I. The Challenges to the Unity of Scripture
A. Maricon and the Gnostics
1. Taught that the God of Christianity was not identical with God
of the Old Testament
2. Ultimately, for Maricon, our Bibles contain two conflicting
theologies
3. Gnosticism around the same time (mid 2nd century) also
criticized a united text against the backdrop of dual or multiple
gods.
4. Irenaeus and Tertullian answered these heresies without
robust responses for a united text and a rule of faith that
guided Bible interpretation.
Medieval Church Traditions
5. The problem reformers encountered following medieval times was
the shift of authority from Scripture to the church (that was
solidified in the 7th Ecumenical Council (Nicaea 787 AD).
6. Reformers reaffirmed the rule of faith, the five solas, the
committed to the theological unity of Scripture itself.
7. This did not result in perfect uniformity ecclesiological
B. Enlightenment Rationalism
1. Enlightenment philosophy confronted Christianity with an
alternative worldview, which some sought to accommodate by
reinterpreting Scripture.
2. This led to the denial of the doctrine of inspiration, Spinoza's
hermeneutics of rational criticism, and historical-critical
methods that sought to free the Bible of "superstitious"
phenomena and answer invented inconsistencies.
3. Harnack later sought to divorce the New Testament from the
Old Testament much like Marcion.
C. The History of Religions School
1. Biblical religion in both its practice and conceptuality was seen
as a product of its pagan syncretistic Jewish religious context.
2. This idea applied to the New Testament led to the claim that
the accounts of Jesus were not reliable at all.
3. Historical critics have largely denied this movement and even
liberal scholars believe there is a "there there" with the
historical claims of Scripture.
D. Postmodernism
1. The present postmodern critique of epistemology and
language that ranges from general skepticism to full blown
nihilism cannot tolerate a united and compelling narrative.
2. Texts, according to this view, are inherently pluriform with
shifting interpretations and, therefore, multiple theologies.
II. Answer to these Challenges
A. Those who question the Bible's coherence are guilty of inadequate
epistemologies. The Bible is neither totally objective (contra historical-
criticism) nor merely subjective (contra postmodernism).
B. Biblical criticism run amuck also dismisses claims made by the text itself
(and authorial intent) that are intrinsic to its linguistic and narrative
structure
C. The Bible on its face is exceedingly coherent. JUST READ IT!
III.
