Were Bible writers 'divinely inspired'?

[Zzyzx]

.
Divine inspiration is claimed by Bible believers.

Is there any way to learn if that claim is true or not?

Is there ANY verification of 'divine inspiration' other than the very book that makes the claim?

[Kenisaw]

.
Divine inspiration is claimed by Bible believers.

Is there any way to learn if that claim is true or not?

Yes. If someone can 1) prove the existence of some kind of divine critter, and 2) THEN prove that said critter spoke to or influenced the writers of the books of the Bible, then we would be able to verify the claim (because if #1 is true we cannot automatically assume that #2 would follow. It is entirely possible that a divine critter exists but had nothing to do with the formation of the Bible).

Is there ANY verification of 'divine inspiration' other than the very book that makes the claim?

Not at this time.

[Tired of the Nonsense]

.
Divine inspiration is claimed by Bible believers.

Is there any way to learn if that claim is true or not?

Is there ANY verification of 'divine inspiration' other than the very book that makes the claim?

2Tim.3
[16] All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

ALL scripture is God inspired according to Paul. Which makes it very odd that the church seems to have deliberately chosen to exclude a few books.

1 and 2 Clement
Shepherd of Hermas
Didache
Epistle of Barnabas
Apocalypse of Peter
Third Epistle to the Corinthians
Gospel of Thomas
Oxyrhynchus Gospels
Egerton Gospel
Fayyum Fragment
Dialogue of the Saviour
The Gospel of the Ebionites ("GE") " 7 quotations by Epiphanius.
The Gospel of the Hebrews ("GH") " 1 quotation ascribed to Cyril of Jerusalem, plus GH 2"7 quotations by Clement, Origen, and Jerome.
The Gospel of the Nazarenes
Gospel of the Ebionites
Gospel of the Hebrews
Gospel of the Nazoraeans
Secret Gospel of Mark
Gospel of Marcion
Gospel of Judas
Gospel of Thomas
Gospel of Marcion (mid 2nd century)
Gospel of Mani (3rd century)
Gospel of Apelles (mid-late 2nd century)
Gospel of Bardesanes (late 2nd - early 3rd century)
Gospel of Basilides (mid 2nd century)
Gospel of Peter
Gospel of Nicodemus (also called the "Acts of Pilate")
Pseudo-Cyril of Jerusalem, On the Life and the Passion of Christ
Gospel of Bartholomew
Questions of Bartholomew
Resurrection of Jesus
Apocryphon of James (also called the "Secret Book of James")
Book of Thomas the Contender
Dialogue of the Saviour
Gospel of Judas (also called the "Gospel of Judas Iscariot")
Gospel of Mary (also called the "Gospel of Mary Magdalene")
Gospel of Philip
Greek Gospel of the Egyptians (distinct from the Coptic Gospel of the Egyptians)
The Sophia of Jesus Christ
Coptic Apocalypse of Paul (distinct from the Apocalypse of Paul)
Gospel of Truth
Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter (distinct from the Apocalypse of Peter)
Pistis Sophia
Second Treatise of the Great Seth
Apocryphon of John (also called the "Secret Gospel of John")
Coptic Gospel of the Egyptians (distinct from the Greek Gospel of the Egyptians)
Trimorphic Protennoia
Acts of Andrew
Acts of Barnabas
Acts of John
Acts of the Martyrs
Acts of Paul
Acts of Paul and Thecla
Acts of Peter
Acts of Peter and Andrew
Acts of Peter and Paul
Acts of Peter and the Twelve
Acts of Philip
Acts of Pilate
Acts of Thomas
Acts of Timothy
Acts of Xanthippe, Polyxena, and Rebecca
Epistle of Barnabas
Epistles of Clement
Epistle of the Corinthians to Paul
Epistle of Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans
Epistle of Ignatius to the Trallians
Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians
Epistle to Diognetus
Epistle to the Laodiceans (an epistle in the name of Paul)
Epistle to Seneca the Younger (an epistle in the name of Paul)
Third Epistle to the Corinthians - accepted in the past by some in the Armenian Orthodox church.
Apocalypse of Paul (distinct from the Coptic Apocalypse of Paul)
Apocalypse of Peter (distinct from the Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter)
Apocalypse of Pseudo-Methodius
Apocalypse of Thomas (also called the Revelation of Thomas)
Apocalypse of Stephen (also called the Revelation of Stephen)
First Apocalypse of James (also called the First Revelation of James)
Second Apocalypse of James (also called the Second Revelation of James)
The Shepherd of Hermas
The Descent of Mary

[theophile]

[Replying to Tired of the Nonsense]

2Tim.3

[16] All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

ALL scripture is God inspired according to Paul. Which makes it very odd that the church seems to have deliberately chosen to exclude a few books.

I think "inspiration of God" needs clarification.

Does it mean that God sent the words to the writer, who is merely conduit?

Does it mean that God moved the writer, as an artist may be moved by a scene they encounter, whether in the real world or in their minds?

Does it mean something else entirely?...

I would lean to the second, God as "unmoved mover" option, when it comes to biblical writing...

Biblical writers have an idea of (or encounter) God and are moved by that to write of God. As such, their writings are revealing of God. They are not the transference of words put in their minds by God to paper...

That said, some writings may reveal God better than others depending on their craftsmanship. Also, some writings may reveal a better idea of God than others depending on their inspiration...

As such, some writings may be more worthy of "canon" than others with this view.

(Unlike the view that biblical writers are simply conduits, in which case every writings should be treated equal.)

The challenge becomes: which texts are most revealing of God? I'm not arguing that the current canon got it right. There may very well be gems in the list you provide. There may very well be less than ideal texts in the current canon.

[polonius]

.
Divine inspiration is claimed by Bible believers.

Is there any way to learn if that claim is true or not?

Is there ANY verification of 'divine inspiration' other than the very book that makes the claim?

2Tim.3
[16] All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

ALL scripture is God inspired according to Paul. Which makes it very odd that the church seems to have deliberately chosen to exclude a few books.

RESPONSE: Here we have a claim used as "proof" of another claim. Another example was that of the old preacher who said he could prove God exists because it says so in the bible. That's what is called "circular reasoning."

"A" makes a claim, which "A" then says it true. So we are expected to believe the "A" must be true.

"Divine inspiration is claimed by Bible believers." Yes some make that assertion but it is made without evidence.

And for those who try to prove the claim in Paul's 2 Timothy that
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God," might want to research that claim itself, and they will learn that apparently Paul didn't really write the epistle we call "Timothy."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastoral_ ... authorship

Beginning with Friedrich Schleiermacher in a letter published in 1807, biblical textual critics and scholars examining the texts fail to find their vocabulary and literary style similar to Paul's unquestionably authentic letters, fail to fit the life situation of Paul in the epistles into Paul's reconstructed biography, and identify principles of the emerged Christian church rather than those of the apostolic generation.

See also: Ehrman, Bart (2011). Forged. HarperOne. pp. 93"105. ISBN 978-006-201262-3

[Talishi]

2Tim.3
[16] All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

ALL scripture is God inspired according to Paul. Which makes it very odd that the church seems to have deliberately chosen to exclude a few books.

Not to mention that Paul died in 67 before any other works of the NT were written outside of his own epistles. Which must mean the OT is profitable for instruction in righteousness, which must mean Christian fellows should be circumcised.

[JLB32168]

Divine inspiration is claimed by Bible believers. Is there any way to learn if that claim is true or not?

Assuming the question is asked in good faith, (In truth I dont think it is actually being asked in good faith but thats just my commentary) one cannot prove a divine entity exists; therefore, its quite silly of one to claim that divine inspiration can be proved or for another to ask if theres any way to prove it.

[polonius]

Divine inspiration is claimed by Bible believers. Is there any way to learn if that claim is true or not?

Assuming the question is asked in good faith, (In truth I dont think it is actually being asked in good faith but thats just my commentary) one cannot prove a divine entity exists; therefore, its quite silly of one to claim that divine inspiration can be proved or for another to ask if theres any way to prove it.

jlb posted

one cannot prove a divine entity exists

Maybe it can be proven. But that would call for a whole thread in itself. Hasn't that been attempted already?

[Tired of the Nonsense]

[Replying to Tired of the Nonsense]

2Tim.3

[16] All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

ALL scripture is God inspired according to Paul. Which makes it very odd that the church seems to have deliberately chosen to exclude a few books.

I think "inspiration of God" needs clarification.

Does it mean that God sent the words to the writer, who is merely conduit?

Does it mean that God moved the writer, as an artist may be moved by a scene they encounter, whether in the real world or in their minds?

Does it mean something else entirely?...

I would lean to the second, God as "unmoved mover" option, when it comes to biblical writing...

Biblical writers have an idea of (or encounter) God and are moved by that to write of God. As such, their writings are revealing of God. They are not the transference of words put in their minds by God to paper...

That said, some writings may reveal God better than others depending on their craftsmanship. Also, some writings may reveal a better idea of God than others depending on their inspiration...

As such, some writings may be more worthy of "canon" than others with this view.

(Unlike the view that biblical writers are simply conduits, in which case every writings should be treated equal.)

The challenge becomes: which texts are most revealing of God? I'm not arguing that the current canon got it right. There may very well be gems in the list you provide. There may very well be less than ideal texts in the current canon.

Because scripture is not "God inspired" at all.

[Tired of the Nonsense]

Divine inspiration is claimed by Bible believers. Is there any way to learn if that claim is true or not?

Assuming the question is asked in good faith, (In truth I dont think it is actually being asked in good faith but thats just my commentary) one cannot prove a divine entity exists; therefore, its quite silly of one to claim that divine inspiration can be proved or for another to ask if theres any way to prove it.

True. Any religious document must be accepted entirely on faith. But why accept a religious document on faith? The overwhelming reason, right around the world, for accepting any particular religious document as the real, true, "divinely inspired" document, is because that is the document proclaimed by their parents to be the only real, true, "divinely inspired" document. The overwhelming majority of believers around the world subscribe to their specific belief as the process of a lifetime of indoctrination. Statistically however, since many of these competing beliefs directly contradict each other, they cannot ALL be valid. Which means that a whole lot of people are simply wrong in their most basic view of reality and are entirely clueless of that fact. But not to worry. Because statistically, based on careful questioning, the clueless are invariably composed entirely of others.