What The Bible Claims For Itself

by William Woodson

( reprinted with permission from: Spirtual Sword, 1970, Vol 1(2):4-7 ) 

The Bible makes a series of remarkable claims for itself concerning its nature. Basically these claims amount to the declaration that the Bible is a disclosure of God's will and way in the world, a record and interpretation of God's activity in history, a guide for man in the service of the Lord. At bottom the discussion of inspiration and revelation is an attempt to assess the nature, extent and validity of this truth-claim implicit and explicit in the Scriptures. If one concludes the Bible claim is true, the Bible is regarded as a deposit of truth which may be studied and interpreted with the result that one knows the will of God. If one withholds acceptance of this truth-claim or modifies it in some way, the nature of the contents of the Bible in terms of the resultant knowledge of God becomes open to doubt and controversy. Controversies during the last hundred years, and more, have shown the directions in which the later position leads men as they seek to know God but reject or modify the claim of the Bible to give such knowledge. The present article will seek to present and apply to several problem areas the claim of the Scripture concerning itself.

 I.  THE CLAIMS OF THE BIBLE. 

The most fruitful manner of presentation involves considering the promises of Jesus, the fulfillment of these promises, and additional statements of significance to the subject.

   A.  The Promises of Jesus.

During His public ministry at least four promises were made by Jesus concerning the guidance of His representatives in presenting His word. 
 

1. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would speak in them so  that they would speak what had been given them when they  stood before opponents and critics. Note Matthew  10:17-20, Mark 13:11; Luke 12:12. 
2. Jesus promised a "mouth and wisdom" which  opponents would not be able to gainsay. Note Luke  21:13-15.
3. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would be sent from the  Father, that He would teach them all things, that He  would bring His words to their remembrance, and that He  would guide them into all truth. Note John 14:15-16;  14:26; 16:12,13.
4. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would come upon the  apostles so that they might be witnesses to him. Note  Acts 1:5-8.

In these verses one readily understands that Jesus was promising an unusual ability consequent upon the reception of the Holy Spirit.

  B.  Fulfillment of the Promises.

That the promise was fulfilled is obvious from Acts and the Epistles. Acts 2:1-36 indicates several thoughts about this fulfillment. The Holy Spirit came upon the apostles, filling, baptizing them and giving them the ability to speak God's will, v. 1-4, 7-8, 11. Peter spoke as one who had received the promised blessing, v. 14ff. He pointed to the fulfillment of prophecy. v. 16-21, and claimed the shedding forth of the promise of the Holy Sprit, v. 32, 33. The remaining sections of Acts indicate the results of this fulfilled promise in the teaching and confirming of the word of God by the apostles and others on whom the apostles laid hands.

Several Epistles indicate the fulfillment of this promise as well. Paul makes reference to it in many places. Jesus promised the revelation of His will to Paul (Acts 26:16-18), and this promise undergirded Paul's work. He claimed to employ the demonstration and power of the Spirit, 1 Cor. 2:1-4; he had received the Sprit and spoke the words which the Spirit taught, 1 Cor. 2:12,13; he received his message by revelation, Gal 1:12; Eph. 3:1-5; 1 Tim 4:1; thus he spoke the word of God, 1 Thess. 2:13; 1 Cor. 14:37. These words were confirmed by the signs of an apostle, 2 Cor. 12:12; Rom. 15:18,19. Peter affirmed the presence of the Holy Sprit as he preached the gospel of God, 1 Pet. 1:12, 22-25. Thus he offered a more sure word of prophecy, 2 Pet. 1:19-21; and enjoined remembering the words of the apostles as well as the prophets of old, 2 Pet. 3:2. He also likened the words of Paul to the other scriptures, 2 Pet. 3:16. Hebrews 2:1-4 speaks of the confirmation of the words spoken by the representatives of Jesus by signs, wonders, miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit; and Mark supplements this truth, Mark 16:20.

  C.  Summary of Promises.

A most helpful summary is that of McGarvey ¹  upon whom this study has leaned heavily . He discusses the promises, the fulfillment, and modifying statements and facts. Then he summarizes the thoughts. These include:
 

1. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would permanently abide in  the apostles. This was fulfilled on Pentecost, and was  recognized in subsequent statements in Acts and various  Epistles. The Spirit was also imparted to those on whom  the apostles laid hands (Acts 8:13-14) 
2. The Holy Spirit brought to their remembrance what Jesus  had said, guided them into all truth, and supplied the  what and how of their words in presenting the message of  God and defending it.
3. The Holy Spirit enabled these men to speak without  anxiety on all occasions and confirmed the words spoken  by Christ's representatives.
4. Thus, it follows that as they spoke and wrote, out of  their own experience and observation, as well as  concerning what was revealed to them, they had the  approval of the Holy Spirit to guide and superintend  them.

 II.  APPLICATION TO PROBLEM AREAS.

  A.  Nature of Inspiration.

One searches in vain in the Bible for an exact statement of the details of how God related to the apostles and others in the production of the words spoken. The Spirit spoke by men, His word was in their tongue (2 Sam. 23:2); the Holy Spirit spoke by the mouth of men (Acts 1:16); and the things spoken were in the words taught by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:12-13). But no one can tell the exact details of how the Sprit guided, superintended, guaranteed, produced the end result. There are hidden details here, and no one should presume to continue after the light fails (Deut. 29:29). As a general statement Packer gives the following: ² "Inspiration is to be defined as a supernatural, providential influence of God's Holy Spirit upon the human authors which caused them to write what He wished to be written for the communication of revealed truth to others." Holy men of God spoke as they were moved, borne by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:19-21); the Scripture is inspired of God (2 Tim. 3:16-17); and the words are the words taught by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:12-13). But one must rest content with these and similar statements, God has not spelled out the details of how His Spirit entered into the mind of the writers and how He worked with their hands as they wrote. The point is that the work produced, in God's own way, was His word, not man's word, and it bore the stamp of God through the work of Himself. God was in control and the end result was His product, His product through man, but not of man. God spoke, God spoke through the prophet, His Son, the apostles, and the result is the word of God, the revelation of God's will in the world (Heb. 1:1-3; Matt. 1:22; 1 Thess. 2:13)

  B.  Inerrancy and Inspiration.

The Bible never deceives nor misleads, is wholly trustworthy and reliable; it is wholly true. To say the Bible is inerrant is to say that all its teaching is the utterance of God who cannot lie (Titus 1:2), whose word when spoken abides forever (1 Pet. 1:23-25; Psalm 119:89), cannot be broken (John 10:35; Luke 16:17; Matt. 5:18) and is to be trusted completely. The Bible is affirmed to be infallible and inerrant because God is infallible and inerrant; consequently the inerrancy of the Bible is simply the inerrance of God speaking. Thus one asserts in the term "inerrance" the faith he possesses in the divine origin of the Bible and the truthfulness and trustworthiness of God.³

Many different pursuits would be involved in a complete study of this most interesting and significant thought but the limited space available precludes more than a summary statement. At heart the issue turns on the validity of the knowledge of God available in the deposit of truth given by inspiration. Problems are to be faced, but answers are available, though the securing of such answers involves diligence and ability. God does not lie (Prov. 30:5,6; Num. 23:19) and His people are not to lie (Ps. 63:11); consequently the Scripture, produced by God, does not lie (Heb. 3:7; Matt. 22:43; Jer. 1:9; Rom. 9:25; 15:15).

  D.  Inspiration and the Writers.

Closely related to the preceding thought concerning the details of how God acted in inspiring the Scriptures is the concern for individuality of the writers thus inspired. It is no longer doubted that Paul wrote as Paul and Peter wrote as Peter; the Holy Spirit did not eliminate the personality of the writer in producing the Scriptures, but worked with and through the individual. Many aspects of this thought come up for attention, but the fact is clear that individuality of the writer is present.⁴ 

How this could be presents difficulties and at best only partial answers are presently available. McGarvey's illustration about the driver and the horse is very good. He tells of how a driver draws the lines as the horse needs guidance, checking the horse when he moves too fast, urging him when he moves too slowly, and even when he is moving in the road as desired the hand of the driver is still on the lines. The driver controls the horse when he is going very much at his own will, and yet he is never without the control of the driver. Though not completely adequate, the illustration points to the fact, according to McGarvey, that when the Sprit "acted on the inspired the words come forth in the style and vocabulary of the writer."⁵ 

Warfield speaks of the preparation of the subject matter to be recorded in the Scriptures and of the person who will write as well. The result is given in such a fashion that the product is God's work, a product wrought by the "bearing along" of the Spirit. The words are not the words of men, but are "God-breathed" words and thus authoritative in a way no words of David, Paul, or other man could ever be without the inspiration of the Spirit.⁶ Accordingly the Scriptures did not originate by the will of men, but by the work of God through the Spirit.

  D.  Inspiration and Authority. 

The claim of the Scriptures is to be noted carefully. In addition to other verses, previously cited, one should consider such passages as these. The Scriptures supply instruction, doctrine, reproof, and correction (2 Tim. 3:17); All things needful for life and godliness are available by the knowledge of Christ (2 Pet. 1:3); the Word is a light and a lamp (Ps. 119:105); To the law and testimony one is to go (Isa. 8:20); one must not go beyond (2 John 9); nor add thereto (Deut. 12:32). Indeed, one must be guided by the oracles of God (1 Pet. 4:11; Rev. 22:18-19). 

CONCLUSION 

Problems come and go, religious questions rise and fall, the works of men hold attraction for a while then are forgotten forever. But the word of God lives on (Matt. 24:35). This is the word which is preached by faithful spokesmen of God (1 Pet. 1:22-25; 2 Tim. 2:2). It was given by God's Holy Spirit, it is the power of God unto salvation, and will judge all men in the last day. Its defense must be given, but even more important is its understanding and living presentation in the hearts and lives of its believers.

FOOTNOTES

1) J.W. McGarvey, Evidences of Christianity Part IV: Inspiration of the New Testament (Cincinnati:  The Standard Publishing Company, 1891), pp. 171-201.

2) J.I. Packer, "Fundamentalism" and the Word of God (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdman's Publishing Company, 1962), p.77.

3) Ibid. pp. 95, 96.

4) McGarvey, op. cit. pp. 190, 191.

5) Ibid.,  pp. 213-214.

6) B.B. Warfield, "Inspiration," The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1957), III, 1479-1483. 

ADDITIONAL SOURCES 

Gaussen, L. The Inspiration of the Holy Scriptures. Chicago: Moody Press, 1949. 

Henry, C.F. H. Revelation and the Bible. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1958. 

McDonald, H.D. Theories of Revelation. London: Allen and Unwin, 1963. 

Pinnock, Clark H. A Defense of Biblical Infallibility.Philadelphia: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1967. 

Ramm, Bernard. Special Revelation and the Word of God. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmands Publishing Company, 1961. 

QUESTIONS FOR YOUR STUDY 
 

1. How are the promises of Jesus related to the inspiration  of the New Testament? 
2. By combining the promises and the fulfillment, what  results are obtained concerning inspiration?
3. What is the "nature" of inspiration? What words  best designate the manner of inspiration?
4. What is inerrance and how does it relate to the  Bible? 
5. What was the personal involvement of the writers? Did  this have any effect on the result of their work?

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