1. Define revelation in your own words. Why must the definition include the "self-revelation" of God? Revelation is the process where God shows things about Himself to his people. These are bits of information which I could not know if it were not for Him. He has caused His self-revelation to be written in His Word so that each of us can have them forever. The expression "self-revelation" tells us that this revelation by Him is about Him. Hence, He has revealed Himself to us.
2. Why must revelation be finalized in words? His revelation about Himself has been finalized in written form so that each generation can have it, without the natural corruption of the message which would have naturally occurred if it had been passed by word of mouth.
3. What can we know about God from revelation in nature? How do the three aspects of revelation tie together? In a world where many doubt, God's self-revelation in nature proves His existence, in a way that all people can see and acknowledge. His self-revelation in the cosmos shows us that He is the Creator. In a teleological sense, we see that He is the Designer of the Universe. In a anthropological context, we learn that God is a Person. Thus, more than just proving His existence, God's self-revelation in nature teaches us about Him.
4. The textbook gave ten arguments that the Bible is the revelation of God. Which do you think is strongest? Why? Prophesy is the strongest evidence for the Bible. Common men wrote about events which were to happen in the future, and they actually happened - every time! By contrast, those who try to foretell the future in our culture are usually wrong more than they are right. In the Old Testament, God said that we would know His prophets because their prophetic words would come to pass, and they did. About 25% of the Bible was written prophetically. Yet, no one has been able to disprove any of the words or the specific prophesies of that Book.
5. Repeat the ten arguments that the Bible is a revelation of God. First, the Bible is the unique revelation of Jesus Christ. Second, the Bible makes many extraordinary claims which have never been disproven. Third, the Bible has many prophetic passages which have come or will come to pass. Fourth, the Bible has convicting, convincing, converting power. Fifth, the Bible's message has never grown old. Sixth, the Bible is very unified in its message, yet written by many different authors, over a long span of time. Seventh, the Bible's message has trans-cultural appeal. Eighth, the Bible is honest. Ninth, the Bible represents a superior, well-preserved work of literature when compared to other works. Tenth, the Bible has worked through the experiences of humanity.
1. Why is verbal-plenary inspiration foundational to all other doctrine? Doctrine comes from the Bible. If the words of the Bible are not fully trustworthy as God's Word, then a person cannot know and understand God's special revelation of doctrine.
2. Repeat the reasons why we should believe in inspiration/ inerrancy. First, the Bible teaches that it is inspired and inerrant. Second, Jesus affirmed that the Bible is the inspired inerrant Word of God. Third, the church fathers recognized the inspired, inerrant quality in God's Word. Fourth, because God cannot lie, what He has said must be inerrant. Fifth, the Bible has a life-giving spirit within it.
3. Summarize Jesus' view of inspiration of the words in Scripture. Jesus taught in such a way that His position on the Bible was clear. First, in a confrontation with the Sadducees in Matthew 22:32, He claimed that there was life after death. In John 10:34-35, He claimed that Scriptures cannot be broken. During the Sermon on the Mount, He identified His relationship to the Law. In Nazareth, He paused in the middle of a sentence from Scripture, in Luke 4:18, and showed the two comings of the Messiah.
4. Why must the apocrypha be rejected? The Apocrypha are weak in style. They have historical and geographical errors. They are written like the Old Testament, but in the language of the New Testament, Greek. They are never quoted by Jesus or any of the New Testament writers. They do not show the Plan of Salvation. There are not any Messianic prophesies. They do not claim divine inspiration. They were not included in the Hebrew canon. Philo did not refer to them. Jerome did not include them as Scripture. The spiritual level of these books is low. They teach doctrine which is contrary to the rest of the Bible. They only became part of the Bible in 1546, at the Council of Trent.
5. If you were witnessing to a lost person and he said he did not trust the Bible, how would you prove its trustworthiness? I would explain the canonizing process of the early 4th Century. I would present the supporting evidence of archaeology, the meticulous work done by those who diligently copied Scripture, and of how the Bible is the most abundant and most accurate work in antiquity. I would share that no one has ever been able to disprove even one word, I would point out that about 25% of the Bible was written as prophesy, and I would share the words of Jesus during the Sermon on the Mount concerning His book.
6. What confidence do you have that a "missing book" will not be found that belongs in Scripture? God's revelation through the written word appears to be complete. His revealed doctrine also seems to be complete. The Old Testament is complete, and the New Testament was completed when the Apostles passed off the scene.
7. What principles can be followed in interpreting Scripture? First, the Bible can be interpreted in light of its historical background. Second, the Bible can be interpreted based on the author's purpose and plan. Third, the Bible can be interpreted based on the context of the writing. Fourth, the Bible can be interpreted by adapting the author's understanding of his terminology. Fifth, the Bible can be interpreted based on the author's use of grammar, particularly verb tenses, positions of words, and the relationship between words.
Tom of Spotswood "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)
Index to Selected Essays And Book Reviews
Lessons 4 & 5 - Theology Proper
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