OBJECTIVES

1) To comprehend the correct concept of Biblical

Inspiration as compared to some erroneous
understanding.
2) To pin point some contradiction, inconsistencies and
scientific errors found in Scripture.
3) To name the list of books found in the Jewish
Scripture and Christian Bible.
 INTRODUCTION
The number # 1 Best Seller Book of all time…
According to
Guinness
World Records,
the BIBLE is
the best-selling
book of all time
with over 5
billion copies
sold and
distributed.
CONTENT?
APPROACH?
a) some equate the Bible
as a book of morals and
sermons for the clergy
b) others turn to the
Bible hoping to find
wisdom and guidance
c) some readers who
simply find the Bible as
an ordinary literature,
although an ancient one
The
first step in
understanding
God and his
revelation in
history is by
turning to
the Bible.
 BIBLE

ta biblia (Greek)
“the books”
BIBLE
“a written expression of God’s
revelation” to Humans as it was
manifested in the life and history
of Israel, God’s chosen people.
 BIBLE
- a “collection or a library rather
than a single literary composition”.
- numerous writers in different
contexts with corresponding
purposes
BIBLE

All books = Word of God

Major topics and concerns

I. Divine inspiration
II. biblical inerrancy
III. canonicity
Divine inspiration
i. Divine inspiration
- special influence of the Holy Spirit
on the writers of Sacred Scripture
- God himself - principal author
- sacred writer - subordinate author
i. Divine inspiration

God works
– in harmony with the person's nature
– with no coercion to the free, natural
activity of his or her human faculties.
i. Divine inspiration

Meaning and manner of

the bible as truly the
word of god?
 i. Divine inspiration
“…the holy mother Church, relying on the belief of the
Apostles, holds that the books of both the Old and New
Testaments in their entirety, with all their parts,
are sacred and canonical because
under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
they have God as their author and have been handed on as such
to the Church herself.” (Dei Verbum)
i. Divine inspiration

The BIBLE as the

“Word of God
in the words of men”
RECIPROCAL PROCESS
i. Divine inspiration
1. by enlightening
their mind so
How did god that the sacred
inspire the authors
understood
human correctly what
authors? they are to
write
i. Divine inspiration
2. by moving their
will so that the
How did god sacred authors
inspire the write what God
has conceived
human and judged as His
authors? message
i. Divine inspiration
3. by aiding the
faculties used in
How did god actual writing so
that the authors’
inspire the choice of words
and expression are
human preserved from
authors? error or
deviations
i. Divine inspiration
1. Divine
Erroneous Dictation
2. Negative
understanding Assistance
3. Subsequent
Approval
i. Divine inspiration
Divine the Holy Spirit
“dictated” on the
dictation human authors
the content and
the manner of
writing the Bible.
i. Divine inspiration
Authors – reduced
Divine as stenographers &
dictation recorders, devoid
of any room for human
freedom and creativity

God completely
took over
i. Divine inspiration
The BIBLE has:
• rich variety of stories

Divine and uniqueness of human

experiences,
• diversity of contexts and
dictation circumstances,
critique • multiplicity of mindsets
and perspectives
i. Divine inspiration
Examples:
Divine • 2 Versions of
Creation story
dictation • 4 Gospels
critique
i. Divine inspiration
“the Holy Spirit
acts upon a
Negative human author in
assistance such a way as to
preserve him
from error.”
i. Divine inspiration
“inspiration” is
Negative understood as
divine
assistance assistance for
avoiding
errors – J. Jahn
1. Divine inspiration
From beginning to
end, God prompted
Negative men to write the
Bible, guided them,
assistance and sustained their
effort and
critique creativity to the
very end.
i. Divine inspiration
“inspiration took
the form of the
Subsequent church’s
approval of the
approval work at the time
of its
canonization.”
i. Divine inspiration
“the BIBLE ONLY
BECOME THE WORD
Subsequent OF GOD AFTER IT
WAS DECLARED BY
approval THE CHURCH AS
INSPIRED.”
i. Divine inspiration
The bible is sacred
and canonical
because it has god as
Subsequent its author & has
approval been delivered by
the Church as such
critique to the church
herself” – Vatican 1
i. Divine inspiration
• The Holy Spirit was
already operative in and
Subsequent through the appointed
human authors even
approval before the church
affirmed and declared
critique the inspired canon.
i. Divine inspiration
1. Divine
Erroneous Dictation
2. Negative
understanding Assistance
3. Subsequent
Approval
Biblical inerrancy
ii. Biblical inerrancy

most debated effect of

inspiration
ii. Biblical inerrancy

If the Bible is truly the Word of

God, would it be truthful to
claim that the Bible contains
no error?
ii. Biblical inerrancy

“the belief that the Scripture is

trustworthy, untainted by
anything false, erroneous, or
deceptive.”
ii. Biblical inerrancy

God – primary author

Perfect Biblical Necessarily

truth claims true
ii. Biblical inerrancy
advancement
of the natural
sciences Inerrancy
critical doctrine
studies of
the Bible
ii. Biblical inerrancy
errors found:
1. biblical self-
contradictions
2. errors in natural
Cracked
science Inerrancy
3. moral errors doctrine
4. mistaken references
or citations
ii. Biblical inerrancy

Noah’s flood Biblical

Gen 7: 17 – 40 days
Gen 7:24 – 150 days self-
contradiction
ii. Biblical inerrancy
creation of
the world errors
in natural
Genesis 1-2
“unbelievable” science
ii. Biblical inerrancy
psalm 93:1 / 96:10
“immovable world”
errors
in natural
science
ii. Biblical inerrancy

“Herem”
total annihilation Moral
of the enemy errors
1 Samuel 15
ii. Biblical inerrancy
Mark 2:26
Ahimelech Not
Abiathar mistaken
1 Samuel: 1-8 references
“how he (David) went into or citations
the house of god, under the
high priest Abiathar…”
ii. Biblical inerrancy
Matthew 27:9
Zechariah (11:12-13)
Not Jeremiah mistaken
“Then what was spoken
references
by the prophet Jeremiah or citations
was fulfilled…”
ii. Biblical inerrancy
errors found:
1. biblical self-
contradictions
2. errors in natural
Cracked
science Inerrancy
3. moral errors doctrine
4. mistaken references
or citations
ii. Biblical inerrancy
1. Literary Genre
2. The Bible is inspired,
and therefore Solutions
inerrant, in its to the
original form errors
3. The meaning of
historical truth
ii. Biblical inerrancy
4.Read an ancient
work in its time,
not in ours Solutions
5. The purpose of to the
the Bible as a errors
book of salvation
ii. Biblical inerrancy
1. Literary Genre
“Some texts are
taken as erroneous Solutions
because they are to the
not read as their errors
genre should be
read”
ii. Biblical inerrancy
1. Literary Genre

Midrash Solutions
to the
STORY OF
errors
“Jonah”
ii. Biblical inerrancy
Jonah inside the WHALE
It is against
scientific data Solutions
that Jonah
could stay for to the
3 days in the
belly of a errors
whale and still
survive.
“MIDRASH”
ii. Biblical inerrancy
2. The Bible is inspired, and
therefore inerrant, in
its original form
“the guarantee of
Solutions
inerrancy to the
is not applied to the errors
copiers and translators
of the Sacred Texts.”
ii. Biblical inerrancy
3. The meaning of historical
truth
TODAY:
TRUTH = FACTS / EXACT HISTORY Solutions
ANCIENT TIMES: to the
People were not so much
concerned with exact errors
history as with true
history
ii. Biblical inerrancy
3. The meaning of
historical truth
ANCIENT TIMES: Solutions
to the
MEANING vs errors
raw data
ii. Biblical inerrancy
4. Read an ancient work
in its time, not in ours
MODE WRITING Solutions
• Communicate = common
level of understanding
to the
• figures of speech and the errors
scientific knowledge
proper to them
ii. Biblical inerrancy
4. Read an ancient work
in its time, not in ours
MODE of WRITING Solutions
• to answer their to the
questions and write
errors
their concerns
• unscientific to us
 II. BIBLICAL INERRANCY
4) Read an ancient work in its time, not in ours

Isaiah wrote to the

Paul had the Christians of Corinth in mind when he
people of his era.
wrote to them, not us.
ii. Biblical inerrancy
4. Read an ancient work
in its time, not in ours
EXAMPLE: Solutions
-FLAT WORLD to the
-ANCIENT COSMOLOGY errors
 ii. BIBLICAL INERRANCY
4) Read an ancient work in its time, not in ours
Example: Ancient Hebrew Cosmology
When we discover that
the ancient peoples saw
the whole world as a flat
surface with a disc
above it acting as a
stopper for the water
above, then we will not
fault the ancient writer
of the book of Genesis
for his simplistic,
“unscientific” view of
the world.
 ii. Biblical inerrancy
5. The purpose of the Bible as
a book of salvation

THE BOOK IS TRUE IF IT Solutions

ACHIEVE its purpose. to the
BIBLE – to communicate errors
salvific truths, that is, truths
that lead to salvation
 ii. Biblical inerrancy
5. The purpose of the Bible as
a book of salvation

BIBLE – communicate
salvific truths (salvation)
Solutions
In this regard, the bible is without
to the
error. All elements related to salvific errors
truth are guaranteed to be inerrant,
specially matters dealing with faith
and morals.
ii. Biblical inerrancy
5. The purpose of the Bible
as a book of salvation
Faith- testimony:
writers share their FAITH- Solutions
EXPERIENCES of GOD’S to the
PRESENCE & LOVING errors
INTERVENTION at work in
history
ii. Biblical inerrancy
“the authors of the Bible did not intend
to hand down a scientific treatise of
the universe or a comprehensive
history textbook. Instead, it calls on
people to accept the Bible as essentially
a faith-testimony.”
FAITH-TESTIMONY
Bible
writers’ perspective of faith
to share their faith-
experiences of god
at work w/in the flow of time
& history
w/in the context of human
concerns & affairs
FAITH-TESTIMONY

divine
wisdom

BIBLE
canonicity
 iii. canonicity
-
- measuring stick/rod
“a measure, a rule,
norm or standard “qaneh”
(of excellence)” hebrew
iii. canonicity

list of
inspired
books
 iii. canonicity

Christian Old & new

Vs
Jewish Old only
 iii. canonicity
Reasons for
Christian differences
Vs Historical
Jewish Theological
 iii. canonicity

Reasons for
differences
Christian
Vs
Jewish
iii. canonicity Tanak

TORAH KETHUVIM
NEVI’IM
iii. canonicity Tanak
TORAH
- Law
- “instruction” or
“teaching”
- rule of life
iii. canonicity Tanak
TORAH
- Pentateuch
(5 books of moses)
1. Genesis 4. Numbers
2. Exodus 5. Deuteronomy
3. Leviticus
iii. canonicity Tanak
TORAH
A) Creation accounts and the Patriarch
b) the establishment of the chosen people of
God which started from the calling of
Abraham
c) the gradual fulfillment of God’s Promises:
Prosperity or Descendants, Property,
especially the Promised Land, and Protection
iii. canonicity Tanak
TORAH
d) the liberation of the Hebrews
from Egypt led by Moses and
their wandering in the desert,
e) and finally, their approach in
the promise land
iii. canonicity Tanak
Nevi’im
- persons and messengers
who communicate the
word of God
iii. canonicity Tanak
Nevi’im
dabar YHWH
(Hebrew)
iii. canonicity Tanak
Nevi’im
Role of the prophets:
a) giving warnings and
condemnations for their sins
and violations committed,
iii. canonicity Tanak
Nevi’im
Role of the prophets:
b) pronouncing judgement and
punishment for their
infidelities, and in other
occasions
iii. canonicity Tanak
Nevi’im
Role of the prophets:
c) declaration of blessing and
restoration through divine
forgiveness and compassion
iii. canonicity Tanak
Nevi’im
PROPHETS followed God’s
calling:
• Persecuted
• Rejected
• condemned
iii. canonicity Tanak
Nevi’im
• narrative starts with the succession of
Joshua,
• the conquest of and settlement in the
promised land
• the established of monarchy
• The unification of the twelve tribes of
Israel
• and their eventual schism
iii. canonicity Tanak
Nevi’im
SCHISM – Northern kingdom’s
protest against:
• forced labor
• heavy taxation demanded by
King Solomon of Judah
iii. canonicity Tanak
Nevi’im
● Two kingdoms maintained their own
separate lineage of KINGS and RULERS
● received words of warning from the
prophets to refrain from alliances with
pagan rulers and submission to pagan
worship to be spared from punishment
iii. canonicity Tanak
Nevi’im
Assyria - Conquered Israel
Babylon - Conquered judah

Wrath of god
iii. canonicity Tanak
kethuvim
- Wisdom books
- collection of writings
and literary works
iii. canonicity Tanak
kethuvim
- way of life guided by righteousness
and wisdom
- maxims or short sayings, like the
Proverbs, on how to order one’s life
according to God’s commandments and
to relate with one another.
iii. canonicity Hebrew canon
DIVISION BOOKS INCLUDED NO. OF BOOKS

TORAH Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,

5
(Pentateuch) Deuteronomy

Early Prophets:
Joshua, Judges, I and II Samuel, I and II Kings 6
NEVI’IM Latter Prophets:
(Prophets) Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Amos, Micah, 15
Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk,
Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Ruth, Song of Solomon,

KETHUVIM
Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, Esther, Daniel, 13
(Writings)
Ezra-Nehemiah, I and II Chronicles
iii. canonicity Catholic v s protestant

Palestinian
Alexandrian
Difference??? Tobit, Judith, Wisdom,
7 Deutero-canonical Sirach, Baruch,
books & 1 and 2 Maccabees.
iii. canonicity protestant

Theology:
- Sola scriptura
- Sola fidei
- Sola gratia
iii. canonicity protestant Sola fidei

“The one who

is righteous
by faith will
live.”
-romans 1:17
iii. canonicity protestant Sola GRATIA

Human nature is
naturally evil
that’s why ONE
needs Christ to
cover his/HER
sinfulness.
iii. canonicity protestant Rejected
2nd Maccabees 12:38-46
- Prayers for the dead

Almost rejected
Hebrews, James, 2 peter, 2 &
3 john, jude, & revelation
- Emphasis on deeds & love
 Rejected
iii. canonicity protestant 2nd Maccabees 12:38-46
Prayers for the dead
“Judas rallied his army & went to the city of
Adullam… they purified themselves according to
custom & kept the Sabbath there. On the
following day… Judas and his men went to gather
up the bodies of the slain & bury them with their
kinsmen in their ancestral tombs. But under the
tunic of each of the dead they found amulets
sacred to the idols of Jamnia, which the law
forbids the Jews to wear. So it was clear… why
these men had been slain… Turning to
supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed
might be fully blotted out.
iii. canonicity Criteria: NT
a) apostolic origin
b) coherence with the
essential Gospel message
c) constant use in the
Church’s liturgy
Divine communication
Universal
truths

salvation
Human
authors
Lasting
wisdom
BIBLE
 relevance

god’s
love
BIBLE salvation