All Scripture Inspired?

Carmel

Let's assume you believe that Jesus was the "Son of God" had a direct link to all knowledge, okay? Would it be fair to conclude that he was "informed" of the other greater and older civilizations around the world as He trudged from Nazareth to Jerusalem? Would He not also be aware of Zoroaster, relatively next door, Chrisna and Buddha further to the east? Would He not then be aware of the Zenda Vesta, the Bagavigita, the Upan i shads? What then of His statement that "All scripture is inspired and for man's gudance" (my paraphrase) Most if not all Christians want his comments be be confined to the OT and what would become the NT. You gotta think, however, His coming was for all of mankind, Jew and Gentile alike, so why, if He were well informed, did He not exclude these other scriptures? Could it just be that they have value and should not be dismissed out of hand by those that arose to follow Him?

carmel

Narkissos

Yes, "all scripture inspired" is a dangerously open phrase from the postpauline author of 2 Timothy 3:16... especially in view of the context, which includes reference to extracanonical writings (Jannes and Jambres in v. 8), as has been pointed out in recent threads...

Perhaps "scripture" taking its immediate revenge against the will of the author...

robhic

On a slightly different slant, what has nagged at me is "what is the difference between inspired and dictated?"

If someone is "inspired" to do something I usually think of it more as motivational. The bible authors could have been inspired but still did not have every word dictated to them, right? Like the ideas were inspired and then the human with his/her human bias factored in.

If all scripture was dictated by a higher power and just transcribed by the authors then you'd really have something ironclad. Inspired sounds, to me, like it leaves room for some error, bias and just plain "wiggle-room." It sounds good but isn't 100% perfect.

Robert

Leolaia

robhic....You might like this link, it comes close to my opinion:

http://www.geocities.com/shsnj_2000/thoughts/rethinking2.html

onacruse

[See CALBOOK 05924]
16. All Scripture; or, the whole of Scripture; though it makes little difference as to the meaning. He follows out that commendation which he had glanced at briefly. First, he commends the Scripture on account of its authority; and secondly, on account of the utility which springs from it. In order to uphold the authority of the Scripture, he declares that it is divinely inspired; for, if it be so, it is beyond all controversy that men ought to receive it with reverence. This is a principle which distinguishes our religion from all others, that we know that God hath spoken to us, and are fully convinced that the prophets did not speak at their own suggestion, but that, being organs of the Holy Spirit, they only uttered what they had been commissioned from heaven to declare. Whoever then wishes to profit in the Scriptures, let him first of all, lay down this as a settled point, that the Law and the Prophets are not a doctrine delivered according to the will and pleasure of men, but dictated by the Holy Spirit.I
If it be objected, "How can this be known?" I answer, both to disciples and to teachers, God is made known to be the author of it by the revelation of the same Spirit. Moses and the prophets did not utter at random what we have received from their hand, but, speaking at the suggestion of God, they boldly and fearlessly testified, what was actually true, that it was the mouth of the Lord that spake. The same Spirit, therefore, who made Moses and the prophets certain of their calling, now also testifies to our hearts, that he has employed them as his servants to instruct us. Accordingly, we need not wonder if there are many who doubt as to the Author of the Scripture; for, although the majesty of God is displayed in it, yet none but those who have been enlightened by the Holy Spirit have eyes to perceive what ought, indeed, to have been visible to all, and yet is visible to the elect alone. This is the first clause, that we owe to the Scripture the same reverence which we owe to God; because it has proceeded from him alone, and has nothing belonging to man mixed with it.

Does the word tautology come to mind?

It must be the word of God, because a man who said he had visions of God's multi-leveled heaven said it was all from God. Paul and Peter.

The further I step back from the picture, the clearer it becomes.

Yerusalyim

Carmel,

Most Christology says that Jesus had infused knowledge, that is, knowledge of his Father and the perfect will of God, however, being human, he was limited to his day and age to the reasonable knowledge of the world that would be expected of a man raised in Galilee.

In other words he knew God created all things through him...but was limited in his knowledge of HOW that creation took place...so that the six day creation would have made sense to him.

Jesus didn't know all languages extant, nor have an accumulation of all human knowledge.

In the same manner, the inspired writers were limited in knowledge to their time and place. What they understood to be scripture at that time was what we call the old Testament...and doesn't even properly apply to our NT.

LittleToe

I may be missing something, but the letter was allegedly attributed to Paul, not Jesus, right?

Phantom Stranger

In any event, a circular argument ensues.

If Jesus' words were limited to describing the works we know today as the OT and NT, then one must assume that these were kept intact and assembled together in our time in order to make sure no inspired words were lost, and non-inspired words were kept out. How do we know this? Well, just look at this scripture that proves it!

Yerusalyim

As little toe points out, this was not Jesus words, but the writer of Timothy.

Just because something is inspired doesn't mean it's perfect or will last forever, etc etc etc, also note that the writer did not say ONLY SCRIPTURE is inspired. The point the writer was making is that the OT works and law should not be rejected, but that they are good for instruction. The point was NOT that ONLY WHAT WE CALL THE OT IS INSPIRED AND WILL BE AROUND VERBATIM FOREVER AND IT ALONE IS GOOD FOR INSTRUCTION...though this is what many fundamentalists try to make it say.

kes152

Hello Carmel,

All 'scripture' is indeed inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, and for disciplining in righteousness. All scripture, however, is not in the Bible. Many scriptures are in the Bible and many scriptures are NOT in the Bible. What are we to do?

Listen to his words when he said, "Come to ME, all you who are toiling and loaded down and I will refresh you..." (Matthew 11:28-30). Whether Jew or Greek, whether Buddhist or Hindu, whether slave or free, whether religious or wicked, ALL who are 'toiling and loaded down' are invited to come to Him. Why must we come directly to him?

When the Christ was raised from the dead, God gave him 'all authority in heaven and on earth.' He also gave him a name more excellent than any of the angels. Further, God "sanctified him" (consecrated him) directly to be our high (chief) priest in heaven in all things pertaining to God. Therefore, he is the SOURCE of all the 'truth' there is about himself, about our Father, about life, about all things. All scriptures that "actually" came from God are also 'in him' and only he goes in and actually 'beholds' the face of the Father. Therefore, since such a Holy, High priests exists for us in heaven, we should appraoch him with TRUE hearts and ask him all things, and he will openly tell us the things of his Father.

All Scripture Inspired?

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