AND THE SCRIPTURE CANNOT BE BROKEN
John 10:35
I. INTEGRITY OF THE BIBLE
Divine Revelation – What God tells us about Himself and His will
1) Utterance of God (spoken) – Genesis 1:3, Exodus 3:4-7, 1 Samuel 15:10-11
2) Angels - Hebrews 2:2
3) Man – prophets and apostles
Written record of Divine Revelation (Scripture)
1) Priests and Scribes – were to care for, read, and duplicate the documents
i. We do not have original parchment of Scripture but we have the original text.
ii.The Dead Sea Scrolls, written between 100 BC and 70 AD, found in the 1940s prove the incredible accuracy of the scribes.
2) The people of God always found themselves in trouble when they were without the sacred scriptures until godly men turned back to them.
i. Judges 2:10-11, 2 Kings 22:8-13, 2 Chronicles 17:3-9, Nehemiah 8
ii.Martin Luther translated the NT into German so “lay people” could read and heed Scripture for themselves
iii.Those of the restoration principle are pleading to turn to the Bible rather than traditions for Christian faith and practice.
Canonization – “measuring stick”
1) Authority – does it claim to be the word of God
2) Authorship – is it written by a man of God, prophet, apostle or close associate
3) Authentic – is it indeed written by whom it claims, and according to its date
4) Agreement – is it in harmony with scripture
5) Accepted – is it used and accepted by the churches
II. INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE: The Holy Spirit and Scripture
"But know this first of all, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God." 2 Peter 1:20-21
"All Scripture is God breathed" 2 Timothy 3:16
OT inspiration
1) The Law – Acts 7:53, Galatians 3:19, Hebrews 2:2
2) OT Prophets – Hebrews 1:1, 1 Peter 1:10-12
Apostolic Word (John 14-17 is spoken to the disciples in the upper room)
1) I will ask the Father and He will give you another Helper (Gr. paracletos – called alongside to help, as a lawyer would help in a court case, an advocate- see 1 John 2:1) – John 14:16
2) He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. – John 14:26
3) He is the Spirit of truth – John 14:17, John 15:26
4) He will testify about Jesus – John 15:26
5) He will convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment – John 16:8
6) He will guide them into all truth and whatever He hears He will speak. He will take of mine (Jesus) and disclose it to you (apostles) – John 16:13
7) They were sanctified (set apart) in the truth – John 17:17
8) As the Father has sent me, I am now sending you – John 20:21-23
9) See also Matthew 16:16-19, Acts 1:8, 2 Corinthians 5:18-20
III. INERRANCY OF THE BIBLE – The Scripture is exactly what God intended it to be (Roger Chambers – “Inerrancy of the movement”)
A. Not a matter of translation, hermeneutics, language, or party building but asks the question: what was the original intended purpose of divine revelation?
B. When Paul wrote 1 Corinthians he wrote not just truth in general but truth specific. He was combining "spiritual thoughts with spiritual words" – 1 Corinthians 2:13
C. Anti-inerrancy says that the Bible is a “witness to revelatory events”; which is to say that the Bible writers recorded events and miracles and happenings in the churches but the actual words are not dictated by God.
D. If inerrancy goes the authority of scripture goes with it.
1) The Bible is just a norm
2) The things written are just suggestions not prescriptions
3) But...
E. The Word of God and the Words of God
1) "For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God..." 1 Thessalonians 2:13
2) "The words which You gave Me I have given to them..." John 17:8
IV. AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE
A. Misplaced authority – Scripture answers to the Church
1) The argument is that the Church began in AD 33 and the first New Testament book doesn’t come around until about AD 45; therefore the New Testament could not have produced the Church. Rather, it is a “witness to revelatory events.”
2) They say that the Spirit not Scripture produces the Church. This leads to several damaging conclusions:
i. It makes a distinction between the spoken and written word
ii. It separates Jesus and His word (saved by Jesus not doctrine)
iii. What the Church does becomes the revelation. The church is doing something and it seems to work and be effective then it must be from God. You’ll hear this phrase “Look what God is doing” and “The only conclusion is that – God is there” – Only if it is directed by God’s word.
iv. The final conclusion is that the Church has authority over the NT (Roman Catholicism)
3) “The rejection of Christ means the rejection of His word and His Church. The rejection of the Word of Christ means the rejection of Christ and His Church. The rejection of the church of Christ means the rejection of Christ and His word.” – G. M. Elliot, Restoration Herald (July 1975) pg 6.
B. Scripture has authority over the Church
1) Scripture “produced” the Church: The Apostolic word (spoken and written) produced and is producing the Church. Through the preaching of the gospel men and women respond to God and God adds them to the Church.
i. "For “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?" Romans 10:13-14
ii. "In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation – having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise," Ephesians 1:13
iii. Men hear the gospel, believe in it, obey it and are added to the church
2) The Church is submissive to Scripture: Man has never been given authority to pick and choose what he wants to believe from the Bible. He certainly has not been given authority to add to or take away from the Word of God.
V. THE COMPLETION OF SCRIPTURE
A. The word of God is complete and exists in the pages of our Bible
B. "The faith once for all delivered to the saints" – Jude 3
C. Moses said, “Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it.” Deuteronomy 12:32
D. Solomon, the wisest man ever, said “Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.” Proverbs 30:5-6
E. John, the revelator, said in the last book of the bible that no one should add to these words or take away from them. Revelation 22:18-19
F. Belief that scripture answers to the church allows for continual prophecy by religious leaders to “help us understand difficult texts in the bible by direct mandate from the Spirit.” Prophets are appearing all over the world supposedly proclaiming the “word of God” and telling us we should send money to support them.
VI. ALTERNATIVES TO SCRIPTURE: Traditions, Myths, Philosophy, “Revelation” (Romans 1:21-22, Colossians 2:8, 2 Timothy 4:3-4)
A. Spiritual warfare exists in the realm of truth and lies
B. Traditions – Following Augustine, Calvin, Luther, Wesley, Campbell etc. (Mark 7:1-13)
C. Myths – Buddhism, Evolution
D. Empty Philosophy – Therapeutic Gospel, Health and Wealth Gospel, Self Help Books
E. Modern “Divine Revelation” – Charismatic movement, Papal authority (Acts 17:10-13)
VII. ALL SCRIPTURE POINTS TO JESUS
“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. John 5:39-40