Running Head: The Inspiration and Inerrancy of the Bible The Bible was Inspired by God Robert Surface Student # L23603038 Liberty University The Bible is the authoritative source of God’s Word to two hundred and forty seven million people throughout the United States who claim to be Christians. However, to accept the Bible as authoritative we must also accept the answers to more general questions in relationship to the Bible. We will discuss in this paper the question of what it means to say that the Bible is an authority as well as where that authority originates. We will discuss inspiration and the definition of inerrancy. In detail we will discuss the relationship between inspiration and inerrancy.
The significant connection in all three words is in its meaning, which the Oxford Dictionary has defined thoroughly, “preservation or deliverance from harm, ruin, or loss; deliverance from sin and its consequences.” The essence therefore is to be saved, salvaged, or redeemed. The following Bible verses conjure such a motif. Psalm 118:21 “I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.” Isaiah 33:2 “O Lord, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.” It can be clearly seen that the Bible is emphasizing the definition that surrounds salvation. The Koran on the other hand teaches that only those who believe will be saved.
This book emphasizes the content of the text itself, moving beyond debating dates and theories of authorship into understanding how these five books of the Bible help us understand the story of salvation. This book is a good place to start studying the Torah from a Christian perspective. The Old Testament is Torah but it is so much more. Christians are taught that the Torah means law, which in our minds mean rules and regulations that restrict our freedom to do what we want to do with our lives. The Five Books of Moses were the writings most read, most studied and most quoted by the New Testament writers and any and every practicing Judaic person at the turn of the era.
Introduction Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament is written by Dr. Christopher J.H. Wright (Ph.D., Cambridge). Dr. Wright is the director of international ministries for the Langham Partnership International, also known as the John Scott Ministries in the United States. Dr. Wright is an ordained Anglican Minister and Old Testament scholar. In his book Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament Dr. Wright puts forth that one cannot truly know Jesus without first knowing His story.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work"(NIV, 2010). Using this Scripture, Dr. Adams provided four –step biblical process that are the elements in the process of change. The first step is teaching the truth of the Bible, which is the Word of God. The counselor must teach the client what God has to say about the situation and what His standards are for living. This teaching involves what Adams calls “teaching in the milieu” or through real life situations.
I found the practical sections of this book to be extremely helpful. For instance, when Brooks explains the benefit of asking the “so what” question of the good news text, I was motivated to look at a few of my sermons that had already been preached and ask the “so what” question of the text. Brooks is clear that the Bible is the foundation of preaching. This statement as she points out may seem to be one that there is agreement with among preachers, however as is pointed out there are those who believe that good news may come from other sources. It has been my experience in hearing sermons that the Bible is the source of the good news that is proclaimed.
BOOK SUMMARY of Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament (Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible) OBST 590 LUO (Summer 2013) Old Testament Introduction Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary Jassiem Ajala (25927535) August 11, 2013 Introduction With his adept abilities at using up-to-date research and researchers to present his findings, as well as justify his thoughts on ancient and Near Eastern and Israelite thoughts and reasoning, John Walton brings to light for the student of Biblical studies, as well as the layperson a newer and broader grasp of the culture that was then and, which is now. It is the author’s intention to give the reader a better understanding from a historical and cultural vantage point that will assist them in gaining a better understanding of the cultural and historical parallels of the Bible through examination of artifacts and other ancient peoples. Book Summary The book Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament (ANE and OTT), has been broken into five parts. Part 1, "Comparative Studies," contains a total of two chapters submerge its readers into the history and methods that indicative of comparative study. Part 1 also introduces the readers to the relationships that exist between scholarship, comparative study, and theology.
His works speak to the intellect as well as to the heart of how God prepared the world in His image – and His hope for mankind. This book unpacks the major themes from the collection of books that make up the Old Testament – and the people that lived the experience within their lives – both the good and the bad, the spiritual and the carnal – the deceitful and the faithful – all through the course of ancient Biblical history. This journey takes the reader through the Old Testament that is both accessible and spiritually edifying. The passions of the persons personified in this book awaken the heart of the reader in today’s world – with identifiable and meaningful lessons that are very applicable to our lives today. The people come to life on the pages of the book in a sense that you may have not fully experienced before.
Some of the characters in the novel have similar lives and actions like biblical characters. Jim Casy is one of the characters from the novel which has the most things in common with Jesus Christ with whom he happens to share even the initials. He is the philosopher and preacher which realized that humans should live as a whole. Mutual love and connections between humans are things that keep us together. Casy assumes the role of Jesus Christ in the novel because of his characteristics.
Applying this process throughout the assignments was invaluable to my understanding as a Christian. This process is really a journey of careful reading of biblical context and that our lives can be changed forever by the knowledge gained. In step one, “Grasping the Text in Their Town” is about what the text means to the original audience. It teaches you to read, observe, and examine as much of the text as possible. One must dissect and break down the passages into small sections, look at the grammar, significant words or repetition, as well as historical and literary contexts of the passage (Grasping God’s Word p. 22).