Bible Question:
It seems that I am being misrepresented here as trying to throw out all scholarly work throughout the centuries, and all of the wonderful things that have been discovered through knowledge of ancient languages and cultures. This is deffinately not the case. I think that this information can be very helpful for mature Christians to glean further insight into many Biblical passages. My point is quite simply that they are not necessary. In other words, they are like the dessert in the meal, they may taste sweet, but are not essential nutrients. I think that really the question becomes when did God stop inspiring His Word. If you believe that the translations that we have today are merely a "scholarly help", then I agree that regular folk can't truly read God's message to them, and that they would have to "go back to the original manuscripts". On the other hand, I believe that God loves the regular folk so much, that He has continued to inspire His message to them throughout the centuries. It just doesn't make sense that He would leave something as important as the truth and completness of the Bible to depend on the hands and minds of His fallible creation. Therefore, I believe that God has maintained ALL of the ESSENTIALS even in the current English translations of the Bible. |
Bible Answer: Your question: "When did God's inspiration stop?" You write: "I think that really the question becomes when did God stop inspiring His Word . . . On the other hand, I believe that God loves the regular folk so much, that He has continued to inspire His message to them throughout the centuries. " This is not a criticism or put-down of you at all. Nor is it meant to be a blanket rejection or refutation of your major points. It's just that your use of the words inspire(d) and inspiration is somewhat unique. You use them in a way that I am not familiar with. Additionally, I am not sure you use the word "inspire(d)" in the same sense in which it is used in the Bible. No man, no study notes, no commentary is inspired in the same sense in which the Scriptures in the original manuscripts were inspired. My point is that inspiration extends only to the Word of God and only in the original manuscripts. On the other hand, *illumination* is the ministry of the Holy Spirit which makes clear the truth of the written revelation in the Bible. In reference to the Bible, *revelation* relates to its content or material, *inspiration* to the method of recording (recording, not perpetuating or preserving) that material, and *illumination* to the meaning of the record. I have no problem with the concept that God preserved the existence of the Bible throughout the centuries. But, that is not the meaning of the word inspiration. |