Parchment & Pen Blog

I believe in inerrancy. This means I believe that there are no errors in the Bible. Of course, this comes with the usual disclaimers which say that we must be talking about the original manuscripts and we must be assuming that the Bible is being interpreted correctly. In other words, none of our Bible translations [...]

The Protestant doctrine of sola Scriptura is one of the most misunderstood doctrines I know of. The misconceptions come not only from those who repudiate the doctrine (such as Roman Catholics), but also from those who affirm it. Here is a list of some things that sola Scriptura does not mean. Sola Scriptura does not [...]

Part 1 Part 2 A standard evangelical approach to dealing with the stylistic differences of, say, Ephesians, Colossians, and the Pastorals from the rest of Paul’s letters, is to argue that the penman or secretary of these letters may have had a larger role than merely copying down via dictation what Paul said. Ehrman, however, [...]

Part 2: Statistics on Writing Styles So, how does Ehrman attempt to prove forgery in the NT? He uses the traditional arguments that have been debated for centuries: differences in style, conceptual/theological differences, and historical discrepancies from known facts. Arguments on both sides have been made, and continue to be made, in the scholarly literature. [...]

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Conclusion In sum, what can we say overall about the NIV 2011? First, it is a well-thought out translation, with checks and balances through rigorous testing, overlapping committees to ensure consistency and accuracy, and a publisher willing to commit significant resources to make this Bible appealing to the Christian [...]

In my previous blogposts about the NIV 2011, I discussed selectively the history of the English Bible, and discussed the positive features of this version. Now, I wish to look at some of the weaknesses. Weaknesses in the NIV 2011 There are some niggling issues that need to be mentioned. A few categories will be [...]

In my previous blogpost, I discussed selectively the history of the English Bible, and brought us up to speed on the NIV 2011. Now, I wish to look at features of the NIV 2011. This blogpost will focus on the positive features. What Makes for an Accurate Translation? Before discussing the NIV’s strengths, I need [...]

Stan Gundry, Vice President of Zondervan, was kind enough to send me a review copy of the NIV 2011. Not just any review copy—but a soft leather, NIV Thinline Reference Bible! My wife told me to hurry up with the review so that she could have it. I had to remind her that one doesn’t [...]

Without the infallible declaration of the Church, there would be no way of knowing what books belong in the canon of Scripture. Since there is no inspired canon of Scripture, the “Scripture alone” is not even enough to establish what Scriptures are truly Scripture. Therefore, the doctrine of sola Scriptura is self-defeating. This is true. [...]

This book will be written chapter-by-chapter through the Parchment & Pen blog. The printed form of the book will be released in connection with the DVD/Workbook study entitled: The Discipleship Program. A projected release date is May 2011. When I was a kid, I remember trying to manipulate my parents. I would ask my mom if I [...]

This post accompanies the more informative post: King James Bible: Historical Timeline. Click on one of the blue markers to learn about the location’s significance in the story of the King James Bible. Hint: zoom in on locations like Oxford and London, they have multiple locations within a close proximity. View King James Bible: Historical [...]