"Principles of Biblical Interpretation"

A Paper Prepared
by
Donald C. Thorson

467 East Colome Street
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, 54729-36444

August 16, 1994

First Principle: Christ Alone

Second Principle: Regeneration

Third Principle: The Holy Spirit's Testimony

Fourth Principle: Prayer

Fifth Principle: The Original Text

Sixth Principle: The Plain Sense

Seventh Principle: Hermeneutics of Harmony

CONCLUSION

First Principle: Christ Alone!

Because Jesus is the very Word of God become flesh, He is our 'Rabbi' in all matters of Scripture. He has taught us to distinguish properly between God's Law and Gospel. As our Rabbi, Jesus has taught us that all Scriptures have to do with Him and particularly with His suffering (for our Atonement) and His resurrection (living Lord of the Church). Through God's Law and Gospel, the Holy Spirit has convicted us of our sins, revealed our lost condition, and persuaded us to believe the Good News that Jesus is the only Savior of the world and the rightful Lord of everyone's life.

Second Principle: Regeneration

It is only after we have been born again by His Spirit through His 'living and abiding' Word that we can perceive what is truly important in God's Word. However, in this life, we always remain sinners (though justified by grace through faith), so that we must constantly seek the Holy Spirit's guidance through prayer, so that we do not fall into the tempter's snares of pride and doubt.

Third Principle: The Holy Spirit's Testimony

We know that it is only through the Holy Spirit's use of God's Law that He convicts us of our sins, and it is only through the Holy Spirit's gracious application of the Gospel of Jesus that faith has been created in our hearts. Even though only the Holy Spirit can accomplish such divine work, human preachers and teachers can obscure God's Word by raising doubts about the inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible as God's Word. For this reason we expect and require that all who proclaim and teach God's Word hold to the Bible as His only inerrant and nfallible Word, and that they do so as a matter of conviction, commitment, and nterpretive principle.

Fourth Principle: Prayer

Because we must constantly contend with our own flesh (pride and doubt) and the devil, we must begin, support, and conclude our study and preaching and teaching of the Bible with prayer (see Luke 22.31Æ32).

Fifth Principle: The Original Text

Jesus, Who alone has all authority in heaven and on earth, has assured us that God's WordÏ(in the Bible alone) must always serve as functionally textually inerrant. The Holy Spirit has been at work in every generation preserving (and applying) the sacred texts. Thus our task is to seek the autographs (original wording, not orignal manuscripts) and to submit to what has been verbally inspired.

Sixth Principle: The Plain Sense

Concern in studying the Scriptures must always be to identify the plain sense or intended meaning of the text. Taking the Bible seriously as God's Word, we are committed to the position that the Bible is historically accurate in all it reports and prophetically reliable in all it promises. Therefore the history in the Bible is definitive history (not dependent upon outside sources, archeology, secular science, etc.).

Seventh Principle: Hermeneutics of Harmony

Since all Scriptures are inspired by God, we are confident that the Holy Spirit knew exactly what He was doing in verbally inspiring the Bible. This means that passages which may be obscure and incidental are significant and of value (at some time and place) and must be interpreted in the light of the passages which are plain clear) and essential. This requires serious exegesis as opposed to surrendering superficially to apparent 'discrepancies' or 'contradictions'. Any modern attempt to re-construct the events of the Bible, thousands of years after the events is an exercise in flagrant audacity. The character of the Prophets, Apostles, and Evangelists is manifestly trustworthy, and their procedures careful and precise. We are confident of the character and accuracy of the witnesses (Evangelists). Our task then is to harmonize parallel accounts rather than to set them against one another. Even after much research and 'wrestling' in prayer, we may find that difficulties of nterpretation may remain. If so, we must honestly acknowledge hem and leave them as they are (awaiting clarification in time or in eternity). We must not use or allow so-called 'discrepancies' as 'building blocks' to re-construct the events or teachings of the Bible!

First Principle: Christ Alone!

'The Word Become Flesh'

Our Rabbi

Proper Distinction: Law/Gospel

Fulfillment and Application

Savior and Lord

Synopsis : Because Jesus is the very Word of God become flesh, He is our 'Rabbi' in all matters of Scripture.

He has taught us to distinguish properly between God's Law and Gospel. As our Rabbi, Jesus has taught us that all Scriptures have to do with Him and particularly with His suffering (for our Atonement) and His resurrection (living Lord of the Church).

Through God's Law and Gospel, the Holy Spirit has convicted us of our sins, revealed our lost condition, and persuaded us to believe the Good News that Jesus is the only Savior of the world and the rightful Lord of everyone's life.

'The Word Become Flesh'

The Scriptures reveal to us that Jesus is in fact the eternal Word of God, Who became flesh in the fullness of time for our salvation (note: bold print throughout is ours).

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father. 1:18 No one has ever seen God; the only Son , who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.

John 8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day; he saw it and was glad." 8:57 The Jews then said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?" 8:58 Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am ."

The Word of God was with the Father before all creation . 'Before Abraham was, I AM!' Jesus declared.

Any teaching concerning Christ's voluntarily 'emptying Himself' (Philippians 2.7) must be defined by what we read elsewhere (especially in the Gospels).

Thus during His earthly ministry He provided precise and accurate information concerning the Old Testament, and He did so with all the authority of heaven upon earth (Matthew 28.18, John 15.15):

Matthew 19:7 They said to him, "Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?" 19:8 He said to them, "For your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.

Mark 7:10 For Moses said, Honor your father and your mother'; and, He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him surely die'; 7:11 but you say ....

Luke 4:25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Eli'jah when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land; 4:26 and Eli'jah was sent to none of them but only to Zar'ephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 4:27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Eli'sha ; and none of them was cleansed, but only Na'aman the Syrian" ( bold is ours).

Jesus, the Word of God become flesh, could provide precise and accurate interpretation of what was intended for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, what Moses intended, and what happened in regard to Elijah and Elisha, because He could say, 'before Abraham was, I AM!

Thus He could speak clearly and authoritatively concerning David's words (Psalm 110.1: Matthew 43-45), and explain that Scripture cannot become 'un-strung' (Psalm 82.6: John 10.35). It is all 'tied' together, and no part of it can 'un-tied'. He could say this because He had been there, and He has the full authority of heaven!

Our Rabbi

Because Jesus is the very Word of God become flesh, He is our 'Rabbi' ( the teacher for all people in all times) in all matters of Scripture.

That Jesus serves as the 'Rabbi' for all people in all times is possible and true because He was there! He was with the Father before all creation. 'Before Abraham was, I AM!' Jesus declared.

Thus we are confident that the Bible is textually and historically inerrant , because Jesus has guaranteed such a quality to the Scriptures (see below under "Functional Textual Inerrancy" and "Historical Accuracy"). And we are confident that Jesus is the focus of the Bible and that He has taught us to make the proper distinction between God's Law and His Gospel.

Proper Distinction: Law/Gospel

Jesus as our Teacher ('Rabbi' for all people and all ages) has taught us to properly distinguish between God's Law and Gospel.

The proper distinction between Law and Gospel is often associated with Lutheran teaching (and we are thankful for this), but what is Lutheran must always be Biblical . If it is not Biblical, it cannot be Lutheran! Moreover, it cannot be Biblical unless it is 'Christian' (in the restricted sense of deriving from Christ ).

We are persuaded that Jesus is the One Who has taught us to distinguish properly between God's Law and Gospel. Through God's Law and Gospel, the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins and persuades us to believe the Good News that Jesus is the only Savior of the world and the rightful Lord of everyone's life.

Mark 1:14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, 1:15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel"

Matthew 5.17-20: The Sermon on the Mount as 'fulfilling' the Law (e. g. 5.27-30). 5:17 "Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets ; I have come not to abolish them but , to fulfil them. 5:18 For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota , not dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 5:19 Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 5:20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:27 "You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery .' 5:28 But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart . 5:29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 5:30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

Matthew 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

Luke 18:9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others: 18:10 "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 18:12 I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.' 18:13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me a sinner !' 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."

John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 16:8 And when he comes, he will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 16:9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 16:10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more; 16:11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

Luke 24:46 and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 24:47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem"

Fulfillment and Application

After His resurrection He explained (Luke 24.44) that all Scriptures (Old and New Testaments) are concerned with Him (His suffering and resurrection ), His fulfillment of all aspects of the Old Testament, and the penetrating and essential relevance of His work and message to everyone everywhere in every time.

Luke 24:44 "These are my words which I spoke to you, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled." Then he pened their minds to understand the scriptures, and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations ..." ( bold is ours).

Moreover, this is not concerned simply with the past, but is the Holy Spirit's message for producing repentance and providing forgiveness of sins everywhere and every time .

In His Sermon, Jesus fulfills what was partial in the Old Testament (Commandments) by internalizing and expanding the scope of the LORD's Commandments (e. g. adultery as including even 'lustful looks': Matthew 5.27Æ28). In Luke 24, Jesus brings together Law and Gospel by applying His work of Atonement and Resurrection as meaning that "... repentance for forgiveness of sins ..." are now available for all times and nations! Consider, how disarmingly simple and always applicable !

Savior and Lord

As noted above (Luke 24.47) and elsewhere (John 3.16), all this has to do with knowing Jesus as Savior and as Lord (Luke 6.46, John 15.14, Matthew 28.20). The Lord has and directed heaven and earth across all ages in order that we might be saved by His grace and live under Him as Lord.

I believe that Jesus Christ- true God, Son of the Father from eternity, and true man, born of the Virgin Mary- is my Lord . At great cost He has saved and redeemed me, a lost and condemned person. He has freed me from sin, death , and the power of the devil - not with silver or gold, but with His holy and precious blood and His innocent suffering and death . All this He has done that I may be His own, live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead and lives and rules eternally. This is most certainly true (Martin Luther, The Small Catechism , explanation to the second article of the Apostles' Creed) ( bold is ours).

Second Principle: Regeneration

'Born Again'

Insights

Guidance for Sinners

Synopsis : It is only after we have been born again by His Spirit through His 'living and abiding' Word that we can perceive what is truly important in God's Word.

However, in this life, we always remain sinners (though justified by grace through faith), so that we must constantly seek the Holy Spirit's guidance through prayer, so that we do not fall into the tempter's snares of pride and doubt.

'Born Again'

We can rightly interpret the Bible (God's Word) only after we have been born again by His Spirit through His 'living and abiding' Word (which includes Baptism , for Baptism consists of this, water used according to God's Word, which means that the Holy Spirit is present, creating new life in all who will not refuse Him).

John 3:5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 3:7 Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born anew.'

1 Peter 1:23 You have been born anew , not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God ..." ( bold is ours).

Insights

It is only after we have been born again that we can perceive what is truly important in God's Word (primarily such matters as conviction of sin, faith in Jesus, assurance of heaven ).

John 7:16 "My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me; 7:17 if any man's will is to do God's will, he shall know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority."

1 Corinthians 2:13 And we impart this [the thoughts of God ] in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit , interpreting spiritual truths to those who possess the Spirit.

2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth [ orthotomouvtai] ( bold is ours).

This means that we must receive His words as inerrant and infallible for our salvation and our Christian living, just as the Orthodox Lutherans have taught, such as Abraham Calov (1612- 1670) who has explained for us:

"We ought to take captive every thought in obedience to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). Now if our minds and thoughts are to be taken captive under the obedience of faith, it is incumbent upon us to accept the Word of God even if our mind cannot comprehend it at all , even if in our minds we are persuaded that it is false. With respect to the mysteries of faith the mode of thinking of God's Word is such 'foolishness' to human judgment that 'the carnal man cannot grasp or understand it all' (1 Cor. 2:14). It is exceedingly important for us therefore to believe the Word of God, however crassly foolish it may seem, and not to follow science and our erring conscience . Contrariwise, we must hold fast to the Word of God, whatever our erring conscience, which regards it all as absurd, may argue to the contrary" (page 320).

Calov's teaching introduces us to this principle of Biblical interpretation, namely, that only those who are regenerate can rightly 'divide the Word of truth':

The teaching that

"... the unregenerate man cannot grasp the meaning of Scripture but will only wrest it to his own destruction, is not some minor consideration in the theology of classical Lutheranism. On the contrary ... for Lutheran orthodoxy only the regenerate man could read and use Scripture with any hope of fruitful results. [Thus] ... no need of any special revelation is necessary for the Christian to understand the Scriptures. There is nothing esoteric about the interpretation of Scripture; there are no secret meanings in Scripture. The meaning is clear for all who have ears to hear and understand; for Scripture is clear enough in itself and is its own interpreter" (Preus, Theology of Post-Reformation Lutheranism , pages 319-320) ( bold is ours).

Guidance for Sinners

The regenerate interpreter of Scripture requires the continual aid and enlightenment of the Spirit, because he is never free of his corrupt reason and sinful curiosity . What is this guidance and enlightenment the Holy Spirit provides the Christian interpreter? Essentially it consists in the Spirit guiding the interpreter not so much to understand the sensus literae, which is open even to an unbeliever, as to believe the intended sense of Scripture; it consists in His leading the believer to break with the dictates of reason and even with the apparent evidence of experience and to hold fast to the message of Scripture. The interpretation of Scripture, therefore, according to classical Lutheranism, often requires a virtual sacrificium intellectus (320).

Third Principle: The Holy Spirit's Testimony

His Effective Function

Un-hobbled Testimony

Proclamation/Argumentation

Synopsis : We know that it is only through the Holy Spirit's use of God's Law that He convicts us of our sins, and it is only through the Holy Spirit's gracious application of the Gospel of Jesus that faith has been created in our hearts.

Even though only the Holy Spirit can accomplish such divine work, human preachers and teachers can obscure God's Word by raising doubts about the inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible as God's Word.

For this reason we expect and require that all who proclaim and teach God's Word hold to the Bible as His only inerrant and infallible Word, and that they do so as a matter of conviction, commitment, and interpretive principle.

The Holy Spirit's Effective Function

John 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he willÏ teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you ....

John 16.16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 16:8 And when he comes, he will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment .... 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he willÏ guide you into all the truth ; for he will not speak on his own authority , but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 16:14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 16:15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you ( bold is ours).

Again we turn to Calov (1612-1670):

". . . The Scriptures are not understood in a beneficial way except through the Spirit , by whom they were brought about (2 Peter 1.20-21); we must daily implore His grace and enlightenment by our prayers (Eph. 1.17-3.16)."

"The interpretation of Scripture is a gift of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:10). This was the most fundamental presupposition for all exegesis. The highest authority in interpreting Scripture is the Spirit of God Himself; He it is who enlightens the interpreter to find the mind and sense of Scripture, and this He accomplishes through Scripture itself. Without the enlightenment of the Spirit no exegete can grasp with salutary results the content of Scripture. True, the meaning of words and syntax can be known without any special illumination, but not the saving message, the Gospel (Matt. 11:27; 16:17; Ps. 119:18; 1 Cor. 3:7; Eph. 1:17).

On the basis of such Biblical evidence Calov concludes:

"By his own powers without the gracious operation of God no man can understand the Scriptures with any benefit, neither can he render firm and trusting assent to them." This point of departure for all profitable exegesis is supported by the fact that faith , with which the theologian must work in interpreting Scripture, is itself a gift of God and a result of divine grace (Eph. 1:19; Phil. 1:29). All that we know of God salutariter is wrought by God Himself. (2 Cor. 3:5; 1 Tim. 2:7; Deut. 29:4; 1 Cor. 12:3; Phil. 1:6)" (Preus, 319) ( bold is ours).

The Holy Spirit's Un-hobbled Testimony

Even though only the Holy Spirit can accomplish such divine work as repentance and faith, human preachers and teachers can obscure God's Word by raising doubts about the inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible as God's Word.

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any other wild creature that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, " Did God say You shall not eat of any tree of the garden'?" .... 3:4 But the serpent said to the woman, "You willÏ not die . 3:5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God , knowing good and evil."

Jeremiah 28:1 Then the prophet Hanani'ah took the yoke-bars from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet, and broke them. 28:11 And Hanani'ah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, "Thus says the LORD: Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnez'zar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations within two years." But Jeremiah the prophet went his way.

Ezekiel 34:2 "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord GOD: Ho, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep ? 34:3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fatlings; but you do not feed the sheep. 34:4 The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the crippled you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. 34:5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the wild beasts.

Luke 22:31 "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 22:32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren."

John 9:18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight, 9:19 and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" 9:20 His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 9:21 but how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself." 9:22 His parents said this because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if any one should confess him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue. 9:23 Therefore his parents said, "He is of age, ask him." 9:24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, "Give God the praise; we know that this man is a sinner ."

Galatians 3:1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?

1 Peter 2:25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If any one loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world. 2:17 And the world passes away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides for ever ( bold is ours).

Thus we observe that God's people can be tempted and led astray doctrinally , whether because of pride (Eve and Adam), pressure (Hananiah), stubborn ignorance (Jerusalem Pharisees), heresy (some Galatian Christians), persecution (some Christians in Asia Minor), or confusion (Simon).

Our understanding is that the doctrine that the Bible is the inerrant and infallible Word of God is most needful for the Holy Spirit's clear and ,'" persuasive testimony to Jesus Christ as the only Savior of the world and the rightful Lord of everyone's life.

Proclamation/Argumentation

Synopsis : For this reason we expect and require that all who proclaim and teach God's Word hold to the Bible as His only inerrant and infallible Word, and that they do so as a matter of conviction, commitment, and interpretive principle.

Here we would certainly draw a distinction between argumentation and proclamation and teaching. We emphatically do not mean that, in witnessing to unbelievers , we would begin by trying to convince such unbelievers that the Bible is inerrant. We would not engage in argumentation in preparation for proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

No! We would proclaim Christ , seeking to distinguish rightly between God's Law and Gospel and depending upon the Holy Spirit to do His work of leading souls to repentance and creating faith within them.

Whether we consider the teachings of Lelio and Fausto Sozzini inÆ the sixteenth century, of Schleiermacher and Ritschl in the nineteenth, or of the neo-orthodoxists (Barth, Braaten, Jenson, et al) in the twentieth century, we find that separating the message from the inerrant text (= harmony within texts and historical Æaccuracy in its reports) leads in time to a confusion concerning the glorious Gospel (even though there is truly only one Gospel: Galatians 1.6-7), to skepticism , and even to leading souls astray , "

We ourselves have experienced and observed this. Even though only the Holy Spirit can create faith (and can and does so even in the least likely circumstances and under severe handicaps), human preachers and teachers can stand in the way , provide reasons for unbelievers to continue in their unbelief, and lure immature sheep away from the flock (in our time especially by the historical critical interpretation of Scripture).

What we mean is that we would require of all those who would proclaim the Gospel and teach the Bible that the Holy Spirit has given them the conviction and confidence that the Bible is God's inerrant and infallible Word, accurate in all that the Word declares historically and reliable in all that the Word promises as well as then being efficacious as the Holy Spirit applies the Law and graciously offers the Gospel, thus producing repentance and creating faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord.

We have learned by experience how the devil clouds the clarity of the Gospel when there is doubt concerning what the Bible states and/or its historicity. In the Church of Christ the proclamation of the mighty acts of God must be declared as actual happenings.

Fourth Principle: Prayer

Synopsis : Because we must constantly contend with our own flesh (pride and doubt), we must begin, support, and conclude our study and preaching and teaching of the Bible with prayer (see Luke 22.31-32).

John 17:15 "I do not pray that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil one . 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17:17Ï Sanctify them in the truth; thy word is truth. 17:18 As thou didst send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 17:19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be consecrated inÆtruth. 17:20 "I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word, 17:21 that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me ( bold is ours).

Since we have been born again from above by the work of the Holy Spirit (John 3.5) through the 'living and abiding Word of God' (1 Peter 1.23) thereby uniting us with Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we have learned from the Holy Spirit that interpretation of the Scriptures is not simply matter of careful and intelligent exegesis, but is primarily a spiritual matter. Thus we are called and driven to prayer as the Lord's own interpretive instrument:

Not only are there general commands to pray at all times and under all conditions, but specific admonitions in Scripture to pray for the gift of Æthe Spirit (Luke 11.13), for wisdom and knowledge (Eph. 1.17; James 1.5), and for the free course of the Word (2 Thess. 3.1). The danger of falling into error must always incite the theologian to pray. Prayer is therefore of inestimable value for the theologian in every way (Preus, 220).

Again, we would turn to Abraham Calov (1612-1670) to serve as our teacher:

Prayer is the military rear guard for the one who prays, his sacrifice to God, his scourge of the devil. Prayer showers on us the treasures our faith beholds lying hidden in the Gospel. Just as Moses after entering the tabernacle returned with a divine response, the students of theology approach God with their prayers so that they might understand His utterances. Through prayers wisdom from heaven is imparted to us and flourishes (Prov. 2.3; James 1.5), and we lay hold of the true goal of this wisdom and whatever we could in any way desire (John 16.24).

But Calov is not intent merely to emphasize in general the prayer life of the theologian. Prayer is a very specific help for the theologian, a veritable sine qua non to him in his labors. "He who prays diligently has by his praying completed half of his studies " .... And Calov proceeds to show all the concrete practical blessings that prayer opens up to the theologian. But this prayer must be devout and genuine, for God does not hear us unless we hear Him (Ps. 5.2-3). In his prayers the theologian offers his heart to God ; he is humble, always penitent, seeking only God's glory. And above all he is faithful; his prayer is rooted in the merits of Christ . He begins and ends his task in prayer; his mind is continually turned to God in prayer (1 Thess. 5.17; Luke 18.1) that he may turn from error and idle controversy and work only for the edification of Christ's church. This means setting aside definite hours for prayer; but more than this, the theologian must be a jaculator of prayer, repeatedly flinging hisó prayers and sighs to God. His every breath is a petition for God's guidance and grace (page 220) ( bold is ours).

Fifth Principle: The Original Text

Textual Inerrancy

Autographs

Textual Problems

Synopsis : Jesus, Who alone has all authority in heaven and on earth, has assured us that God's Word (in the Bible alone) must always serve as functionally textually inerrant. The Holy Spirit has been at work in every generation preserving (and applying) the sacred texts. Thus our task is to seek the autographs (original wording, not original manuscripts) and to submit to what has been verbally inspired.

Functional Textual Inerrancy and Preservation

We are persuaded that Jesus is the great 'Inerrantist' Who has personally guaranteed the Biblical texts , their accuracy, preservation, fulfillment, and application:

Isaiah 40.8 The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand for ever.

Matthew 5:17 "Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. 5:18 For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota , not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 5:19 Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 5:20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Mark 13:31 "Heaven and earth will pass away,but my words will not pass away" ( bold is ours).

Thus we can have confidence in the Holy Spirit's preservation and accuracy of God's Word, the Bible!

John 14:25 "These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit , whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

John 20:30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 20:31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.

Thus the Lord Jesus is our Great Rabbi and the Great Inerrantist , declaring and guaranteeing verbal inerrancy (words rather than just ideas) for the Canonical Scriptures. We can depend on all the words that He spoke as selected and preserved by the Holy Spirit (John 14.26, 20.30-31).

We observe that Jesus' guarantee of the texts was not just for the sake of the text but had a functional aspect: The text would be preserved for the sake of fulfillment and more specifically fulfillment of the requirements of God's Law by Jesus for His people's sake.

Seeking and Submitting to Autographs

Synopsis : The Holy Spirit has been at work in every generation preserving (and applying) the sacred texts.

Thus our task is to seek the autographs (original wording, not manuscripts) and to submit to what has been verbally inspired.

Serious exegesis of the Scriptures requires resorting to the autographs (original texts and writings) of the Bible in their original language.

Thus we seek to identify the original texts, and we do so with utmost confidence because the Lord Jesus has given His own guarantee concerning the inerrancy of His Word, the BibleÏ(Isaiah 40.8, Matthew 5.18, Mark 13.31). This is not a guarantee of translations and versions (although they are generally outstanding in faithful reproduction), but a guarantee of the original texts.

Thus we are only secondarily concerned with the apographs ('from-writings', i. e. copies, translations, versions) and primarily preoccupied with the autographs! Our interest in apographs is in their testimony to the autographs, but the Biblical autographs stand for us as unquestionable authority , and we in all cases seek them and endeavor to submit to them.

Textual Problems

We must state that in some passages of the Scriptures, textual scholars are not sure as to the original wording.

Concerning such we honestly acknowledge human frailty in transmitting the texts. Yet this should not lead us to abandon our concern with and dependence upon the original texts of the Bible. We seek only the original wording and are obedient to this original wording.

"We, too, in our theological seminary at St. Louis introduce our students to modern textual criticism. That is a part of the complete external equipment of a theologian of our day. But we point out two things to our students: 1) We know a priori from the divine promise that in our present Bible we have the Word of Christ which is to be taught in the Church and by the Church to the Last Day. 2) We recognize, too, a posteriori, that the divine providence has so wonderfully held its protecting hand over the Bible text that in spite of the variae lectiones not a single Christian doctrine has become a matter of doubt" (Pieper, Christian Dogmatics , Volume I, page 240) ( bold is ours).

Sixth Principle: The Plain Sense

Intended Meaning

Verbal Inspiration

Lexical and Grammatical Sense

Historical Accuracy

Definitive History

Doctrine at Stake

Synopsis : Our concern in studying the Scriptures must always be to identify the plain sense or intended meaning of the text.

Since the Bible is verbally inspired (words!), we must deal with the individual words, seeking their lexical, grammatical, syntactical, and contextual sense (ultimately as they come into focus in Jesus , Who has established the ultimate context). Taking the Bible seriously as God's Word, we are committed to the position that the Bible is historically accurate in all it reports and prophetically reliable in all it promises. Therefore the history in the Bible is definitive history (not dependent upon outside sources, archeology, secular science, etc.). This is more than an interest in history in itself, because the doctrines (and Christian living as well) are dependent upon what God has done in history, particularly in Jesus Christ.

Scripture's Intended Meaning

By the plain sense of Scripture, the orthodox Lutherans meant the plain or self-evident sense of the text itself, whether narrative, monologue, parable, or whatever.

As Dr. Robert Preus instructs us, the fundamental hermeneutical rule is to establish the literal meaning of the text (page 321).

"The literal sense of Scripture is the meaning or tenor (proprietas), that the words directly and obviously convey" (Preus, page 321).

"The literal sense, then, is the sense intended by the writer, whatever trope or genre is used. Figures of speech, words (vocabula), and even ideas all have their literal sense" (Preus, page 321).

Thus we echo the words of the Apostle Paul, "What does the Scripture say ?" (Romans 4.3).

If the text reads that Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5- 7), then that is the truth, and we accept it as such! When the text reads: "And opening His mouth He began to teach them, saying ...", that, we are sure, is exactly what happened. The words that follow are the words which He Himself spoke!

"Fundamentally the interpretation of Scripture is an analytical activity whereby the genuine sense of Biblical passages that are not immediately clear is accurately investigated, descriptively drawn out, and set forth" (page 321) ( bold is ours).

Lexical and Grammatical Sense

Our concern in studying the Scriptures must always be to identify the plain sense or intended meaning of the text.

Since we are persuaded that our great Rabbi Jesus has taught us verbal inspiration, we concern ourselves with the words, grammar, and syntax of the autographs. Since we are confident that the words, cases, verbal modes , and the arrangement of the words are the activity of the Holy Spirit, we seek the exact meaning of the original texts and submit to the authority of the Lord's Word.

'Speak, Lord, for Thy servant is listening' (1 Samuel 3.10).

Historical Accuracy

Taking the Bible seriously as God's Word, we are committed to the position that the Bible is historically accurate in all it reports and prophetically reliable in all it promises.

Definitive History

Therefore the history in the Bible is definitive history (not dependent upon outside sources, archeology, secular science, etc.).

During the last few years 'cracks' have appeared in the man-made 'fortresses' of evolution and historical criticism of the Bible.

This may be of value to some, but it should not be crucial to us! Should we find ourselves among the fair-weather-friends of God's Word, flowing with the crowd from one 'wind of doctrine to another'? (Ephesians 4.14).

It should be sufficient for us that the Lord has taught us that His Word is the ever abiding and living truth (Isaiah 40.8, Matthew 5.17-20, Mark 13.31, John 10.35, 17.17, 2 Timothy 3.16, 1 Peter 1.23, 2 Peter 1.21).

Thus we would not wait for archeological diggings or the findings of natural science , nor would we submit to secular contrary views. We are confident that the Bible presents to us definitive history. If there are seeming contradictions in historical or scientific research, we are persuaded that God's Word presents to us the truth, which will become apparent at the right time.

Doctrine at Stake

This is more than an interest in history in itself, because the doctrines (and Christian living as well) are dependent upon what God has done in history, particularly in Jesus Christ.

Some would be content to speak of Biblical inerrancy as concerned with doctrine and life , or i. e. the message of the Bible, particularly the Gospel, as if the Virgin Birth, the miracles of Jesus, His death on the cross, His Resurrection, and His Ascension were not intimately interwoven with basic Christian doctrines!

Abraham Calov (1612-1670) in his battle against the Socinians dealt with the same issue:

"But if error , or even the intimation of error, is admitted in these matters [historical portions, parables, etc.], then not even that which pertains to true doctrine is above the suspicion of error, since both historical sections and parable contribute greatly to the truth of doctrine, nay, all things that are recorded in the sacred writings pertain to our doctrine and require our faith" (page 347).

Seventh Principle: Hermeneutics of Harmony

Obscure/Plain and Essentia

Serious Exegesis

'Eyewitnesses and Ministers of the Word' Vs. 'Flagrant Audacity'

Harmony of Parallel Accounts

The Witnesses' Perspective

Difficulties Acknowledged

Examples

Synopsis : Since all Scriptures are inspired by God, we are confident that the Holy Spirit knew exactly what He was doing in verbally inspiring the Bible.

This means that passages which may be obscure and incidental are significant and of value (at some time and place) and must be interpreted in the light of the passages which are plain (clear) and essential.

This requires serious exegesis as opposed to surrendering superficially to apparent 'discrepancies' or 'contradictions'.

Any modern attempt to re-construct the events of the Bible, thousands of years after the events is an exercise in flagrant audacity.

The character of the Prophets, Apostles, and Evangelists is manifestly trustworthy, and their procedures careful and precise. We are confident of the character and accuracy of the witnesses (Evangelists).

Our task then is to harmonize paralle accounts rather than to set them against one another. Even after much research and 'wrestling' in prayer, weÏmay find that difficulties of interpretation may remain. If so, we must honestly acknowledge them and leave them as they are (awaiting clarification in time or in eternity). We must not use or allow so-called 'discrepancies' as 'building blocks' to re-construct the events or teachings of the Bible!

Obscure Passages in Light of Clear

The orthodox Lutherans have taught us that 'Scripture is its own interpreter'.

Since the Bible is the Word of God , i. e. the Holy Spirit has collected all parts and directed their inclusion, the Scriptures must all harmonize with one another with Christ as the focus of it all (Luke 24.44). Moreover, what may seem unimportant at one time may become meaningful at another time (e. g. the history of the book of Revelation).

Thus passages that may not be clear or may not even be complete in themselves receive the Holy Spirit's light from those passages which are crystal clear (preeminently from the Gospels).

Thus, even though the Epistle of James does not say much about Jesus or deal with justification by faith, what is taught there is to be understood in the clear light of Jesus and such as His Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican (Luke 18.9-14).

Is not this what distinguishes the accurate and reliable interpretation of the Bible from that ofÐ sects, viz. the proper distinction between Law and Gospel? When the Word of truth is rightly divided (2 Timothy 2.15), it is simple and clear and not capable of various interpretations (as is commonly stated).

Hollaz (1648-1713)

"The clear passages of Scripture must shed light on the obscure passages dealing with the same subject matter. This is done by applying the so-called analogy of faith . The analogy of faith according to all the old Lutheran theologians, was simply the articles of faith that could be summarized under the categories of Law and Gospel (2 Tim. 1:13). No interpretation of any passage can conflict with these clear articles of faith. This does not mean that there are no theological lacunae, logical gaps, between the various articles of faith. It does mean that one passage of Scripture can often help us in finding the meaning of another passage that treats the same article of faith. Romans 3-4 can help us to understand James 2, since they both deal with the justification of a sinner before God" (330).

Serious Exegesis

The orthodox Lutherans who have gone before us and from whom we would learn, readily acknowledged difficulties which they encountered in studying the Bible. They even offered various explanations without insisting upon them, were willing to live with un-esolved perplexities, and preferred to do so rather than to settle for a fanciful or inferior explanation.

Michael Walther (1593-1662)

"Walther first argues deductively that Scripture as the Word of God will not contradict itself, since God will not lie or deceive. But he points out that the predication of any contradiction to the Scriptures not only is an affront to the high majesty of God, who moved the penmen to write as they did, but also suggests laziness or lack of depth and scholarship in the interpreter of Scripture. It is the part of a pious and responsible exegete not to attack the Scriptures for contradicting themselves but to solve the problems he find therein, if possible" (page 350) ( bold is ours).

Eye-witnesses and Ministers of the Word

The character of the Prophets, Apostles, and Evangelists is manifestly trustworthy, and their procedures careful and precise.

Deuteronomy 4:2 You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it; that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

Deuteronomy 18:18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brethren; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 18:19 And whoever will not give heed to my words which he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. 18:20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.' 18:21 And if you say in your heart, How may we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?' 18:22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true , that is a word which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously, you need not be afraid of him.

Luke 1:1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things which have been accomplished among us, 1:2 just as they were delivered to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, 1:3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent The-oph'ilus, 1:4 that you may know the truth concerning the things of which you have been informed.

Acts 1:21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 1:22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us -- one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection ( bold is ours).

As we consider the Bible's testimony, we find that at all points the Prophets, Apostles, and Evangelists were careful, competent , and correct in their work. Consider the witness of Luke, who had followed closely all matters pertaining to Jesus and having sought accurate information from "eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word", so that he could present to Theophilus "the truth" concerning Jesus.

When Peter addressed the assembly (about one hundred and twenty believers), inspired by the Holy Spirit , he laid down the requirements for the replacement for Iscariot. The replacement must have been a follower of Jesus since the baptism of John throughout Jesus' ministry until His Ascension, so that he could serve as a witness to His Resurrection. In other words, he had to be an 'eyewitness and minister of the Word '.

As we consider the messages in the book of Acts , we find that they follow an outline that is pretty much the same as what we find in the Synoptics . Thus, when the Evangelists wrote the Gospels, it was little more than recording what had been witnessed in the life and ministry of Jesus, which they had been proclaiming since the day of Pentecost.

The testimony to Jesus in the four Gospels derived from those who were there !

Harmony of Parallel Accounts

Since the witnesses are trustworthy and accurate, our task is to harmonize parallel accounts rather than to set them against one another, for we are confident that such accounts by faithful and honest witnesses under the guidance of the Holy Spirit complement rather than contradict one another. Since, in the case of the Gospels, we have four independent witnesses, each reports from his own perspective (in the case of Luke, he was depending upon various eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word).

John 14:23 Jesus answered him, "If a man loves me, he will keep my word , and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 14:24 He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word which you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me. 14:25 "These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit , whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

John 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority , but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 16:14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

Our first task then is to ask what was said and done. In other words, 'whatÏdoes the Scripture say?' (Romans 4.3).

Our next task is to ask reverently and in prayer, what does the Holy Spirit have in mind, especially if there is a difference between one account and another.

This unqualified position is clearly set forth by Quenstedt (1617-1688) :

'The holy canonical Scriptures in their original text are the infallible truth and are free from every error . That is to say, in the sacred canonical Scriptures there is no untruth, no deceit, no error, not even a minor one, either in content or words , but each and everything presented to us in Scripture is absolutely true, whether it pertains to doctrine, ethics, history, chronology, topography, or onomastics, and no ignorance, no lack of understanding, no forgetfulness or lapse of memory can or should be ascribed to the amanuenses of the Holy Spirit in their writing of the Holy Scriptures'" (page 346; cf. Pieper, page 222, 227).

Vs. Flagrant Audacity

Any modern attempt to re-construct the events of the Bible thousands of years after the events is an exercise in flagrant audacity.

Audacity ' denotes an arrogant disregard of proper restraints, and 'flagrant' (literally to burn until black) describes an error that cannot be ignored or condoned. This describes the character of historical criticism , which presents itself under the guise of scholarship. It is not neutral activity in a 'sterile laboratory'. It is wicked and derives from the devil. It does not deserve our serious consideration but instead must be exposed for the arrogant evil that it is.

In our opinion the mistakes made by historical critics are that they would reduce living events to a 'line drawing'; they fail to take into account that the events and statements were seen from various perspectives (yet all accurate); they would limit the statements made (as if Jesus et al did not make many similar comments on various occasions); and they fail to submit to the presence and activity of the Holy Spirit.

Difficulties Acknowledged

That there are textual and interpretive difficulties in studying the Bible, we readily acknowledge. That there are discrepancies or contradictions in the Bible, we emphatically repudiate!

Rather than to submit to the historical criticism of the Bible, we would follow the counsel of Augustine (354-430): The Bible is "... completely free from error"! Any Bible difficulties are to be explained :

"I have learned to yield such [absolute] respect and honour only to the canonical books of Scripture; of these do I most firmly believe thatÏthe authors were completely free from error. And if in these writings I am perplexed by anything which appears to me opposed to truth, I do not hesitate to suppose that either the manuscript is faulty, or the translator has not caught the meaning of what was said, or I myself have failed to understand it" (Letter to Jerome, 82.3).

In other words this teacher of the Church instructs us that there are three options when we encounter a difficulty in Scripture:

*Faulty Textual Transmission;

*Defective Translation;

*or Personal Failure in Understanding

Thus, if the text reads that 'Judas went and hanged himself' (Matthew 27.5) and that 'he fell headlong, bursting open, so that his bowels gushed out' (Acts 1.18), then we are sure that is what happened! It is not one or the other, but both! The two accounts supplement each other (see more at Seventh Principle: Hermeneutics of Harmony).

E. g. the Centurion's Servant

"How Did the Centurion Bring His Request Before Jesus?"

Matthew 8:5-13 and Luke 7:1-10 form a pair of passages that have been puzzling to Bible readers. The centurion, seeking the help of the Lord for his sick servant, is spoken of in both texts. Matthew says that the centurion came to Jesus. Luke avers that he entreated the Savior through delegations of elders and other friends. However there is no disagreement here.

The following sentence presents the case clearly. The centurion came to Jesus, says the one evangelist, and the centurion sent for Jesus, says the other. One explanation is that the term "coming" may not necessarily mean coming in person; it may have a wider significance , namely, that of putting oneself in touch with someone else. Therefore the language of Matthew may not compel us to understand him to say that the centurion appeared before Jesus in person. This point is satisfactorily explained by the legal maxim : Qui facit per alium, facit per se. (What our agent does we do ourselves.) Matthew narrates briefly; Luke gives the circumstances more fully. Similarly in John 4:1 Jesus is said to have baptized, when He did it by His disciples (v. 2). In John 19:1 and elsewhere Pilate is said to have scourged Jesus--certainly not with his own hands. In Mark 10:35 James and John come to Jesus with a certain request; in Matthew 20:20 it is their mother who presents the request. We say, similarly, that the president went to the senate with this difficulty. We do not necessarily wish to imply that he appeared before the senate in person, but merely hat he in some way or other, probably by means of a written communication, apprised the senate of a pending difficulty and asked its advice.

Another equally valid solution to the apparent difficulty is that Luke adds a detail which Matthew does not contain; yet both accounts are accurate. Perhaps the centurion , being Roman, hesitated to approach Jesus. He may have had doubts about the reception a Gentile would receive. Therefore he sent a delegation of Jewish elders who knew him personally to intercede with Jesus on his behalf. Only after the elders had explained that the Roman officer was worthy of Jesus' consideration (Luke 7:4-5) did the centurion speak directly to Jesus, who had come part way to the house in which the sick servant was lying. Probably this construing of the events is preferable to that of the previous paragraph on the basis of Matthew 8:13, which implies that the centurion was present in person: "Then Jesus said to the centurion, 'Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you'" (William Arndt, Bible Difficulties and Seeming Contradictions, edited by Robert G. Hoerber, page 174) ( Bold is ours)

E. g. Peter's Confession

In Matthew 16.16 it is recorded that Simon Peter confessed of Jesus, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." In Mark 8.29 we read that Peter confessed, "You are the Christ", and in Luke 9.20 , "The Christ of God". We must hold to the accuracy of the Scriptures. All three Evangelists report accurately what Simon Peter said. One account is the most complete.

Surely Matthew (Levi) has recorded accurately what Peter said. Why then has the Holy Spirit led Mark (= Peter's Gospel) to provide us with a shorter account? Was it because Peter did not adequately understand the import of what he was saying at the time and so did not include it? Notice that Peter did not report Jesus' commendation of Peter either (Matthew 16.17), possibly because of his feelings of unworthiness because he was so soon after his confession on Satan's side (Matthew 16.23 and Mark 8.33).

We do not know and cannot say . However, our confidence is that each of the three accounts is historically accurate , and that the Holy Spirit, under the direction of Christ, led each of them to see and report not only accurately but also appropriately concerning that great event.

Those who would reduce the report to this or that account, in our opinion, do not have a grasp of real events.

E. g. Superscription upon the Cross

A set of passages which critics often point to are the four versions given of the superscription on the cross of Jesus. It is maintained that they do not agree. We find the respective passages in Matthew 27:37 ("This is Jesus the King of the Jews"), Mark 15:26 ("The King of the Jews"), Luke 23:38 ("This is the King of the Jews"), and John 19:19 ("Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews"). One glance suffices to show that among the four versions there is no difference in meaning . John's account is simply more complete than those of the others. Matthew ranks next to John in this respect. The opponents say, however, that verbal inspiration implies absolute accuracy : if the Bible had been given by verbal inspiration, then John could not have written that the superscription on the cross was, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews," while Mark simply says the superscription was "The King of the Jews." This criticism arbitrarily lays down the principle that when one quotes a statement , one must, in order to be faithful to the original, give every word of it. Nothing is more common, however, than to abridge a speech or a remark which one is quoting. Besides, we must remember that the superscription was written in three languages , and that it may have been more complete in two of the languages than in the third. The evangelists probably did not all follow the same version in their account. Mark, moreover, does not assert that he is giving the superscription in full; he merely says, "The nscription of His accusation was written above: 'The King of the Jews.'" He reports the charge as it was proclaimed on the superscription; that is all.

Although the principle that abridgement of a quotation is acceptable practice would be a sufficient reply to critics, it may prove interesting to speculate about what could have developed when the superscription was written in three languages. John 19:19-20 records:

"Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: 'Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.' Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek and Latin."

That " Hebrew " indicates Aramaic, the daily language of the Jews of that time, is clear from other passages of John (5:2; 19:13, 17; 20:16) where the respective words are in the Aramaic form, transliterated into Greek.

Note that John writes: "Now Pilate wrote a title..." Pilate (or an official under his authority) would be well versed in Latin , his native language, and in Greek, the language he would have had to use in dealing with non-Italians in Palestine. He would scarcely have been able to write Aramaic or "Hebrew." We would expect, therefore, that the inscription was composed first in Latin in a brief form: "Rex Iudaeorum Hic." The last word could be rendered either "This (is)" or "Here," depending on whether one pronounced it with a short or long "i" respectively. The Latin would mean either "This is the King of the Jews" or "Here is the King of the Jews." Then as Pilate (or his official secretary) wrote in Greek , he could have added the name of Jesus and His city, for the Greek version would be legible to and understood by all people who passed by regardless of race or nationality. The Greek could have been: "JesusÏof Nazareth, the King of the Jews." The Aramaic version may have followed the Greek with the omission of "Nazareth" and would have been: "Jesus the King of the Jews" or "This is Jesus the King of the Jews."

It is reasonable for Matthew to cite the Aramaic title since he wrote his gospel originally in Aramaic according to Papias, a church leader within a generation after John's death. Hence Matthew has "This is Jesus the King of the Jews." Mark , who wrote his gospel in Rome under the tutelage of Peter, would be expected to follow the Latin version, the official and daily language in Rome. Since the last word (hic) allowed two interpretations, he could have omitted it and cited it as "The King of the Jews." Likewise Luke followed the Latin title, interpreting the last word (hic) as "this": "This is the King of the Jews." We might expect Luke to have used the Latin version for he had in mindÏ" most excellent Theophilus " (Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1) and "most excellent" is a title that Luke reserves for Roman officials of high standing in the Roman government such as Felix (Acts 23:26; 24:3) and Festus (Acts 26:25).

Furthermore there are good reasons to conclude that Luke put the finishing touches on, if not composed much of, Luke-Acts in Rome while Paul was experiencing his two-year house arrest in the capital of the Roman empire (Acts 28:30-31). John , however, wrote later, probably in the last decade of the first century [??], at or near Ephesus, a center of Greek civilization. He naturally would quote the Greek title: "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." We conclude by repeating that the previous three paragraphs represent speculation, not fact and that the common practice of abridging a quotation is a sufficient reply to critics. (ibid., Arndt, edited by Robert G. Hoerber, page 185) ( The bold is ours).

CONCLUSION

We are persuaded from the Scriptures and especially the teachings of Jesus, our Savior and Lord, that the Bible is the inerrant and infallible Word of God

Through the Bible and the work of God's Holy Spirit we are 'born from heaven above' and destined for the Father's House. In the meantime weÆfaithfully proclaim and teach His Word as He has given it to us, so that we do not hinder the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit in saving souls in our midst.

Thus we prayerfully give ourselves to reverent and serious exegesis of the Bible, His Word and repudiate and reject the flagrant audacity of those who would deny the inerrancy and infallibility of His Word, the Bible.

By this we are persuaded that the Lord has assured us of an inerrant text (Matthew 5.18, Mark 13.31).

Our understanding that the doctrine that the Bible is the inerrant and infallible Word of God calls us to interpret the Bible according to its plain historical-gramatical sense harmonistically, affirming its historical accuracy and prophetic reliability, explaining what may be obscure by what is essential and clear

We would consistently require of those ordained and appointed to preach and teach in our churches that they hold to the doctrine of inerrancy as their own conviction, commitment and interpretive principle

Thus we are assured that the Bible does not contain discrepancies. If, for example, we have some difficulty in reconciling the order of Resurrection-appearances, that is our problem. We are confident that all the pieces fit together. Our task is to seek as best we can to fit them together, and, if we are not able to do so satisfactorily, we do not therefore conclude that there is a defect in God's Word, but that we suffer from deficiencies and limitations.

We must repudiate any theological endeavors which would set texts against texts and construct various theories upon such. To us such audacity (to think that centuries and even millennia later, modern theorists could in any way adequately re-construct the Biblical events) is not only in error but is also grossly irreverent.

In other words, we must take our stand under Christ alone as revealed and proclaimed in Scripture alone , humbly but gratefully submitting to the Scriptures as God's own inerrant and infallible Word and words!