Introduction
There are very many theories of inspiration. Some of the theories are Bible-inspired. We agree with all Christians that the bible was inspired by God and this is beyond doubt. When you read the bible you will find phrases as God said or the Lord spoke. In the Old Testament, a number of writers have quoted the statement God says or the Lord spoke.
Among the theories of inspiration that are mentioned in the Bible is the dictation theory. The other one is the dynamic theory the other one is the neo-orthodox theory. The dynamic theory holds the view that inspiration is a supernatural act or fact and it is the work of the Lord God not the work of man or any other thing. The dictation theory is the theory where inspiration comes through what one is dictated to do or to follow while a neo-orthodox theory of inspiration is when the scripture is taken on the condition that what is written there actually had occurred. it lays its foundation on the reasons that human beings were actually instructed by God to write the Bible. From the Bible 2Timothy 3: 15 the word inspiration is used.
Dictation
This holds that the human writers merely recorded whatever God dictated to them. God, then spoke the actual words of the Biblical text to the human authors. God alone is responsible for the contents of the Bible. The Bible rejects this because: (i) It does not account for different versions of the same event in the bible, for example, creation narratives in Matthew and Luke; and the beatitudes in Matthew and Luke. These differences are clearly due to the different personalities, styles, and purposes of the biblical authors. (ii) It stresses far too greatly the divine aspect of biblical authorship to the denigration of the human contribution.
A variant – Mantic theory
It states, “The human authors were possessed or taken over by God and wrote under such influence that they were in a sense possessed by divine activity. This too is denied by the church because:
- Violates the free will of the person.
- Belittles; the human author is given no credit for any contribution of his gifts and talents.
- We have no evidence of this from the sacred authors.
- Creates more problems than it solved, e.g. the contradictions inherent in different versions of the same event; and the scientific views expressed in the bible do not stand up to scientific scrutiny of today.
Subsequent approbation/ Negative Assistance
This Negative Assistance theory of inspiration holds that God approved what the human authors wrote after they were finished. This means that human authors alone are responsible for what is in the bible. God played a part in the composition of scripture by way of negative assistance. The assistance given by God was negative in the sense that only errors were prevented. The idea here is that, in a situation where the author is about to make an error, God would intervene to ensure that only the truth is written down. Subsequent approbation or Negative Assistance denies divine authorship of the Bible, which then is not the Word of God. This theory is unacceptable to the Church because it does not allow for God’s active presence in the writing of the bible.
How The Theories Relate To Inerrancy And Infallibility
In the Christian, faith infallibility is a matter of faith and morals of the church. It is administered through teaching and believing and it is protected by mere faith. For example, the Roman Catholics believe and proclaim the doctrine infallibly through the entire body of bishops, the pop, and the teaching of morality. The doctrine is said to be incapable of errors. According to the Bible, it is found in Accts 1:3. The revelation of John about Jesus Christ can be said to be infallible. First, in the modern world, it was defined in the Roman Catholic in 1870 where it is said that the pop is enabled by God to express to the world the matters of faith and morals.
Inerrancy is the view that when everything is known it will demonstrate to the world that the Bible is in its original form and is correctly translated, it does not contain errors or some falsehood. It applies in the Bible entirely from Genesis to revelation. It is believed that the present manuscript of the bible or scripture is inerrant that is it does not contain errors. for example, if there is a verse in the bible which allows more than two translations with conflicting messages the one which does not conflict is adapted.
For the purposes of belief, which is inerrant, the infallible bible is a testimony of the true scripture as God said or spoke. There is an agreement in the world today that the scripture teaches the doctrine of inerrant implicitly not explicitly. From the Bible II Timothy 3:115 which teaches that the scriptures are the true words spoken or said by God is in itself an inspiration (orthodox inspiration). This clearly shows the relationship between the theories of inspiration and the theories of infallibility and inerrancy.
In Deuteronomy 13:1 – 5 & 18 – 22, the prophet distinguished between God’s messages through a massager and prophesies from God and false prophets. They are also found in Matt 5:17 – 20 in the New Testament. The Bible teaches its authority and this requires inherency from human beings. The messages found in this book are said to have been spoken by Jesus Christ this requires total belief and infallibility. In, one of the many speeches Jesus made, he said that the Bile of the scriptures cannot be broken but there are binding. He continued to say that no word of the Bible will fail to be fulfilled. The law authority of the Bible is based on fulfillment. This authority of the Bible can only be justified inaccuracy. From general speaking, something that contains errors cannot be said to have absolute authority.
The bible has shown God’s character as a being that does not lie. Numbers 23:19, Psalm 15:29, Titus 1: 2 & Hebrews 6:18 teach that God cannot lie and if the Bible is God’s word and is the character behind it then it is inerrant and infallible. This is because of God’s character as depicted by the Bible.
Going back to the Old Testament, the writers of all testaments both prophets and other testament writers claimed to have messages from the outside world, which were from a supernatural influence. from the book of Micah, he said that the word came to Micah while Jeremiah has narrated that the hand of the Lord was extended and touched my mouth saying I place my word in your mouth. This is a clear impression of how the people of Israel regarded the scriptures. They regarded them it was inspired by God.
The Bible is unique because it contains different kinds of books and literature written by different kinds of people from farmers to doctors like Luke. This alone creates divine inspiration. The Bible attests to its inspiration from God.
The relationship between inspiration, theories, and the Bible.
The broad fact, therefore, remains certain that no ex-cathedra definition of any pope has ever been seen to the erroneous.
Take for example Mathew 19:8 which states as “And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enters into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If
thou wilt is perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.” This verse refers to the conversation of Jesus Christ and it is recorded as it was said. As it is I can be said to be inerrant which is characteristic of the bible.
A few brief remarks under this head will serve to make the Catholic conception of ecclesiastical infallibility still clearer. Three organs have been mentioned.
The bishop dispersed throughout the world in union with the Holy See; ecumenical councils under the headship of the pope; and the pope himself separately.
Through the first of these is exercised what theologians describe as the ordinaries magisterial, i.e. the common or everyday teaching authority of the church through the second and third magisterium solemn, or undeniable definitive authority. Practically speaking at the present day, and for many centuries in the past, only the decisions of ecumenical councils and the ex-cathedra teaching of the pope have been treated as strictly definitive in the canonical sense, and the function of the magisterium ordinarium has been concerned with the effective promulgation and maintenance of what has been formally defined by the magisterial solemn or maybe legitimately deduced from its definitions.
Even the ordinary managerial is not independent of the pope. In other words, it is only bishops who are in corporate union with the pope. The divinely constituted head and center of Christ’s mystical body. The one true church, who has any claim to share in the Christ by which the infallibility of their morally unanimous teaching is divine, guaranteed according to the terms of chrisms promises.
References
Warfield B.B.; (1951); The Inspiration and Authority of The Bible. London: Marshall, Morgan & Scott.
Warfield B.B., (1987) “Inspiration,” G.W. Bromiley, gen. ed., International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, revised, Vol.2. ed, Eerdmans, Michigan.
Pinnock (1985); The Scripture Principle. London: Hodder & Stoughton.
Henry C.F (1979), “The Authority and Inspiration of The Bible,” F.E. Gaebelein, gen. ed., The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 1. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan), 13.