Why We Trust the Bible
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Higher criticism, the branch of literary investigation that seeks to discover the world behind the text, rose to prominence in seventeenth-century Germany. Yet, the motivation for the implementation of this form of study, the denial of biblical inspiration and inerrancy, has a much longer history. Human beings have tried to deny the inspiration of God's Word for ages because they cannot abide God's authority over them. As today's lesson demonstrates, the origin of Scripture in God necessitates its authority over all creation, and only two responses may follow: Spirit-inspired acceptance or denial.
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Stephen Nichols
Dr. Stephen J. Nichols is president of Reformation Bible College, chief academic officer for Ligonier Ministries, and a Ligonier Ministries teaching fellow. He is host of the podcasts 5 Minutes in Church History and Open Book. He has written more than twenty books, including Peace, A Time for Confidence, and R.C. Sproul: A Life and volumes in the Guided Tour series on Jonathan Edwards, Martin Luther, and J. Gresham Machen. He is coeditor of The Legacy of Luther and general editor of the Church History Study Bible.
