![\"One](\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/one-word-only.jpg\" "\\"Inspiration")
What would you say if I formed a doctrine based on one hard-to-translate word which is found only one time in the entire Bible?<\/p>\nWhat would you say if I formed a doctrine based on one hard-to-translate word which is found only one time in the entire Bible?<\/p>\n
In other words, what if I formed an entire doctrine not only from just one verse in the Bible, but from one word in that one verse?<\/p>\n
It does\u00a0happen. Though it is more than one word, the Mormon practice of\u00a0\u201cbaptism for the dead\u201d is\u00a0based on one verse out of 1 Corinthians. And we all scoff at them. How could they be so foolish, to believe such thing based on one difficult statement in one verse out of the entire Bible? There are other examples as well, but if\u00a0 you or I tried to invent a doctrine today based from one difficult word from one verse in the entire Bible,\u00a0we would be mocked.\u00a0This is not the proper way\u00a0of doing\u00a0theology.<\/p>\n
Ironically, one of the key doctrines in Christianity is also based from\u00a0one word in one verse in the Bible. This is the doctrine of the Inspiration of Scripture. That\u2019s right. ONE VERSE. And not only that, but\u00a0the\u00a0word in this verse is notoriously difficult to translate. The verse is 2 Timothy 3:16, and we will look at this verse in more detail later. And yes, I am aware that there are other verses which support the doctrine of the Inspiration of Scripture, but the only verse which explicitly mentions “inspiration” is 2 Timothy 3:16 (and I will argue later that even this verse does not mention inspiration).<\/p>\n
So while I understand the logic behind the doctrine, it seems that\u00a0with a theological slight-of-hand we have developed a\u00a0central idea to the entire Christian faith!<\/p>\n
I find that scary. I find it troubling. More than that, I find it suspicious.<\/p>\n
I does not seem that\u00a0the doctrine resulted from a careful analysis of what Scripture says, but rather that\u00a0the doctrine was a result of a need within the early church to have a trump card against those who disagreed with it theologically.<\/p>\n
Look at this another way. Does it not seem that\u00a0if the Doctrine of Inspiration is\u00a0central to our beliefs about the Bible, clear statements\u00a0should be\u00a0more frequent within the Bible than in only one\u00a0hard-to-understand verse? If God had really wanted us to have an authoritative text by which we could defend our beliefs from all those who hold contrary beliefs, it seems He would have written a different sort of book, and would have included more frequent and more clearly stated references to the nature of this book.<\/p>\n
All of this makes me wonder if\u00a0the original framers of the doctrine of the Inspiration of Scripture\u00a0were too hasty in their construction of the doctrine, did not\u00a0lay\u00a0a good\u00a0foundation for what they were trying to accomplish,\u00a0failed to\u00a0understand the ramifications that would result from this doctrine, and ultimately, missed the entire point and purpose of Scripture.<\/p>\n
I believe that by looking at what the authors of Scripture say about Scripture, we can arrive a much better\u00a0position\u00a0— one where we maintain the accuracy and authority of Scripture, but\u00a0in such a way that\u00a0Scripture is not set up as a sacred idol. I’ll explain more in posts to come. For now, does it concern you that the doctrine of Inspiration comes primarily from one word in one verse? Do you disagree? Do you think I am overreacting?<\/p>\n
![\"Is](\"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Bible-Idol.jpg\" "\\"Bible-Idol\\"")
<\/p>\n
One of the key doctrines in Christianity is based off of one word in one verse in the Bible. This is the doctrine of the Inspiration of Scripture.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5950,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[128],"class_list":{"0":"post-5946","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"tag-theology-bible","8":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\n