Dr. Bingham’s Lesson for November 20, 2011
Guest speaker: Kevin Dodge
“Foundation for the Inerrancy of the Scriptures” – 2 Timothy 3:16
2 Timothy, according to scholars, is the last thing that Paul wrote. He was in prison in Rome at the time.
2 Timothy 4:9-13
2 Timothy 3:1-5, 8-9
In the context of the inevitable persecutions, reliance on scripture becomes critically more important.
2 Timothy 3:10-17
The reason Timothy can trust the scriptures is that the people in his life who have handed down the scriptures to him are trustworthy.
2 Timothy 1:3
Paul praises the faith of Timothy’s grandmother, Lois, and mother, Eunice.
2 Timothy 3:16
Ultimately, you can trust scripture because all scripture comes from God.
In the same way that the Old Testament scriptures are validated by Paul in the above verses, we can apply the same reasoning to validate the New Testament scriptures as well. You have to start with faith in those who came before us to deliver the scriptures to us.
Throughout the history of the early church, everyone held to the doctrine of the inerrancy of scripture, even the heretics.
Clement of Rome – “You have searched the scriptures, which are true, which were given by the Holy Spirit. You know that nothing unrighteous or counterfeit is written in them.”
Irenaeus – “If, however, we cannot discover explanations of all those things in scripture which are made the subject of investigation, yet let us not on that account seek after any other god besides Him who really exists; for this is the greatest impiety. We should leave the things of that nature to God, who created us, being most properly assured that the scriptures were indeed perfect since they were spoken by the Word of God and His Spirit.”
Tertulian – “What is written cannot but have been.”
Origin – “We must in order to establish the positions which we have laid down adduce (offer as proof) the testimony of the holy scriptures, and this testimony may produce a sure and unhesitating belief either with regard to what we still have to advance or to what has already been stated.”
Hippolitus – “What then? Does the scripture speak falsely? God forbid!”
Cyprian – “For he labors thus because he believes, because he knows that what is foretold by God’s Word is true and that the holy scriptures cannot lie.”
Augustin – “For it seems to me that the most disastrous consequences must follow upon our believing that anything false is found in the sacred books; that is to say that the men by whom the scripture has been given to us and committed to writing did put down anything in these books that was false. It is one question whether it may be at any time the duty of a good man to deceive but it is another question whether it can have been the duty of a writer of holy scripture to deceive. Nay. It is not another question; it is no question at all.”
Anselm – “But remember with what condition I undertook to answer your inquiry visa vie that if I say anything not upheld by greater authority though I appear to demonstrate it, yet it should be received with no further certainty than as my opinion for the present until God makes some clear revelation to me; for I am sure that, if I say anything which plainly opposes the holy scriptures, it is false. And, if I am aware of it, I will no longer hold it.”
