Brief Statement On The Doctrine Of Bibliology
The Bible is the inspired Word of
God (2 Timothy 3:15-17) intended for human readers who "earnestly
seek him" (Hebrew 11:6). The Bible was written by the hands of human
authors under the superintendence of the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:19-21) for the
revelation of God's eternal plan to mankind about the knowledge of salvation through
faith in Jesus Christ and for the purpose of Godly living of believers (1
Corinthians 2:10-13). According to Protestant Orthodox tradition, the canonical
Bible comprises the 39 books of the Hebrew Old Testament and the 27 books of
the Greek New Testament in various literary forms covering God's grand story of
the creation, the fall, the redemption, and the final restoration, which
describes and foretells the relationship between God, mankind, and the created
world, anchored in Jesus Christ. Since the Bible is the inspired Word of God
and God speaks truthfully, therefore God's words are true, and thus, the Bible
is inerrant in its original form (Num 23:19; Isa. 40:8; Isa 65:16; Titus 1:2;
Heb 6:18), authoritative in its final adjudication (Matthew 24:35; Rev 22:18-22),
sufficient in its completeness and relevance (2 Peter 1:3). According to the evangelicals'
dispensational tradition, the Bible is best read and interpreted in
grammatical-historical methods in identifying the intended meaning of the
authors in different ages of administrative periods (Hebrews 1:1-2). Detailed Exposition on Bibliology
I believe that the Bible is the inspired[1]
Word of God[2]
through the dual authorship[3]
of the divine author, God, and the human authors, spread over centuries and
across numerous cultural contexts.[4]
Under the superintendence of the Holy Spirit,[5]
the human authors wrote down the texts in the Bible in plain, literal, and understandable
human languages, intended for human readers who are "earnestly seeking Him."[6]
In Scripture, God's plan was made known to mankind progressively throughout
history[7]
where God revealed Himself through prophets, through visions and dreams, through
His Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Spirit.[8]
In Scripture, the ultimate knowledge of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ
is revealed[9]
and this saving power is made possible for those who put their trust in Jesus Christ
through His death and resurrection. For those who put their trust in Jesus, the
Bible is not just for their head knowledge but for their spiritual and life transformation.[10]
Believers will find the Bible useful for "teaching, rebuking, correcting
and training in righteousness," so that they may be equipped for godly
living and for keeping the sound doctrines.[11]
According to the Protestant Orthodox tradition and by the
authority of the prophets and apostles who contributed to the writings, I
believe that the canonical Bible comprises the 39 books of the Hebrew Old
Testament[12]
and the 27 books of the Greek New Testament.[13]
In Scripture, we find God's grand story in various literary forms covering the
creation, the fall, the redemption, and the final restoration of the man and
the earth.[14]
Although written and recorded for different audiences in ancient time, in
Scripture, we still find inspirational biblical stories, divine instructions,
and personal convictions that are very relevant to our daily lives.[15]
I believe the best way to approach the Bible is through the central figure Jesus
Christ that "every given passage contributes to the shape of the overall
story."[16]
I believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and God
speaks truthfully, therefore God's words are true, and thus, the Bible is infallible[17]
in its original form affirming to what it revealed and claimed.[18]
Although Bible inerrancy does not demand adherence to the rules of grammar nor
does it demand chronological, historical, and scientific precision,[19]
I believe that the Scripture is totally adequate to achieve its purpose and I
believe that all the accounts presented in the Bible as historical has actually
occurred[20];
they were quoted both by Jesus[21]
and by His disciples[22]
as fully reliable, authentic, trustworthy and authoritative historical facts,
because they believe "the word of our God stands forever."[23]
Although there are a number of alleged "errors and discrepancies"
claimed by many historians and scholars in history, all of these errors and
difficulties have been reasonably explained.[24]
Because the Bible comes from the divine authority, it is
meant to be obeyed, followed, trusted, and submitted to[25]
and is authoritative in its final adjudication.[26]
Truth can be found in the Scripture because of its divine source[27]
and no one truth in one part of the Bible is "more truth" than another
truth in other parts of the Bible.[28]
The Scripture "contains all things necessary to be known for Christian
faith and life and, therefore, for the attainment of external salvation,"[29]
and thus the Bible is sufficient in its completeness and relevance and we need
nothing more or else.[30]
I affirm that, by the dispensational
hermeneutic tradition, the Bible is best read and interpreted in a grammatical-historical
manner[31]
so that the intended meaning of the authors can be clearly understand (perspicuity)[32]
by those to whom it was originally and progressively given in different ages of
administrative periods.[33]
Practical Implications of Bibliology
Ministry Emphasis: Preaching Ministry and Christian Life
Bibliology is the cornerstone and
the reliable source of truth for the preaching ministry and Christian life. A
sound doctrine of bibliology helps pastors and preachers deliver truth-filled
messages from the teaching of the Bible's infallibility, authority, and sufficiency.
A well-developed bibliology also helps churches define their ministry focuses
and help truth seekers find eternal life (John 5:39). A good bibliology equips us
for sound biblical teaching, rebuking heresies, correcting false
teachings, and provide training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:15-17). With all
the benefits of a good bibliology, however, many contemporary Bible churches in
Northern America still struggled to answer two questions - what is truth? and how
to make the Bible relevant to me.
So, what is truth? can we find ultimate truth in the Bible?
Numerous theological and philosophical lectures and discussions have covered on
this topic, and I am sure that the arguments and debates will be continually
developed. Proposals like Coherence Theory, Pragmatic Theory, Performative
Theory, and Correspondence Theory are all contributing to one or two aspects of
this very definition of "truth" (class note - module 8). Unfortunately,
none of these theories is suitable to begat a meta-narrative - an overarching
structure or a belief system that gives meaning to the existence of life.
The good news is that from the study of bibliology, we have
the perspicuous and required pillars to support this meta-narrative - God's
story - His grand story of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. Anchored
and grounded on Jesus Christ, these pillars include, but are not limited to,
the cognate doctrines of divine inspiration, inerrancy, authority, and
canonicity. We use these pillars in bibliology to build a framework for a better
understanding of God's story revealed and recorded in the Bible. With this understanding
of meta-narrative (God's story), we can in turn appreciate and make sense of the
relationship in different parts of the Bible and help us retell the story in
the light of the Great Commission (Matthew 28: 16-20).
But how exactly do we, as an Evangelical Christian, carry
out this Great Commission equipped with the understanding of this
meta-narrative? that leads to our second question - how do we make the
Scripture relevant? 2 Peter 1:3 says, "His
divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by
His own glory and goodness." This passage unlocks a secret for a
successful and powerful Christian life with two keys - His divine power and our
knowledge of Him. As we mentioned earlier, a good doctrine of bibliology helps
us construct and obtain the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Peter then points out to
us that through this knowledge of Jesus, Jesus' divine power has given us everything
we need for a godly life. So what is this divine power? this divine power ("δύναμιν") is the same power ("δύναμιν") we have seen
in Acts 1:8 on the day of Pentecost. So we know that we can make the Bible
relevant by the knowledge of Jesus through the study of the living Word of God
(the Bible) and, with the power given by the Holy Spirit, we can carry out the Great
Commission by retelling the meta-narrative - God's story.
Equipped with two keys to unlock a knowledgeable and
powerful Christian life, do we own this meta-narrative in our community now? I
don't think so. We are competing with other worldviews in defining the truth
and whoever owns this meta-narrative will win the heads and hearts of lost
people. People are demanding the truth, if we can't give them the truth, the
world will. Within the context of preaching ministry and Christian life, we
want to have a balanced theology that is constructed in a unified model of
diverse Biblical teachings which is highly relevant to contemporary culture
(Who Needs Theology? p.80).
We don't want to spend the majority of pulpit time just to obtain
the "knowledge of the Bible" (which is "Bible deity" as Deere calls it). We want to use the pulpit time
wisely to teach the "knowledge of Him" (2 Peter 1:3) - the person and the work of Jesus Christ. And,
with that knowledge, we also want to build up our godly Christian life in the
power of the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:3) through praying continually (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18), meditating on
"whatever is true" (Philippians 4:8), and loving one another (John
13:34-35, the new commandment).
With the two keys to unlock a
balanced Christian life of knowledge and divine power, we will own the
meta-narrative, which is what we called an effective preaching ministry and Christian
life.
Biblical, Exegetical, Theological, Historical, and Explanatory Notes
[1] 2
Peter 1:19-21; 2 Timothy 3:16. The term "inspired" is used not only
to describe that the human authors were mentally "inspired" by God,
but also that Scripture's very words are God's words. See Holsteen, Nathan D.
and Michael J. Svigel, Exploring
Christian Theology: Revelation, Scripture, and the Triune God, Vol 1. (Grand
Rapids: Baker Books, 2014), 27.
[2]
Although the Word of God can be used to refer to Jesus Christ as the Word of
God made flesh (John 1:14), I am following the Christian tradition to use
"Word of God" in a general sense to refer to the whole Bible. See
McGrath, Alister E., Christian Theology:
An Introduction. (West Sussex, UK, 2017), 112-113.
[3]
Holsteen, Nathan D. and Michael J. Svigel, Exploring
Christian Theology: Revelation, Scripture, and the Triune God, Vol 1. (Grand
Rapids: Baker Books, 2014), 127. Holsteen
and Svigel argued that each biblical text has two authors: God (the divine
author) and the one God used to pen His words (the human authors).
[4]
From the time of Moses (c. 1500 BC) all the way toward the beginning of the
church's medieval period (c. AD 500) spans almost two thousand years.
[5] 2
Peter 1:19-21.
[6]
Hebrew 11:6. The first affirmation of dispensational hermeneutic - the
affirmation of perspicuity, which emphasizes that God's message can be
understood by those to whom it is originally given. See Bingham, D. Jeffery and
Glenn R. Kreider, Dispensationalism and
the History of Redemption. (Chicago, IL, Moody Publishers), 110. God's
eternal salvation plan are clearly revealed to those who are eagerly seeking
Him, but it may stay hidden for those who are seeking worldly values (Romans
16.25).
[7]
This is the second affirmation of dispensational hermeneutic, which goes like
"God's revelation of Himself and His plan takes place progressively
throughout history. See Bingham, D. Jeffery and Glenn R. Kreider, Dispensationalism and the History of
Redemption. (Chicago, IL, Moody Publishers), 111.
[8]
Hebrew 1:1-2. God spoke in history many times through various means and at the
last days he spoke to us by His Son. Also refer to Holsteen, Nathan D. and
Michael J. Svigel, Exploring Christian
Theology: Revelation, Scripture, and the Triune God, Vol 1. (Grand Rapids:
Baker Books, 2014), 36-37.
[9] 2 Timothy
3:15
[10]
Holsteen, Nathan D. and Michael J. Svigel, Exploring
Christian Theology: Revelation, Scripture, and the Triune God, Vol 1. (Grand
Rapids: Baker Books, 2014), 77.
[11]
2 Timothy
3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21; Jude 3. Geisler, Norman L., Inerrancy. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1980), 44.
[12]
Holsteen, Nathan D. and Michael J. Svigel, Exploring
Christian Theology: Revelation, Scripture, and the Triune God, Vol 1. (Grand
Rapids: Baker Books, 2014), 49-50.
[13] Ibid.,
52-53.
[14] Ibid.,
15-21.
[15]
John 5:39.
[16]
Instead of reading Christ into every passage. See Bingham, D. Jeffery and Glenn
R. Kreider, Dispensationalism and the
History of Redemption. (Chicago, IL, Moody Publishers), 117.
[17]
We don't understand the Bible inerrancy in terms of human reason or scientific
methodology, we approach Bible inerrancy according to the basic Christian
theology, which we believe that God's revelation in Scripture "become
clear only in a context of belief." See Holsteen, Nathan D. and Michael J.
Svigel, Exploring Christian Theology: Revelation,
Scripture, and the Triune God, Vol 1. (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2014),
29. In this sense, we employee the concept of "faith comes before
understanding" which we draw on reason as a means to better understand
based on our faith.
[18] I
affirm the Biblical Inerrancy as Chicago Statement Article 1 defines it and I
agree that the Bible Inerrancy can be better understood as Feinberg puts it,
"Inerrancy means that when all the facts are known the Scriptures in their
original autographs and properly interpreted will be shown to be wholly true in
everything they affirm, whether that has to do with doctrine or morality or
with the social, physical, or life sciences." - Geisler, Norman L., Inerrancy. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan
Publishing House, 1980), 294.
[19]
Class note video (module 8).
[20]
Ibid.
[21]
Geisler, Norman L., Inerrancy. (Grand
Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1980), 3-34.
[22] Ibid.,
39-53.
[23]
Isa. 40:7, 8.
[24] Archer
wrote a paper to explain the nine so-called "difficulties and
discrepancies" in the Bible, including the genealogies of Christ, the
number of Peter's denials, dating of the Exodus, and the source of the
potter's-field reference. This paper was published in Geisler's "Inerrancy" book, Geisler, Norman L.,
Inerrancy. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan
Publishing House, 1980), 57-82. Similarly, Beegle had discussed eleven passages
that were considered "inconsistency" in the Bible, including Jude's
reference to Enoch, the time span of Genesis 5 genealogies, the leading of
David to make the census, and Jacob's burial place. Beegle's discussion is also
been collected in chapter 3 in the same book.
[25]
Class note video (module 9-1).
[26] I
affirm the Biblical Authority as Chicago Statement Article 2 defines it,
"Holy Scripture, being God's own Word, written by men prepared and
super-intended by His Spirit, is of infallible authority in all matters upon
which it touches: it is to be believed, as God's instruction, in all that it
affirms; obeyed, as God's command, in all that it requires; embraced, as God's
pledge, in all that it promises."
[27] John
14:6.
[28]
This statement is a reflection of Deere's thesis about other forms of
revelation, specifically through visions and impressions. It seems that Deere
puts significant weights on these other "spiritual revelations" that
sometimes caused tension and discussions on the level of authorities or
different categories of authority. (see class note video 9-1).
[29] 2
Timothy 3:15-17; John 5:39; The Westminster Confession of Faith.
[30] 2
Peter 1:3.
[31] Some
suggested that literal hermeneutic approach can be improved by making it a
"grammatical-historical-literary-theological" approach (Blaising and
Bock). See Bingham, D. Jeffery and Glenn R. Kreider, Dispensationalism and the History of Redemption. (Chicago, IL,
Moody Publishers), 116.
[32]
The dispensationalist is likely to emphasize the perspicuity, or clarity, of
the divine message, quoting that "God's message can be understood by those
to whom it is originally given." See Bingham, D. Jeffery and Glenn R.
Kreider, Dispensationalism and the
History of Redemption. (Chicago, IL, Moody Publishers), 110.
[33]
In Bingham and Kreider's book (Dispensationalism and the History of Redemption
chapter 4, p110-111) , Holsteen raised a question about the controversy of the Reformed
Doctrine of Perspicuity. Quoting from the Westmnister Confession that
"...those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed,
for salvation, are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of Scripture
or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the
ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them,"
Holsteen argued that this understanding of perspicuity "must necessarily
exclude the message of the Old Testament prophets," because "Old
Testament Israel had precisely no chance of understanding the true meaning of
the prophets' message." To solve this irony, Hosteen suggests a solution
in the so-called "progressive revelation", which asserts that
"God's revelation of Himself and His plan takes place progressively throughout
history." I affirm this observation of the "progressive
revelation" as a hermeneutic of dispensationalism.
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