HOLY SCRIPTURE GOD’S GIFT TO THE CHURCH
Charles e. Whisnant
April 24, 2011
ATTRIBUTES OF SCRIPTURE
1. AUTHORITATIVE
“The Bible comes to us with God’s authority. This is how the Word of God addresses us.”
“What the Bible says, God says”. We owe to the Scriptures the same reverence as we own God.”
o Hebrews 6:13. John 10:35; Matthew 5:17-18;
o Romans 9:17; Galatians 3:8; 1 Peter 2:2-3
o Matthew 19:4-5; Acts 4:24-25; 13:34-35; Hebrews 1:5-13; 3:7; 10:15
2. CANONICAL
“Canon” of Scripture (the bible) is understood to be the list of books which are recognized to be, in a exclusive sense, the rule of belief and practice. The religious writings regarded as authentic and definitive and forming the very words of God.
3. COVENANTAL
Scriptures center around two pivotal points in redemptive history:
The Mosaic Law and New Covenant:
The Books either (1) narrate the unfolding of that historical event: Genesis to Deuteronomy . Matthew to John. (2) reflect on that event: Joshua to Mal. And Acts to Revelation.
4. INERRANT
Without error in the text of the original documents. So then since we don’t have the original is inerrant irrelevant? NO.
It enables us to confess the truthfulness of God. If there had been errors in original autographs of Scripture, then God would not be truthful
Inerrancy is limited to the autographic text, not to the autograph itself
5. INFALLIBLE Foolproof
To say that a text is inerrant is to say that there are no errors in it. To say that a text is infallible is to say that there can be no errors in it., that it is impossible for that text to contain errors.
Number 23:19; John 17:17; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18
6. INSPIRED
A divine act that creates an identity between a divine word and a human word.
Exodus 19:9-11; Matthew 1:22; Acts 3:21; 4:25; 2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 1:12; 4:7; 1 Peter 1:10-12; 2 Peter 1:20-21
7. NECESSARY
John 5:39; 20:30-31; 1 John 5:13
8. PERSPICIOUS
Of acute mental vision or discernment
9. PURE
Lenigrad Codex (1008 AD): Oldest and only extant codex (paperback today) containing the entire Old Testament.
10. SPIRIT-INTERPRETED
Isaiah 59:21; John 16:13-14; Romans 8:16; 1 Corinthians 2:10-16; I John 2:20, 27
The Holy Spirit is not given to us in order to introduce new revelations, but to impress the written word on our hearts, so that here the word must never be separated from the Spirit.
11. SUFFICIENT
John 20:30-31; 2 Timothy 3:16-17
