Round the Sphere Again: Questions About Scripture

What’s the difference between inerrancy and infallibility?
”Infallibility addresses possibility—inerrancy addresses fact.” 

In fact, infallibility is a much stronger term than inerrancy in many respects. To say that the Bible is infallible is not simply to say that it is free from error, but that it is incapable of erring.

(Aaron Armstrong at Blogging Theologically).

What do we mean when we say the Bible is inspired?
”Inspiration addresses the method of transmission” (Aaron Armstrong at Blogging Theologically).

God guided the human authors of Scripture—“carried them along by the Holy Spirit,” as Peter wrote—using their unique perspectives, writing styles and experiences to record the exact message He desired to be expressed to humanity.

“God causes His message to enter into a man’s mind … so that the man may then faithfully relay the message to others” (J. I. Packer quoted by Justin Taylor).

God so controlled the process of communication to and through His servants that, in the last analysis, He is the source and speaker….

What inspiration doesn’t mean is this: “For God knows under just what circumstances Paul would, for example, freely write his letter to the Romans. By creating Paul in those circumstances, God can bring it about that Romans is just the message He wants to convey to us” (William Lane Craig at Reasonable Faith).

If this is the way inspiration works, then (I kid you not; Craig really does say this!)

[t]he essential difference [between the writings of Christopher Hitchens and the writing of Paul in Romans] lies not in the mode of God’s action. … Rather the essential difference lies in God’s attitude toward what is written.”  

God signs off, according to Craig, on Romans, but he doesn’t endorse what Christopher Hitchens writes.

That’s hardly a view of inspiration that’s derived from scripture, which tells us that scripture is produced by men who “spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21). Or, in other words, scripture is breathed out by God (2 Timothy 3:16) and that’s what makes it different from other writings.

I don’t think this almost “hands off” (in the sense of not needing direct control) view of inspiration is required by Molinism, either. I’m guessing that it is WLC’s personal view and that it comes from his extreme commitment to libertarian free will, which makes him shrink from using the same words regarding the method by which scripture came into being that scripture itself uses.

Notice that, although he says that the essential difference between scripture and other writings is God’s attitude toward them, he also writes that he is

entirely open to the idea that the circumstances surrounding Paul’s freely writing Romans may have included certain promptings of the Holy Spirit absent from Hitchens’ circumstances.

Even here, he uses the word “promptings” in regards to the role of the Holy Spirit rather than the stronger “carried along” used in Scripture. “Promptings” are little nudges in the right direction; “carried along” takes you there.

Theological Term of the Week

Second Helvetic Confession
The “Reformation statement of faith written by Heinrich Bullinger in 1562, which became popular in many Reformed congregations in geographical areas such as Switzerland, Scotland, and France.”1

• From the Second Helvetic Confession: 

  CHAPTER I
  
  Of The Holy Scripture Being The True Word of God
  
  

  CANONICAL SCRIPTURE. We believe and confess the canonical Scriptures of the holy prophets and apostles of both Testaments to be the true Word of God, and to have sufficient authority of themselves, not of men. For God himself spoke to the fathers, prophets, apostles, and still speaks to us through the Holy Scriptures.

  And in this Holy Scripture, the universal Church of Christ has the most complete exposition of all that pertains to a saving faith, and also to the framing of a life acceptable to God; and in this respect it is expressly commanded by God that nothing be either added to or taken from the same.

  SCRIPTURE TEACHES FULLY ALL GODLINESS. We judge, therefore, that from these Scriptures are to be derived true wisdom and godliness, the reformation and government of churches; as also instruction in all duties of piety; and, to be short, the confirmation of doctrines, and the rejection of all errors, moreover, all exhortations according to that word of the apostle, “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof,” etc. (II Timothy 3:16-17). Again, “I am writing these instructions to you,” says the apostle to Timothy, “So that you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God,” etc. (I Timothy 3:14-15). 

  SCRIPTURE IS THE WORD OF GOD. Again, the selfsame apostle to the Thessalonians: “When,” says he, “You received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it, not as the word of men but as what it really is, the Word of God,” etc. (I Thess. 2:13) For the Lord himself has said in the gospel, “It is not you who speak, but the Spirit of my Father speaking through you”; therefore “He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me” (Matt. 10:20; Luke 10:16; John 13:20)

• From Reformed Confessions Harmonized edited by Joel R. Beeke and Sinclair B. Ferguson:

The Second Helvetic Confession … began life in the form of a personal confession and testimony written by Heinrich Bullinger in 1562. In 1564, during the plague which Bullinger contracted when it ravaged Zurich, he revised his earlier work in anticipation of his death. Although his wife and three daughters died, Bullinger survived. Asked by Frederick III, Elector of the Palatinate, to provide an exposition of the Reformed faith, Bullinger provided him with a copy of his work. Frederick had it translated into German before his appearance to defend himself against Lutheran criticism at the Imperial Diet of 1566. …

The Second Helvetic Confession is in fact a compact manual of Reformed theology, containing thirty chapters and extending to some twenty thousand words. … Beginning with Scripture it moves through the loci of systematic theology, striking characteristic Reformed and Calvinian notes: the preaching of the Word of God is the word of God (ch. 1); Christ is the mirror in which we are to contemplate our election (ch. 10); providence and predestination are given separate treatments; the body and blood of Christ are received not carnally but spiritually, that is by the Holy Spirit. But practical religious issues are also of major concern; prayer and singing, the question of holy days, catechizing, visitation of the sick, and burial of the dead are discussed (chs. 23—26) as well as issues surrounding marriage and celibacy and the role of the magistrate (chs. 29—30). 

The Second Helvetic Confession was thus a mature statement of Reformed theology for the second half of the sixteenth century. Well-received internationally, it was translated into Dutch, English, Polish, Italian, Magyar, Turkish, and Arabic. It stands as a worthy testimony to the labors and faith of Heinrich Bullinger.

Learn more:

1. Christian Classics Ethereal Library: The Second Helvetic Confession
2. Philip Schaff: Notes on the Second Helvetic Confession
3. Believe Religious Information Source: The Second Helvetic Confession of Faith

Related terms:

• Belgic Confession
• Heidelberg Catechism
• Canons of Dort 
• Westminster Confession 
• London Baptist Confession

Filed under Creeds and Confessions.

1From The Christian Faith by Michael Horton.

Do you have a term you’d like to see featured here as a Theological Term of the Week? If you email it to me, I’ll seriously consider using it, giving you credit for the suggestion and linking back to your blog when I do.

Clicking on the Theological Term graphic at the top of this post will take you to a list of all the previous theological terms in alphabetical order.

Status Report: December

Sitting…at the table that serves as my desk. It’s facing a window that looks out onto the front yard and street so I can watch the world go by as I work.

Seeing…that there isn’t much world going by this morning. Yesterday afternoon and evening brought 11 inches of snow in my subdivision and things out there seem pretty slow.

Decorating…nothing yet. My youngest son usually helps me with the Christmas and he’s not had time for it yet. Maybe I should just go ahead and do it myself. It would save the arguing we do over whether the Christmas decorating should be tastefully restrained and beautiful, or gaudy and over-the-top, with a tacky display in every inch of the house. (Don’t worry, it won’t hurt son’s feelings that I wrote this. “Gaudy and over-the-top is what Christmas is all about,” says he.)

Listening…to the Dividing Line live. I’m multitasking, something I’m not very good at, so excuse any typos, please.

Wondering…if multitasking should have a hyphen. 

Looking…it up.

Finding…that I spelled it right. Woohoo for me.

Reading…Eighteen Words by J. I. Packer (This is the book I have tucked in my purse to read in the grocery line-up, while I wait for appointments, and while Natalie is sleeping when I am babysitting her.); The World-Tilting Gospel by Dan Phillips (Just started this one, and have only just finished the first chapter); and O Love That Will Not Let Me Go by Nancy Guthrie, a collection of essays by various authors on the subject of facing death.

Thinking…that I’m not going to finish reading The Cross of Christ by John Stott. While the first 2/3 of the book was excellent, the last chapters were getting a little weird. Some of Stott’s stranger views seem to be making an appearance and I’m just not interested in finishing, so I won’t.

Feeling…energetic for the first time in a while. I had a difficult fall for many reasons, but things are returning to normal. A big hooray for that.

Anticipating…Christmas with grandbaby. And thanks to Carla, we will celebrate with a new ornament.

See all of Carla’s custom ornaments here.

Walking…nowhere with no one until it warms up, and when the dogs and I do go walking it will be more a trudge than a walk. For me, that is. Like Tigger, dogs think new snow is for bouncing. 

Wishing…it would warm up again.