Verbal Inspiration by B H CARROLL

Verbal Inspiration

By B. H. Carroll*

It has always been a matter of profound surprise to me that anybody should ever question the verbal inspiration of the Bible.

The whole thing had to be written in words. Words are signs of ideas, and if the words are not inspired, then there is no way of getting at anything in connection with inspiration. If I am free to pick up the Bible and read something and say, "That is inspired," then read something else and say, "That is not inspired," and someone else does not agree with me as to which is and which is not inspired, it leaves the whole thing unsettled as to whether any of it is inspired.

What is the object of inspiration? It is to put accurately, in human words, ideas from God. If the words are not inspired, how am I to know how much to reject, and how to find out whether anything is from God?

When you hear this silly talk that the Bible "contains" the word of God and is not the word of God, you hear fool's talk. I don't care if he is a Doctor of Divinity, a president of a university covered with medals from universities of Europe and the United States -- it is fool-talk. There can be no inspiration of the book without the inspiration of the words of the book. (quote from: Inspiration of the Bible)

"Now, God is a God of TRUTH.

Hence all Scripture must be consistent with truth and with itself.

It contains no real contradiction.

This gives rise to the following rules �

ALL SCRIPTURE

is TRUE Historically and Metaphysically;

NOT Mythical and Fallible . . .

THERE IS NO CONTRADICTION. "

(Quote from An Interpretation of the English Bible)

Dr. B. H. Carroll (1843-1914) was Founder and President of Southwestern Theological Seminary.