The Claim of the Bible
Even a casual reader of the Bible will soon discover
he is reading a very unusual book. Even though he may not accept its
claims, a careful and reflective reading will demonstrate, for most at
least, that this book is not only unique, but makes some very unique
claims. The following are a number of evidences that support this
uniqueness.
In hundreds of passages, the Bible declares or takes
the position explicitly or implicitly that it is nothing less than the
very Word of God.
Some thirty-eight hundred times the Bible declares,
“God said,” or “Thus says the Lord” (e.g. Ex. 14:1; 20:1; Lev. 4:1; Num.
4:1; Deut. 4:2; 32:48; Isa. 1:10, 24; Jer. 1:11; Ezek. 1:3; etc.). Paul
also recognized that the things he was writing were the Lord’s
commandments (1 Cor. 14:37), and they were acknowledged as such by the
believers (1 Thess. 2:13). Peter proclaimed the certainty of the
Scriptures and the necessity of heeding the unalterable and certain Word
of God (2 Pet. 1:16-21). John too recognized that his teaching was from
God; to reject his teaching was to reject God (1 John 4:6).17
For other passages which either declare or assume the
Bible as God’s Word see Deuteronomy 6:6-9, 17-18; Joshua 1:8-9; 8:32-35; 2
Samuel 22:31; Ps. 1:2; 12:6; 19:7-11; 93:5; 119:9, 11, 18, 89-93, 130;
Prov. 30:5-6; Matthew 5:17-19; 22:29; Mark 13:31; Luke 16:17; John 2:22;
5:24; 10:35; Acts 17:11; Romans 10:17; Colossians 3:16; 1 Thessalonians
2:13; 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:15-17; 1 Peter 1:23-25; 2 Peter 3:15-16;
Revelation 1:2; 22:18.
But isn’t this a circular kind of argument, and is
that a valid argument? In a court of law, the accused has the right to
testify on his own behalf. That testimony should be considered in the
light of the evidence. In this case, the evidence, both external and
internal, strongly supports the claims of the Bible.
In response to those who would reject the
above-mentioned argument, it should be noted that the writers who made
those claims for the Scripture were trustworthy men who defended the
integrity of the Scripture at great personal sacrifice. Jeremiah received
his message directly from the Lord (Jer. 11:1-3), yet because of his
defense of the Scripture some attempted to kill him (Jer. 11:21); even his
family rejected him (Jer. 12:6). Counterfeit prophets were readily
recognized (Jer. 23:21, 32; 28:1-17). However, the Bible’s claims should
not be understood as arguing in a circle or by circular reasoning. The
testimony of reliable witnesses—particularly of Jesus, but also of others
such as Moses, Joshua, David, Daniel, and Nehemiah in the Old Testament,
and John and Paul in the New Testament—affirmed the authority and verbal
inspiration of the Holy Scriptures.18
The ever present assumption of the writers of the
Bible is that the Bible is the God-breathed Word of God. A good
illustration is seen in Psalm 19:7-11 which not only declares the Bible to
be the Word of God, but identifies six perfections with corresponding
transformations of human character that the Bible will produce in those
who study and apply it in faith.
(1) The continuity of the Bible. One of the
amazing facts about the Bible is that though it was written by a wide
diversity of authors (as many as 40) over a period of 1600 years, from
many different locations and under a wide variety of conditions, the Bible
is uniquely one book, not merely a collection of sixty-six books. Its
authors came from all walks of life. Some were kings, some peasants, still
others were philosophers, fishermen, physicians, statesmen, scholars,
poets, and farmers. They lived in a variety of cultures, in different
experiences and often were quite different in their make up. Regardless of
this diversity, as one book, it is:
… bound together by historical sequence, type and
antitype, prophecy and fulfillment, and by the anticipation, presentation,
realization, and exaltation of the most perfect Person who ever walked on
earth and whose glories are manifest in heaven.19
Enns has an interesting comparison as it pertains to
the Bible’s continuity. He writes:
The divine origin of the Bible is further seen in
considering the continuity of its teaching despite the unusual nature of
its composition. It stands distinct from other religious writings. For
example, the Islamic Koran was compiled by an individual, Zaid ibn Thabit,
under the guidance of Mohammed’s father-in-law, Abu-Bekr. Additionally, in
A.D. 650, a group of Arab scholars produced a unified version and
destroyed all variant copies to preserve the unity of the Koran. By
contrast, the Bible came from some forty different authors from diverse
vocations in life. For instance, among the writers of Scripture were
Moses, a political leader; Joshua, a military leader; David, a shepherd;
Solomon, a king; Amos, a herdsman and fruit pincher; Daniel, a prime
minister; Matthew, a tax collector; Luke, a medical doctor; Paul, a rabbi;
and Peter, a fisherman.20
Summing up the significance of the Bible’s continuity,
Enns writes,
It is apparent that many of the writers did not know
of the other writers of Scripture and were unfamiliar with the other
writings, inasmuch as the writers wrote over a period of more than fifteen
hundred years, yet the Bible is a marvelous, unified whole. There are no
contradictions or inconsistencies within its pages. The Holy Spirit is the
unifier of the sixty-six books, determining its harmonious consistency. In
unity these books teach the triunity of God, the deity of Jesus Christ,
the personality of the Holy Spirit, the fall and depravity of man, as well
as salvation by grace. It quickly becomes apparent that no human being(s)
could have orchestrated the harmony of the teachings of the Scripture. The
divine authorship of the Bible is the only answer.21
Speaking of the Bible as “a phenomenon which is
explainable in but one way—it is the word of God,” the late Dr. Lewis
Sperry Chafer wrote, “It is not such a book as man would write if he
could, or could write if he would.”22
It is beyond the scope of man’s capacity to write a book like the Bible
under the conditions describes above apart from its divine origin.
(2) The Bible’s revelation of God. The
Bible’s revelation of God is unique among all the religious writings of
either antiquity or of more modern times. While the Bible is a very
ethical book, it never divorces its code of morality from a personal
relationship with the God of the Bible, teaching that God’s laws are not
meant to hinder joy and pleasure, but to enhance man’s capacity to know
and love God and people. Morality is to be a product of knowing and loving
the God of the Bible (Deut. 4:4-6; Matt. 22:36-40; Mark 12:28-31).
In addition, no other religious writing presents both
the absolute holiness of God combined with God’s love, mercy, and grace
that reaches out to sinful man who has been separated from God not only
because of man’s sin, but because of God’s absolute holiness. One of the
great revelations and themes of the Bible is that which is expressed by
Isaiah, “holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts” (Isa. 6:3; Hab. 1:13a).
While other contemporary writers were primarily
polytheistic, the Bible is monotheistic. It presents a monotheistic
concept of God rather than the polytheism which was so flagrant in the
days when the Scriptures were written. Furthermore, when later holy books
like the Koran and others presented a monotheistic concept of God, the
Bible remained unique because it is the only book about God that presents
God as one (monotheism) yet one in three persons, the Triunity or Trinity.
Indeed, the Bible’s revelation of God is one that is starkly different
from the ones depicted in all other holy books whether of antiquity or of
modern times.
(3) The nature, condition, and cure for man’s sin.
Only the Bible describes man’s condition in sin as it really is
and demonstrates the impossibility for man to deal with his sin and
sinfulness apart from God’s grace solution in the person and death of His
Son. Every other religion in the world, past and present, has man seeking
to obtain his own salvation or gain God’s favor by some form of human
works or religious activity. Only the Bible presents a solution for man’s
sin that is truly life changing, when properly embraced and believed.
(4) The ethics and morals of the Bible. The
ethics and morals of the Bible cover all areas of human conduct from the
home, the husband/wife relationships, parent/child relationships, to human
conduct in society as with employers and employees, neighbors and enemies,
and the state and its citizens. It covers morals on all levels as well as
business, economic, and social spheres. But as mentioned previously, the
ethics and morals of the Bible are unique in that they are always related
to one’s belief in the existence of God and one’s relationship with Him;
in this way, the motives themselves are judged. Ethics and morals are
never simply a matter of outward conformity to the moral standards of
Scripture as other religions or religious books do. The emphasis of the
Bible is “search me O God, and know my heart.”
(5) Fulfilled prophecy. Another amazing
illustration of the divine origin and uniqueness of the Bible is its many
fulfilled prophecies.
Throughout Scripture, hundreds of prophecies were made
by Old Testament writers concerning the Messiah, the future kingdom on
earth, the restoration of Israel as a nation, and their return to their
Promised Land. In the New Testament also many predictions are made of
events to come. As Scripture unfolds, about half of these prophecies have
already been fulfilled, but others, following the same pattern of literal
fulfillment, are subject to fulfillment in the future. The perfect
precision of prophecy extending to such details as the place of Christ’s
birth, the character of His execution, the very words He would speak on
the cross testify to the absolute accuracy of the Word of God. In
Scripture, prophecy is just as accurate as history.23
(6) The Bible as Revelation Beyond Human
Comprehension.
The extent of Bible revelation is beyond human
comprehension. Like a telescope, the Bible reaches beyond the stars and
penetrates the heights of heaven and the depths of hell. Like a
microscope, it discovers the minutest details of God’s plans and purposes
as well as the hidden secrets of the human heart. The Bible deals as
freely with things unknown as it does with the known. It can speak with
complete freedom and assurance about situations and events outside the
realm of human experience. The Bible knows no limits to the infinite
knowledge of God who guided its writers. It permits its readers to gaze on
events in eternity past as well as in eternity future. The comprehension
of divine revelation is utterly beyond the capacity of even the most
brilliant men unaided by the Spirit of God.24
Other unique features of the Bible that give evidence
of its divine origin are its types and antitypes, its nature as
unique literature, its scientific accuracy when compared to
true science, its enduring freshness, and its power to change
lives.25
The Bible:
God’s Special Revelation
Definition of Revelation
The term revelation comes from the Greek word
apokalupsis, which means “a disclosure” or “an
unveiling.” It is used in the New Testament of the disclosure of truth in
general (Luke 2:32; Rom. 16:25; Eph. 1:17), of the disclosure of a
specific area of truth (2 Cor. 12:1; Gal. 1:12; 2:2; Eph. 3:3), of the
second coming of Christ (1 Cor. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:7, 13; 4:13), and of the
book of Revelation (Rev. 1:1). Theologically, Bible students use this word
to signify God’s work of revealing Himself to mankind through the various
sources of revelation as in creation (Rom. 1:18-21; Ps. 19), in
providential acts (Acts 14:17; Rom. 8:28), in miracles (John 20:30-31),
through direct acts of communication (Ex. 3:1-9; Acts 22:17-21), through
the person of Christ (John 1:14, 18), and through the Bible.
What then is revelation? Thiessen defines it as:
… that act of God whereby he discloses himself or
communicates truth to the mind; whereby he makes manifest to his creatures
that which could not be known in any other way. The revelation may occur
in a single, instantaneous act, or it may extend over a long period of
time; and this communication of himself and his truth may be perceived by
the human mind in varying degrees of fullness.26
Erickson defines “revelation” as: “By special
revelation we mean God’s manifestation of himself to particular persons at
definite times and places, enabling those persons to enter into a
redemptive relationship with him.”27
The concept of revelation falls into two principal
divisions or areas: (1) general, natural, or original, and (2) special,
supernatural, or soteriological. The first pertains to revelation revealed
through nature and history, the second to what God has revealed as He
intervenes in human history to reveal Himself in supernatural ways.
General or Natural Revelation
By general revelation, we mean revelation that is
simply general in its extent. Ryrie explains:
General revelation is exactly that—general. It is
general in its scope; that is, it reaches to all people (Matt. 5:45; Acts
14:17). It is general in geography; that is, it encompasses the entire
globe (Ps. 19:2). It is general in its methodology; that is, it employs
universal means like the heat of the sun (vv. 4-6) and human conscience
(Rom. 2:14-15). Simply because it is a revelation that thus affects all
people wherever they are and whenever they have lived it can bring light
and truth to all, or, if rejected, brings condemnation.28
General revelation comes to mankind in a number of
ways (creation, order and design, the nature of man as an intelligent
being), but the most obvious and powerful means of general revelation is
nature or creation. As powerful and universal as this is, however, it is
inadequate or has certain limitations. It cannot tell us about the love
and grace of God nor of His perfect holiness. Furthermore, creation does
not tell us of God’s plan of salvation nor how man may procure that
salvation. Still, general revelation “is nonetheless an important
antecedent to salvation. General revelation is God revealing certain
truths and aspects about His nature to all humanity, which revelation is
essential and preliminary to God’s special revelation.”29
Creation as a part of God’s general revelation affirms
certain facts about God. Two key passages emphasize God’s general
revelation in creation:
(1) Psalm 19:1-6 affirms (a) the heavens
declare the fact of God’s glory to the human race throughout the earth
(vs. 1), (b) that this revelation is constant, occurring “day to day” and
“night to night” (vs. 2), that (c) it is a nonverbal revelation, “there is
no speech, nor are there words, their voice is not heard,” (v. 3), and (d)
its scope is worldwide, “Their line [sound] has gone out through all the
earth, And their utterance to the end of the world” (v. 4). “Being
unrestricted by the division of languages, natural revelation transcends
human communication without the use of speech, words, and sounds. To those
who are inclined to hear, revelation comes with no regard for linguistic
or geographical barriers.”30
No one is excluded from this revelation of God.
Wherever man peers at the universe, there is orderliness. At a distance of
ninety-three million miles from the earth, the sun provides exactly the
right temperature environment for man to function on earth. Were the sun
closer, it would be too hot to survive, and were it further away it would
be too cold for man to function. If the moon were closer than two hundred
forty thousand miles the gravitational pull of the tides would engulf the
earth’s surface with water from the oceans. Wherever man looks in the
universe, there is harmony and order. Similarly, God has revealed Himself
on earth (v. 1). The magnificence of the human body is perhaps the best
evidence of general revelation on earth. The entire human body—its
cardiovascular system, the bone structure, the respiratory system, the
muscles, the nervous system including its center in the brain—reveals an
infinite God.31
(2) Romans 1:18-21 develops the truth of
general revelation through creation even further. It draws our attention
to four vital characteristics of what the revelation of God in creation
does. (a) It is a clear testimony, being clearly seen by the things which
are made (vss. 19 and 20). (b) The word “understood” (noew,
“of rational reflection, inner contemplation, perceive, apprehend,
understand …”)32
indicates this general revelation goes beyond mere perception; creation’s
revelation is such that it is expected to result in reflection so there is
a conclusion drawn about the Creator. (c) As Psalm 19 affirms, this
testimony is constant being witnessed “since the creation of the world”
(vs. 20). And (d) it is limited in what it reveals; only certain aspects
about God’s invisible qualities or nature are revealed, specifically, “his
eternal power and divine nature.”
As mentioned previously, to learn of God’s love,
grace, and plan of salvation, one must turn to God’s special revelation,
the Bible, and the revelation of His Son (John 1:14, 18). Natural
revelation, however, is more than sufficient to make mankind responsible
and to show he is “without excuse” for his indifference and failure to
seek to know God and to be thankful.
Providence and Human Conscience
In addition to creation, God has also revealed Himself
to the human race through His providential goodness in the world and
through the human conscience.
It is through His providential goodness in supplying
people with sunshine and rain that enables them to live and function
(Matt. 5:45; Acts 14:15-17). Paul reminds the people at Lystra that God’s
providential goodness was a witness to them (Acts 14:17). God’s
providential control is also evident in His dealing with the nations. He
disciplined His disobedient people Israel (Deut. 28:15-68) but will also
restore them (Deut. 30:1-10); He judged Egypt for sinning against Israel
(Ex. 7-11); He raised the nations to power and also caused their demise
(Dan. 2:21a, 31-43).
Further, God has revealed Himself through conscience.
Romans 2:14-15 indicates God has placed intuitional knowledge concerning
Himself within the heart of man. “Man intuitively knows not only that God
values goodness and abhors evil but also that he is ultimately accountable
to such a righteous Power.” (Bruce A. Demarest, General Revelation:
Historical Views and Contemporary Issues, Grand Rapids: Zondervan,
1982, p. 231.) While the Jews will be judged according to the written law,
Gentiles, who do not have the written Law, will be judged according to an
unwritten law, the law of conscience written on their hearts. Moreover,
Paul says the conscience acts as a legal prosecutor (v. 15). “Conscience
may be regarded as an inner monitor, or the voice of God in the soul, that
passes judgment on man’s response to the moral law within” (Ibid., pp.
232-33).33
While God has revealed Himself in His creation, which
gives us general revelation about God, and in the person of Jesus Christ,
which gives us revelation of God incarnate, our focus in bibliology is on
the revelation of God in the Bible, the written Word of God. As God’s Word
the Bible reveals much more about God than can be known from nature or
creation or even through the person Christ.
Accordingly, the Bible may be regarded as completing
the intended divine revelation of God partially revealed in nature, more
fully revealed in Christ, and completely revealed in the written Word.
Special Revelation
The Nature of Special Revelation
This section will examine how God has revealed Himself
in special revelation. The nature of this mode of revelation is that it
consists primarily of words. The author of Hebrews reminds us that
God has made Himself known by speaking long ago to the fathers in the
prophets in many portions and in many ways, and in these last days has
spoken to us in His Son (Heb. 1:1-2a). There are three elements to
special revelation: specific times, specific modes, and specific persons.
Later, still dealing with this special revelation that reveals our “so
great salvation,” the author of Hebrews says:
After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it
was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also bearing witness with
them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of
the Holy Spirit according to His own will (Heb. 1:1-2).
Again we see the same elements: a specific mode
(special revelation embodied in words), at a specific time (during
the life of Christ and the apostles), and in specific persons
(those who heard the Lord, His apostles whose teaching or words were
confirmed by signs and wonders). This was precisely in keeping with
Christ’s own words in John 16:12-15.
Special revelation involves a narrower focus than
general revelation and is restricted to Jesus Christ and the Scriptures.
Of course, all that is known of Christ is through the Scriptures;
therefore, it can be said that special revelation is restricted to the
Scriptures.34
The Necessity of Special Revelation
Why does man need special revelation? Special
revelation is needed because of man’s blind and sinful condition caused by
his fall as recorded in Genesis 3, a blindness that is made even stronger
by the blinding activity of Satan (cf. Eph. 4:17-19 with 2 Cor. 4:4). This
necessitated the need for special revelation so God could reveal Himself
and His plan of salvation that man in turn might be reconciled from his
condition of alienation and restored to fellowship with God.
God’s special revelation of Himself centers in the
Person of Jesus Christ as the only One who fully reveals both God and His
plan of salvation; Jesus is the heart and testimony of Scripture in its
promises and fulfillment and the means of salvation (John 1:14, 18;
3:16-18; 6:63; 14:6; Heb. 1:3; 2:3; Rev. 19:10).
In addition to the above, man needs special revelation
for two more important reasons. First, so he correctly interpret the
truths revealed in general revelation, and second, because these general
truths are very limited. As is obvious from the many religions of the
world, man consistently misinterprets what he can learn from creation or
providence. Therefore, man desperately needs God’s special or supernatural
revelation.
The Avenues of Special Revelation
Drawing on his knowledge of the Old Testament and the
testimony of those who had personally heard the Lord Jesus, the author of
Hebrews speaks of the various ways God has spoken to reveal Himself in
history through the prophets and then through His Son who is the very
outshining of God (Heb. 1:1-2). Ryrie gives us an excellent summary of the
various avenues God has used to reveal Himself.
A. The Lot: While today we would not highly regard the
use of the lot, it did serve sometimes to communicate the mind of God to
man (Prov. 16:33; Acts 1:21-26).
B. The Urim and Thummim: The breastplate which the
high priest wore in the Old Testament was a square piece of beautiful
material which was folded in half and open at the top like a pouch. It was
adorned with twelve precious stones on which were engraved the names of
the twelve tribes of Israel. The Urim and Thummim possibly were two
precious stones placed inside the pouch which were used, like the lot, to
determine God’s will (Ex. 28:30, Num. 27:21, Deut. 33:8; 1 Sam. 28:6, Ezra
2:63).
C. Dreams: God apparently used dreams to communicate
many times during the Old Testament period, and He will do so again at the
time of the second coming of Christ (Gen. 20:3, 6; 31:11-13, 24; 40-41;
Joel 2:28). Nonbelievers as well as believers experienced God-given dreams
(Gen. 20:3; 31:24). Though a common experience, dreams were used by God in
this special way to reveal truth.
D. Visions: In a vision the emphasis seems to be on
what is heard, while in a dream, on what is seen. Also the human being
involved seems to be more active in receiving a vision (Isa. 1:1; 6:1;
Ezek. 1:3).
E. Theophanies: Before the Incarnation, theophanies
were associated with the appearance of the Angel of the Lord who
communicated the divine message to people (Gen. 16:7-14; Ex. 3:2; 2 Sam.
24:16; Zech. 1:12).
F. Angels: God also uses created angels to carry His
message to people (Dan. 9:20-21, Luke 2:10-11, Rev. 1:1). (Notice Rev.
19:17 where God will use an angel to communicate to birds!)
G. The Prophets: Old Testament prophets brought God’s
message to mankind (2 Sam. 23:2; Zech. 1:1) as did New Testament prophets
(Eph. 3:5). They spoke with authority because they were communicating the
Word of the Lord. A preacher or teacher today does not qualify as a
prophet since he proclaims or explains God’s Word, previously given and
encoded.
H. Events: God’s activity in history also constitutes
a channel of revelation. Delivering the people of Israel from Egypt
revealed the righteous acts of the Lord, according to Micah 6:5. Acts of
judgment reveal who God is (Ezek. 25:7). And, of course, the incarnation
of Christ exegeted God (John 1:14). It does not go without saying today
that these events have to be historical and factual in order also to be
communicative; for today some are putting existential faith before the
historical. In other words, they are attempting to create revelation apart
from historical facts. Such existential historiography was never a part of
the framework of the biblical writers.
Not only must the events be historical, but they also
need to be interpreted through divine inspiration if we are to understand
accurately their meaning. For example, many people were crucified; how do
we know that the crucifixion of one Jesus of Nazareth paid for the sins of
the world? The Word of special revelation clarifies and correctly
interprets the obscurity of the meaning of events.
I. Jesus Christ: Undebatably the incarnation of Jesus
Christ was a major avenue of special revelation. He exegeted the Father
(John 1:14), revealing the nature of God (14:9), the power of God (3:2),
the wisdom of God (7:46), the glory of God (1:14), the life of God (1 John
1:1-3), and the love of God (Romans 5:8). Our Lord did all this by both
His acts (John 2:11) and His words (Matt. 16:17).
J. The Bible: Actually the Bible serves as the most
inclusive of all the avenues of special revelation, for it encompasses the
record of many aspects of the other avenues. Though God undoubtedly gave
other visions, dreams, and prophetic messages that were not recorded in
the Bible, we know no details of them. Too, all that we know about the
life of Christ appears in the Bible, though, of course, not all that He
did or said was recorded in the Scriptures (John 21:25). But the Bible is
not simply the record of these other revelations from God; it also
contains additional truth not revealed, for example, through the prophets
or even during the earthly life of Christ. So the Bible, then, is both the
record of aspects of special revelation and revelation itself.
The revelation in the Bible is not only inclusive yet
partial, it is also accurate (John 17:17), progressive (Heb. 1:1), and
purposeful (2 Tim. 3:15-17).
Two approaches exist as to the credibility of the
scriptural revelation. Fideists insist that the Scripture and the
revelation it contains is self-authenticating, that is, autopistic. The
infallibility of the Bible must be presupposed and can be because the
Scripture says it is inspired and the Spirit accredits it. Empiricists, on
the other hand, stress the intrinsic credibility of the revelation of the
Bible as being worthy of belief, that is, axiopistic. The Bible’s claim to
authority is not in itself proof of its authority; rather there exist
factual, historical evidences which constitute the Bible’s credentials and
validate the truth of its message. My feeling is that there is truth in
both approaches so that both can and should be used.35
17 Ibid, p. 154.
18 Ibid.
19 Chafer, p. 52.
20 Enns, pp. 154-155.
21 Enns, p. 155.
22 Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology,
Vol 1, Kregel, Grand Rapids, 1947-48, p. 22.
23 Lewis Sperry Chafer Systematic Theology,
Vol. 1, Abridged Edition, Walvoord, Campbell, Zuck, p. 53.
24 Ibid., p. 51.
25 For further reading on these and the features
mentioned above see Chafer’s Systematic Theology, pp. 22-36, or the
Abridged Edition of Chafer’s Theology by Walvoord, Zuck, and
Campbell, pp. 48-55.
26 Henry Clarence Thiessen, Introductory Lectures
in systematic Theology, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, MI, 1949, p. 31.
27 Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology,
Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, 1983, p. 175.
28 Charles C. Ryrie, Basic Theology, Victor
Books, Wheaton, IL, 1987, electronic media.
29 Enns, p. 156.
30 NIV Bible Commentary, Kenneth Barker & John
Kohlenberger III, Consulting Editors, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand
Rapids, 1994, electronic media.
31 Enns, pp. 156, 158.
32 Walter Bauer, F. Wilbur Gingrich, and Frederick W.
Danker, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early
Christian Literature, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1979,
electronic version.
33 Enns, p. 158.
34 Enns, p. 158.
35 Charles C. Ryrie, Basic Theology, Victor
Books, Wheaton, IL, 1987, electronic media.
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