Divinely Inspired or Not?
Divinely Inspired or Not?
In looking at the question of whether or not the Bible is divinely inspired, the author Marcus Borg provides an interesting point of view that appears to be more and more openly accepted in the United Methodist Church* today.
- "I see the Bible as a human response to God. Rather than seeing God as scripture's ultimate author, I see the Bible as the response of these two ancient communities (Ancient Israel / Early Christian Movements) to their experience of God. As such, it contains their stories of God, their perceptions of God's character and will, their prayers to and praise of God, their perceptions of the human condition and the paths of deliverance, their religious and ethical practices, and their understanding of what faithfulness to God involves. As the product of these two communities, the Bible thus tells us about how they saw things, not about how God sees things."
Marcus J. Borg, Taken From His Book Reading The Bible Again For The First Time: Taking The Bible Seriously But Not Literally.
The acceptance of this view of the Bible as a human response to God and not a divinely inspired work authored by God creates an incredible problem for those trying to establish a strong relationship with Jesus Christ as it removes one's ability to completely trust in a powerful and dynamic source that can be used to consider and validate one's relationship with and guidance from God. If one views the Bible as from man and not God, why would they decide to trust those who wrote the Bible as opposed to anyone else who has articulated their human experience with God? If one takes this view one might make the simple case that since the words of man himself in the scripture tell us not to trust in man, that we should not trust the words of men in the Bible as they describe their experience with God. And if one cannot fully trust in the Bible, how does one determine from the scriptures what is proper to follow and what is not proper to follow? And where does one look to determine and/or validate God's guidance (not to be confused with his presence - as his presence is certainly visible regardless of one's belief in the Bible)?
- This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.
Jeremiah 17:5
The unfortunate thing about the problem created by the acceptance of this belief (Bible as human response to God and not divinely inspired) is that many individuals may not even be aware that there is a problem unless they deeply examine their beliefs and the scriptures themselves. This view also creates the environment for one to begin "seeing God as they want God to be seen" as opposed to the way God has actually presented himself by way of scripture. This "seeing God as they want God to be seen" could be a direct cause of the real absence of unity among believers concerning many social issues within the United Methodist Church today.
Also, in taking the "human response to God point of view" presented by Borg and not believing the Bible to be divinely inspired, I might suggest that in addition to having "trust" issues with the Bible, one would also have an incredible challenge in reconciling the predictive prophecy of the Bible with the actual historical events following those predictive prophecies. A simple look at both the purpose of and an example of predictive prophecy is as follows.
Considering Predictive Prophecy
- Isaiah 41:23 - Tell us what the future holds, so we may know that you are gods.
- John 13:19 - I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He.
- John 14:29 - I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.
While many think of prophets as ones who spoke about the future, in the Bible more often than not they were sharing with the Israelites God's thoughts on their behavior and calling them into repentance for things that they were doing that were not pleasing to God. Frequently they would make predications, but the primary purpose of these predictive prophecies was to establish the fact that these individuals were truly spokesmen of God - in essence these prophecies and their coming to pass with unerring accuracy which could not be explained by natural means were the credentials to show that the individuals making the prophecies were representing and were inspired by God.
Tyre - Prophecy, History, And Comparison
What was predicted? A prophecy against Tyre.
- "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against you, as the sea causes its waves to come up. And they shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers; I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock. It shall be a place for spreading nets in the midst of the sea, for I have spoken,' says the Lord GOD; "it shall become plunder for the nations." Ezekiel 26:3-5
When was it predicted? A prophecy against Tyre.
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This predictive prophecy concerning Tyre was written by the prophet Ezekiel. If the "thirtieth" year of Ezekiel 1:1 refers to Ezekiel's age, he was 25 when taken captive and 30 when called into the ministry. Thirty was the age when priests commenced their office, so it was a notable year for Ezekiel. His ministry began in 593/2 B.C. and extended at least 22 years until 571/70 B.C. The Book of Ezekiel can be dated due to Ezekiel's recording of events based on the rule of King Jehoiachin (King of Jerusalem). Ezekiel's records makes it possible to accurately date his life and his time of prophecy due to these references to the reigns of kings. The book seems to be written in two different time periods during Ezekiel's 25 years of prophecy. The first section which is aimed at the upper class of Judah was written between from 593 to 586 B.C. The second section, which runs from 586 to 571, deals with his oracles of salvation for the people. While the book does not mention Ezekiel's death, which rabbinical tradition suggests occurred at the hands of an Israelite prince whose idolatry he rebuked around 560 B.C., the last dated utterance of Ezekiel was in 571/70 B.C. (Ezekiel 29:17). He frequently dated his prophecies from 597 B.C. and this predictive prophecy from Ezekiel concerning Tyre in Ezekiel Chapter 26 appears to have been written on/about 587/6 B.C.
Portions Taken From The MacArthur Study Bible, Edited By John MacArthur, And Wikipedia.
What happened? The history of Tyre.
- Phoenician Tyre was queen of the seas, an island city of unprecedented splendor. She grew wealthy from her far-reaching colonies and her industries of purple-dyed textiles. But she also attracted the attention of jealous conquerors among them the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar and Alexander the Great.
Five Millennia of History Founded at the start of the third millennium B.C., Tyre originally consisted of a mainland settlement and a modest island city that lay a short distance off shore. But it was not until the first millennium B.C. that the city experienced its golden age. In the 10th century B.C. Hiram, King of Tyre, joined two islets by landfill. Later he extended the city further by reclaiming a considerable area from the sea. Phoenician expansion began about 815 B.C. when traders from Tyre founded Carthage in North Africa. Eventually its colonies spread around the Mediterranean and Atlantic, bringing to the city a flourishing maritime trade. But prosperity and power make their own enemies. Early in the sixth century B.C. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, laid siege to the walled city for thirteen years. Tyre stood firm, but it was probable that at this time the residents of the mainland city abandoned it for the safety of the island.
In 332 B.C. Alexander the Great set out to conquer this strategic coastal base in the war between the Greeks and the Persians.Unable to storm the city, he blockaded Tyre for seven months. Again Tyre held on. But the conqueror used the debris of the abandoned mainland city to build a causeway and once within reach of the city walls, Alexander used his siege engines to batter and finally breach the fortifications. It is said that The public baths Alexander was so enraged at the Tyrians' defense and the loss of his men that he destroyed half the city. The town's 30,000 residents were massacred or sold into slavery.
The siege of Tyre had a lasting effect, for the mole stayed, silted up, and today Tyre is connected to the mainland. Alexander, in his drive to conquer, permanently changed the face of the land. It is deeds like these that drive the many legends of Alexander and made him famous from his day to ours.
Today Tyre has a colorful souk (covered market) well worth exploring. Look for the Ottoman khan, or inn, just inside the market entrance. On a side street is the "Mamluke House", an Ottoman period residence that is being restored as a cultural heritage and information center by the General Directorate of Antiquities. Also in the souk area is a white, double-domed Shia mosque of great interest. Near the market you will see the Port of Tyre, a busy fisherman's port, in Phoenician times referred to as the "Sidonian" port because it faced north towards Sidon. Walk along the port with the sea on your right and you enter the city's Christian Quarter, a picturesque area of narrow streets, traditional architecture, and the Seat of the Maronite bishop of Tyre and the Holy land. One medieval tower still stands in a small garden. A second one is visible under the little lighthouse. During Crusader times towers similar to these ringed the city.
How Does It Compare? Prediction Vs. History
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Prediction: "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against you, as the sea causes its waves to come up."
History: Both Nebuchadnezzar/Babylonians in the early sixth century B.C. (586-573 B.C.) and Alexander the Great/Macedonian Troops/Allies in 333 B.C. laid siege to the city of Tyre.
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Prediction: "And they shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers; I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock."
History: After sieges by both Nebuchadnezzar and Alexander the Great, the city of Tyre was laid to waste, with the debris of the abandoned mainland portion of the city being scraped into the sea to be used as a causeway from which Alexander's army breached the island defenses, destroyed the city, and massacred the town's residents. Historians state the siege of Tyre had a lasting effect on the landscape.
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Prediction: "It shall be a place for spreading nets in the midst of the sea, for I have spoken,' says the Lord GOD; "it shall become plunder for the nations."
History: Currently today the Port of Tyre is a busy fisherman's port.
A Simple Conclusion: The Case For Inspired Writing By Ezekiel
This predictive prophecy concerning Tyre validates Ezekiel's supernatural inspiration (from God) in his writing and very much would appear to be in opposition of a view that the Bible was written as a human response to God and not divinely inspired. If Ezekiel predicated the events concerning Tyre on/about 597 B.C. and Alexander the Great's "scraping of the dust from her (Tyre) into the sea" did not begin until 333 B.C., then it is reasonable to believe one would have to concede that there is the possibility of divine inspiration of Ezekiel in his writings.
This is but one of many examples of the divine inspiration of the Bible - examples whose reconciliation may require more trust from someone taking the "Bible as a human response to God" point of view than from someone believing the Bible is actually the divinely inspired word of God, authored by God.
Coming The Full Circle
If the Bible is indeed written from man based on his experience of God, how would one reconcile man's seeming ability to write about his experience of God concerning future events with such unerring accuracy? And if Ezekiel could be divinely inspired in his writings, then is it not reasonable to concede that there is possibility that other authors of the Bible may have been divinely inspired? If just one book was divinely inspired (and I believe this predictive prophesy from Ezekiel establishes that fact) then the point of view that the Bible is "man's response to God" would appear to be in direct contradiction to this established fact of prediction/fulfillment - a fulfillment that would difficult to explain short of divine inspiration from God. And if this point of view is in direct contradiction to this established fact, on what basis does one truly build the case that the Bible is not divinely inspired?
I Do Believe The Bible To Be Divinely Inspired
I do believe that the scriptures - both the Old and the New Testaments - are the inspired (God Breathed), infallible word of God and that the Bible is thus the final authority in all matters of belief and practice. (II Timothy 3:16-17).
If this is a belief you are confident in, I would challenge you to carefully consider how to address those who do not have this belief, as it is of critical importance in establishing a baseline for Christian unity - a unity based on love that we are called to as followers of Christ.
- Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:10-13
If this is a belief you do not hold, I would challenge you to truly search the scriptures, because God has shared with us that if we truly seek him, we will find him, and if the scriptures are truly His word to us, authored by Him, then it stands to reason he would be true to His word and reveal this fact to us if we are truly seeking him.
- You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13
With that being said, the ultimate question for each individual and for believer's collectively concerning this important issue may very well be "are we truly seeking him with our whole heart"?
* As a follower of Jesus Christ who worships within the United Methodist Church, my comments are scoped to focus on an issue I am aware of from direct experience. I have no doubt that the issue of not viewing the Bible as divinely inspired by God moves beyond just those believers who practice within the United Methodist Church, but without further direct research and consideration, I do not feel comfortable, at least within this article, in expanding the scope of my comments into an area where I have not observed the direct effects of such an approach to God's Word.
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