# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1886_S63
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1886. 63

carried out, and will not cease until he has made the adversaries of the Word
like the mire in the streets." —

Here, then, is probably also the place to go somewhat more closely into the current objections of the newer
theologians against a verbal inspiration of Holy Scripture. One such objection is that Holy Scripture
itself does not claim to be verbally inspired. To refute this further,
after what we have heard up to now, is almost a superfluous
thing. Only this may be mentioned here, that as proof for such
an assertion people cite the preface or introduction of the Gospel of St. Luke
and say that there Luke speaks like one who bases what he writes on human
testimony. The introduction reads, namely, thus: "Forasmuch as many
have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are among
us fulfilled; even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were
eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word: it seemed good to me also,
having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee,
most excellent Theophilus, in order," Luke 1:1-3. But whoever
at all still wants to let anything in Holy Scripture be divine
cannot hold to such an objection. For it proves too much.
By it it would be proved that then the whole Gospel of St. Luke
was not inspired by God; for Luke says, after all, that everything that
he writes he has traced out from the beginning. But with that he does not
deny that he writes as an instrument of the Holy Spirit. For the
LORD Christ also says that his disciples had seen and heard everything. Yes,
he further instructs them, brings them the understanding of the individual doctrines.
And yet after all this he commands them to remain in Jerusalem
until they should be endued with power from on high. Why this?
Because for the accomplishment of their task, also for the writing of Holy Scripture,
it was not enough that the apostles were eye- and ear-witnesses. They
were to speak as the Spirit gave them utterance.

A second objection is that the apostles did not know many things
at all. A simple-minded objection! Precisely for that reason the Holy Spirit was
given into their hearts, precisely for that reason not even
the form of writing was left to them. It is indeed true that Paul
did not know whom and how many he had baptized in Corinth. From this it follows
that he was not omniscient. But precisely because it was to be men
through whom God wanted to give the foundation of faith, God had to
work through them.

A third objection is that the writers of the Bible made
no impression of being God's; they were
not blameless; Peter was rebuked by Paul for his dissembling;
Moses was not permitted to enter the land of Canaan because of his doubting;
David even fell into murder and
adultery. To this it is to be answered: Christ himself distinguishes