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 We
here present Five Basic Propositions which we believe to be true
as regards Verbal Inspiration of the New Testament. Future
articles will offer comments concerning translations and
versions, in this setting.
I.
Without Revelation, Man Walks in Awe-filled Darkness. The
Heavens declare His glory (PSA.19:), all Creation demonstrates
His Eternal Power and Deity (ROM.1:20), but God is not thereby
identified, nor His will for man made known. We could sense our
obligation to Him, but could not know how to please Him, nor
accomplish His purpose in creating man (1CO.2:9-f).
II.
Words of God Stand Between Man and God; as the medium for
conveying His will. Meaningful faith and obedience, fair and
equitable judgement, necessitate a presentation of the divine
will in way suited to the nature and ability of man to
understand. See EPH.3:2-6; ROM.10:14-f; JOH.1 2:46f.
III.
Man Must Approach God's Words Objectively, As Manifestations
of the Authority of God. It is not in man to direct his
steps; the authority is external. I do not advocate Bibliolatry
— a worship of the book itself -- but a worship of God that
respects His medium of communication to man.
Invariably,
the alternatives men have offered to verbal inspiration have
swung around to some form of subjectivity. Man "feels"
this is right; this is "truth to me" only when I can
approve of it (thus making "truth"(?) relative to each
individual); or the "words" make sense only to those
who are "spiritually" endowed. (One knows he is
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"spiritually endowed" by appeal to
internal, subjective, evidences. Ask him for external
proof (HEB.2:4) and he will say your question proves you are
not spiritually endowed.)
IV.
Writers of the New Testament Delivered God's Own Words.
This is the simple essence of verbal inspiration. They were
"vessels" 2CO.4:7 "messengers" 2CO.5:18-f
who "said" what they were given to say. Matthew
records Jesus as saying, " — take no thought how or what
ye shall speak; for it shall be given you in that hour what ye
shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your
Father which speaketh in You". MAT.10:19-20). Compare this
with MAR.13:10-11; LUK.21:14-15; JOH.14:26. There can be no
doubt about what these men wrote regarding direct verbal
inspiration. Peter is clear on this subject (2PE.1:19-21;
3:15-16). Paul wrote: "Which things also we speak, not in
the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost
teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spirtual"
(1CO.2:13).
We
therefore contend that the original manuscripts of the New
Testament writers were God's own words, given through chosen
messengers to posterity, framed in the language of the time and
place, but intended as the inerrant basis from which all
translations of the future were to be made.
V.
Any philosophy, theory, or "feeling" that lessens
respect for these words, is detrimental to true faith.
Problems of preservation and translation of God's words will be
discussed in coming articles.
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