The Inspiration of the Bible 15 point the record of the fall? Could we so satisfactorily un derstand justification did we not have the story of God’s deal ings with Abraham? And what of the priesthood of Christ? Dismiss Leviticus and what can be made of Hebrews ? Is not the Acts of the Apostles historical, but can we afford to lose its inspiration ? And then, too, the historical books are, in many cases, prophetical as well as historical. Do not the types and symbols in them show forth the Saviour in all the varying aspects of His grace ? Has not the story of Israel the closest relation as type and anti-type to our spiritual redemption ? Does not Paul teach this in 1 Cor., 10:6-11? And if these things were thus written for our learning, does not this imply their inspiration ? Indeed, the historical books have the strongest testimony borne to their importance in other parts of the Bible. This will appear more particularly as we proceed, but take, in pass ing, Christ’s use of Deuteronomy in His conflict with the tempter. Thrice does He overcome him by a citation from that historical book without note or comment. Is it not diffi cult to believe that neither He nor Satan considered it in spired ? Thus without going further, we may say, with Dr. DeWitt of Princeton, that it is impossible to secure the religious infal- liability of the Bible—which is all the objector regards as nec essary—if we exclude Bible history from the sphere of its in spiration. But if we include Bible history at all, we must include the whole of it, for who is competent to separate its parts? 2. The inspiration includes not only all the books of the Bible in general but in detail, the form as well as the substance, the word as well as the thought. This is sometimes called the verbal theory of inspiration and is vehemently spoken against in some quarters. It is too mechanical, it degrades the writers to the level of machines, it has a tendency to make skeptics, and all that. This last remark, however, is ncft so alarming as it sounds.
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