What do we mean by "inspiration" in scripture. (translation, church)
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I came across this question and believe it's a thought provoking one; so I'll ask it here.
Which of the following describes "inspiration" in scripture?
1. Scripture was authored by God and is without error.
2. Scripture was authored by God who made or allowed some errors.
3 Some parts of the scripture were inspired by God and other parts were written by men so some of it's contents are inerrant and some others may be untrue.
4. Scripture was written entirelyby men without any special divine inspiration, but may contain some religious truth.
Let's look at alternative # 4 that all scripture is merely the religious writings of men.
Aside from the fact that scripture itself tells us it is all inspired by God, is there any evidence that this is true?
Or as someone asked, if Cinderalla tells us her's is a true story, should we believe that it is?
It's called an argument in a circle.
It is said that one fundamentalist preacher announced that he was going to prove that God exists in his next sermon. Naturally, his church was packed. He got up in the pulpit, held up a Bible, and announced that the Bible said there was a God. Therefore, there was a God since the Bible said so.
I came across this question and believe it's a thought provoking one; so I'll ask it here.
Which of the following describes "inspiration" in scripture?
1. Scripture was authored by God and is without error.
2. Scripture was authored by God who made or allowed some errors.
3 Some parts of the scripture were inspired by God and other parts were written by men so some of it's contents are inerrant and some others may be untrue.
4. Scripture was written entirelyby men without any special divine inspiration, but may contain some religious truth.
Please defend your answer.
As a Christian, I'd say none of the above, though 3 and 4 are closest. All of it was authored by men, making 1-3 all incorrect since they each say that men wrote none of it or just some of it. But I do believe that the men who wrote it had divine inspiration, the same way a painter would be inspired by a sunset or a poet inspired by a woman's beauty, for example. But, no, I don't believe that God personally wrote any of the individual books or anything like that.
As a Christian, I'd say none of the above, though 3 and 4 are closest. All of it was authored by men, making 1-3 all incorrect since they each say that men wrote none of it or just some of it. But I do believe that the men who wrote it had divine inspiration, the same way a painter would be inspired by a sunset or a poet inspired by a woman's beauty, for example. But, no, I don't believe that God personally wrote any of the individual books or anything like that.
RESPONSE:
Let's clarify a term then. See Merriam-Webster Author - one who creates or produces something.
When we say God authored scripture, I mean in that sense, not physically writing it. For example, I "authored" this post. But a computer was the writer. (In fact, if I had one of those voice gizmos, I could have dictated the post directly into the computer).
Perhaps, I can simplify the issues.
Did God or man "create" scripture?
Is it free from error? (Watch this last one. If you say that God "created/authored" scripture and it contains errors, then God made those errors).
Maybe some people should look up the greek for "inspiration" and then do a little research on what God's breath meant in the Hebrew Bible - rather than assuming it means "It's all true".
That's the farthest thing from what "inspired" means. Any Greek experts care to chime in? Or do we want to use the common misconception that "inspired" means "inerrant".
And what does "scripture" mean? It referred to the Septuagint Greek translation - not Paul's letters, not the Gospels, not the Apocalypse of John, and definately not the Hebrew text of the 'Old Testament'. It only referred to the LXX - the Greek translation of the 'Old Testmant' and the other books that never made it into the later official canon. The Bible's canon was not even finished at the time this trouble-making verse was penned. And does the verse of one 1st century Christian have the power to establish a paradigm that can be applied to older writings? I doubt it.
I came across this question and believe it's a thought provoking one; so I'll ask it here.
Which of the following describes "inspiration" in scripture?
1. Scripture was authored by God and is without error.
2. Scripture was authored by God who made or allowed some errors.
3 Some parts of the scripture were inspired by God and other parts were written by men so some of it's contents are inerrant and some others may be untrue.
4. Scripture was written entirelyby men without any special divine inspiration, but may contain some religious truth.
Please defend your answer.
4
Any true God or being that could create the universe wouldn't need or use scriptures, and wouldn't have primitive iron/bronze age tribesmen involved in recording them regardless.
As a Christian, I'd say none of the above, though 3 and 4 are closest. All of it was authored by men, making 1-3 all incorrect since they each say that men wrote none of it or just some of it. But I do believe that the men who wrote it had divine inspiration, the same way a painter would be inspired by a sunset or a poet inspired by a woman's beauty, for example. But, no, I don't believe that God personally wrote any of the individual books or anything like that.
Your views put you firmly in the liberal camp, which means your views will be vigorously rejected by fundamentalists and conservatives. However, in my opinion, liberalism is the only Christian position that is even somewhat reasonable and rational. Biblical literalism/inerrantism is ridiculous on its face.
I came across this question and believe it's a thought provoking one; so I'll ask it here.
Which of the following describes "inspiration" in scripture?
1. Scripture was authored by God and is without error.
2. Scripture was authored by God who made or allowed some errors.
3 Some parts of the scripture were inspired by God and other parts were written by men so some of it's contents are inerrant and some others may be untrue.
4. Scripture was written entirelyby men without any special divine inspiration, but may contain some religious truth.
Please defend your answer.
I don't believe in any of your examples.
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