How to study and teach the Bible

This chart (By C. Michael Patton) offers a helpful description of the proper path for teaching the bible. For more see: http://www.reclaimingthemind.org/blog/

Using circular reason to defend the Bible

Is it circular reason to believe the bible to be God’s word because it claims to be from God?  

If I claim to be an auto mechanic, would you let me repair your car or would you want to substantiate my claim first? The claim itself isn’t enough but nor is it automatically wrong because I made it. 

The self-witness of the bible to be God’s Word is overwhelmingly clear. It puts the skeptic in the seat of response. To say we can’t rely on self-testimony is not adequate. Nor is it the way we process other claims.

Alternatively, one might say, “Let’s face it, the Bible is just a book written by man!” 

I respond with several points: 

1. What leads you to such a conclusion? You didn’t get it from the Bible itself. Yes, the bible was written by man (and it doesn’t hide this fact) but nowhere do we learn that it was “just” a book written by man. On what basis do you take this position? 

2. What I think you mean is that although the Bible claims to be a book from God, you don’t believe it. You think it’s only the production of man. You must reasonably defend your position. 

3. Most people are not aware of the Bible’s pervasive witness to its own authority as God’s word. 

4. We grant that if the Bible made no such claim to be the written word of God, it would be foolish for us to make the claim. 

5. But, since it overwhelmingly makes this claim, we neither want to accept nor reject it without objective consideration. 

6. If I claim to be a surgeon, I think you would want some evidence before you let me cut you open, right? The claim is not enough, it must be substantiated.  

7. What is distinguishing about the Bible is its overwhelming witness to its own authority as God’s word. Test it. See if it stands up under scrutiny.

8. This witness involves three categories: 

a. Direct speech by God (e.g. the baptism of Christ). 

b. God’s words spoken by men “Thus says the Lord…” 

c. God’s words written, usually through prophets and apostles 

One way to see this is as follows: 

Premise A: The Bible is the infallible Word of God. 

Premise B: On the basis of this reliable document, we have sufficient evidence to believe confidently that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 

Premise C: Jesus Christ, being the Son of God, is an infallible authority. 

Premise D: Jesus Christ teaches that the Bible is more than generally trustworthy; it is the very Word of God (Lk. 16:1;John 10:35;Matt. 5:17-18;Matt. 15:4). 

Premise E: The Word, in that it comes from God, is utterly trustworthy because God is utterly trustworthy. 

Conclusion: On the basis of the infallible authority of Jesus Christ, the Church believes the Bible to be utterly trustworthy, i.e. infallible (From: God’s Inerrant Word, John W. Montgomery, ed., pp. 246 - 249). 

Steve Cornell   

Is the Bible really from God? Part 3,(Jesus’ view of Scripture)

The truth of Christianity hinges on the person, life and work of Jesus Christ. For deeper clarity regarding the identity of Jesus, see: http://thinkpoint.wordpress.com/2007/08/18/its-all-about-jesus/

Once the identity of Jesus is established, his view and use of Scripture becomes the primary consideration for the believer.   

III. Jesus Christ’s view of Scripture: 

An important issue relating to the reliability of the Scripture has to do with what Jesus taught about it both by example and precept.  The following information further verifies a completely reliable Bible:    

A. What Jesus taught about the Old Testament   

Authority: Matthew 22:43

Reliability: Matthew 26:54

Finality: Matthew 4:4,7,10

Sufficiency: Luke 16:31

Indestructibility: Matthew 5:17-18; Luke 16:16-17

Unity: Luke 24:27,44

Historicity: Matthew 12:40

Inerrancy: Matthew 22:29; John 3:12; 17:17

Infallibility: John 10:35See also: Luke 16:16, 17; Matthew 24:25; Luke 17:27; Mark 7:10; Mark 12:36; Luke 10:12. 

B. Jesus promised the New Testament John 14:25-26; 16:13; Matt. 16:19; Acts 1:1; Heb. 2:3. 

“The disciples are to declare openly in their proclamation what has been revealed to them and what Jesus has said to them (Matt. 10:26f). Thus in the preaching of the disciples the event of revelation is continued: he who hears the disciples hears Jesus Himself (Lk. 10:16); cf. Matt. 10:40; Jn. 12:44; 13:20).” 

“In John’s gospel Jesus promises his disciples the Spirit of Truth who will bear witness to Him. He will teach them everything and lead them into the full truth (Jn. 14:26; 15:26; 16:13). The even of revelation is not terminated in the earthly existence of Jesus…The N.T. does not draw a distinction here: the apostolic message is called the ‘Word of God’ just as much as the word of Jesus (cf. Lk. 5:1; 8:21; with I Cor. 14:26; Col. 1:25). The consequence of this understanding was that early Christianity accepted both the words of Jesus transmitted in the Gospels and the apostolic writings into the Canon, and gave them recognition as the authoritative records of the divine revelation” (N.I.D.N.T.T., Vol. 3, pp. 314-315, Colin Brown).  (See also: Rom. 15:18; II Cor. 12:1ff; 13:3; Gal. 2:2). 

C. Jesus confirmed Scriptures critics reject   

The creation account: Lk. 11:51; Mt. 19:4,5

Noah and the flood: Mt. 24:37-39

Sodom and Gomorrah: Lk. 10:12

Jonah and the great fish: Mt. 12:39-41

Mosaic authorship: Mk. 7:10; Jn. 7:19

Unity of Isaiah: Jn. 12:38-41;

Prophecy: Lk. 4:16-21

Moses at the burning bush: Mt. 22:32

Feeding of Manna to the Israelites: Jn. 6:49

The repentance of Nineveh: Mt. 12:41

Daniel’s prophecy: Mt. 24:15 

D. Concluding thoughts 

Jesus did not confirm these truths in an effort to accommodate popular views of the day (Mt. 5:21-22, 27-28, 31-32: 15:1-9; 22:29; 23:1ff; Jn. 2:13; 3:10). 

“Nothing could be clearer than that our Divine Savior believed in the literal truthfulness of the entire Old Testament record, whether those accounts dealt with doctrinal matters, matters of science, or history.  He who refuses to go along with the Lord in this judgment stands guilty of asserting that God can err (since Jesus is God as well as man) and that the sovereign Creator (John 1:1-3) stands in need of instruction and correction by the finite wisdom of man” (Gleason Archer, p. 25, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties).    

“The role of Scripture in the life of Jesus is really remarkable. Although Jesus was and is the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, during his earthly ministry he subjected himself completely to the Old Testament Scripture.  Over and over again, he performed various actions so that the Scripture might be fulfilled. The whole point of his life and his sacrificial death and resurrection was determined beforehand by Scripture. Jesus’ testimony to Scripture, then, is not occasional, but pervasive.  His whole life was a witness to biblical authority!” (John M. Frame, p.188, God’s Inerrant Word). 

Consider: Mt. 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 26:54-56; Lk. 21:22; 24:44; Jn. 19:28.

Steve Cornell   

Is the Bible really from God? Part 2

 

My purpose in these posts on the origin of the bible relates to a perceived deficit in some contemporary expressions within the evangelical Church. Some of the most prominent leaders in these expressions have not received careful training in Scripture. As a result, many truths considered basic have been passed over or questioned. Reaffirming these basic truths appears to be the need of the hour. 

 

Steve Cornell 

 

 

Two important biblical terms related to the origin of the Bible: 

 

I. Revelation  

A. Definition: The unveiling or disclosure of divine truth from and about God to mankind. Revelation is God making himself known to humanity. From the beginning God has been self-revealing (Gen. 1-50; Deut. 29:29; Acts 17:26-29; Heb. 1:1-2).

 

Related terms: apokalypto - to unveil, remove the cover. phaneroo - to manifest, bring to light.  “From these two words it may be stated that revelation has to do with the unveiling, uncovering and manifesting of something or someone previously veiled or covered.” (C.M. Horne, Z.P.B.E., Vol. 5, p. 86).

 

B. Necessity: Revelation from God to man is a necessity because of God’s character and nature. It is also necessary because of the sinful condition of humans. First, because God is infinite and transcendent, he is beyond the knowledge of finite beings unless he reveals himself to them (Ex. 33:18; Isa. 55: 8-9; Acts 17:24-25; I Tim. 6:16).  Secondly, humans are alienated from God in sin and therefore unable to know God by themselves  (Isa. 59:1-2; John 3:19; Rom. 3:10-11; Eph. 2:1-3; 4:17-28; 5:8). Yet despite the separation between God and man, God has created us as rational beings who are able to communicate and receive communication (Isa. 1:18; Acts 17:26-30; Rom. 1:19-20).  Gratefully, God has communicated to humanity.

 

C. Forms: Revelation is commonly divided into the categories of general and special.

1. General Revelation – God’s witness of Himself through the created physical order, history, and the conscience of man. It is general in its universal accessibility.

a) Creation - (Ps. 19:1; 94:8-10; Acts 14:8-18; 17:24-29; Rom. 1:20; I Cor. 11:14?; Heb. 3:4).

b) History - (Acts 17:24-29; Rom. 9:11). The evidence in this category is not as clear. One area of significance is God’s preservation of the people of Israel in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

c) Conscience - (Ecc. 3:11; Rom. 1:18-21; 2:14-16).  There are obvious innate qualities common to humans that point to God’s character. Two primary areas of interest would be “the evidential value of the moral impulse  which characterizes human beings” and “an internal sense of deity, which, although it may be marred and distorted, is nonetheless still present and operating in human experience” (Millard Erickson, Christian Theology, p. 155). Evidence would indicate that people (in general) are disturbed by the idea of accountability to God. (Ps. 10:4, 11, 13).

Humans were created in the image of God, and although that image is deeply marred by sin, it is not

altogether absent.  (Gen. 9:6; James 3:9).

d) The value of general revelation - General revelation can lead to knowledge of certain things about God and even to a search for answers to the questions raised through general revelation; (e.g. Where did I come from? Why am I here? Is there a God? How did we get in the mess we’re in? Is there life after death?). General revelation is inadequate for leading to reconciliation with God. For this and for answers to the questions listed above, one must turn to special revelation.

Additional note:

“The value of general revelation also rests in the provision of common ground or a point of contact between the believer and the nonbeliever, or between the gospel and the thinking of the unbeliever … there will be areas of sensitivity to which the message may be effectively directed as a starting point. These areas of sensitivity will vary from one person to another, but they will be there. This should be considered a supplement to, not a substitute for, special revelation.  Thus, sin produces relatively little obscuring effect upon the understanding of matters of physics, but a great deal with respect to matters of psychology and sociology. God is just in condemning those who have never heard the gospel in the full and formal sense.  No one is completely without opportunity. All have known God; if they have not effectually perceived him, it is because they have suppressed the truth. Thus all are responsible” (Christian Theology, p. 173, Millard Erickson).

 

2) Special Revelation – This refers to God’s particular, selective manifestation of himself and his Word for relational purposes toward himself and his creation. Special revelation moves from knowledge about God (as in general revelation) to knowledge of God on a relational level. Special revelation, in relation to humanity, began with Adam and Eve in their pre-fall existence (Gen. 1:28-30; 2:16-17) and became remedial in focus after the fall (Gen. 3ff).

 

This form of revelation is presented in four dimensions: personal, anthropic, propositional and progressive.

a) Personal - God is a personal being who reveals himself in expressions of intellect (Gen. 18:19; Ex. 3:7; I Chron. 28:9; Isa. 1:18, 55:8); emotion (Gen. 6:6; Ps. 103:8-13; Prov. 6:16; II Cor. 1:3,4); volition (Gen. 3:15; Ps. 115:3; John 6:38).

While it is true that God is infinite (not limited by space), eternal (not limited by time, without beginning or end), transcendent (above and supreme over the world), and self-existent (the only uncaused cause, needing nothing other than Himself for His existence), it is equally true that God is personal, revealing Himself on a personal level to specific individuals (Gen. 6:8; 8:1; 12:1,2; Ex. 3:1-4; Josh. 1:1-9; II Chron. 7:14; 16:9; Isa. 57:15; 66:1,2; Jer. 1:4,5; Acts 13:21,22; Gal. 1:15; James 1:27).  

b) Anthropic - Special revelation is anthropic in that God uses forms common to man to help us know him. The primary example of this is the use of human languages. Other forms of special revelation were also used by God (e.g. dreams, visions, theophanies, angels, prophets - Gen. 20; Isa. 6; Gen. 16; Lk. 2; Rev. 1:1-14; Heb. 1:1-2; 2:14-15?; I John 1:1-3).

c) Propositional - The preservation of revelation is in the form of inscripturated (written), objective, propositional truths (Deut. 6:6-9; Matt. 4:1-7; I Cor. 2:13; I Thess. 2:13). The only existing form of special revelation to man today is the Bible, which is sufficient for every need of man in relation to God. (II Tim. 3:16-17).   

d) Progressive - Scriptural revelation unfolds progressively. What begins with promise and prediction in the O.T. culminates in fulfillment in the N.T. (E.g. Gen. 3:15; 12:1-3, 7; 15:5; 17:16 w/Gal. 3:16; rom. 4:13; see also rom. 3:21-26; 5:13-15; Gal. 4:4; Heb. 1:1-2; 9:26-27).

 Additional note:

Jesus Christ is the central person and theme of special revelation.

In simple terms:

In the Old Testament, Christ is coming: Redemption predicted. 

In the Gospels, Christ has come: Redemption provided.

In the New Testament epistles, Christ is coming again: Redemption explained (cf. Lk. 24:25-27; 44:47; Jn. 5:29, 46; Acts 10:43; 17:2-3).

The revelation of redemptive history has progressed through creation, the fall, the flood, the call of Abraham, the great Exodus, the birth of the nation of Israel, Israel’s kingdom phase, exile and return. Then, after 400 silent yet preparatory years, God sent his Son. Before Christ came history moved toward the end; now it moves along the end (Rom. 13:11-12; Phil. 4:4-5; Heb. 10:23-25; James 5:8; I John 2:28-3:2). Concerning written revelation, the progression was completed with the Old and New Testament canon (Rev. 22:18-19).

 II. Inspiration 

A. Definition: God’s supernatural direction of the writers of Scripture whereby they composed and recorded in the original manuscripts of the 66 books of the Bible; His Word without error.  God did this without excluding their personalities and literary styles (II Tim. 3:16; II Pet. 1:19-21; I Thess. 2:13).  The human writers were not unintelligible dictaphones but true authors communicating the mind of God without error in fact, doctrine or judgment.

B. Extent: Inspiration extends to the very words (verbal) (cf. I Cor.2:13).  As was observed in I Tim. 3:16, inspiration also extends to all parts of Scripture (plenary).  Inspiration extends to the original manuscripts of the Old and New Testament canon. Under the heading of “extent” there should be a consideration of canonicity and preservation.

1. Canonicity - This addresses the question of which books actually belong to the inspired canon.  The word canon means measure or standard.  The process of determining canonicity does not raise a book to the position of Scripture, rather it recognizes that it was already Scripture.  The following rules establish the standard for canonicity -

a) General rules -

1) Inspiration by God: (Tone of Divine Authority ) self-attestation.     

2) Recognition by men of God (Ex. 24:3; Jos. 24:26; Isa. 10:25; Dan. 9:2-attested by others).

3) Collection and preservation by the people of God (Deut. 31:26; Isa. 10:25; II Kings 23:34).

4) Consistency with other recognized books.

b) New Testament Rules -

1) All of the general rules.

2) Apostolic authority - I John 1:3; 4:6.

3) View of Christ.

4) Authenticity.

c) Necessity - Why a collection of canonical books?

1) To know which to read (Neh. 8:8; Col. 4:16; I Tim. 4:11, 13).

2) To know which to translate into foreign languages.

3) To define the limits of apostolic doctrine.

4) To defend the truth (I Tim. 3:15; Ti.1:9).

 

Additional note:

From the beginning there have been inauthentic and non-apostolic writings in circulation (II Thess. 2:2; Jn. 20:30; 21:25; I Cor. 11:2; II Pet. 1:16).  Note: The 39 books that make up the O.T. canon were probably declared as such by the time of Ezra (5th cent. B.C.; Ez. 7:11).  The Council of Carthage 397 A.D. accepted 27 N.T. books as canonical. These were completed by the end of the 1st century. The apocryphal books and gnostic gospels were never officially accepted as part of the Bible by the Jews or the early church councils. The following reasons for their rejection as part of the Biblical canon are sufficient:

(1) No apocryphal book is quoted as Scripture in

the New Testament.  The N.T. writers allude to and

even cite pagan poets whose books were not considered inspired Scripture (see Acts 17:28). 

(2)The Qumran community was not an orthodox Jewish community and, hence, is not an official voice of Judaism.

(3) Many of the early Christian Fathers including Origen, Cyril of Jerusalem, Athanasius, and all important Fathers before Augustine clearly rejected the Apocrypha.  Some of these men made presumable or occasional reference to one or more apocryphal books in a homilectical way but none of the major early Fathers accepted the apocryphal books into the Christian canon.

                        (4) Augustine’s acceptance of the Apocrypha is refuted

by his contemporary Jerome who was the greatest Biblical scholar of his day.

(5) No local synod or canonical listing included these apocryphal books for almost the first four hundred years of the

Church’s existence (five points from: Christian Apologetics, p. 364, Norman Geisler).

2. Preservation

The Bible promises its own preservation– for all time (Ps. 119:89; Matt. 5:17-18; 24:35; John 10:35; I Pet. 1:23). Some take objection to the reliability of the Bible because we do not have the original manuscripts. Yet there exists sufficient textual support to give clear witness to the context of the originals. God has preserved a completely trustworthy text and in reality we possess more than one hundred percent of the text when all textual evidence is considered. Should we, on the other hand, assume that the original manuscripts were filled with error?

“Is there objective proof from the surviving manuscripts of Scripture that these sixty-six books have been transmitted to us with such a high degree of accuracy as to assure us that the information contained in the originals has been perfectly preserved? The answer is an unqualified yes….In fact, it has long been recognized by the foremost specialists in textual criticism that if any decently attested variant were taken up from the apparatus at the bottom of the page and were substituted for the accepted reading of the standard text, there would in no case be a single, significant alteration in doctrine or message. This can only be explained as the result of a special measure of control exercised by the God who inspired the original manuscripts of Scripture so as to insure their preservation for the benefit of His people. A degree of deviation so serious as to affect the sense would issue in failure to achieve the purpose for which the revelation was originally given: that men might be assured of God’s holiness and grace, and that they might know of His will for their salvation” (Gleason Archer, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, pp. 29-30).

              

                C. Elements 

1. Human and Divine: Inspiration involves both Divine and human elements (II Peter 1:21 states that “men spoke from God”).

  

This Divine and human element concurs in the same words (I Cor. 2:13). The message is completely from God, but

God used the humanity of the writer to communicate his message (I Thess. 2:13). It is an unnecessary assumption to believe that error must be present in the text because humans were involved. Error was not present in Jesus Christ and He was both human and Divine (I John 1:14, 18; Col. 2:9; II Cor. 5:21).

                        2. Inerrancy: 

Another element of inspiration is inerrancy (i.e. the belief that the Bible is without error in the original manuscripts). 

Inspiration by God guarantees inerrancy. The Bible, being the Word of God, will not deceive, lie, perpetuate falsehood, or contain error on any subject that it addresses. 

By means of deduction it can be argued that God is perfect and does not lie (Num. 23:11; Deut. 32:4; Ti. 1:2; Ja. 1:17); God breathed Scripture (II Tim. 3;16); Scripture is perfect and does not lie.

 

Inerrancy does not require infallibility in the art of scribal transmission but the preservation of the truthfulness of the text.  ”The copyist who inadvertently misspells some word in John 3:16 cannot be said to have introduced error in the sentiment or message of that salvation verse even though he may have slipped in his orthography.  It is something far more essential than typographical errors that is under consideration when scriptural inerrancy comes up for discussion” (p. 28, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, Gleason Archer).

 

In places where the Bible appears to contradict itself, seven rules should be considered before reaching conclusions:

a) The Bible should be presumed innocent before

reaching a conclusion.

b) Be sure you know what the text says.

c) Be sure you know what the text means in its various

contexts.

d) Don’t confuse error with imprecision (e.g. Rounded

numbers do not necessitate error).

e) Don’t confuse contradiction with difference of

perspective (Gospels).

f) The Bible records things that it does not approve.

g) The Bible is a progressive/completed revelation.

 

The careful study of supposed contradictions will prove the Bible to be supplementary and complementary in its various passages rather than contradictory (See: When Skeptics Ask, chapters 7 & 8, Geisler and Brooks).

     

Is the Bible really from God? part 1

Sometimes it becomes necessary to restate what many considered obvious for years. Such a time has come regarding the origin and nature of the Bible. A number of popular authors and speakers (particularly in the Emergent Church) are unclear about their commitment to the Scripture as God’s Word. At the present moment in the life of the Church, there is an urgent need to reaffirm with deep conviction and clarity the divine origin of Scripture.

I. The Origin of the Bible:

The word “Bible” is derived from the Greek word biblos which means book, and is used in reference to the thirty-nine Old Testament and twenty-seven New Testament books of Judeo-Christian scripture. The sixty-six books of the Bible declare themselves to be God’s revelation to mankind. This truth is substantiated through careful examination of key passages of Scripture and several important biblical terms. Further verification of the Divine origin of the Bible is established in Jesus’ view of it.      

A. Key passages:

The Bible gives clear testimony to its own origin. The internal witness of Scripture demands a response from those who deny its divine origin. Consider the following witness concerning the origin of Scripture.         

1. II Timothy 3:16-17

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (NASB)

Prior to these verses, the apostle Paul reminded Timothy of his early training in the holy Scriptures (vv. 14-15). In v. 15, the apostle identified the Scriptures as “sacred” (i.e. holy). This places them in association with God’s own character (cf. Isa. 40:25; 57:15). The word scripture itself could refer to writings of another nature. The point made here is that these writings are holy. They are set apart from other writings due to their origin with God.

In verse 15, the apostle also wrote of the central purpose of Scripture: “Which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

Christ is the central person of Scripture (Lk. 24:25-27; 24:46-47; John 5:39, 46; Acts 17:2-3) and the Scriptures have an innate ability to make one wise unto salvation. The Scriptures are powerful (Hebrews 4:12) and initiate the conviction (John 16:8-10; Ephesians 6:17) that leads to conversion. Having mentioned the Scriptures, the apostle takes the opportunity to restate two basic facts about all Scripture: a) their divine origin and b) their specific usefulness (vv. 16,17).

a. Their divine origin: (v. 16)

All Scripture is God-breathed.

“This is another way of saying that Scripture is God’s word (cf. Jesus’ use of ‘Scripture’ and ‘Word of God’ in apposition to each other in Jn. 10:35). The same thing is also said when the NT uses ‘God says’ for what is found in Scripture, whether the words were originally spoken by God or not and when Paul insists that the message he speaks consists of words taught by God’s Spirit (I Cor. 2:12-13; cf. Heb. 3:7; Acts 1:16; II Pet. 1:21)” (p. 447, N.I.G.T.C. Commentary on the Pastorals, George W. Knight III ). 

Old Testament Writings as statements from God

Matt. 19:4-5 w/Gen. 2:24

Acts 4:25 w/Ps. 2:1-2

Rom. 9:17 w/Ex. 9:16

Heb. 1:7 w/ Ps. 104:4

The reference to Scripture as God-breathed points to the origin and nature of what is written. ”All” Scripture reveals the extent of inspiration. The word “Scripture” may refer to the O.T. writings as in v. 15 “sacred writings” (i.e. holy scripture) or to an enlargement from that to include NT writings as well. It is significant that the apostle Peter includes the writings of Paul in the category of Scripture (cf. II Pet. 3:15-16).

Knight wrote that: “Paul insisted that his letters be read (I Thess. 5:27), exchanged (Col. 4:16), and obeyed (e.g. I Cor. 14:37; II Thess. 2:15) and identified the words he used to communicate the gospel message as ‘those taught by the Spirit’ (I Cor. 2:13). In this letter, Paul has praised Timothy for following his teaching (v. 10), has urged Timothy to continue in what he has learned from Paul (v.14), has commanded Timothy to retain ‘the standard of sound words’that he has heard from Paul (1:13), has commanded him to entrust what he has heard from Paul to faithful men so that they could teach others (2:2), and has insisted that Timothy handle accurately ‘the word of truth’ (2:15). After his remarks on ‘all Scripture’ he will urge Timothy to ‘preach the word’ (4:2), i.e., proclaim the apostolic message about which Paul has said so much in this letter” (P. 448, N.I.G.T.C., The Pastorals).

Notice the inclusion of other parts of the Bible under the title “Scripture”:

Luke 24:25-27, 44-45 — Moses, prophets, Psalms;

John 10:34-35 w/Ps. 82:6 — Law, Psalms;

II Peter 1:19-21 — prophecy. 

b. Their specific usefulness (vv.16-17).

The usefulness of Scripture extends beyond “giving wisdom that leads to salvation” (v. 15). In vv. 16-17, the divine origin of Scripture points to a usefulness that invades all areas of life under God. The apostle reveals positive and negative uses in the following pattern:

Positive: Teaching (Instruction cf. Rom. 15:4; II Tim. 2:19)

Negative: Reproof (rebuking error cf. II Tim. 4:2; Titus 1:9)

Negative: Correction (setting right with reference to conduct)

Positive: Training in righteousness (right conduct in keeping with the teaching)

The New English Bible paraphrases this: “for teaching the truth, refuting error, for reformation of manner and discipline in right living.” Knight points out that the first pair deals with belief and the second with action. (Ibid., p. 449)

Note: By virtue of their origin, the Scriptures are the final standard for faith and practice. Every believer is to be subjected to the Authority of the Word of God which is powerful and able to judge the motives and intentions of the heart (Heb. 4:12). The authoritative place of the Scripture is especially seen in relation to the way the NT writers applied the OT to their readers (Lk. 16:29-31; Rom. 15:4;I Cor. 10; Heb. 12:5-6 w/Prov. 3:11-12). For more on the authority of the bible, see also: I Cor. 4:6; I Thess. 5:12; II Thess. 3:14; II Tim. 3:16-4:2; II Pet. 3:1-2. 

Yet, as Dr. John Bright has written, “We do not worship a book. On the contrary, the sole legitimate object of worship, and the supreme authority to whom the Christian submits himself, is God — the God who, according to the Scripture, worked his redemptive purpose in Israel and, in the fullness of time, revealed himself in Jesus Christ.”

“The Christian’s God is the Creator and Lord of all things, and is the Lord also of Scripture. He existed before there was a Bible, and quite independently of it. He performed his work of creation when no man was there to record it. He gave his covenant law at Sinai, and that law had authority in Israel before the Pentateuch was written. He did his saving work in Jesus Christ, who came, did mighty works, died, and rose again, and this would be just as true had the Gospels never been penned.”

“The Bible, therefore, derives its authority from God; it does not have authority of itself, but rather by virtue of the God to whom it witnesses and who speaks in its pages. The God of the Bible is the Christians’ supreme authority in all senses of the word  True. Yet there is a practical sense in which this comes to much the same thing. What, after all, would the Christian know of his God, of Christ, and of the nature of the Christian faith apart from the Bible? Suppose for a moment the Bible had never been written or had been lost to us. What would we know of the history and faith of Israel? What would we know of Jesus, his life, his teachings, and the significance of his saving work as the early church understood it? The answer is: precious little” (p. 31, The Authority of the Old Testament).         

2. II Peter 1:19-21

“And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (NASB). 

The major theme of II Peter is the danger presented to the church by false teachers. In v. 19-21 the apostle identifies Scripture as the ultimate source of stability and confidence for the believer, as well as the needed antidote to heretical teaching (2:1). In v. 19 Peter encourages his readers to pay attention to the prophetic word (OT), which he identifies as a more certain source of revelation and guidance than even his own dramatic witness of Jesus’ transfiguration (v. 16-18). Peter goes on to provide the two-fold bases for the absolute reliability of Scripture’s teachings.     

a. Negatively — The source of Scripture is not human (v. 20).

In verse 20, Peter was addressing the question of the origin of scriptural revelation. He asserted that it is not a matter of one’s (the prophets) own interpretation. In other words, the prophets did not “put their own spin” on what they saw or heard. They did not “interpret” with their own limited human minds what God said or showed them. Peter was probably countering the false teacher’s charge that the Scriptures were merely human myths, much like they discounted the report of Jesus’ transfiguration as “cleverly devised tales” (v. 16). 

In v. 21a, Peter placed added emphasis on his denial of a merely human thought process in the formation of Scripture: “For no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will . .”

b. Positively — The source of Scripture is Divine (v. 21).

Although Peter acknowledged a human element in God’s revelation through the Scripture (“Men …R