105 – Objections Against Inspiration Answered

SEMESTER 1

105 – Objections Against Inspiration Answered

BIBLE INSTITUTE OF CORRESPONDENCE

COURSE: THEOLOGY I LESSON # 5
OBJECTIONS AGAINST INSPIRATION ANSWERED

INTRODUCTION:

1. The proposition of inspiration is that:

i. God has spoken rightly according to holiness.
ii. He has, by inspiration, recorded accurately.
iii. He has instructed us therein as to conduct.

2. It is logical then that the rebel:

i. wants to decide on his own conduct.
ii. and that without confessing wrong actions.
iii. thus will deny that God has spoken, so the rebel may decide.

3. Thus endless attacks have been lodged against the inspiration of, and thus the Bible.
4. I shall try to categorize these objections, then state them, then show the folly of them.
5. Of necessity they cannot be covered.

I. THE ARGUMENT FOR LOSS OF SCRIPTURE THROUGH TRANSLATION

1. How do we know men translated it correctly?
2. We do not have the original, so we have nothing.

III: Concepts of Mormonism and “corre­ctors of Scripture.”

3. Answer: (1) Such argument is against translation as a practice.
4. We (most Christians) cannot speak or read original languages.
5. The Bible promises preservation of God’s Word. (Ps. 12:6-7)
6. Inspiration without preservation is worthless.
7. Existence only in dead languages is not preservation.

II. PASSAGES OF IMPRECATION, CONTRARY TO “GOD’S NATURE”

1. Imprecatory – Psalms (Ps. 58:6, Ps. 109:10, Ps. 137:8-9)
2. Imprecations of Noah, against Ham. (Gen. 9:25)
3. Imprecation of Deborah. (Jud. 5:24-31)

III. PASSAGES OF SO-CALLED OBSCENITY, INCOMPATIBLE WITH GOD

1. Such as revelation of Onan’s sin and Judah’s incest. (Gen. 38:1-10)
2. Such as Elijah’s prophecy “eat their dung,” etc. (II Kings 18:27)
3. Such as Simeon and Levi slaying those sore from circumcision. (Gen. 34)

Answer:

i. The “obscenity” of these comes from man’s profaning of words.
ii. These are accounts of sin.
iii. Have you ever known of anyone reading this for lewd sport?

IV. SUPPOSED UNSCIENTIFIC OR HISTORICALLY ERRONEOUS PASSAGES

1. Joshua’s long day.
2. Jonah and the whale.
3. Crossing the Red Sea.

Answer: These are accounts of supernatural events.

V. SO-CALLED INCONSISTENCIES

1. Non-verbatim quotations of New Testament from Old.
2. Animal sacrifices, commanded and denounced. (Isa. 1:11-13, Jer. 7:22, Amos 5:21-24, Micah 6:6-8)
3. Numerical variations such as Num. 25:9 and I Cor. 10:8.
4. Matthew’s supposed mistake attributing Zechariah to Jeremiah.
5. Stephen’s supposed mistake. (Gen. 23:17-18, Acts 7:16)
6. The genealogies of Christ in Matthew and Luke.
7. Inscriptions over the cross.
8. Accounts of the details of the resurrection.

III: Folly of a young woman writing about the “4,000, 5,000 feeding controversy.” These difficulties soften as we study, and as we fully corroborate Scripture they will melt like wax in the sunlight.