ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON INSPIRATION

There are two important issues I didn't have time to address on Sunday morning: the Infallibility of Scripture and the Canonization of Scripture.

Infallibility of Scripture
This means that scripture has no errors and is not capable of misleading, deceiving, or disappointing us. Or another way to say it; the Scriptures are trustworthy.

Some scholars have challenged the accuracy of Scripture by noting that the Bible says God moved the sun back 10 spaces in 2 Kings 20:11. Or Jesus' reference to the smallest seed among garden plants being the mustard seed (Matthew17:20; Mark 4:31)). However, these references, when read within their immediate context will quickly show that no error is present. In the case of Jesus teaching his disciples about faith, he uses something common to them as an analogy of faith or the amount of faith needed to work with God. Jesus is not stating as fact that the mustard is the smallest seed among garden plants, but rather, the smallest seed in their common experience.

If you find discrepancies in the Bible, then it may be for one of these reason below:
1. Not understanding the verse within its Biblical context
2. Not understanding the verse within its cultural/historical context
3. Confusion over the different dating systems in Biblical times (Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans)
4. Failure to recognize type of literature (ex. Narrative is telling a story, not a legal document for court hearing, so detailed information is unimportant in communicating the message.)

Canonization of Scripture
We believe Infallible Revelation has ended and the Bible is closed. The word Canon comes from the idea in the ancient world of a ruler or measuring instrument. So when we speak of the Canon of Scripture, we are talking about the criteria each book of the Bible had to meet in order to be accepted as Inspired by God. For example, here is the Canonical Rule of the New Testament:
1. Apostolic Authority
2. Universality
3. Contents
4. Inspiration

So how does this work? The Gospel of Matthew was written by Matthew the Tax Collector, a Disciple of Jesus. It was widely read among the early Christian Church. Its contents, theological themes, witness of Jesus is consistent with other New Testament writings. And finally, many Churches in the 1st Century believed the Gospel of Matthew was Inspired by God.

Now apply the same criteria to the Gospel of Thomas, on which the recent book The DaVinci Code is based. It was written by Thomas a Disciple of Jesus. It was not universally accepted by the early church (in fact it was lost for many years). Its contents, theological themes, and witness about Jesus is inconsistent with other New Testament writings and with the Old Testament. There is also little record of church leadership believing it was inspired by God - therefore, it was not received in the Canon of Scripture.

Wow, I love it. These doctrinal ideas really do make decision making easier. I don't have to struggle with popular, modern day ideas that pop up here and there like the DaVinci Code or Mormonism. The Bible is light unto my path. It will answer all my questions.