><p> </p><p> <strong><u>The content theory</u></strong>--Only the main thoughts of the Bible are inspired. This is the position of the liberal theologian who would cheerfully accept those portions of the Bible which deal with love and brotherhood, but quickly reject the passages dealing with sin, righteousness, and future judgment. But this is contrary to 2 Timothy 3:16 (quoted above). Charles F. Baker writes,</p><p> </p><p>A certain bishop is purported to have said that he believed the Bible to have been inspired in spots. When asked for his authority for such a statement, he quoted Hebrews 1:1, stating that this meant that God spoke at various times in varying degrees. Thus, some spots were fully inspired, others were only partially inspired, and still others were not inspired at all. The bishop was embarrassed when a layman asked: "How do you know that Hebrews 1:1, the one scripture upon which you base your argument, is one of those fully inspired spots?</p><p> </p><p> <strong><u>The spiritual rule only theory</u></strong>--The Bible may be regarded as our infallible rule of faith and practice in all matters of religious, ethical, and spiritual value, but not in other matters, such as some of the historical and scientific statements found in the Word of God.</p><p> </p><p> Jesus said, however, "If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?"(John 3:12).</p><p> </p><p> <strong><u>The verbal-plenary theory</u></strong>--All (plenary) the very words (verbal) of the Bible are inspired by God. Matthew 4:4 says, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." First Corinthians 2:13 says, "These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual." Jesus says in John 17:8, "For I have given them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me." Jesus says in John 6:63, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life."</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="FtcdatSAPoD, post: 61147676, member: 311828"] This is the real issue that needs to be talked about. The following are theories of Inspiration [B][U]The natural theory[/U][/B]--the Bible writers were inspired only in the sense that a poet or writer is inspired naturally. In other words, that spark of divine inspiration that supposedly is in all men simply burned a little brighter in the hearts of the Bible writers. However, 2 Peter 1:20 says, "no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." [U][B]The mechanical theory[/B][/U]--God coldly and woodenly dictated the Bible to his writers as an office manager would dictate an impersonal letter to his secretary. The Bible is the story of divine love, and God is anything but mechanical or cold concerning inspiration. The Holy Spirit never transgressed beyond the limits of the writer's vocabulary. We can see this because the highly educated Paul used a larger, more complicated vocabulary than the fisherman, Peter. The Church has never held what has been stigmatized as the mechanical theory of inspiration. The sacred writers were not machines. Their self-consciousness was not suspended; nor were their intellectual powers superseded. Holy men spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. It was men, not machines; not unconscious instruments, but living, thinking, willing minds, whom the Spirit used as His organs....[T]he sacred writers impressed their peculiarities on their several productions as plainly as though they were the subjects of no extraordinary influence. [2] [B][U]The content theory[/U][/B]--Only the main thoughts of the Bible are inspired. This is the position of the liberal theologian who would cheerfully accept those portions of the Bible which deal with love and brotherhood, but quickly reject the passages dealing with sin, righteousness, and future judgment. But this is contrary to 2 Timothy 3:16 (quoted above). Charles F. Baker writes, A certain bishop is purported to have said that he believed the Bible to have been inspired in spots. When asked for his authority for such a statement, he quoted Hebrews 1:1, stating that this meant that God spoke at various times in varying degrees. Thus, some spots were fully inspired, others were only partially inspired, and still others were not inspired at all. The bishop was embarrassed when a layman asked: "How do you know that Hebrews 1:1, the one scripture upon which you base your argument, is one of those fully inspired spots? [B][U]The spiritual rule only theory[/U][/B]--The Bible may be regarded as our infallible rule of faith and practice in all matters of religious, ethical, and spiritual value, but not in other matters, such as some of the historical and scientific statements found in the Word of God. Jesus said, however, "If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?"(John 3:12). [B][U]The verbal-plenary theory[/U][/B]--All (plenary) the very words (verbal) of the Bible are inspired by God. Matthew 4:4 says, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." First Corinthians 2:13 says, "These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual." Jesus says in John 17:8, "For I have given them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me." Jesus says in John 6:63, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Forums
Discussion and Debate
Discussion and Debate
Politics
International Politics
New NDP Leader/Leader of the Opposition
Top
Bottom