Research has shown that the average adult makes 70 decisions every day. Each time we make a decision, we have a decision to make. Will we decide by the Bible or rely on unbiblical methods or the philosophies of men? If we use the wisdom of the world to make decisions, then we are denying the doctrine of Scripture.
When we ask, "What is the Bible?" we are addressing the subject of revelation. In this lesson, we look at general revelation—nature, the image of man, God's providence—and special revelation: theophanies, miracles, and direct communication. Direct communication includes God revealing himself in the Bible. So, we look at the doctrine of Scripture: inspiration, which includes the concepts of organic, plenary, and verbal inspiration.
Since God cannot lie and He is truth (which is to say that the doctrine of Scripture is rooted in our doctrine of God), we can trust the Bible. We can trust that the Holy Spirit has faithfully preserved His word through the centuries, which means we can trust the copies of the original manuscripts. That is because the Bible is inerrant—it does not contain or affirm any errors. It is also infallible, incapable of erring or teaching error.
You know and believe all that. And so do charismatics and other evangelical Christians who believe in hearing God's voice, that the Holy Spirit leads them by impressions, and look to the peace of God to confirm such leadings.
So, what is the problem?
It comes down to three issues that are based on the doctrines covered in this lesson: the authority, sufficiency, and completeness of Scripture, which will be covered in the next lesson. |
