Basil Manly on Biblical Authority  

                                                                                                                        Vol. IX, No. 1, January 1996

     The SBC Sunday School Board [subsequently renamed LifeWay Christian Resources of the SBC] is currently publishing the Library of Baptist Classics, a series of reprints of books "reflecting the faith and vision of Southern Baptists over the last 150 years." Most of these books have been long out of print. Each is valuable. You may inquire about this series at your nearest Baptist Bookstore or by calling the SSB at 800-458-2772.

     The most recent book in this series is The Bible Doctrine of lnspiration, by Basil Manly, Jr. First published in 1888, it is striking that over a century later those who attack the inerrancy of the Bible still use the same shopworn, discredited rationalizations which Manly and others so effectually countered I00 years ago. The introduction by Dr. Timothy George, founding dean of Beeson Divinity School, Samford University, notes that "Manly drafted his The Bible Doctrine of Inspiration as a deliberate restatement of the Protestant doctrine of Scripture,” As such, it is clear, succinct and of enduring value to Baptists everywhere. Both laymen and biblical scholars can read Manly with enjoyment and benefit. I will cite just a couple of passages to give readers a flavor of the book.

     “The doctrine which we hold is that commonly styled Plenary Inspiration, or Full Inspiration. It is that the Bible as a whole is the Word of God, so that in every part of Scripture there is both infallible truth and divine authority.” p. 53

     Pages 22-23: "An uninspired Bible, whatever its excellencies, would have three serious defects.

     "First it would furnish no infallible standard of truth. ...

     "Second, it would present no authoritative rule for obedience, and no ground for confident and everlasting hope. ...

     "Third, it would offer no suitable means for testing and cultivating the docile spirit, for drawing man's soul trustfully and lovingly upward to its heavenly Father... "

     Let me suggest you read "Anti-Heritage" in this Banner in light of Manly’s's first two points. You will see that the CBF authors' assumptions and arguments reflect exactly Manly's observations.

     In explaining both the divine and human authorship of Scripture, Manly writes (p. 31), "The word is not of man, as to its source; nor depending on man, as to its authority. It is by and through man as its medium. Yet it is not simply the channel along which it runs, like water through a lifeless pipe. It is through and by man as the agent voluntarily active and intelligent in its communication. Both sides of the truth are expressed in the scriptural language: 'Holy men spake as they were moved ['borne along'] by the Holy Spirit.' (see 2 Pet. 1:21) The men spoke. The impulse and direction were from God."

     Liberals are fond of accusing conservatives of "bibliolatry," that is, worshipping the Bible. That too is a geriatric misstatement as the next quote from page 36 of Manly's book demonstrates. "We should bear in mind, however, that in Christ the manifestation of the divine is personal, but in the Bible it is verbal. Therefore, we worship the incarnate Word of God over all; we do not worship the written word, but we bow to its authority as the only infallible rule of faith and practice."