BIBLIOLOGY

BIBLIOLOGY
IS THE BIBLE THE WORD OF

GOD ?
FFMW- UAE
Prof. Lakshman
Madurasinghe
Prof.Lakshman Madurasinghe
Initial Questions:
• How do we know that the

Bible is the same as when
it was written?
• Did the scribes ever make
mistakes when copying
the Bible?
Initial Questions:
1. How do we know that the

books that we have in the
Bible are the right ones?
What about the Apocrypha
of the Catholic Bible?
2. Why does my Bible
sometimes say that many
manuscripts do not
contain these verses
(MarkProf.Lakshman
16:9-20) Madurasinghe
The uniqueness of the
Bible
Prof. Williams Professor of
Sanskrit with 42 years of
research comparing
Eastern religions.
Pile the on your left side

and the Bible on your
right. There is such a vast
gap that cannot ever be
filled.
• In its continuity
written over 1500 yrs
40generations
40 authors
different places
different times
different moods
different continents
different languages
2. In its circulation- 1
every three seconds
3. Unique in its
translation
4. Unique in its
survival
(Diocletian AD 303
to kill and burn.)
Voltaire the French
infidel
5. Unique in its
teachings
6. Unique in its
influence
Science and Medicine
Days of Columbus flat
earth but Bible always
said Isa 40:22
Ancient man believed in

giant pillars holding earth
– Job 26:7
Hipparchus Father of
Greek Astronomy
counting 1080 stars ….Jer
Atoms and beyond Heb
11:3
Bleeding practice …
George Washington also
died Lev 17:11
Why should I read it ?
He that followeth me shall
not walk in darkness.
John 8: 12
Also John 10:10
Proverbs 3 – six blessings

Psalm 119: 130,105, 9-16
Transmission and Canonization of
O.T.
Transmission of
the O.T.
Basic Facts of
Transmission
• We do not have any
autographa.
• All transmissions of the
Bible were handwritten
until the invention of the
printing press in 1450s by
Johann Gutenberg.
• The most readily available
materials to write on were
Basic Facts of
Transmission
• Manuscripts were subject
to wear and tear and it is
therefore unlikely that any
would survive.
• We do not have many
manuscripts of the O.T.
that date before 900 A.D.
• Transmission of the text
was an extremely difficult
task.
Materials Used
• Papyri
• Leather
• Stone……
UNCIAL,MINUSCULE
Manuscripts: Determining
their value
Two primary factors

add value to extant
manuscripts:
1 How close do our copies come
to the original? Textus
Originalis
2 How many copies do we have?
O.T. Manuscripts
1. Ben Asser Family: (9th & 10th

century) a Masoretic family of
scribes.
a. Cairo Codex (Codex C) made in
950 A.D.
b. Leningrad Codex (Codex P)
written in 916 A.D.
c. Alppo manuscript (Codex A)-
written before 940 A.D.
O.T. Manuscripts
1. Septuagint (LXX): Greek

translation of the Old
Testament made around 300
B.C.
O.T. Manuscripts
1. Targums: Aramic
paraphrases of the Old
Testament after 200 A.D.
2. Dead Sea Scrolls: Found in
1948. Contained copies or
portions of every book in the
Old Testament except Esther.
There is a full copy of
Isaiah dating back to 135-
200 B.C.
Dead sea scrolls
The Crucified Messiah scroll

1991
Son of God scroll cave 4 4Q246
He shall be called the son of

God and they shall designate
him the most high………
Errors?
Copyist Errors
• Many times there were errors
made by the scribes who
copied both the Old and the
New Testaments. The different
readings among the
manuscripts are called
variants.
• These errors are worked out
Errors?
• Textual criticism is looked

down upon by some
fundamentalists believing
that it amounts to
tampering with the text.
• Textual criticism is
necessary to discover
original readings.
Errors?
• Ninety-nine percent of the

variants make no
theological difference.
• Of the one percent that do,
none affect any major
doctrine.
Types of Errors
Unintentional
1.Mistaken Letter Similar-looking letters were sometimes interchanged.
d r Q O.
2. Homophony Substitution of similar-sounding words. Rom. 5:1

ecomen “We have.” Or ecwmen “Let us
have.”
3. Dittography A letter or word that was written twice rather than
once.
4. Fusion Incorrect division of words. GODISNOWHERE
5. Homoioteleuton An omission caused by two words that have similar

endings.
6. Metathesis Reversal of order of two words. Christ Jesus, Jesus
Christ.
Intentional Changes
Changes in grammar or spelling Updating in languages.
Harmonization Often the scribe felt at liberty to change apparent

discrepancies. (Lk 23:38 and Jn 19:20).
Theological changes and/or additions In Luke 2:41 oi` gonei/j auvtou/ “His
parents” was changed in some Latin manuscripts to
“Joseph and Mary” probably to safeguard the doctrine of
the virgin birth by clarifying that Joseph was not Jesus’
biological father.
Comma Johanine
1 KJV
John(TR)
5:7-8 NAS (UBS)
7 For there are three that 7 For there are three that
bear record in heaven, the testify:
Father, the Word, and the 8 the Spirit and the water
Holy Ghost: and these three and the blood; and the three
are one. are in agreement
8 And there are three that
bear witness in earth, the
Spirit, and the water, and the
blood: and these three agree
in one.
Liturgical Additions Matthew 6:13 'And do not lead us into temptation, but
deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the
power
Prof.Lakshman and the glory forever. Amen.'
Madurasinghe
Transmission Before
300 B.C.
• Very little is known about
the transmission of the O.T.
at this time.
• We have no manuscripts
from this period.
• Prior to 1350 B.C. Palio-
Hebrew was used rather
than square script.
Transmission:
300 B.C.—500 A.D.
Palestine Babylon Egypt
Samaritan
Pentateuch Proto-Masoretic Septuagint
Proto-Masoretic Text (LXX)
Text
Qumran Text
Proto-Masoretic
Text
Standardized
(First century
A.D.)
Transmission:
500 A.D.—1100 A.D.
Masoretes: Group of scribes
who carried on the meticulous
transmission process of the
standardized text from 500
A.D. to 1100 A.D.
Transmission:
500 B.C.—1100 A.D.
Various Rules that the Masorites
followed:
2. Only parchments from clean
animals could be used.
3. Each column of the scroll was to
have no fewer than forty-eight
and no more than sixty lines
whose breadth must consist of
thirty letters.
4. The ink was to be black, prepared
according to a specific recipe.
Transmission:
500 B.C.—1100 A.D.
1. No word or letter was to be
written from memory.
2. There was to be a space of a
hair between each consonant
and the space of a consonant
between each word.
Transmission:
500 B.C.—1100 A.D.
1. The scribe must wash himself
entirely and be in full Jewish dress
before beginning to copy the
scroll.
2. He could not write the name
YHWH with a newly dipped brush,
nor take notice of anyone, even a
king, while writing the sacred
name.
Count the words for
accuracy
E.g. Genesis had 78064
Hebrew letters
Documentary
hypothesis
JEDP…..Julius
Wellhausen 1895
Yahwist,Elohist,
Deuteronomic and
priestly tradition
Canonization of the O.T.
Canonization of the O.T.
• Canon— Lit. “rule” or

“measuring rod.”
• Refers to the accepted books
of the Old and New
Testaments.
Fables and Facts about
Canonicity
Common Misconceptions Facts Concerning
Concerning the Canon the Canon
• Age determines • Canonicity is
canonicity determined by
• Language determines God
canonicity • Canonicity is
• Agreement with the recognized by
Torah determines men of God
canonicity • Inspiration
• Religious value determines
determines canonicity canonicity: “If it
• The religious community is inspired, it
determines canonicity belongs in the
• If a prophet or Apostle Canon”
wrote it, it is canonical.
Canonicity
Summary: The canon does not

declare the individual books to
be inspired, it simply recognizes
the ones that are.
Writing of the
Septuagent (LXX)
Council of Jamnia
a
Canonization of
Writing of OT OT
a
1400 B.C. 400 B.C. 300 B.C. 90 A.D. 100 A.D.
References to the O.T. Canon
in the N.T.
The Law:
Luke 16:17 “But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away
than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail.”
The Law and the Prophets:

Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the
Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.”
The Law, Prophets, and the Psalms:

Luke 24:44 “Now He said to them, ‘These are My words which I
spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which
are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets
and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’”
Four Tests for
Canonicity of O.T.
1. Does the New Testament
attest to its authority?
Luke 24:44
“Now He said to them, ‘These
are My words which I spoke to
you while I was still with you,
that all things which are written
about Me in the Law of Moses
and the Prophets and the Psalms
must be fulfilled.’”
Matt 7:12
“Therefore, however you want
people to treat you, so treat
them, for this is the Law and the
Prophets.”
Four Tests for
Canonicity of O.T.
1. Do extrabiblical Jewish
writers affirm them?
Four Tests for
Canonicity of O.T.
Josephus—
“How firmly we have given credit to these
books of our own nation is evident by what
we do; for during so many ages as have
already passed, no one has been so bold as
either to add any thing to them, to take any
thing from them, or to make any change in
them; but it is become natural to all Jews
immediately, and from their very birth, to
esteem these books to contain Divine
doctrines, and to persist in them, and, if
occasion be willingly to die for them. For it
is no new thing for our captives, many of
them in number, and frequently in time, to
be seen to endure racks and deaths of all
kinds upon the theatres, that they may not
be obliged to say
Prof.Lakshman one word against our laws
Madurasinghe
and the records that contain them.”
Four Tests for
Canonicity of O.T.
Babylonian Talmud—
“After the latter Prophets
Haggai, Zachariah, and Malachi,
the Holy Spirit departed from
Israel.”
Philo also attests to a closed
threefold division of the O.T.
Scriptures.
Council of Jamnia (A.D. 90)—
After the Temple was destroyed
in A.D. 70 the Sanhedrin was
allowed by Rome to reconvene
for purely spiritual reasons. At
this council the present O.T.
books were reconfirmed
Four Tests for
Canonicity of O.T.
1. Is the book consistent
with other revelation?
• Does it contain any
inconsistencies?
• Does it contain any
contradictions?
2. Was it written by a
prophet or someone of
divine authority?
“Since Jesus is the
Messiah, God in human
flesh, He is the last word
on all matters. He had
the divine authority to
endorse all Scripture or
only some of it. He
universally affirmed all
Scripture, in every part,
as the Divine Word of
God.”
-Don Stewart
Appendix: The O.T.
Apocrypha
Categories within the Apocrypha
Historical Religious Wisdom Apocalyptic
1 Esdras Tobit Sirach 2 Esdras
1 Maccabees Judith Wisdom of Solomon
2 Maccabees Susanna Baruch
Additions to Esther Prayer of Manasseh
Bel and the Dragon Epistle of Jeremiah
Prayer of Azariah
Roman Catholics contend that the Apocrypha

(lit. “hidden writings”), written 300 B.C.—100 B.C.,
should be included in the O.T.
Appendix: The O.T.
Apocrypha
Arguments for their inclusion:
1. These works were included in the
LXX from which the N.T. writers often
quoted.
2. Several apocryphal works were found
among the Dead Sea Scrolls.
3. Early Christians reflect some
knowledge of the Apocrypha.
4. Certain early Church fathers used
them authoritatively.
• Clement of Alexandria (Tobit, Sirach,
Wisdom)
• Origen (Epistle of Jeremiah)
• Irenaeus (Wisdom)
5. Council of Trent
Prof.Lakshman officially included
Madurasinghe
Appendix: The O.T.
Apocrypha
Arguments for their exclusion:
2. It is disputed whether or not these books were
included in the LXX. Even if they were, this
does not necessarily prove that the Alexandrian
community believed them to be inspired. And
even if they did, this does not prove that they
were.
3. Many works were found among the Dead Sea
Scrolls which are not canonical.
4. Knowledge of a work does not make it
authoritative. I know of the Apocrypha, but I do
not include it in the canon.
5. The earliest Christians showed no evidence of
its acceptance. It was only when the Christian
community began to break ties with the Jews
that its inclusion became
Prof.Lakshman questioned.
Madurasinghe
Appendix: The O.T.
Apocrypha
• The Palestinian Jews never
accepted it.
• There are significant
theological and historical
inaccuracies in the
Apocrypha (works-based
salvation, Tobit 12:9;
discrimination, Sirach 22:3;
doctrine of purgatory, 2
Maccabees 12:41-45).
• The Apocrypha itself attests
Appendix: The O.T.
Apocrypha
1. Many Church fathers,
including Jerome, spoke
against its inclusion.
2. Many are pseudepigrapha
(writings that are falsely
attributed to an author).
Esdras (Greek name for Ezra)
was attributed to Erza who
lived about 450 B.C. The book
dates to 90 B.C.
3. It did not officially become
Tobit 12:9
“For almsgiving delivers from

death, and it will purge away
every sin. Those who perform
deeds of charity and of
righteousness will have fullness
of life.”
Sirich 22:3
“It is a disgrace to be the father

of an undisciplined son, and the
birth of a daughter is a loss.”
2 Macc. 12: 39-45
“On the next day, as by that time it
had become necessary, Judas and his
men went to take up the bodies of
the fallen and to bring them back to
lie with their kinsmen in the graves of
their fathers. Then under the tunic of
every one of the dead they found
sacred tokens of the idols of Jamnia,
which the law forbids the Jews to
wear. And it became clear to all that
this was why these men had fallen.”
2 Macc. 12: 39-45
“So they all blessed the ways of the
Lord, the righteous Judge, who
reveals the things that are hidden;
and they turned to prayer,
beseeching that the sin which had
been committed might be wholly
blotted out. And the noble Judas
exhorted the people to keep
themselves free from sin, for they
had seen with their own eyes what
had happened because of the sin of
those who had fallen.”
2 Macc. 12: 39-45
“He also took up a collection, man by man,
to the amount of two thousand drachmas of
silver, and sent it to Jerusalem to provide
for a sin offering. In doing this he acted
very well and honorably, taking account of
the resurrection. For if he were not
expecting that those who had fallen would
rise again, it would have been superfluous
and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he
was looking to the splendid reward that is
laid up for those who fall asleep in
godliness, it was a holy and pious thought.
Therefore he made atonement for the
dead, that they might be delivered
from theirProf.Lakshman
sin.” Madurasinghe
1 Macc. 9:27
“Thus there was great distress in
Israel, such as had not been
since the time that prophets
ceased to appear among them.”
:
Transmission and Canonization of
the N.T.
Startling archeological
discoveries
Garstang
Seals of Biblical
personalities
Life of Abraham, Ur of
Chaldees … Southern
Mesopotemia
Governor Quirinius
Pavement where Christ

The Bible Code
Rabbi Weissmandl – ELS
Jot and tittle Math 5:18
The man walked out

the door into the stands
that seated 80,000 fans
for sporting event
Deut 9:1 Israel, PLO
,Arafat, Rabin
Deut 10: 17-22 Hitler,

Nazi 22 letter distance
Gen 1: TORAH at 50
letter distance
Transmission of the
N.T.
Transmission of the
N.T.
Materials:
2. Papyrus
3. Vellum
4. Codex
Transmission of the
N.T.
“When you come bring the

cloak which I left at Troas
with Carpus, and the
books, especially the
parchments.”
-Paul (2 Tim. 4:13)
Transmission of the
N.T.
Three types of evidence:
Transmission of the
N.T.
1. Original Greek Manuscripts
• John Ryland Papyri (125 A.D.)
• Codex Sinaiticus (a; 350 A.D.)
• Codex Vaticanus (B; 350 A.D.)
Transmission of the
N.T.
1. Early Church Fathers
• Commentaries, diaries, books and
letters
• Chysostom, Clement of Rome,
Martyr, Tertillian, Iranaeus, Ignatius.
• John Burgeon, a Biblical scholar,
cataloged over 86,000 quotations
before A.D. 325.
• Reconstruction could be
accomplished within ten years of its
completion using these manuscripts.
Transmission of the
N.T.
3. Translations
• 15,000 copies
• Syriac, Old and New Latin,
Sahidic, Bohairic, Middle
Egyptian, Armenian, Gothic,
Georgian, Ethiopic, and Nubian
versions.
Transmission of the
N.T.
25,000 handwritten copies of
the N.T.
110% of
the
original
Comparison between
the Bible and Other
Reliable Ancient
Manuscripts
Author of Work When Written Earliest Copy Time Span No. of Copies
Caeser (Gallic Wars ) 100-44 B.C. 900 A.D. 1,000 yrs. 10
Livy (History of Rome) 59 B.C.-A.D. 17 N/A N/A 20
Plato (Tetraloies) 400 B.C. 900 A.D. 1,300 yrs. 7
Pliny the Younger 61-113 A.D. 850 A.D. 750 yrs. 7

(History)
Thucydides (History) 460-400 B.C. 900 A.D. 1,300 yrs. 8
Herodotus (History) 480-425 B.C. 900 A.D. 1,300 yrs. 8
Sophocius (History) 469-406 B.C. 100 A.D. 600 yrs. 193
Aristotle 384-322 B.C. 1,100 A.D. 1,400 yrs. 193
Homer (Iliad) 900 B.C. 400 A.D. 1, 500 yrs. 643
New Testament 50-90 A.D. 125 A.D. 25 yrs. >25,000

Transmission of the
N.T.
KEY: Having established the

accurate transmission of the N.T.,
the O.T.’s accurate transmission
and canonization can be
reestablished by the testimony of
the NT.
Canonization of the
N.T.
Canonization of the N.T.
40-100 A.D.
1. Certain N.T. books attest to
the acceptance of the
authority of the words of the
Apostles and of Christ.
40-100 A.D.
Heb. 1:1
“God, after He spoke long ago
to the fathers in the prophets
in many portions and in many
ways, 2 in these last days has
spoken to us in His Son, whom
He appointed heir of all things,
through whom also He made
the world.”
40-100 A.D.
2 Thess. 2:15
“So then, brethren, stand firm
and hold to the traditions
which you were taught,
whether by word of mouth or
by letter from us.”
1 Cor. 14:37
“If anyone thinks he is a
prophet or spiritual, let him
recognize that the things
40-100 A.D.
Gal. 1:8
“But even if we, or an angel
from heaven, should preach to
you a gospel contrary to what
we have preached to you, he is
to be accursed! 9 As we have
said before, so I say again
now, if any man is preaching
to you a gospel contrary to
what you received, he is to be
accursed!”
40-100 A.D.
1 Thes. 2:13
“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,
which also performs its work in
you who believe.”
40-100 A.D.
• Certain NT books attest to
the acceptance of other NT
books:
40-100 A.D.
2 Pet. 3: 15
“. . . and regard the patience of
our Lord as salvation; just as also
our beloved brother Paul, according
to the wisdom given him, wrote to
you, 16 as also in all his letters,
speaking in them of these things, in
which are some things hard to
understand, which the untaught
and unstable distort, as they do
also the rest of the Scriptures, to
their own destruction.”
40-100 A.D.
1 Tim. 5:18
“For the Scripture says, ‘YOU
SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX
WHILE HE IS THRESHING’
[Deut 25:4], and ‘The laborer
is worthy of his wages’” [Lk
10:7].
Rev. 1:3 “Blessed is he who
reads and those who hear the
words of the prophecy, and
heed the things which are
100-300 A.D.
• The writings of the early church
fathers attest to the acceptance
of many N.T. books:
 They quote them as Scripture.
 They draw a clear distinction
between their writings and that of
Scripture.
 Marcion (c. 140), a Gnostic heretic,
devised his own canon which
excluded the entire O.T. and
included only Luke (except chap. 1
and 2) and the Pauline epistles
(excluding the pastoral epistles).
100-300 A.D.
 Origen (185-254 A.D.) writes
commentaries on most of the
books of the N.T. emphasizing
their inspiration.
100-300 A.D.
1. Muratorian Canon (170 A.D.)
attests to all the books of the
N.T. except Hebrews, James,
and 1 & 2 Peter.
300-400 A.D.
1. Diocletian persecutions (c.
302-305) caused the
Christians to be more
attentive to establishing the
definite canon.
300-400 A.D.
1. Eusibius, a fourth-century church
historian, speaks plainly about the
condition of the canon in his day:
Homologomena: Universally agreed upon
books were the four Gospels, Acts,
Letters of Paul (which included Hebrews),
1 Peter, 1 John, and Revelation.
Antilogoumena: Books that were accepted
by the majority (including Eusibius), but
disputed by some: James, 2 Peter, 2 & 3
John, and Jude.
Pseudepigrapha: Acts of Paul, The Didache,
and the Shepherd of Hermas.
300-400 A.D.
1. Athanasiaus, a forth-century
bishop of Alexandria, sent out
a cyclical letter affirming the
27 books of the N.T. (367).
This is the first formal
attestation to our current
canon.
300-400 A.D.
• Council of Hippo (393) and
Council of Carthage (397)
both affirmed our current N.T.
canon. They forbade any
from claiming any other
writing as Scripture.
Suggested Criteria Used by the
Early Church in the Canonization
Process
1. Was it written by an apostle, or at
least someone of recognized
authority (“under the apostolic
umbrella”)?
2. Did it agree with the canon of
truth? Did it contradict known
Scripture?
3. Did the church accept it?
4. Does it have a self-authenticating
nature?
Non-Christian sources
• Cornelius Tacitus
• Suetonius
• Pliny the younger
• Lucian of Samosata
• Josephus
Translation Theories
• Formal Equivalence (word for

word)
• Dynamic Equivalence
(thought for thought)
• Paraphrase
ASV
ASV: American Standard Version
NASB
NASB: New American Standard
KJV: King James Version
KJV
NKJV: New King James Version
RSV: Revised Standard Version
NKJV
ESV: English Standard Version
NET: New English Translation
RSV
NIV: New International Version
NLT: New Living Translation
ESV
GNB: Good News Bible
LB: Living Bible
NET Bar 1
PMT: Phillips Modern Translation
Message: Eugene Peterson Bible
NIV
NLT
GNB
LB
PMT
Message
Formal Equivalence Dynamic Equivalence

Paraphrase
word for word Prof.Lakshman
thought for thought Madurasinghe
Fulfilled Prophecies
Birth of Israel Eze 37,
Hebrew Zeph 3:9;
planes…Isa 31:5
Daniel 2
Prophecies on Christ
Micah 5: 2
Isa 40: 3, Zech 9:9, Pslam
41:9, Pslam 22:16, Isa 53:5,
Zech 11:12, Isa 50:6, Zech
Inspiration and Inerrancy of
Scripture
Inspiration
Inspiration
American Heritage Dictionary:

2. Stimulation of the mind or
emotions to a high level of feeling
or activity.
3. An agency, such as a person or
work of art, that moves the
intellect or emotions or prompts
action or invention.
4. Something, such as a sudden
creative act or idea, that is
inspired.
Inspiration
• The quality of inspiring or

exalting: a painting full of
inspiration.
• Divine guidance or influence
exerted directly on the mind
and soul of humankind.
• The act of drawing in,
especially the inhalation of
air into the lungs.
Inspiration
“Sine qua non

of evangelical
theology”
“The watershed issue

of contemporary
evangelism”
Inspiration
2 Tim. 3:16-17
“All Scripture is inspired by God and
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, for training in righteousness;
so that the man of God may be
adequate, equipped for every good
work.”
Inspiration
qeo,pneustoj =
qeo,j (theos) pneustoj
(pneustos)
Lit. “God breathed”
Inspiration
2 Pet. 1:20-21
“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.”
Inspiration
Wrong Interpretation Correct Interpretation

Refers to the Refers to the
interpretation of the interpretation of the
revelation to the revelation to the
readers so that author so that he
they might read the might write the
Scriptures correctly. Scriptures correctly.
Inspiration
fero,menoi (pheromenoi)
 Lit: “to carry,” “to bear,” “to
guide,” or “to drive along.”
 Used of a ship being carried by
the wind (Acts 27:17).
 Passive participle.
Theories of Inspiration
Intuition /Natural: Certain people

were extremely gifted through their
natural God-given abilities to write
Scripture. (Man)
Illumination/Mystical: The Holy
Spirit moved within certain
individuals to write above their
natural capacity. (Man)
Mechanical/Dictation: God simply
used the hand of man to passively
write His words. (God)
Partial: Some of Scripture is

inspired, not all. Namely, that
which is profitable for doctrine,
matters of “faith and practice.”
Matters of history and science
are not included because they
are irrelevant to God’s
purpose. (50% Man, 50% God)
Degree: All Scripture is inspired, but

some are more inspired than
others. (90 % God, 10% Man). The
“days of creation” narrative was
written in accommodating
language, a sort of “baby-talk”
(Alister McGrath, Christian
Theology, 211).
Verbal, Plenary: All Scripture is
inspired by God who utilized the
human element within man to
See notes for chart.
Where Does Inspiration
Lie?
1. Mind of God?
2. Mind of the Author?
3. Written Words?
4. Message?
5. Message Proclaimed?
6. Message Received?
7. Message Received
1. God
3. Mind
of the
Author
5. Message
4. Written Words
6. Message Proclaimed
Inspiration
Biblical Docetism: “the

evangelical heresy”
Inspiration
Examples of the Human
Element within Scripture:
1.Emotion: Psalms, Roman
9
2.Grammatical
Differences: Hebrews
and John
3.Grammatical “Errors”:
Romans 5
4.Phenomenological
Language: Josh 10:13
Inspiration
Definition: The supernatural

act in which God guided the
writers of Scripture giving them
His words all the while utilizing
the human element within man
to produce the Scriptures
without error.
Inspiration
Inspiration is . . .
Verbal: Extends to the very
words of Scripture, not just
teachings.
Plenary: Extends to everything
in the Bible, not just parts that
speak on matters of faith and
practice.
Inerrancy
Inerrancy
Definition: The doctrinal

teaching that the Scripture in
the autographa (original
manuscript) is true in all that it
teaches.
Inerrancy
Deductive Defense:
Premise 1: God is truthful and
therefore beyond error (2 Sam
7:28; Titus 1:2; Heb 6:18).
Premise 2: God is the author of
Scripture (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:20-
21).
Conclusion: Scripture is truthful and
therefore beyond error.
Objection # 1
(deductive)
“To err is human”
Premise 1: Human beings err.
Premise 2: The Bible is a
human book.
Conclusion: The Bible errs.
Objection #1
(deductive)
Response
Premise 1: Human beings err.
Premise 2: Christ is a human
being.
Conclusion: Christ errs.
Objection #1
(deductive)
The fallacy of this argument lies
in premise that to err is human.
• Human beings must err.

• Human being can err.
Error is not a foregone necessity

of humanity.
Objection #1
(deductive)
Christ
100% human 100% God
Scripture
100% human 100% God
Objection # 2
(inductive)
• The Bible contains errors.
• Therefore, the Bible errs.
Objection # 2
(inductive)
Alleged Error #1
2 Sam. 10:18 vs. 1 Chron. 19:18
Objection # 2
(inductive)
2 Samuel 10:18 1 Chronicles 19:18
But the Arameans The Arameans
fled before Israel, fled before Israel,
and David killed and David killed of
700 charioteers of the Arameans
the Arameans and 7,000 charioteers
40,000 horsemen and 40,000 foot
and struck down soldiers, and put
Shobach the to death
commander of Shophach the
their army, and he commander of the
died there. army.
Objection # 2
(inductive)
Alleged Error #1 Solution:
Error in transcription
Objection # 2
(inductive)
Alleged Error #2
Matt. 28:2, Mark 16:5 vs. John 20:12, Luke
24:4
Objection # 2
(inductive)
Mark 16:5 John 20:12
Entering the And she saw
tomb, they saw two angels in
a young man white sitting,
sitting at the one at the head
right, wearing a and one at the
white robe; and feet, where the
they were body of Jesus
amazed had been lying.
Objection # 2
(inductive)
Faulty Assumption
If there were two angels, there
was also one. No contradiction
is present. There is no rule that
the Gospel writer cannot differ
in what they choose to include.
Objection # 2
(inductive)
Alleged Error #3
Matt 26:34, 74-75; Mark 14:30, 72
Objection # 2
(inductive)
Matthew 26:34 Mark 14:30
Jesus said to And Jesus said
him, "Truly I to him, "Truly I
say to you that say to you, that
this very night, this very night,
before a rooster before a rooster
crows, you will crows twice,
deny Me three you yourself
times." will deny Me
three times.
Objection # 2
(inductive)
Faulty Assumption
One writer can be more
detailed than another.
Inerrancy
Facts about inerrancy:

2. The Bible does speak in
accommodating language (e.g. “The
sun went down”).
3. The Bible does use round numbers
(7000 killed, instead of 6899).
4. The Bible does use free quotations
(Old Testament in the New).
5. The Bible does summarize (Sermon
on the Mount is longer in Mathew than
in Luke).
6. Consideration must be made of the
genera of the individual books
(Proverbs 22:6).

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BIBLIOLOGY

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What are some of the arguments for the reliability of the Bible?

What are some of the arguments for the reliability of the Bible?

What are some common alleged errors or contradictions in the Bible and how are they explained?

What are some common alleged errors or contradictions in the Bible and how are they explained?

BIBLIOLOGY

IS THE BIBLE THE WORD OF

• How do we know that the

1. How do we know that the

Pile the on your left side

Ancient man believed in

Proverbs 3 – six blessings

Two primary factors

1. Ben Asser Family: (9th & 10th

1. Septuagint (LXX): Greek

The Crucified Messiah scroll

He shall be called the son of

• Textual criticism is looked

• Ninety-nine percent of the

2. Homophony Substitution of similar-sounding words. Rom. 5:1

5. Homoioteleuton An omission caused by two words that have similar

Harmonization Often the scribe felt at liberty to change apparent

Palestine Babylon Egypt

• Canon— Lit. “rule” or

Summary: The canon does not

The Law and the Prophets:

The Law, Prophets, and the Psalms:

Roman Catholics contend that the Apocrypha

“For almsgiving delivers from

“It is a disgrace to be the father

Pavement where Christ

The man walked out

Deut 10: 17-22 Hitler,

“When you come bring the

Caeser (Gallic Wars ) 100-44 B.C. 900 A.D. 1,000 yrs. 10

Livy (History of Rome) 59 B.C.-A.D. 17 N/A N/A 20

Plato (Tetraloies) 400 B.C. 900 A.D. 1,300 yrs. 7

Pliny the Younger 61-113 A.D. 850 A.D. 750 yrs. 7

Herodotus (History) 480-425 B.C. 900 A.D. 1,300 yrs. 8

Sophocius (History) 469-406 B.C. 100 A.D. 600 yrs. 193

Aristotle 384-322 B.C. 1,100 A.D. 1,400 yrs. 193

Homer (Iliad) 900 B.C. 400 A.D. 1, 500 yrs. 643

New Testament 50-90 A.D. 125 A.D. 25 yrs. >25,000

KEY: Having established the

• Formal Equivalence (word for

Formal Equivalence Dynamic Equivalence

American Heritage Dictionary:

• The quality of inspiring or

“Sine qua non

“The watershed issue

Lit. “God breathed”

Wrong Interpretation Correct Interpretation

Intuition /Natural: Certain people

Partial: Some of Scripture is

Degree: All Scripture is inspired, but

See notes for chart.

Biblical Docetism: “the

Definition: The supernatural

Definition: The doctrinal

• Human beings must err.