Our Bible Heritage: Basil Manly

                                                                                                                                                                        Vol. VI, No. 6, August 1993

This is the third in a series of brief pieces citing the views of early Baptists who were of great influence in Southern Baptist life. Today there are many who claim to represent "historic" Baptist views. This series aims to present snapshots of those views in the very words of those who held them. Thus our readers will be able to see for themselves what early Baptists believed and apply that understanding to decisions within Baptist life today.

Basil Manly was the founding professor of Biblical Introduction and Old Testament Interpretation at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and drafted the seminary's Abstract of Principles. He was president of Georgetown College and first president of the SBC Sunday School Board. In The Bible Doctrine of Inspiration (1888) he wrote,

"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."