Biblical Authority
SUMMARY
Mike discusses his upcoming book, the Divine Council, cosmic geography of the Bible, and misconceptions about biblical inspiration.
ONE-SENTENCE TAKEAWAY
Understanding biblical inspiration as a process involving both divine and human elements strengthens its integrity.
IDEAS:
- The book is a culmination of 10 years of work and will be released in March.
- The original title was "The Myth That Is True," inspired by Tolkien.
- The book includes details on the Divine Council and cosmic geography of the Bible.
- Mike's approach to scripture may sound strange but aims to defend its integrity.
- Misconceptions about the Bible often stem from presuppositions rather than critics' insights.
- Inspiration should be viewed as a process, not a paranormal event.
- Eliminating the human element in inspiration undermines the doctrine.
- The Bible is a coherent expert literary product, not a haphazard collection.
- Advanced knowledge inspiration is a flawed idea; writers knew what they were doing.
- The Bible contains material found in other ancient books, not unique content.
- The Bible is not an exhaustive repository of all knowledge but is focused and deliberate.
- Editorial work is evident in the Bible, such as first to third person switches.
- Direct revelation is necessary for certain things, particularly the unseen realm.
- The Bible records the same events with word and content variations.
- Misconceptions about inspiration make the Bible vulnerable to attack.
- The Holy Stapler concept is a flawed way to think about biblical books.
- The Bible's purpose is to be readable and understandable to its original audience.
- The Bible's content does not require direct divine intervention for everything.
- The Bible's editorial activity shows it was crafted into a coherent book.
- The Bible's advanced knowledge misconception suggests futuristic knowledge, which is flawed.
- The Bible's unique content misconception is inconsistent with what is found in other ancient texts.
- The Bible's complete record misconception makes it vulnerable to attack.
INSIGHTS:
- Misconceptions about biblical inspiration often stem from traditional but flawed ideas.
- Viewing inspiration as a process rather than an event provides a more accurate understanding.
- Eliminating the human element in inspiration undermines the doctrine and makes it vulnerable.
- The Bible's coherence and expert literary quality show it was carefully crafted.
- Advanced knowledge inspiration is flawed; writers and readers understood the content.
- The Bible's content is not unique but shares material with other ancient texts.
- The Bible is focused and deliberate, not an exhaustive repository of all knowledge.
- Editorial work in the Bible shows it was crafted into a coherent book.
- Direct revelation is necessary for understanding the unseen realm, not all content.
- Misconceptions about inspiration make the Bible vulnerable to attack.
FACTS:
- Mike's book will be released in March after 10 years of work.
- The original title was "The Myth That Is True," inspired by Tolkien.
- Mike's approach to scripture may sound strange but aims to defend its integrity.
- Misconceptions about the Bible often stem from presuppositions rather than critics' insights.
- Inspiration should be viewed as a process, not a paranormal event.
- Eliminating the human element in inspiration undermines the doctrine.
- Advanced knowledge inspiration is flawed; writers knew what they were doing.
- Editorial work in the Bible shows it was crafted into a coherent book.