Chap 1 - The Inspiration of the Bible: Bibliography PDF

# 1 THE INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE: BIBLIOLOGY How do I know that the Bible is really the Word of God? That is a question people ask frequently. In fact, some of your unsaved friends probably have already asked you that question. Even some pastors in liberal churches don’t think the Bible is inspired...

# 1 THE INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE: BIBLIOLOGY How do I know that the Bible is really the Word of God? That is a question people ask frequently. In fact, some of your unsaved friends probably have already asked you that question. Even some pastors in liberal churches don’t think the Bible is inspired. ## DEFINITION OF INSPIRATION Inspiration means God-breathed. When used in connection with the Scriptures, it means that God breathed into the minds of the writers exactly what He wanted them to say. I’ve been inspired by a beautiful view before. That’s one type of inspiration but that’s not the same type of inspiration that we have in mind. ## TWO TYPES OF INSPIRATION * **Natural Inspiration:** This is inspiration on the human level - the kind caused by psychological and environmental influences on an individual. For instance, due to certain moods and events in one’s life, we have various impulses to draw a picture write a poem, compose a song, play ball etc. This is not what we mean by biblical inspiration. * **Biblical Inspiration:** This is inspiration on the heavenly level - the kind caused by God Himself breathing into people the actual words He wants them to write. This was purely for the purpose of revelation. God has finished this type of inspiration. **Is God still inspiring people to write?** ## GOD HAS STOPPED INSPIRING PEOPLE TO WRITE THE WORD OF GOD In the last book of the Bible, God had John write a warning. What was it? (Rev. 22:18) You can rest assured that all of God’s Word has been revealed by Him. The Book is finished - it cannot be added to or taken away from. Yet Satan continues to attack at this very point. ## SATAN ATTACKS THE INSPIRATION OF GOD’S WORD Ask yourself a couple of simple questions: 1. If the Bible is not completely true in every detail, can we know for sure that we are saved? 2. Can we trust any part of the Bible if it is incorrect in certain places? If the Bible is not God’s Word, then we are poor, ignorant individuals who can know nothing about the life that Christ has to offer. Isn’t it logical that the first thing the devil will attack is the truthfulness and trustworthiness of God’s Word? **How can I defeat these attacks on God’s Word?** ## DEFEATING SATAN’S ATTACKS ON THE WORD OF GOD **No Errors** First, we need to know that the Bible contains no error in its archaeological, scientific, geographic, or historical record). Even though it was written many years before people knew all they know today, it does not contain even one error. Could a book be written by a group of men over different periods of time, about subjects that these men were not experts in, and still be without any error in archaeology, science, history, etc.? There is only one logical way for this to happen: A supernatural power must have directed its writing! If it is not humanly possible for such a book to be written, then a Being who knows everything there is to know must have written the book. Who, then, must have written the Scriptures? Let’s look at a second reason why we can be sure the Bible is God’s Word. **Fulfilled Prophecy** Second, what about fulfilled prophecies? Everything the Bible has said would happen has happened exactly as prophesied. The Old Testament was written hundreds of years before Christ, and many things were written about Christ even before He was born. Read these verses and tell what was written about Christ many years before He came to Earth. Write the answers on the longer lines: | | | | ------------------- | ------------------------------------ | | 1. | Psalm 16:8-11 | | 2. | Psalm 22:16 | | 3. | Psalm 22:18 | | 4. | Psalm 34:20 | | 5. | Psalm 41:9 | | 6. | Psalm 68:18 | | 7. | Psalm 69:21 | | 8. | Psalm 110:1 | | 9. | Isaiah 7:14 | | 10. | Micah 5:2 | | 11. | Zechariah 9:9 | | 12. | Zechariah 11:12-13 | The following verses record how each of the previous prophecies were fulfilled. Now match the following verses, placing the letter of the correct passage below on the appropriate line on the shorter lines above. | | | | ------------------- | ---------------- | | A. John 19:31-33 | G. Matthew 2:6 | | B. Matthew 26:15; 27:9-10 | H. John 13:18 | | C. Matthew 1:23 | I. Colossians 3:1 | | D. Matthew 27:34 | J. Ephesians 4:7-8 | | E. Matthew 21:1-6 | K. Acts 2:23-27 | | F. John 20:20, 25 | L. Matthew 27:35 | **Could all of these prophecies have been fulfilled perfectly if God’s Word were not true?** It would be incredibly unlikely - perhaps even impossible - for all of the above prophecies to have come true by accident. Yet there are literally hundreds of prophecies in God’s Word, all of which came true, exactly as God said. No single person, much less a group of people over hundreds of years, could have devised a set of prophecies so accurate. God’s Word is not human, but supernatural. ## The Bible’s Own Testimony Third, let’s look at what the Bible itself says about the Word of God. In the Old Testament alone, the phrase “thus saith the Lord” occurs more than 3,800 times. Read these verses and explain in your own words what they mean. - 2 Peter 1:19-21 - 2 Timothy 3:16 By these two verses we can see that God used men to write His Word. However, these men were taught, or moved, by what? According to 2 Timothy 3:16, how much Scripture is true? ## Christ’s Own Testimony What did Jesus Himself say about the Word? - Matthew 5:18 - Luke 16:17 - John 10:34-35 Read these statements carefully. If one is true, put a check beside it; if it is false, put an X beside it and state why it is false. * The Bible contains the Word of God. * When you read the Bible, it becomes the Word of God to you. * All Scripture that is given by inspiration of God is profitable. * The Bible is all the Word of God, and every single word is completely true and trustworthy. ## Complete This Section Without Looking Back at the Lesson 1. What does the word inspiration mean when it refers to the Bible? 2. Name the two types of inspiration: 3. Name four ways we can know God’s Word is inspired: ## Verses to Memorize - 2 Peter 1:20-21 - 2 Timothy 3:16