I’m back – with thanks to all of you for your patience and input on the first of what will be many statements for the “Bellingham Statement” on inspiration and inerrancy. I think I can manage my schedule now – which means posting at...
Inspiration
Bellingham Statement 1
In no particular order, what I’m going to do in the ensuing posts is to write out statements of affirmation and denial and hope that readers critique the language in careful, constructive ways. Naturally, after we get a bunch of these posted it may become clear...
One Last Illustrative Problem for Inerrancy and its Literary-Critical Solution
One more item to throw out for illustrative purposes. After this, I’m going back to inspiration and begin to produce my own statement (I’m calling it “The Bellingham Statement” since I work in Bellingham, WA). Posts will be much shorter, as my...
Another Consideration for Inerrancy: The NT Author’s Quotation of (or Alteration of) the OT
In three previous posts I sketched out three principles I think are important to keep in mind for an accurate and honest statement of inerrancy. I list them here for review: 1. Taking the Bible on its own terms. 2. The idea of divine accommodation. 3. Distinguishing...
A Third Consideration for Articulating Inerrancy
In two previous posts I sketched out two principles I think are important to keep in mind for an accurate and honest statement of inerrancy: taking the Bible is taken on its own terms and the idea of divine accommodation. I now offer a third: distinguishing literary...
Is It the Autograph, a Copy, or Something Else?
Ivan has surfaced again! Ivan emailed me this missive yesterday, so I thought I’d post it. Ivan spotlights some very interesting content in Jeremiah that pertains to our discussion. That book of Jeremiah just seems to play with our minds! Here’s Ivan,...
Let’s Talk About Divine Accommodation
So far in my forays into inerrancy, on the heels of laying out my thoughts on inspiration, I’ve put forth the idea (with the help of Chet) that I just want to make sure the Bible is taken on its own terms, not terms that we, in the wake of Enlightenment...
Inspiration and Inerrancy: Distinguishing Ends and Means, Process and Product
In the last post, I focused on 2 Tim 3:17 for an answer to the question, “What was the point of the exercise of inspiration?” Paul gives us four purposes in this text, and it seems wise to me to approach the question from that perspective. I also noted...
What’s the Point of the Inspiration Exercise?
This is a question I’ve raised a few times now on the blog with respect to this topic. I’m going to answer it below (or at least kick it off) in startlingly brief fashion. It will serve as a transition point into inerrancy (at least that’s how...
The Naked Bible’s Thoughts on Inspiration, Part 5 – Which Edition of the Book of Jeremiah Originated with God but not the Human Writers?
It’s been pretty quiet at The Naked Bible. The last post on the multiple editions of Joshua didn’t get much of a response. It’s made me wonder about posting more edition “problems” — especially this one — but I promised....
The Naked Bible’s Thoughts on Inspiration, Part 4 – Which Edition of the Book of Joshua Originated with God but not the Human Writers?
My focus for this post is Joshua 8:30-35. For centuries scholars have considered the placement of Joshua 8:30-35 to be a odd problem in that book. The reason is that it is completely out of place (or so it seems) with the campaigns of Joshua. In Joshua 5 the new...
The Naked Bible’s Thoughts on Inspiration, Part 3 – The Myth of the Holy Stapler
In the previous two posts I’ve laid out my thoughts on the relationship of the human writers to God’s role in producing the Scriptures. I have argued that it is flawed thinking to deny that Scripture originated with humans in ANY sense; that is,...
The Naked Bible’s Thoughts on Inspiration, Part 2
In this post I want to turn to 2 Peter 1:20-21 and share a few thoughts on how this passage dovetails with my views on 2 Tim 3:16. Here’s the passage (ESV): 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own...
An Interlude: The Ahaziah-Jehu Problem
Well, Chet gave us a good example — so good that I have to bump my next inspiration post. The conflicting accounts of the death of Ahaziah is a good example of a genuine problem for inerrancy. The late Raymond Dillard, former OT prof at Westminster called it...
The Naked Bible’s Thoughts on Inspiration, Part 1
I’ve reached a point with this subject where I think it’s time to just start putting out what I think about inspiration and inerrancy. It’ll probably take a few posts on the former before I get to the latter. Your comments have been helpful, but...