Scripture: When did it Happen?

[Stephen Fox]

http://sbcimpact.org/2011/08/22/when-di ... scripture/

Our conservative brothers are thinking about it at The Impact.

I commented there, about number 19, I think it was.

[Haruo]

[KeithE]

Good poinit wrt to Psalms Haruo.

I often tell those fundamentalists/conservatives who argue the Bible is God's own words, that I take the Bible more straightforwardly than they do. Luke says he is writing an orderly acccount from the oral snippets (for lack of a better word) he has heard - I believe it, not that he was given some history from an extra-worldly agent that he transcribed to text. Isaiah says he has had some visions from God and then goes on to describe those visions - I believe that, instead of saying even his extra vision words (more than 1/2 of the current text) were put into his brain from God (or worse yet dictated to him). Paul often distinquishes teachings from himself and that is from God - I believe he is doing a "footstomp" when he feels the Spirit telling him he is certain of when he says 'this is not from me but from God'. And as Haruo pointed out the psalms themselves are compositions while the compiler/redactor titles are added for the record (I'll add compromises in message is inevitable to make a song sound good).

All of this fits nicely into 2 Tim 3:16 ' All scripture is inspired by God and is profitable' for certain things as easily (perhaps more so) that the dictation theory and/or the claim the result is the 'very words of God' as if it were dictated.

I contend there is a lot that goes on from the point of inspiration, through to putting of those inspired thoughts down on parchment, through the transmission to the autographs that have been found (many years), copying by copyists (often with 'agendas' or 'this must be what they meant to say'), through the collation into sets of writings, to the canonization of some of those collections, to the textual criticisms to back out what the mostly original text was, to the translation into foreign languages, through our imperfect understanding of context, to the appropriations through our truth filters, and to application to our lives. A lot goes on through all of that to the point we need the Holy Spirit to assimulate the meaning for us today.

Paul said "the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life" and he was referring to the Law of Moses quite clearly the 10 Cs (read 2 Cor 3:4-8).

It is not possible to isolate "when did scripture happen" but the most happening, culminating time is when the Spirit leads us through those ancient words. And as Stephen has implied, if we are honest with ourselves, we are sometimes more inspired by present day writers than those 2000-3000 years ago. i.e. The canon is still open.

Don't get me wrong, we uniquely need the Bible to know the teachings of Christ (and that 99% of that is found in the Gospels). But the cry of sola sciptura that we hear from the fundamentalist brothers and sisters leaves us with a footing that is not as sure as they think. And it makes the gospel brittle in my opinion - a brittleness that has driven many away from the church when they see absurdities and contradictions in the supposedly inerrant Bible. It does leave those eager to comdemn with a sledghammer to do so with. For me, I'm with Paul and will trust the Spirit and be inspired by life/teachings of Christ.

[Gene Scarborough]