Section 4: The Infallible Rule

Written by Bill Peterson.

inspired bible study series

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THE SCRIPTURES INSPIRED

The Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative, rule of faith and conduct

1 Thess. 2:13 - And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.

2 Tim. 3:15–17 - and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Pet. 1:21 - For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

SECTION 4: The Infallible Rule (Trust)

What’s the big idea: The Bible is incapable of error and therefore not capable of misleading, deceiving, or disappointing us.

Why does it matter: We can have confidence that that what we read in the Bible will never lead us away from God.

How do I live it out: Need to use God’s Word as the first and final truth for every aspect of our lives.

Alleged discrepancies and found they arose from several causes:

The text from which our English Bible was translated.

  • Example: John 5:4 (use Youversion Bible app)

Inaccurate translations.

  • Example: Matthew 12:40

False interpretations of the Bible.

  • Example: Does Genesis 1 contain all scientific truth

A wrong conception of the Bible.

  • Example: Notice who is talking
  • So in studying our Bible, if God is the speaker we must believe what He says. If an inspired man is the speaker we must believe what he says. If an uninspired man is the speaker we must judge for ourselves—it is perhaps true, perhaps false. If it is the devil who is speaking, we do well to remember that he was a liar from the beginning; but even the devil may tell the truth sometimes.

The language in which the Bible was written.

  • Would someone 50 years from now understand text message language?

Our defective knowledge of the history, geography and usages of Bible times.

The ignorance of conditions under which books were written and commands given.

  • What was the culture like?  Example: extermination of the Canaanites

The many-sidedness of the Bible.

  • Example: Free Will or Predestination

The fact that the Bible has to do with the infinite, and our minds are finite.

  • Example: Can you put the entire ocean into a cup?

The dullness of our spiritual perception.

As we look back over the ten classes of difficulties, we see they all arise from our imperfection, and not from the imperfection of the Bible.

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