Last Saturday I wrote a post titled “Does 2 Timothy 4:13 undermine the Doctrine of Inerrancy?” in which I evaluated an argument from an internet discussion that attacked the doctrine of Biblical inerrancy from a professing Christian. As I stated in that previous post there was a lot of things this individual said that I want to respond to but I don’t have the time to respond to them in full concerning the matter of inerrancy. Here in this post I want to respond to another argument given by the individual attacking inerrancy which I shall call the “God-in-A-Box-Argument-Against-Biblical-Inerrancy:”
The problem with referring to the Bible as the COMPLETE and inerrant word of God is that we limit the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the gift of prophecy. By so doing, God has been gagged, and cannot reveal a new word, for fear of false teachers and prophets. In light of this, I do believe we are in danger of repeating the mistakes of the Pharisees, and will brand as heretics true prophets of God and ministers of His Word.
Elsewhere in this person’s post the individual talk about putting “God in a box.” How shall we respond to this argument against Biblical Inerrancy?
- First a word about “you’re putting God in a box” type of arguments in general. I’ll be honest I get cautious when people employ the “You’re Putting God in a Box” argument. Of course I do think God is God and His ways are not our ways, etc. I think people can put God in a box at times. But often people drop this line as a mere rhetorical device, a cheesy “one liner” if you will, when they should be adding substance to their argument with biblical and logical thinking. Even if you think someone is putting God in a box, one still need an argument that this is truly the case and instead of making a naked accusation against someone, one should also argue that it is true, the person you disagree with is putting God in a box.
- Second, subscribing to the doctrine of biblical inerrancy does not logically “limit the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the gift of prophecy.” It doesn’t logically follow:
- If biblical inerrancy must be rejected in order for the Holy Spirit to work, does that mean the Holy Spirit can use the Bible only when it does contain error?
- And where does the Bible teach that the Scripture must contain some error in order for the Spirit to be free to do His work? Or does it teach the opposite of that?
- While we’re at the topic where does the Scripture teach that the Bible itself is errant? It should be noted that the person I’m responding to only cited one verse that shows the Bible itself does not teach inerrancy, and we’ve already refuted that verse in our first post. That speaks a lot for this person’s case for the Bible being errant as a biblical teaching.
- Our errantist acquaintance said that because of inerrancy, “God has been gagged, and cannot reveal a new word, for fear of false teachers and prophets.” But nowhere do we see in the Bible that new words from God must presuppose that the previous revelation of God has error; instead we see the opposite is true.
- For example Old Testament prophets in giving new revelation didn’t assume the previous revelation had error but instead presuppose the veracity of the revelations that came before them.
- The Prophet Daniel came and gave new information but he himself presupposes the truth found in the Book of Moses in that God was not in error factually concerning what would happen to Israel if they were to disobey God (Daniel 9:11, 9:13). Daniel’s new prophecy in Daniel chapter 9 also presupposes that the Book of Jeremiah that came before him was also without error down to the prophetic details of 70 years being the turning point of the Babylonian captivity (Daniel 9:2).
- Prophet Isaiah said “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn” (Isaiah 8:20). Note Isaiah points to the use of the previous Scripture must be adhere to by those who say they are uttering God’s Word. So like Daniel, Isaiah doesn’t presuppose that the Scripture that came before is in error in needs of correction but rather he presupposes the opposite.
- Prophet Malachi said “Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel” (Malachi 4:4). Note how he presupposes the truth of the laws of Moses.
- Jesus Himself didn’t assume the previous revelation had error but instead presuppose the veracity of revelation that came before Him. Note what Jesus said in John 5:46-47, “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” Jesus makes it clear: If you don’t believe in what Moses has to say as true, what makes you think you believe Jesus’ own words are true? Jesus is definitely not an errantist.
- For example Old Testament prophets in giving new revelation didn’t assume the previous revelation had error but instead presuppose the veracity of the revelations that came before them.
- It is wrong to accuse someone who believes in biblical inerrancy as making the same mistakes of the Pharisees. This individual said “In light of this, I do believe we are in danger of repeating the mistakes of the Pharisees, and will brand as heretics true prophets of God and ministers of His Word.” We’ve already seen above from Jesus’ words in John 5:46-47 that the problem with the Jewish religious leaders isn’t that they believed the Bible is God’s Word without error, but rather it is that the Pharisees didn’t believe the truth of God’s Word. Its ironic that the person who denies the inerrancy of God’s word and compare those who believe in Inerrancy with Pharisees is more closer to the Pharisees than those who believe in biblical inerrancy.
- Finally I want to say that there’s an irony here when the argument of putting God in the box is self-refuting against the very position that denies biblical inerrancy.
- Since she believes biblical inerrancy must be rejected in order for the Holy Spirit to work, doesn’t she put God in a box in assuming the Holy Spirit can only use the Bible when it does contain error? How come God can’t use an inerrant Bible? I say don’t put God in a box: the Spirit is not “gagged” with the truth in the Bible since He authored it and can freely use it!
- Isn’t the errantist limiting the Holy Spirit if they believe the Holy Spirit isn’t able to write an inerrant Bible? Why presuppose to begin with that God’s Word is in error? Isn’t that…putting God in a box at the get-go?
- It is ironic to think that this individual is concerned with not undermining further revelation of God’s Word by undermining the veracity of what has already been given as God’s Word. In appealing to “don’t put God in a box” as an argument against biblical inerrancy I’m afraid she’s opened up a Pandora’s box. What audacity we have here, that skepticism is blatantly being masqueraded as being Spirit-filled.
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
Thanks Vincent for reblogging this post! I hope you are having a good weekend!
You’re so welcome Pastor Jim! It’s a snow-shoveling-pocolyps for me, LOL…hope your weekend’s been good so far.
” biblical inerrancy does not logically “limit the ministry of the Holy Spirit”
First Brother Jim, I agree 100 percent with every thing you have written here. Great post and very educational for me, thanks.
However, reference your above statement. Nope Bible innerancy does not limit the ministry of the Holy Spirit, people do. In our congregation we are fully committed to inerrancy and sufficiency of Scripture, yet the active working of the Holy Spirit seems to absolutely terrify us sometimes. I have been told before that to go to the altar and pray is not Biblical. Just an example. I think we are sometimes so scared of the gifts of the Holy Spirit that we stifle the gifts of the Holy Spirit. And don’t misunderstand, I am a staunch cessasionist, and I am saying we dampen the ministry of the Holy spirit
“Nope Bible innerancy does not limit the ministry of the Holy Spirit, people do.”<–A big amen to that statement Wally!
I definitely agree with you about people dampening the Spirit. My younger days among Pentecostal circles left me wondering what's wrong when one see people who are Pentecostals manifest less fruit of the Spirit than those who were cessassionists. On the other hand just as you said, even those who are cessasionists can truly be so scared of any language of anything concerning the Spirit. This past Sunday I mentioned something about Apostles and I was surprised at people's confusion thinking it might lead to something like the New Apostolic Movement. I think there was knee jerk emotional reaction to fear of spiritual abuses among those who invoke the Holy Spirit but things were cleared up, even though I think it wouldn't have even been a problem with what I said if it wasn't fear of well, being labelled in one camp. Nuances are missed. I'm rambling now. Thanks Wally for your thoughts brother, much appreciated as always!
Um…it’s your blog…you can ramble if you want to LOL. That’s how it works!
I think what you said about a knee jerk reaction is true. We get in our box of belief and cant see out of it. Nuances..yes. We struggle with nuances. Black, white. No gray. No gray allowed in a Baptist Church LOL.
Okay, now I am picking on my own church I better stop!
Ok, Wally, I guess I’m confused. What is your definition of a cessasionist? I thought being a cessasionist meant believing that the gifts of the Holy Spirit had passed. How can there be fear of stifling something that has passed away? NOTE: I believe you know me well enough by now to take me at my word that this is not an argument but an honest inquiry.
Pastor Jim, mostly when I hear the “Putting God in a box,” argument, it is more about a person, or group of people dictating how and when God can move. If He did it one way one time, they assume He will do it the same way every time.
As for the comments of the person you are writing about, it sounds to me like they are looking to create a whole new form of a box for something to inhabit, that sure ain’t God. To suggest that God is limited by a fear of what false prophets or teachers might say is ludicrous.
I believe that the miraculous spiritual manifestation gifts have ceased. Not all spiritual gifts. That is exactly my point. We act sometimes as if the ministry of the Holy Spirit has ceased, when It has not. We don’t even believe it has stopped, we just act like it has.
“Pastor Jim, mostly when I hear the “Putting God in a box,” argument, it is more about a person, or group of people dictating how and when God can move. If He did it one way one time, they assume He will do it the same way every time.”<–I certainly think what you described does happen. I know it from my own life that I've done that same thing you said, thinking that if God did something one way, it must therefore mean everytime that should be the way I do things. I do think we must be careful in using this kind of argument, and we need to supplement it with other considerations. As to the individual I'm responding to online, I think she's an example of a bad use of "putting God in a box." And I'm not saying this with any malice or ill will towards anyone.
Wally….thanks for the answer.
My pleasure Patrick as always! This subject seems to be on my mind a lot lately. It must be important huh
If God is in a box (operates among men within certain parameters) it is because He put himself there……:)
Exactly. His own self decision. Have you heard people use this kind of argument frequently? I’ve ran into this kind of argument a lot this past month.
Mostly from the Charismatic side.
I loved this:
“It is ironic to think that this individual is concerned with not undermining further revelation of God’s Word by undermining the veracity of what has already been given as God’s Word.”
It’d be funny if it weren’t so sad…
Love you brother Jim.
Wow thanks for reading to the very end. I think it is very ironic and more sad than funny. Hope you are doing well with this weather in your area brother, praying for you guys.
Our True GOD the FATHER who art in HEAVEN ( YHWH-YAHWEH ) and HIS SON YESHUA-JESUS CHRIST are ONE!!
They’ve NOT in a box!! They CREATED the HEAVENS ( UNIVERSE ) and the EARTH from HEAVEN ABOVE!!
Love ❤ Always and Shalom, YSIC \o/
Kristi
Amen Kristi
Thanks for this outline, this is very helpful!
Thank you for reading this
[…] For the last two weeks on Saturday I’ve been posting a response to a blog post that attacked the Bible specifically with the doctrine of Inerrancy. My first post looked at the only verse the writer cited as positive proof that the Bible itself teaches an errant Bible; that was titled “Does 2 Timothy 4:13 undermine the Doctrine of Inerrancy?” My second post deconstructed a theological argument against Inerrancy and was titled ““You’re Putting God in A Box:” The Irony of this argument against Biblical Inerrancy.” […]
[…] 4:13 undermine the Doctrine of Inerrancy?” followed by a second that was titled “You’re Putting God in A Box:” The Irony of this argument against Biblical Inerrancy.” Today’s post I want to look at another criticism offered against […]
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