Bibliology

Lesson 1

What other reasons can you think of that make the study of the Bible as the word of God
necessary for the Christian today?

The Word of God is infallible. There is no error in God's Word. The law of the Lord is perfect
concerning our soul. The testimony of the Lord is not only infallible it is inerrant. Proverbs 30:5-
6, "Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to
His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar." The purity of His words does not need
anything added to it. God warns us not to misrepresent His scripture.

The Word of God is complete. The Bible does not need any new chapters or verses. It is all
given to us already. Many cults add their own books or commentaries to the Bible. All you need
is God's Word because it is the holy Word of God. It is complete. In Revelation 22:18-19, God
gives us a warning, "For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book:
If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and
if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part
from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."

The Word of God will accomplish what it promises. If God told you something will happen,
and you wait, it will happen. In Isaiah 55:11 it says, "So shall My word be that goes forth from
My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall
prosper in the thing for which I sent it." God sent His word to accomplish His perfect will in our
lives. If God makes a promise to you, He will fulfill it in His own time. There are so many
promises given to us in the Bible. These promises reassure us and bring comfort to our lives in
our times of trial. I challenge you to take time to study the Word of God. The Lord will show you
wonderful things that will change your life.

God's Word is totally sufficient for all of our needs. We don't need anything else. In 2
Timothy 3:16-17 it reads "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be
complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." We Christians can be totally secure in the
Lord by studying the Bible because it is God's plan for our life.
Lesson 2

1. In which ways has God revealed himself through nature?

He Takes Care of His Creation

God created all of nature, people, animals, and the space you see around you in 6 days. He is the
master artist, architect, engineer, medical team, and teacher. Through the intricacies of our day-
to-day, we have been given the ability to continue to create through the use of technological
advancements. Many of us rely on things like electricity, internet, and indoor plumbing that, in
all reality, have only been a part of the day-to-day life norms in the past 100 years. He developed
the ability for humans to create luxury lifestyle items, but when it comes down to it, we are being
taken care of regardless of these “extras” in life. He has given us everything we need. Matthew
reminds us that if God takes care of the birds and flowers, how much more assured should we be
that he will take care of His children?
“Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your
body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at
the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly
Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:25-26

He Delights in Beauty

God is beautiful. His glory is such that mere man can’t even gaze upon him fully and live. Moses
found this out when he asked God, “Now show me your glory.” (Exodus 33:18) And such was
the Lord’s response, “You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” (Exodus
33:20). God had Moses stand in the cleft of a rock as he passed by and placed His hand over
him. Moses was allowed to see His back, but His face was not to be seen.
God shines from His creation. It is just a glimpse of the beauty we will fully behold in Heaven.
Eden was perfect. The trees, food, river watering all the vegetation, and the first two people
created in perfection, Adam and Eve. Though sin entered the world shortly after, the beauty of
the remains is all we see of a glimpse of the New Eden that will be restored in Heaven.
To see God’s creation is to see God. “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in
the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea
inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his
hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.” Job 12:7-10

His Timing is Perfect

Timing is everything. God not only times our lives into a patchwork quilt of His will but also the
cyclical timing of a 24-hour day, 365-day year, and constant motion of planets spinning on their
axis at just the right angle is a testament to His control. To see the change of seasons in nature is
to see God’s perfect timing, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity
under the heavens…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
Many times, we can get stuck in fear or uncertainty. I am constantly reminded to not worry about
what is ahead of me as I know my Father has it all in His hands, “Are not two sparrows sold for
a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the
very hairs of your head are all numbered. So, don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many
sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31)
If he can take care of the birds, the flowers of the fields, and the winds, so can He take care of us.
Your dream may not be visible, or your heart may be aching from a loss. Remember that the
same God that ordains the sun to rise and set is the same God that has your heart in the palm of
His hands. In His timing, all is made right whether here on earth or in glory, “He has made
everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can
fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

He Speaks to His Children

God can speak to His children through the use of His voice, His Word, the Holy Spirit, people, or
in signs seen to the eye. In the Bible, there are several accounts of God using His creation to
speak to His children. Balaam had gotten up to head to the Moabite officials on a reckless path
but God was not pleased with this. He sent the angel of the Lord to stand in his way to oppose
Balaam and his two officials. With sword in hand, the angel of the Lord was on a mission and
the donkey took notice. Balaam ended up beating his donkey three times as it responded to the
angel’s presence delaying the journey.
Finally, God opened the donkey’s mouth to speak to Balaam to get his attention, ““What have I
done to you to make you beat me these three times?” Balaam answered the donkey, “You have
made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.” The donkey
said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I
been in the habit of doing this to you?” “No,” he said. Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and
he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and
fell facedown.” (Numbers 22:28-31).
Another account that demonstrates God’s control of His creation to fulfil His purpose is with
Jonah. After 3 days and nights in the belly of the whale God sent to swallow Jonah after being
thrown overboard in raging waters, “…the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto
dry land.” (Jonah 2:10) Never underestimate God’s power.
2. How do these things relate to what is written about God in scripture?
3. If conscience is God’s channel of revelation, why do many people fail to heed to it?

Lesson 3

1. Reflect on your understanding of the subject of inspiration of the Bible before you read this
lesson?
2. What were your difficulties in understanding the inspiration of the Bible?
3. Would you say that the explanation given in this lesson helps to solve your difficulties?
Justify your answer.

Lesson 4

What other problems would occur if we denied the concept of inerrancy?

The Bible Would Be Testifying Falsely about itself.

A denial of inerrancy means that Scripture is wrong when declaring God’s words are never
wrong. Consequently, when the Bible says that God’s words are true it is telling a lie. If a person
denies the doctrine of inerrancy, in effect, they are denying God’s Word. God tells us His Word
is pure. In the book of Proverbs, we read:

“Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to
His words, Let He rebuke you, and you be found a liar. (Proverbs 30:5-6)”
If there are any mistakes in that Word, then it is not pure. The Bible says that His word is truth.
Jesus Said: “Set them apart in the truth, your word is truth. (John 17:17)”

Yet, if it contains errors, then it is not truth. It has to be one or the other. The Word of God is
either totally true or it is not. If it is not, then God has revealed Himself to humanity through
untruths. Therefore, those who deny inerrancy are denying God’s Word.

God Would be a liar if There are errors in the scripture.

If there are errors in Scripture, then God simply has not told us the truth concerning it. This
would make God a liar. This brings up a number of questions. Can we, therefore, trust anything
that the Bible says? If God is capable of speaking falsely on some matters, then He is capable of
speaking falsely on all matters. We would never know when we could trust Him. Thus, those
who accuse the Scripture of errors are also accusing the ultimate Author of Scripture, God, of
being a liar.

If God somehow spoke falsely, no matter how incidental the reference, this still constitutes an
untruth. God cannot be both the God of truth and the God of untruth at the same time. The idea
of God being untruthful in any matter is not found in Scripture.

All of Scripture Becomes Open to Suspicion if there are any Errors

Even if the so-called, “errors” are in “minor” matters, the Bible is now opened up to suspicion in
all other areas—including the major doctrines of the faith. If inerrancy falls, then all other Bible
doctrines will eventually fall also. Without a clear Word from God, we are left without a firm
foundation on any subject. Each individual would be the final determiner as to what God’s truth
is and what is not God’s truth. If the inerrancy of the Bible is rejected, either completely or
partly, then it is possible to miss the main message—salvation from sin, which is offered in the
Person of Jesus Christ.

The words of Scripture are built either on the rock, or on the sand. An errant Bible makes the
foundation one of sand. Why should anyone trust anything that He says if we determine God has
told us an untruth in one place in Scripture? This makes the entire Bible suspect. Why should we
trust anything that it says? If He is capable of speaking falsely once, then He is capable of doing
it more than once. Logically, we could not really trust anything that He said. We would never
read Scripture with confidence.

Denial of Inerrancy Gives Christians the Right to Lie.

If one is convinced that God, on occasion, spoke untruthful things, then it should be right for
believers to do the same thing in certain situations. The Bible commands believers to imitate
God. Paul wrote:

Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children. (Ephesians 5:1)

Since we are commanded to imitate God, does this allow believers to speak untruths in certain
situations? Should we not imitate God and lie when we think it is necessary? Those who reject
an inerrant Bible give believers a basis for lying. If God intentionally spoke falsely, then why
can’t we do the same for the “greater good?”

Believers Will Look to other Sources of Authority for Guidance

If someone does not believe the Bible is the divinely inspired and inerrant Word of God, then
what is to stop them from turning to other sources as their ultimate authority? What they believe
and practice will now be based upon church tradition, experience, unaided human reason,
science, or mysticism. All of these avenues will lead them astray from the truth of God.

Behaviour of the believer will Change

The denial or even diluting of inerrancy will eventually result in lack of confidence in God’s
Word. It cannot be otherwise. This, in turn, may affect the way in which we behave. If we do not
believe everything that the Bible teaches, then why should we follow any of it? A Christian who
rejects the inerrancy of Scripture may deviate only a little from following Christ, or they may
deviate to a great degree. Whatever the case may be, they will deviate. Consequently, the denial
of inerrancy will eventually be spiritually destructive in the life of the believer.
There will be a loss of interest in studying scripture

Denial of inerrancy will cause the believer to lose interest in the studying of God’s Word. If the
Scripture contains errors, then why take the time to study it in detail? There is no need to attempt
to find the meaning of the words of Scripture if those words are fallible. Therefore, the idea of
studying an errant Bible does not make sense.

The Zeal for missions and evangelism will be Lost.

One of the results of denying an inerrant Scripture is often the loss of zeal for preaching the
Gospel of Christ and reaching the lost. If the Bible is errant, then it may be errant concerning the
situation of those who have not believed in Jesus. Why then, should a person dedicate his or her
life to reaching these people with the gospel?

Non-Christians will have no reason to Believe in Jesus

Finally, there is the result of preaching and teaching an errant Bible for the non-believer. There is
certainly no reason why non-Christians should embrace Christianity if the source of teaching, the
Bible, is errant. The Bible becomes like any other book written by humans. Why then should any
non-Christian desire to become a Christian if the sacred book of the faith is one that contains
errors?

These are some of the logical results for denying the biblical doctrine of inerrancy. While not
everyone who denies the inerrancy of Scripture necessarily follows each of these steps, there is
certainly no logical reason why they should not.

Lesson 5

1. What are the dangers of relying on rationalism, mysticism and Neo-orthodoxy views in our
understanding of scripture?
2. In light of your understanding of illumination, what steps are you willing to take to benefit
from this process of illumination in your own life?
Lesson 6

How would you help a Roman Catholic who insists that the Apocrypha books are still
canonical and are supposed to be read by Christians today?

Reading the Apocrypha books by Catholic members is not a crime as it has been part of their
practice as a denomination for many years now. This however should not be forced into other
Christians from different Christian denominations.

Different denominations have their own practices on how to practice their Christian religion. The
important part is that we are worshipping and reading the word from one God. A Roman
Catholic thus should not insist that the apocrypha books are still canonical to other Christian
Believers. This would only cause disunity among the believers. All Christians should focus only
on worshipping God and living a Holy life Omission of the Apocrypha books from the bible was
done for good reasons.

Lesson 7

Which of the above issues make a lot of sense to you in relation to your interaction with the
Bible? Why do you say so?

Reasons for reading the bible and the concept of inerrancy make a lot of sense in relation to my
interaction with the bible. This is because, one should read the bible for a reason and not as a
storybook or journal. Reading of the bible should have an importance to a person reading it as it
is not an ordinary book. It is the word of God presented in a written form.

The concept if inerrancy is also an important aspect that makes sense while interacting with the
bible. Denial of inerrancy means that Scripture is wrong thus declaring God’s words as wrong.
This means that the concept of inerrancy is important and should not be denied.