Christian Theology and the Bible

QUESTION: Christian Theology – Divine Inspiration of the Bible

ANSWER:

One of the most basic tenets of Christian theology is the divine inspiration of the Bible. When you accept Scripture as the Word of God, the teachings and events described in the Bible become the most important basis for understanding all reality. Without faith that the Bible is God’s Word, you are left adrift—forced to trust your own (unfounded) thought processes as the ultimate criteria for discerning truth.

No one can deny the Bible’s divine inspiration and still claim to be a Biblical Christian for the simple reason that Scripture proclaims itself to be God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16–17). If you believe the Bible to be a true and accurate document, then you must accept its claim to be divinely inspired.

Christian Theology – The Bible is God’s Word
The evidence for the Christian’s belief in the divine inspiration of the Bible is convincing. For example, the unity of teaching in the Bible is startling in light of the fact that its books were authored by different men in very different circumstances over many centuries. Further, the astounding ability of the Bible to metamorphose the lives of individuals (for the better) who accept its authority strengthens its claim to be special revelation from God. The degree of moral truth contained in the Bible also supports its divine inspiration. All these arguments support the belief that the Bible is God’s Word; however, the most convincing witness for divine inspiration is the Bible itself. Those hesitant to accept Scripture as God’s special revelation are most often convinced by a thorough, open-minded study of the Bible.

Notes:

Rendered with permission from the book,Understanding the Times: The Collision of Today’s Competing Worldviews(Rev. 2^nd ed), David Noebel, Summit Press, 2006. Compliments of John Stonestreet, David Noebel, and the Christian Worldview Ministry at Summit Ministries. All rights reserved in the original.