Subject: Revelation in the Gospels? |
Bible Note: Greetings Jim! I was going back and reading this entire thread, simply because it has caused quite a stir. I just responded to one of your later posts. But, allow me to respond to this one, because it may the cruz of the problem with the rest of the thread. The issue is Inspiration. 2 Tim. 3:16 makes it clear that Scripture has God as it's ultimate source. It is literally 'God-Breathed.' This word (translated as 'inspired') was used of a boat carried along by the wind. So, the human authors were moved or carried along by God. Therefore, Scripture is unique in relation to all other literature in that it has "two-authors." What do I mean by that? Simply this, Scripture is the product of both the Divine will and the human will of the individual author, like Matthew. This answers the question you seem to have been asking. "How did Matthew know what went on during the temptation of Christ?" "How did Moses know about the events of Creation?" The answer: They didn't, but God did. In a purely human book, someone would have to witness the events in order to record or report them. However, Scripture isn't just a human book. God is the primary source of information and inspiration. Just as Scripture is unique in relation to all other literature, it is also similar to other literature. It uses figures of speech, methaphors, poetry, ect.... To take the Bible as literally true simply means to take it in the way it was intended. If Jesus uses a parable, interpret the passage as a parable. If He uses an historical reference, interpret as an historical reference. If an historical narrative uses an estimate, interpret it as an estimate. Literal means nothing more nor less that this. I hope this helps and I would be happy to discuss this in more detail with you if you like! Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |