False Theories Of Inspiration Flashcards
Partial Inspiration (Accommodation Theory)
Only certain parts of the Bible are inspired (other parts contain errors).
PROBLEM: How do you determine which is which? If you can’t trust the Bible’s historicity, how can you trust it for spiritual advice?
Natural Intuition (Intuition Theory)
Inspiration is like an artistic ability or natural endowment. It is just human genius.
PROBLEM: Ignores the fact that the Bible claims to come from God, not men. If this is true it means that inspiration is nothing more than an opinion.
Illumination Theory (Mystical Theory)
The human authors of Scripture were enabled by God, but the Holy Spirit only heightened their normal powers to perceive scriptural truth.
PROBLEM: this is no different than what happens with other believers, any Christian could write scripture and this confuses the Spirit’s illumination and inspiration.
Spiritual Rule Only Theory
The Bible is infallible only when it comes to matters of faith and practice (religious, ethical, and spiritual matters). It is fallible in historic and scientific matters.
PROBLEM: Same as the Partial Inspiration Theory, how can the Bible be trusted in spiritual matters when it cannot be trusted in areas that are verifiable.
Neo-Orthodoxy Theory
The Bible is not the Word of God but becomes the Word of God when I encounter God in it.
PROBLEM: makes ME the ultimate arbiter of what is it is not God’s Word. I sit in judgement on God’s Word, not the other way around.
Dictation Theory
God dictated the Bible to the writers of Scripture, they were acting as secretaries or stenographers.
PROBLEM: The Bible should have no stylistic differences from writer to writer, but it does. Although God did sometimes give writers the exact words to say (Rev. 2-3, Ex. 24:4) this is not always the case.
Mechanical Theory
Similar to the Dictation Theory but the writer is in a trance and a passive instrument (think automatic handwriting).
PROBLEM: Again there are stylistic differences from author to author which should not be there if the authors are in a trance.
Dynamic Inspiration (Thought or Concept Theory)
Combination of divine and human elements in inspiration. The Spirit of God directs that writer to the thoughts or concepts he should have. This allows the writer to express the divine thought in his own words.
PROBLEM: “Closer to the mark” but still not accurate. The words of Scripture are inspired, not just the thoughts. Man lives by “every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). Not one jot or tittle will fall from the law until it is fulfilled (Matt. 5:18).
