Page 326 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

INSPIRATION

Scripture, such as God speaking face to face with Moses Word above all Thy Name!’ ‘Only one word!’ But that
and angels speaking to some of the prophets, but for the word ‘God.’ Better the whole living church of God
most part we do not know the mechanics of inspiration should perish than that one word should perish. ‘If any
and we are not instructed to fret about it. “The secret man take away from the words of the book of this
things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things prophecy God shall take away his part.’ Let criticism
which are revealed belong unto us and to our children pause. The principle at stake is solemn.
for ever, that we may do all the words of this law” (De. The point at issue in the whole controversy with
29:29). The crucial fact is that “ALL scripture is given by ‘modern criticism’ is, whether the Bible can be placed
upon the same plane with other, merely human,
inspiration of God.” That is all we need to know, and it literature and treated accordingly; or whether, as a
is a fact that can be accepted ONLY by faith. It can never Divine Revelation, it addresses us with a command and
be understood by scholarship. “But without faith it is sanction? The power of the Book is shaken from the
impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God moment we deny its a priori binding claim on our
must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of belief and obedience. The Book is a royal document, or
them that diligently seek him” (He. 11:6). series of documents issued by the King of kings, and
9. Form criticism is of the devil. It is the devil who binding upon every subject. The Book, then, is to be
loves to cast doubt upon the Word of God. He has been received with reverence by one who falls upon his
bended knees beneath the only shaft of light which,
doing exactly this since his conversation with Eve in the from unknown eternity, brings to the soul the
Garden (Ge. 3:1). He is doing it today through certainties of God—of His dealings in grace with men,
“evangelical” scholars who are trained at the feet of and of a judgment. The Old Testament is—in some
modernists (either directly or through their writings or sense—more awful than the New—as it begins with a
through other evangelical scholars who sat under creation out of nothing—as it thunders from Sinai, and
modernists). This is the root problem with men such as as it prefigures and predicts the momentous facts of
Daniel Wallace and Robert Stein and D.A. Carson. They Calvary and the Apocalypse. But it has been
are leaning on the research of modernists and they are represented that the Bible has twisted itself up like a
trying to impress those same modernists that they, worm from the dust by an Evolution in which the
though “evangelicals,” are serious scholars. They are human element is most conspicuous.
trying to adapt the scholarship of unbelievers to a The inspiration of the Old Testament, including that of
position of faith, and it is an impossible task. Does God the whole Bible, is a matter, first of all, of pure Divine
testimony, which leaves us nothing but to receive it.
not warn that “evil communications corrupt good God says, ‘I am speaking.’ That ends it. The instant
manners” (1 Co. 15:33)? Does God not warn the order of the Book to every reader is ‘Believe or die!’
believer not to sit in the seat of the scornful (Psalm The Book brings with it its authentication. Who would
1:1)? Does God not warn that the words of false think of standing up under the broad blaze of the
teachers eat like a canker and increase ungodliness and noonday sun to deny the existence of the sun? His
overthrow faith (2 Ti. 2:16-18)? Does God not warn shining is his authentication.
that the words of false teachers deceive hearts (Ro. The Jews cherished the highest awe and veneration for
16:17-18)? The Bible says that two cannot walk their sacred writings which they regarded as the
together except they be agreed (Amos 3:3), yet today’s ‘Oracles of God.’ They maintained that God had more
“evangelical” scholar thinks he can walk together for care of the letters and syllables of the Law than of the
months and years on end with unbelievers and not be stars of heaven, and that upon each tittle of it,
harmed spiritually. It is an unbelieving delusion. mountains of doctrine hung. For this reason every
individual letter was numbered by them and account
A Testimony to the Inspiration of Holy Scripture kept of how often it occurred. In the transcription of an
The following testimony to the authority and authorized synagogue manuscript, rules were enforced
authenticity of the Holy Scriptures is by George Sayles of the minutest character. The copyist must write with
Bishop. Preached in 1885 at the dawn of the modern a particular ink, on a particular parchment. He must
era of Bible criticism, this message lays out that write in so many columns, of such a size, and
unquestioning faith in God’s Holy Word that has containing just so many lines and words. No word to
be written without previously looking at the original.
characterized true believers from the beginning of time. The copy, when completed, must be examined and
It is not a blind faith. It is not an ignorant faith. It is compared within thirty days; if four errors were found
faith in a God who cannot lie. Contrast this humble faith on one parchment, the examination went no farther—
in the Word of God with the proud spirit of the modern the whole was rejected. When worn out, the rolls were
Bible critic. In the following passage Bishop is writing in officially and solemnly burned lest the Scripture might
defense of the word “God” in 1 Timothy 3:16: fall into profane hands or into fragments.
‘Oh, but it is only one word!’ Yes, but one word of The Old Testament, precisely as we have it, was
Scripture of which it is said, ‘Thou hast magnified Thy endorsed by Jesus Christ, the Son of God. When He

326 Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity