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On Inspiration
of the Bible, 1959
Mennonite General Conference (MC)
Whereas, The Bible has always
held a central place in the history, faith and life of evangelical
Christianity and particularly in our Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition,
and
Whereas, There is abroad in Christendom today much confusion
and uncertainty in regard to the nature, authority, and inspiration.
the Bible, and
Whereas, many in our brotherhood are earnestly seeking for guidance
in these important matters; therefore be it
Resolved,
1. That we, the Mennonite General Conference in session Aug.25-27,
1959, at Goshen, Ind., reaffirm our belief that God has revealed
Hirnself in history for our salvation; that this revelation consisted
in saving deeds and in their authoritative interpretation in
words by chosen men inspired by the Holy Spirit; that God's will,
disclosure found supreme and final expression in Jesus Christ,
His Son, and in the apostolic witness to Him; and that apart
from such a revelation of God and His purposes to plan we would
be lost in our ignorance and sin.
2. That we reaffirm our faith
that all Scripture is inspired of God and that men moved by the
Holy Spirit spoke from God; that the Bible is a fully trustworthy,
authoritative record of God's self-disclosure to man--a unique
book, standing apart from all others in terms of its origin.
content, and purpose.
3. That since the Bible, according to its own declaration, is
intended to hear witness to Jesus Christ in whom God's purpose
of revelation and redemption is fully wrought out, we should
seek to understand the nature, meaning, and function of the BIble
in the light of this dominant purpose; that we gladly confess
our firm conviction that the Bible is the infallillle guide to
lead men
to faith in Christ, to nourish fellowship with Christ, to direct
Christian conduct, and to inspire Christian service and witnessing.
4. That we reaffirm our acceptance of the Bible's claim for itself
to be divinely inspired, though written by men; that since the
Bible nowhere fully illuminates the mystery of the precise relation
of the divine and human factors in the production of Scripture
as it also does not do in the case of the relation of the divine
and human aspects of the person of Christ, we should, therefore,
seek to understand the meaning of inspiration by a careful examination
of the facts provided by the Bible itself.
5. That we sincerely pledge ourselves as a brotherhood with the
help of the Holy Spirit to deepen our love and reverence for
the Bible as the Word of God, to study it diligently, to interpret
it honestly, to teach it faithfully, and to obey it fully in
order that we together may grow in our fellowship with Christ
in our understanding and practice of Christian discipleship,
and in our effectiveness in Christian service.
Adopted by the Mennonite Genral Conference (MC), at the Thirty-First
Mennonite General Conference, August 25-27, 1959, Goshen College,
Goshen, Indiana, Proceedings, pp.12-13 .
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