From: pub@riscee.pko.dec.com (Publius)
Subject: Re: Get a life
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation, Maynard MA
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 17:43:45 GMT

In article <1992Jul27.173403.25964@dg-rtp.dg.com> grossg@patriot.rtp.dg.com (Gross) writes:
>In article <adams.711829078@spssig> adams@spss.com (Steve Adams) writes:
>>
>>Please tell me exactly where it says that God wrote the Bible.
>
>All scripture is inspired (God-breathed) of God.... 2 Tim. 3:16-17

Hi, Gene!

Glad to see your posting again in t.r.m.
I also believe in the divine inspiration of the entire Scripture
(both OT & NT), but not because of 2 Tim. 3:16-17, for two reasons:

1. Scripture itself is against self-testimony, for, as the Lord said:
   "If I testify for myself, my testimony is not true ...".  It would
   be hard to imagine that the Scripture would contradict itself
   to testify for itself.

2. In all possibility, when Paul mentioned 'all scriptures' in
   2 Tim. 3:16-17, he was refering to the OT books.  Even though
   Paul himself was obviously aware of the divinely inspired nature
   of his own epistles, he always called them 'letters', instead of
   'scriptures'.  During his life time, Paul did not realize that
   God would one day have his epistles included in the canon.
   It is important that we stick to the 'original intent' of the
   apostles when interpreting the Scripture.  I am not saying that
   we can not go beyond the 'original intent' in APPLICATION.
   But we have to make a distinction between 'interpretation' and
   'application'.  Obviously, we don't want to do to the Scripture
   what many liberal judges have done to the Constitution.

Instead of being a self-testimony, 2 Tim. 3:16-17 gives one most
striking feature of God's inspired Word: it is life-giving
(with OT as an example, and in APPLICATION, applies to the NT as well).
As you correctly pointed out, what was translated into 'inspired by
God' literally means "God-breathed".  As you must be aware,
whenever God's breath is mentioned in the Scripture, it always
refers to the impartation of God's life (the creation of Adam,
the night after the Resurrection, and a prophet's vision of
the valley of dried bones).  God's breath means the impartation
God's own life.  This points out the most important function of
the Scripture: it imparts God's life to us, makes us God's sons,
makes us grow and mature, and eventually fulfill that Prayer:
"Thy Kingdom comes, Thy will be done on the earth, as in the heavens".

But without relying on 2 Tim. 3:16-17, how do we know that NT,
as much as OT, is also God's breath?  Should we just accept the
authority of the Council that codified the NT canon (as suggested
by the RCC)?  Of course not!  As John Calvin pointed out in
Institutes of the Christian Religion, we know assured that the
entire Scripture, both OT & NT, is God's breath, BECAUSE of the
testimony of the Spirit of God in our hearts.  When we come to
read the Scripture, we experience the impartation of God's life
in us.  This is what Calvin called the 'inner testimony' of the
Spirit of God.  And by this anointing, we know that the entire
Scripture is indeed God's breath.

Concerning the authority of the Scripture, this is what Calvin
said in Institutes 1.7.4:

	"If we desire to provide in the way for our consciences--
	 that they may not be perpetually beset by the instability
	 of doubt or vacillation, and that they may not also boggle
	 at the smallest quibbles--we ought to seek our conviction
	 in a higher place than human reasons, judgements, or
	 conjectures, that is, in the secret testimony of the Spirit."
	                                     - Calvin, Institutes 1.7.4

>Being a conservative evangelical means accepting the Bible as the
>final Word of God to us until Christ comes again in power and glory.

Amen!

>We agree to the "Fundamentals" of the Faith because they so often
>match what we believe.

"Fundamentals", like all doctrines, should be examined and scrutinized
based on the Scripture.  No doctrines, not even the "Fundamentals"
should be upheld above the authority of the Scripture.


Regards,
-- 
For Christ and His Kingdom
-- Publius
Disclaimer: These opinions are mine, all mine, mine alone.