1. Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

Inspired Authors?

Discussion in '2004 Archive' started by superdave, Aug 9, 2004.

Top Posters
  1. superdave

    superdave New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2000
    Messages:
    2,055
    Likes Received:
    0
    Very Good Discussion at Church yesterday, it involved the specifics of the Inspiration.

    The question for my esteemed collegues here on the BB, (and the rest) is this:
    Were the Authors of Scripture (the human authors) inspired?

    Its not a trick question, I assure you, but you will need to speak very specifically about the actual meaning of the word inspiration as you frame an answer.
     
    #1 superdave, Aug 9, 2004
  2. aefting

    aefting New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2002
    Messages:
    874
    Likes Received:
    0
    I do not believe that the authors were inspired because authors were not breathed out by God. God's words were breathed out and those original words are the only thing for which the Bible claims inspiration.

    Andy
     
    #2 aefting, Aug 9, 2004
  3. Dr. Bob

    Dr. Bob Administrator
    Administrator

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2000
    Messages:
    30,285
    Likes Received:
    507
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Men were "moved" by the inner working of the Spirit to pen the exact words chosen by God. After all, God is sovereign and can do such things!

    So in THAT sense, they are called "inspired". But in reality, it is only the TEXT so selected by God. Paul wrote other letters that we do not have today. He probably wrote all sorts of notes to his co-workers and friends. He probably ordered burgers and fries at McDonalds. THOSE words were NOT God-breathed.

    Inspiration, in its most fundamental sense, is of the WORD not the WRITER.
     
    #3 Dr. Bob, Aug 9, 2004
  4. NaasPreacher (C4K)

    NaasPreacher (C4K) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 21, 2003
    Messages:
    26,806
    Likes Received:
    80
    Good point - God moved holy men of God to record His "God-breathed" words.
     
    #4 NaasPreacher (C4K), Aug 9, 2004
  5. aefting

    aefting New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2002
    Messages:
    874
    Likes Received:
    0
    I really appreciate the fact that the ESV says "God-breathed" in 2 Tim. 3:16. Using that term really helps clear up confusion concering the idea of inspiration.

    Andy
     
    #5 aefting, Aug 9, 2004
  6. superdave

    superdave New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2000
    Messages:
    2,055
    Likes Received:
    0
    That is after all, what the greek word literally means. BTW, the NIV got that one right too! :D

    This was a great topic for discussion, obviously y'alls who are seminary grads have wrestled with this one before.

    We talked specifically about Paul's reference to an earlier letter to the church at Corinth in I Cor, a letter we do not have. If you say that that letter is inspired, you get into all sorts of trouble when you start talking about canonization and preservation.

    The bottom line is if I am reading you guys correctly, you don't believe every word spoken or written by these men was inspired, but that God used them to pen his inspired words at various points throughout their ministry. ]
     
    #6 superdave, Aug 9, 2004
  7. aefting

    aefting New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2002
    Messages:
    874
    Likes Received:
    0
    Well, what do you know, a place where the NIV is more literal than the NASB or KJV!

    Andy
     
    #7 aefting, Aug 9, 2004
  8. Askjo

    Askjo New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2003
    Messages:
    3,736
    Likes Received:
    0
    No, If they were inspired, were they infallible? :confused:
     
    #8 Askjo, Aug 9, 2004
  9. Askjo

    Askjo New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2003
    Messages:
    3,736
    Likes Received:
    0
    [​IMG]
     
    #9 Askjo, Aug 9, 2004
  10. superdave

    superdave New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2000
    Messages:
    2,055
    Likes Received:
    0
    No, THEY were neither inspired, nor infallible. The words that they wrote that have been canonized and preserved for us were inspired and infallible
     
    #10 superdave, Aug 9, 2004
  11. Ed Edwards

    Ed Edwards <img src=/Ed.gif>

    Joined:
    Aug 20, 2002
    Messages:
    15,715
    Likes Received:
    0
    The people were inspired; the message they wrote
    is infalliable. God did the inspiring;
    God's in His providence assured that
    the message they wrote, even if not
    letter perfect was infalliable
    IF UNDERSTOOD CORRECTLY (i.e. interperted
    by the Holy Spirit).
     
    #11 Ed Edwards, Aug 9, 2004
  12. DeclareHim

    DeclareHim New Member

    Joined:
    May 7, 2004
    Messages:
    1,062
    Likes Received:
    0
    [​IMG]

    2 Timothy 3:16 " All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness" ISV
     
    #12 DeclareHim, Aug 9, 2004
  13. Marcia

    Marcia Active Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2004
    Messages:
    11,139
    Likes Received:
    1
    The scripture was inspired. My hermeneutics prof always says that if the authors were inspired, then their grocery lists would be scripture, too. Dr. Bob, I liked your response! [​IMG]
     
    #13 Marcia, Aug 10, 2004
  14. DHK

    DHK <b>Moderator</b>

    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2000
    Messages:
    37,982
    Likes Received:
    137
    We (or at least me) often say that God inspired the prophets and the Apostles, not the writers of the KJV. I know it is the original autographs that are inspired. I suppose we ought to be more careful or accurate in the way we express ourselves.
    DHK
     
    #14 DHK, Aug 10, 2004
  15. Jamiu

    Jamiu New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2004
    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    0
    I strongly believed that they were inspired by God to write what they put down for us to read today. It is like God taken over thier thought life, remind them of what has happened and allow them to put them down.
    Jamiu
     
    #15 Jamiu, Aug 10, 2004
  16. aefting

    aefting New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2002
    Messages:
    874
    Likes Received:
    0
    Careful, though. We need to be razor sharp in how we express our theology. Try plugging in the literal meaning of "inspiration" and see how that sounds in what you said:

    "I strongly believe that they were 'God-breathed' by God to write what they put down for us to read today."

    That doesn't really work. I think it would be better to say, along with what Scripture explicitly says, that they were 'moved' or 'borne along' by God (or even more specifically by the Holy Spirit) to write what they put down . . . .

    I know it sounds picky but if we are not careful, our terminology can be used to develop false doctrines and wrong ideas.

    Andy
     
    #16 aefting, Aug 10, 2004
  17. Dr. Bob

    Dr. Bob Administrator
    Administrator

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2000
    Messages:
    30,285
    Likes Received:
    507
    Faith:
    Baptist
    We toss around the word "inspired" way too loosely, adding to the confusion of meaning. Bad as the way we use "love".

    I love my wife. I love the Lord. I love pepperoni pizza. I love the Vikings.

    And I was just listening to a Bach fugue and was inspired. And a patriotic marches inspire me.

    Writers are inspired. Translators inspired. Composers inspired. Architects inspired.

    No wonder the confusion.
     
    #17 Dr. Bob, Aug 10, 2004
  18. robycop3

    robycop3 Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2000
    Messages:
    14,362
    Likes Received:
    668
    Faith:
    Baptist
    However it's worded, God CAUSED some of His His penmen to write what He wanted. Others, such as John & Moses, He TOLD them what to write.

    Whatever methods He chose, God's will concerning His words was always carried out exactly as He had planned. Same with translations. Every valid translation has come out exactly as God willed, down to the last jot, tittle, dotted "i", crossed "t", or period. Maybe the translators or printers didn't "feel" God's power at work, but I believe 110% it WAS at work. After all, His written word is our FINAL AUTHORITY, God's "Constitution" for all mankind.

    That's part of why I despise the KJVO myth so much. I recognize it as a clever ruse by Satan, using HIS power, to deceive some Christians into believing it, regardless of the fact that it was begun by a KNOWN CULT OFFICIAL, and that its early advocates couldn't prove its first point, couldn't find any Scriptural support, made the KJV into something neither God nor its translators intended, and attacked God's word as He chose to present it in English in later years. The KJVOs just don't recognize Satan is far more powerful than all of them together, more powerful than this entire physical UNIVERSE, and that ONLY the power of GOD can protect us from him...and that he is busy 24/7 trying to keep the lost lost, trying to fool the Christians, trying to make us stumble, trying to limit God's word. Thus, I recognize each valid BV as yet another plate in God's armor He has for us, and another length added to God's sword He gives us to resist the devil. "Resist the devil and he shall flee from you." But he'll be back...
     
    #18 robycop3, Aug 10, 2004
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)
Loading...