OK then, I'll start:?

Question

For Christians: NOT preaching or arguing...just questioning a point that I find to be suspect. Would appreciate intelligent answers please (not mindless preaching).

- Chrisitianity claims that the books of the bible are God's words, written through inspiration by man (correct?).

As many of us know the books of the bible were put to paper by men, and it was men that chose which were to be included and excluded into the bible.

So with man's hands over the entire process, what is the assumption that every book is the exact word of God based on?

Oh! I almost forgot my disclaimer.

"Mainworry...don't bother answering"

E Y - You've missed the question...what makes you think it was God to begin with?

Poetic - You've missed the question too. What makes you think it was God's inspiration?

Curmudgen - What makes you think it was inspired?

Preacher - I disagree with you 100%, but thanks for at least answering the question and providing me with WHY you think the bible is inspired.

Lobster - Thanks for answering with WHY. Although you're incorrect one being scientifically accurate and harmonious. There are many contradictions in the bible, and the Genesis timelines (both of them) are scientifically impossible.

hippoterry - But you're saying that the bible is the word of God because it says so. If I claim what I'm speaking is of God...does that make it true?

Answer 1

It is based on the fact that God is infallible and that he will not allow any tampering with his word. God intended that the Bible be put together as it now appears. To say that men have control over the assembling of God's word is to say that God would surrender his authority over his own word---this point of view is absurd. It would also say that God is fallible---also absurd. If we cannot have faith in the Bible being God's inerrant word, then there is not faith worth having, and when we die we are just dead in a box. This is also absurd because this would mean that life on earth is futile and that there is no God and that the evolutionist are right. The Bible is what holds everything together on this planet. Without it we are nothing.

Answer 2

FAQ: What books are in the Word and what are apocrypha?


"The books of the Word are all those which have the internal sense; but those books which have not the internal sense, are not the Word. The books of the Word, in the Old Testament, are the five Books of Moses, the Book of Joshua, the Book of Judges, the two Books of Samuel, the two Books of Kings, the Psalms of David, the Prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi: and in the New Testament, the four Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John; and the Apocalypse. The rest have not the internal sense" (Arcana Coelestia n. 10325 or Heavenly Doctrine n. 266).





FAQ: Why different testaments and books in the Word?


"As regards the Word particularly, it has existed in every age, though not the Word we possess at the present day. Another Word existed in the Most Ancient Church before the Flood, and yet another Word in the Ancient Church after the Flood. Then came the Word written through Moses and the Prophets in the Jewish Church, and finally the Word written through the Evangelists in the new Church. The reason why the Word has existed in every age is that by means of the Word there is a communication between heaven and earth, and also that the Word deals with goodness and truth, by which a person is enabled to live in eternal happiness. In the internal sense therefore the Lord alone is the subject, for all goodness and truth are derived from Him" (Arcana Coelestia n. 2895).

Answer 3

I'm catholic and don't believe that every word
in the bible is the word of God.

Man was the instrument used to not only put those
words on paper, but also find a way to make what he
thought was the word of God a part of every day life.

The bible is subject to the times it was written. Many
of the restrictions and 'sins' were due in fact that man
could hurt himself if he committed them.

Take pork. Man was prohibited from eating pork.

Was that due because some believed that Jesus cast
the devil out of a possessed person into a pig? Or maybe
someone slaughter a pig for food one day and then got sick
because his family ate the meat of this animal after it had
been spoiled.

I may upset some people with my answer. If I do, I am
sorry. Believe what you will. I tend to think that if I live
a good life and treat others as I wish to be treated then
I am living as God intended.

Answer 4

based on 2 Timothy 3:16,17 which reads "All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work." Also 2 Peter 1:21 which reads, "For prophecy was at no time brought by man’s will, but men spoke from God as they were borne along by holy spirit."
The entire Bible is harmonious from beginning to end. There is no way that man alone could have accomplished this over a span of 1,600 years. The Bible is also scientifically and historically accurate. I hope this helps.

Answer 5

The bible is inspired by God not man II Tim 3:16, sorry if thats what you ment. Im going to give you an answer that you wont accept. John 10:35, scriptures cant be brocken, and Christ said Himself that His word shall last til the end, and the only way to believe this is by faith. We dont have any other reasons to believe Gods word. In order for somone to become a christian, they dont have to know Gods'word, all they have to believe is that Jesus died for our sins, was buried and rose again, according to the scriptures. And most who come to this salvation dont have any reason to believe a book that has been translated so many times by man but the fact that when somone heres the gospel, they come to a spiritual understanding that they need Christ and thats when they believe it. If things didnt work out the way God said they would in the bible then i wouldnt believe it either. I dont just believe what i hear but i know when somthing moves you to the point that your heart is beating out of your chest, then you know its for real. Ive listened to other beliefs and doctrines and nothing has ever made any kind of impact spiritually than the plan of salvation did to me. Christ said His word will last and we dont have any other feference to believe than this book. You can believe it or not, these are the only 2 choices.

Answer 6

2Peter 1:20,21 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

You make the mistake of thinking that because a human hand wrote scripture that it had its origin in the mind of that person. This is not so. When a person has a very close relationship with God they become so attuned that the Holy Spirit is able to direct their minds and hands. So:
2Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed ...

Answer 7

1st, the people who translated were very serious about their work. After all, they believed the word to be true so why would they try to change things in it?

2nd, There are so many contradictions in Genesis alone. Don't you think the translaters would have changed the wording of these contradictions to make it more believable?

It's my opinion that God inspired it because there are contradictions. I don't believe the contradictions are there by accident. I feel that it is God's way of getting us to seek deeper meaning of the verses. The contradictions are beacons urging us to seek more answers. Now, what person do you know would have put contradictions in there? A person would've changed the text to make it sound plausible. This is why I think it is inspired by God.

Answer 8

All i know is it is very disheartening to find out that the catholic church withholds scrolls from the general population. This tells me that the bible is a lie the things included in the bible were put there for the same reason poloticians make stupid laws. both have the same reasons to get money and to exert power. i know the things in the bible are probably true but when things are withheld for the purpose of making money that makes it a lie

Answer 9

I feel the Bible and all it holds inside were simply inspiration from God who then left it up to men to take from it what they wanted for their own personal causes. To me there are no right or wrong scripture or Bible passages. It was left up to men to decide what to honor. And it continues today, as we have the free will to read each version and decide what is best for us.

Answer 10

You answered your own question - "through inspiration." All of those men who wrote and preserved and translated and chose which books to include as canonical were inspired by God, and that's how they avoided the human failings you'd expect to see in such a long chain of history.
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Yeah - I know - but that's the explanation.