Thoughts on Scripture Part I

 Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!  I hope this memorandum finds you in good health, spiritually and physically.

 As I reflect upon last week’s discussion about the Bible, its trustworthiness and our interpretation of it, I find it necessary to clarify my views on the issue.  The dynamism, fluidity and length of our discussion did not allow me the opportunity to answer completely the question regarding whether we must unilaterally and uncritically accept scripture. 

You will recall the various opinions about Joseph’s instructions to his brothers.  His advice to them enabled them to receive the best tract of land.  Did Joseph operate out of selfish motives in giving these recommendations?  Were they a part of God’s direct will?  Granting that Joseph operates within the will of God’s plan, does it stand to reason that Joseph’s every action is a part of the divine plan?  What role does human choice play in the will and purposes of Almighty God?  Does every scenario in the Bible and every action of each person in the Bible perfectly reflect the divine will?  If we choose not to agree, does that mean that we question the worth of the Bible?

 The Infallibility of the Bible

Unquestionably and unwaveringly, I adhere to the orthodox theological position on the inerrancy of the Bible.  It is trivially true that if the scriptures are the Word of God then they must be infallible because God (all-knowing, all-powerful, all-kind and ever-present) cannot err.  It stands to reason that God cannot fail nor make mistakes.  Anything that arises from Him must be perfect because His character and abilities are perfect.  As His revealed Word to humankind, the Bible must possess His prefect imprimatur.

However, the traditional view on the inerrancy of the Bible insists that the original manuscripts, commonly referred to as the “Autographs,” were perfect.  Unfortunately, for a number of reasons, they have been lost.  Yet, the preponderance of remaining manuscripts (25,000 New Testament documents alone) yields reasonable and reliable translations of the original documents.  Parenthetically, there are more manuscripts to support the claims of the Bible than there are to substantiate Shakespeare, classical literature and other historical documents.  Nevertheless, the Bible in its original form perfectly reveals the Word of God.

The Bible itself makes the claim of its infallibility.  I refer you to the following verses.

·         2 Timothy 3:16

·         2 Peter 1:21

·         Hebrews 4:12

·         Matthew 5:18

·         Matthew 24:35

·         Psalm 19:7

·         Psalm 119:89

Additionally and more practically speaking, the Bible has proven to be historically reliable.  It has endured the test of time and the course of human history.  The Bible has withstood the challenges of science and technology.  All societies have found it relevant regardless of the social, economic and political situations of any nation.  In fact, the atrocities of human history have clearly demonstrated the validity of the doctrine of original sin.  Whether one believes in God or not, one must conclude that human beings are inherently flawed given past wars and current acts of genocide.  Nonetheless, the Bible continues to offer a plan of salvation to humankind.  As long as time persists, the Bible will speak forcefully to the human condition.  We can rejoice that the scriptures offer an intellectually respectable and scientifically and technologically acceptable answer to all human challenges, individually and collectively.