Wednesday, 10 June 2020

The Centre of our Knowing #2

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The Bible does have to be interpreted. The claim of inerrancy is that every text speaks the truth according to what the text is claiming to teach. The text is usually interpreted according to what the author is intending to say. This is the human author and God working together since both are involved. The very words of the text are inspired since only words can make the point of the text - this was classically called verbal inspiration. That the whole Bible is inspired is called plenary inspiration.

This does not mean that all the texts of the Bible are equally inspiring. Numbers' genealogies anyone? Inspiration does not mean that the Bible is always speaking with scientific accuracy, (though if the Biblical author is claiming to teach something scientific, it is accurate).

What we hold to as trustworthy is the teaching assertion of the author.

Finally, educated Bible believers affirm progressive revelation. God did accommodate the weakness of the generation that was given the Torah. Yeshua taught that divorce and no doubt other stipulations, were accommodations to that age. However, when we study an ethical principle from the Torah, in its applications in the prophets and then in the New Covenant Scriptures, then we do get the full understanding of the ideal in the heart of God. God gave commands to ancient Israel that would not be given in the New Covenant age. Yes, we understand God and His revelation much better now that we have the New Covenant Scriptures and its teaching on forgiveness, the love of enemies and so much more. However, the inspiration of the whole Bible is the bedrock doctrine for deciding what we must believe and do.

This excerpt was taken from my article.