BI173 Problems in Bible Interpretation: Why Do Christians Disagree about the Bible?
Overview
Christians believe the Bible is God’s Word, but the specific implications behind what that means are debated. In Problems in Bible Interpretation: Why Do Christians Disagree about the Bible? (BI173), Dr. Michael Heiser examines the issues of inspiration, inerrancy, and the canon. He explores different views on what role human authors played in the writings found in the Bible and how they were inspired by God. Then he moves on to address several questions surrounding the doctrine of inerrancy: What does the term mean? How have Christians understood it historically? What constitutes an “error”? Finally, he looks at the books included in the Bible, or the canon, and how it came to be. Through a discussion of the historical development of the Christian canon, he explains the reasons why various traditions regard different books as authoritative.
Top Highlights
“This is where the Holy Spirit directs the writers in the choice of their words.” (source)
“If we look at that as prompting, the idea that God has providentially prepared the writer and then prompts them to produce some text in a specific situation and context, we can honor both the divine element and not dismiss the human element.” (source)
“But I would just suggest that we need to distinguish between what is asserted truth proposition and how that proposition is put forth. We need to allow for that. We need to allow for the language of experience.” (source)
“Now, should we charge the Bible with an error for using this sort of language, primitive language by our standards, but still communicating a completely correct idea?” (source)
“He prepared them so thoroughly and intelligently that the final product was what God wanted, including the words.” (source)
- Title: BI173 Problems in Bible Interpretation: Why Do Christians Disagree about the Bible?
- Author: Michael S. Heiser
- Series: Logos Mobile Education
- Publisher: Lexham Press
- Print Publication Date: 2018
- Logos Release Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Courseware
- Subjects: Bible › Inspiration; Bible › Evidences, authority; Bible › Canon; Education › Bible--Inspiration; Education › Bible--Evidences, authority; Education › Bible--Canon
- Resource ID: LLS:BI173HEISER
- Resource Type: Courseware Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2019-06-20T18:27:12Z
Dr. Michael S. Heiser was a former Scholar-in-Residence for Faithlife Corporation, the makers of Logos Bible Software. He then served as the Executive Director of the Awakening School of Theology and Ministry. His varied academic background enabled him to operate in the realm of critical scholarship and the wider Christian community. His experience in teaching at the undergraduate level and writing for the layperson both directly contributed to Logos’ goal of adapting scholarly tools for nonspecialists.
Dr. Heiser earned his PhD in Hebrew Bible and Semitic languages and holds an MA in ancient history and Hebrew studies. He was the coeditor of Old Testament Greek Pseudepigrapha with Morphology and Semitic Inscriptions: Analyzed Texts and English Translations, and he was able to do translation work in roughly a dozen ancient languages, including Biblical Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and Ugaritic cuneiform. He specialized in Israelite religion (especially Israel’s divine council), contextualizing biblical theology with Israelite and ancient Near Eastern religion, Jewish binitarianism, biblical languages, ancient Semitic languages, textual criticism, comparative philology, and Second Temple period Jewish literature. In 2007 he was named the Pacific Northwest Regional Scholar by the Society of Biblical Literature.