Purpose of the Course THEOLOGY 403 BIBLIOLOGY
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THEOLOGY 403 BIBLIOLOGY AND DISPENSATIONS Purpose of the Course This course was introduced in order to meet the need for more time and emphasis on two crucial areas of theology. Since the Bible is the basis and heart of the curriculum, it is imp:,rtant to present evidences fbr our belief that it is the inerrant Word of God. That conviction will giveI proper perspective to all of your seminary studies. We also believe that the only way the Bible can be understood plainly and consistently is by understanding the concept of progressive revelation. Only by recognizing the different economies of God can biblical truth be understood correctly. Therefore in the course you will interact with the biblical evidence con cerning inspiration and inerrancy; sharpen your understanding of the im portance of inerrancy; compare some of the contemp:,rary aberrations·, and their ramifications; measure the importance of the dispensational inter pretation of·scripture; compare other theological frameworks; and be able to interpret critical scriptures. Requirements 1. Read the assigned texts (Pache, chapters 1-19, and Ryrie) in the sequence outlined. 2. Quizzes or exams about 30-45 minutes in length approximately every three weeks. 3. Several short reading assignments and papers as indicated in the calendar. 4. A questionnaire on Pache (not exhaustive) is included for your personal use. Bibliography See attached on inerrancy and see back of Dispensationalism Today. Inspiration and Inerrancy Boice, James, ed. The Found.a tion of Biblical Authority. Zondervan, 19 718. CUster, Stewart. Does Inspiration Demand Inerrancy? Craig Press, 1968.; Gaussen. Theopneustia. Bible Institute Colportage, N.D. Geisler, Norman and William Nix. General Introduction to the Bible. Mo~dy, 1968. Geisler, Norman, ed. Inerrancy. Zondervan, 1979 (fall). Gerstner, John. An Inerrancy Primer. Baker, 1965. Harris, Laird. Inspiration and Canonicity. Zondervan, 1957. Henry, Carl. God, Revelation and Authority. Word Books, 1976. Henry, Carl, ed. Revelation and the Bible. Baker Book House, 1976. Lightner, Robert. The Savior and the Scriptures. Baker Book House, 1966. Lindsell, Harold. The Battle for the Bible. Zondervan, 1976. -~~~l>t,,. (bl~~ Montgomery, John. Crisis in Lutheran ·meology, Vols. I & II. Bethany Fellow- ship, 1973. Montgomery, John, ed. God's Inerrant Word. Bethany Fellowship, 1974. Morris, Leon. I Believe in Revelation. Eerdmans, 1976. '--" Nicholas, David. Foundations of Biblical Inerrancy. BMH Books, 1978. Pache, Rene. The Inspiration and Authority of Scripture. Moody, 1969. Packer, James. "Fundamentalism" and the Word of God. Eerdmans, 1977. Pink, Arthur. The Doctrine of Revelation. Baker Book House, 1975. Pinnock, Clark. A Defense of Biblical Infallibility. Presbyterian and Reformed, 1967. Biblical Revelation. Moody, 1971. Saucy, Robert L;·, The B•ible:B·re·athe'd from G·od. Regal, 1978.- .t;chaeffer, Francis. No Final Conflict. Intervarsity, 1975. Stonehouse, N. B. and Paul Wooley, eds. The Infallible Word. Eerdmans, 1946. Tenney, Merrill, ed. The Word for This Century. Oxford University Press, 1960. Van Til, Cornelius. The Protestant Doctrine of Scripture. denDulk Christian Foundation, 1967. Walvoord, JohnrJ. Inspiration and Interpretation. Eerdmans, 1957. ) Warfield, Benjamin. Limited Inspiration. Baker Book House, N.D. The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible. Presbyterian and Reformed, 1964. ~ · Wenham, John. Christ and the Bible. InterVarsity, 1972. Young, Edward. Thy Word is Truth: Some Thoughts on the Biblical Doctrine of Inspiration. Eerdmans, 1957. ~ ~ Calendar and Assignments Date Subject Assignment 9/6 The Doctrine of Revelation P 1 (=Pache, chapter 1) 9/11 Meaning categories General revelation Special revelation 9/13 The Doctrine of Inspiration P 2-5 Data involved Ii Definition 9/20 Theories of inspiration p 6 9/25 Quiz 9/27 Evidences for inspiration P 9-10 A I.' "' ' g;u, k.<J,.fl,, l,..(J.. tltlJ. /--,-rt,, ~ ti,,-- I 10/2 The Doctrine of Inerrancy ~P""l ~ ~ P 13 ' 10/4 The contemporary scene ~w-M P 20 10/9 10/11 10/16 Quiz 10/18 Difficulties in the Bible ~~ P 14 and 1 page write up on 2 "t lfY\. 0..... one particular problem with solution. 10/23 The Doctrine of Canonicity P 15 10/25 Interpretation and Illumination P 11, 17 ~-,, 10/30 ~troduction to Dispensationalism R 1 (= Ryrie, chapter 1) ~\ ~ Importance Begin reading Scofield, Rightly Attacks Dividing the Word of Truth which will be due on quiz on 11/Jr/3 11/1 The Concepts Involved in Dispen R 2 sationalism Use of the word Some definitions Relation to progressive revelation 11/6 The Dispensations R 3 Critique The Bible Map 11/8 Covenant Theology R 9 11/13 Quiz History of Dispensationalism R 4 11/15 Hermeneutics including NT use of OT R 5 and 1 page paper giving an example of the inconsistency of a non-dispensational ihterpre- tation. ' 11/20 Salvation in Dispensationalism R 6 and 1 page paper exegeting 11/27 one of the problem pas,~ages. 11/29 The Doctrine of the Church R 7 12/4 " and Quiz 12/6 Dispensationalism and Eschatology R 8 12/11 Ultradispensationalism R 10 12/13 Review and Quiz Questions on Pache, The Inspiration and Authority of Scripture '--1 1. In what specific areas is the revelation of God in nature insufficient? 2. What is Pache's answer to the question, Can a heathen who has received only the revelations of nature and conscience come to salvation? 3. List the principal stages of revelation since the fall. 4. Explain the analogy between the 2 natures of Christ and the Bible. 1 I 5. How do 4 English translations translate the first phrase of 2 Timothy 3:16? 6. How much of their messages did the writers of the 0.T. comprehend them selves? 7. How do you answer the charge that we believe in mechanical dictation? 8. List some of the scriptures Pache uses to support verbal inspiration. 9. What is the importance of 2 Peter 3:15-16 to the doctrine of inspiration? 10. How many quotations of and how many allusions to the 0.T. are there in the N.T.? 11. How many citations from the 0.T. Apocrypha are there in the N.T.? 12. What is the Septuagint? 13. Why does progressive revelation not undezmine the immutability of God? 14. Define inerrancy. 15. What does 2 Peter 1:21 contribute to the doctrine of inerrancy? 16. Since we do not have the autographs, of what practical importance is inerrancy? 17. Where did Cain get his wife? 18. Show from Scripture that "3 days and 3 nights" does not have to mean 72 hours. 19. In your own words, write a possible harmonization of either the accounts of the blind man at Jericho or the accounts of Judas' death. 20. Contrast illumination with illuminism. THE DOCTRI NE OF REVELATION Intro: purpose of these lectures ls to think thru the process by which the thot of God gets to man today, esp. thru Bible. Thot-rev-lnsplr-preservation-lnterp. The Meaning of Revelation ✓~ (~.t11 dfr.~1-1. ._j, vri,..,r' ., µ,"• A. The Word. Uncover, unveil. Usual def: God m~ing known what otherwise unknown. Acts 27:8:don•t need rev. to know geographical facts. Death of Herod,Acts 12:23. B. The Usages. 11 1. Mystical e xperience. Dixon ~ · '/ 0MJ! · nwio 2. Leading of the Lord, Gal. 2: 2 1p >w,, 3. Illuminatlon--understandlng of Scripture, 1 Cor. 2:10 fh- 4. Ordinary conversation, Prov. 11: 13 1"· 5. Particular parts of Bible, Dan. 2: 10. The Rev. (-:'"\i-t. /; fl 6. All of Bl bl e 1 nsense of makl ng God known, or God making known.• Concl: rev ls the sum total of the ways in which God makes Himself known. II. The Categories of Revelation A. Few use prelapsarian vs. postlapsarlan or soterlc. B. Most use general and special rev. Both are (1) from God and (2) about God. ~ A._ - : ~ ... III. General Revelation ~ t,..,,,,...,.,.,;.... A. Characteristics. 'i.rfi,,.;r' - --.,v1-., aM ....... , ,Jj ~ 1. General in scope--to all people ~~- 2. General in mode--Ps 19:4 no voice ls heard. ~~ - --;1t..,....... vs /it-fh(.. B. Examples a.~ 1. Creation: glory of God, Ps 19; power, Rom 1:20. - C,,,.,..J-..,_ 2. Organization: goodness of God, Acts 14:17; Matt 6:26-30; Col. 1:17 y :'l 3. Man: personality of God, Acts 17:28-29 Rationality f1 11 4. Morality: moral nature of God, Rom 2:14-15. "inner moral dialogue" c. Value. /cormnon grace 1. Evidence of continuing grace of God throughout history giving men some ethicalsense 2. Lend weight to case for theism, not God of Bible. 1 Cor 1:21 3. Condemns man if rejected, Rom 1. Illus of rejecting little money. IV. Special Revelation ( A. Means or Avenues 1. The lot, Prov. 16:33; Acts 1:21-26. We don't regard it highly, but it did serve. 2. The Urim and Thummim, Ex 28:39';°7 used to ascertain divine will, Num 27:21; Deut 33:8; 1 Sam 28:6; Ezra 2:63. 3. Dreams. a. When? many times in past and also in future, Gen 20,31,40, 411 Joel 2:28 b. Redeemed and not alike, Gen 20:3; 31:24, Pharaoh, butler, baker. Ordinary experience used in extraordinary service; thus psychological analysis not germane. When God uses, it is a dependable means of spec rev. 4. Visions. Emphasis on what is heard (dream on what is seen), Ps 89:19, and human agent more active (doesn't have to be asleep). Isa 1:1; 6:1; Ezek 1:3. 5. Theophanies Angel of Lord. Vision of God (Moses, Ex 33; Isa, 6; Ezek l; Dan, 7; ) 6. Angels. Lk 2:11 ; many times in Rev. Very frequent means of rev.