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INTRODUCTION
The Bible is unique among the books of the world. For years
it has been studied for its
quality of style and beauty. More copies of this
Book have been published than any other book
in history. While in every respect the Bible is a
superb example of good literature, it is more than
a good book. It is the actual words of God.
The French philosopher Voltaire sat one day to rewrite Psalm
51 in poetic form. All went
well until he came to verse 10, "Create in me a
clean heart, O God!" Voltaire, though the chief
opponent of Christianity in his day, attempted to
translate the verse into his poem. As he wrote, a
sudden realization of the terror of hell came upon
him. He tried to shake the feeling, but found
himself unable to write. Later he confided to his
friends that he could not think of that
experience without an inner fear that haunted him.
Why does the Bible have such a profound impact on people?
Because it is a message
from God, called "the revelation of God," and
because of the way God guarantees the accuracy of
recording the Bible through what is called
"inspiration."
The authorship of the Bible makes this Book even more unique.
Written by over forty
authors over a period of 1600 years, amazingly this
collection of epistles, sermons, poems and
narratives demonstrates a single theme, that of
God's love for mankind and all that such love
implies. These writers were not all scholars. Moses
and Paul probably received the finest
education available in their day. Others were
raising cattle and sheep for a living when they
recorded their contributions. At least four writers
were accustomed to living in the royal
household of the land, while the background of
another was that of fishing in the Sea of Galilee.
Some were raised in morally upstanding homes, but at
least one was a tax collector, which was
considered by the Jews of that day a disgraceful
occupation. With all these contrasts, it is
miraculous that such a Book as the Bible, with such
a harmonious theme and single purpose, was
produced.
The Bible is God's revelation of himself to man. When we
understand this principle we
begin to understand the character of the Bible.
Since God is who he is, then what is true of him
must be characterized in the Book that describes
him. God is the Source of this revelation (Deut.
29:29). Christ, the Son of God, is the central theme
of the Bible (John 5:38). The Holy Spirit is
the divine Author of Scripture (2 Pet. 1:20, 21).
Therefore, the Bible is the revelation of God,
from God and written by God. The Greek word Paul
used actually described the Bible as being
"breathed-out from God" (theopneustos) (2 Tim. 3:16)
and Jesus spoke of "every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4). The
words of the Bible are the words of God
written by men. This process is called the
"inspiration of the Scriptures."
THE MEANING OF INSPIRATION
Inspiration recognizes the role of the Holy Spirit in
producing the Scriptures. Paul's use
of the term theopneustos communicated the idea of
God "breathing out" the Scriptures. Since
"spirit" in the original language can also mean
"breath," the process of "out-breathing" may
rightly be the work of the Holy Spirit as he
inspired the Scriptures. Based on the nature of God,
the result makes them accurate and inerrant
(authoritative), since God is incapable of error.
Inspiration applies to every word of the Bible. When
we use this term, we are referring to the
supernatural guidance of the writers by the Holy
Spirit which resulted in every word being
accurate and reliable in the original manuscripts.
When we talk about the authorship of
Scripture, we recognize dual authorship. God wrote
the Bible using human authors.
Inspired guidance. Inspiration recognizes the supernatural
work of the Holy Spirit upon
the writers. Not everyone uses the word
"inspiration" with this meaning. Sometimes people use
the word to describe the "enthusiasm" of a brilliant
artist or athlete. We must define the word as
it is used in its context in Scripture. The Bible
says "holy men of God spake as they were moved
by the Holy Ghost" (2 Pet. 1:21). This process was
something beyond the natural. These men
were &,moved" (picked up and borne along) as they
wrote God's message. Therefore, inspiration
means an author was guided to go where God wanted
him to go, not where he chose.
Inspired writers. Inspiration also incorporates the
personality of the writer into the final
product. Some have argued in the past that God
dictated to the writer who simply recorded it,
much as a secretary would type a letter that the
boss had dictated. This is called the dictation
theory. There are many places where the Scriptures
were dictated directly by God (cf. Rev. 2:1-
3:22); at other times, the style of the writing and
the selection of words reflect the personality and
background of the writer. This is especially evident
when we read the four Gospels.
Matthew was a Jewish tax collector, impressed with the fact
that he had found the King
of the Jews. His Gospel begins with a royal
genealogy and the arrival of kings from the east to
worship Christ. Mark, a young disciple of Peter,
seems to reflect Peter's activism in his Gospel.
The key word "straightway" or "immediately" makes it
appear Jesus is always on the move,
doing something as a servant. Luke's Gospel is more
methodical, reflecting his historical
investigation into the facts. Luke the medical
doctor reflects the humanity of Christ and his key
word is "the Son of man." The fourth Gospel, written
by one "whom Jesus loved," seems to be
obsessed with love for Jesus and his love for
others. His key word is "believe."
Though each of the four Gospels reflects a different style of
the writer and a different
perspective of Jesus Christ, they do not contradict
each other. They harmonize completely to
give us the fully inspired, accurate record of the
life of Christ.
Inspired words. Inspiration applies to more than
thoughts or impressions of the authors.
Inspiration means the words are placed there by God. Every
word in the Bible is inspired
equally, though some may have a greater influence on
our lives than others. Though much of the
content of what the writers included was- known to
them, the Holy Spirit was sovereignly
directing them in what to include and to exclude. So
the Holy Spirit's ministry extends to the
very words. "We have received, not the Spirit of the
world, but the Spirit which is of God, that
we might know the things that are freely given to us
of God. Which things also we speak, not as
the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the
Holy Ghost teacheth" (1 Cor. 2:12, 13,
italics added.)
A man in a sailboat is dependent upon both the wind and his
own skills in sailing a
designated course. In the same way, God communicated
his revelation to the world in an
accurate and reliable Book, every word chosen by the
moving of the Holy Spirit of God, yet
expressed through the personality of the human
author.
There is a similarity between the inspired Word (the Bible)
and the incarnate Word (Jesus
Christ). Both are fully God without question and
both are fully man without sin or error. When
they speak it is the authoritative Word of God in
all purity, judgment, and truth.
Inerrant and authoritative results. Because the Bible is
inspired by God, it is completely
accurate and reliable. The Bible differs from other
good books in its content, method of writing,
and the final result. It is not like Aesop's Fables
or The Arabian Nights, a collection of stories
that may or may not be true but have good morals.
The doctrine of biblical accuracy and
reliability is called "inerrancy." This is dealt
with further in Chapter 5. If we believe the Bible is
inspired by God, we must also accept that it is
inerrant. An error in the Bible, as God originally
communicated it would reflect a flaw in the
character of its Source and Author, God.
THE MANNER OF INSPIRATION
The Hebrew Christians were told, "God, who at sundry .times
and in divers manners
spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his
Son" (Heb. 1:1, 2). God used a variety of ways to
reveal his inspired Word to the men, who then
wrote it down for us. Sometimes these men were aware
of the significance of what they were
recording and why they were writing (John 20:30, 31;
Rev. 1:1-3), but on other occasions, they
did not realize the full truth they were
communicating. Concerning those who wrote the
messianic prophecy, Peter said, "Unto whom it was
revealed that, not unto themselves, but unto
us they did minister the things, which are now
reported unto you by them that have preached the
gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from
heaven; which things the angels desire to
look into" (1 Pet. 1:12). Peter was saying that some
authors did not fully understand the message
they wrote, but today we can examine its content to
understand its meaning. The following chart
compares some of the different ways God has used to
reveal his inspired Word.
THE
MANNERS OF INSPIRATION/REVELATION (Heb. 1:1)
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1.
Dreams-Dan. 7:1
2.
Visions-Ezek. 1:1
3. The
actual voice of God-Lev. 1:1
4.
Symbols/object lessons-Jer. 19:1-15
5.
Dictation-Rev. 2:1-3:22
6.
Eyewitness reports-1 John 1:1-3; Rev. 1:2
7. Guidance
of the Holy Spidt-2 Pet. 1:21
8.
Experience of men/testimony-Ps. 23; 51
9.
Historical research-Luke 1:1-4
10. Jesus
Christ-John 1:14; Heb. 1:2
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Even though God used a variety of different methods t produce
the Bible, every verse is
as inspired as the next Every verse of Scripture is
authoritative. Jesus acknowledge that not one
letter or even one part of a letter would b changed
until all Scripture was fulfilled (Matt. 5:18).
There is no such thing as a degree of inspiration on
a particular pa of Scripture that is greater or
lesser than in another part of Scripture. Although
there were varying degrees of knowledge about
the subjects on which they wrote, the authors wrote
exactly what God wanted written. God used
a variety of ways to give us his word (poetry,
history, testimony, law, epistles, or biography), yet
every word is his Word, complete and inerrant as a
result of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2
Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21).
THE PROOF OF INSPIRATION
The proofs that the Bible is the inspired Word of God are
seen in the Bible itself and in
the influence it has had. Since every book
communicates in part the nature of its author, the
Bible and God share a common character in many
respects. That the Bible is understandable in
spite of the depth of its simplicity is another mark
of the hand of God in this Book. Finally, the
influence of the Bible in the lives of its readers
demonstrates the work of God himself in human
lives.
The character of the Bible. Since an author's personality is
reflected in his journalism, the
character of God is reflected in the Book he wrote.
A closer look at the Scriptures will
demonstrate that many of those attributes ascribed
to God are also true of the Bible. The holiness
of God is prevalent in the Scriptures themselves. It
has always seemed appropriate to call it the
"Holy Bible." God is a comforting God, and his Word
is a source of comfort and encouragement
to the reader. Both God and the Bible are eternal
and life-giving. The following chart illustrates
the revelation of these and other attributes of God
and the Bible.
The
Character of:
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God
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Bible
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| 1 |
Holiness |
Isa. 6:3
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Ps. 119:3,
9-11 |
| 2 |
Truth |
John 17:3
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Ps. 119:43,
143 |
| 3 |
Justice
|
1 John 1:9
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Ps. 119:149 |
| 4 |
Power
|
Nah. 1:2
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Ps.
119:114, 116-120 |
| 5 |
Love
|
I John 4:8
|
Ps. 119:32 |
| 6 |
Goodness
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Ps. 11 9:68
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Ps. 119:66 |
| 7 |
Righteousness |
Ps. 119:137
|
Ps. 119:138 |
| 8 |
Purity
|
1 John 3:3
|
Ps. 119:140 |
| 9 |
Wisdom |
Jude
25 |
Ps.
119:98-100 |
| 10 |
Life-giving
|
Isa. 40:31
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Ps. 119:50 |
| 11 |
Comforting
|
2 Cor. 1:3
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Ps. 119:50,
76 |
| 12 |
Mercy
|
Ps. 119:64
|
Ps. 119:58 |
| 13 |
Faithfulness |
Ps. 119:90
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Ps. 119:86 |
| 14 |
Immutability |
Heb. 1:12
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Ps. 119:89 |
| 15 |
Joy-producing |
Jude 24
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Ps. 119:111 |
| 16 |
Wonder
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Isa. 9:6
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Ps. 119:18,
129 |
| 17 |
Eternity
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Ps. 90:2
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Ps. 119:144 |
The understandable nature of the Bible. Only God could write
a Book like this one.
Though the Bible is the result of men who worked
within cultural limitations, it is not limited to
a particular culture. Men in China find the truths
of this Book just as applicable to their lives as
men in Africa and America. With the exception of the
names of various individuals, which
would be strange to anyone of a different background
than that of the context, most of the Bible
can be understood by a school child.
Some studies place the Bible at a sixth-grade readability
level. Despite its simplicity, it
has a depth of teaching that men have spent a
lifetime trying to learn. God inspired this Book
realizing it would be a tool for his servants. Few
of those servants would be well educated by the
world's standards (1 Cor. 1:26-31), so God had to
remove as many barriers as possible for them
to use his Word. Yet at the same time, the
well-educated man is challenged by its profound truth
and expression.
No matter what a person's background, he has a responsibility
to learn more of the Bible
and perfect his skills in studying and using it.
Paul advised Timothy, "Study to show thyself
approved unto God, a workman that needeth no ' t to
be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of
truth" (2 Tim. 2:15).
The influence of the Bible. The Bible can have a definite
positive influence on the lifestyle
of its readers, even though some have misapplied its
truths and entered into grave error.
Actually the Bible's influence begins at our
conversion. Paul rejoiced that the Romans had
"obeyed from the heart the form of doctrine which
was delivered unto [them]" (Rom. 6:17). The
things a person must know to be saved are found in
the Bible. Peter observed that we are "born
again, not o corruptible seed, but of incorruptible,
by the word of God, which liveth and abideth
forever" (1 Pet. 1:23).
The life-style of a Christian ought to be different from that
of the unsaved. This is
accomplished in four phases, according to 2 Timothy
3:16. Phase one involves building a
doctrinal base. Our lives are a result of what we
believe. Phase two involves being reproved by
the Bible. Reproof means we are shown what we are
doing is wrong. If God convicts us of
something we are doing, it is important that we obey
his instructions. Phase three is correction.
It should be easier to do the right thing than to
stop the wrong. Whenever the Bible tells us
something is wrong, it will also tell us what is
right. The final phase is instruction in
righteousness, which means building a life-style
that naturally avoids the failures of our former
life-style. While the Christian does not always have
a transformed life-style overnight, every
Christian has the power to make progress in his
life.
THE EVIDENCE OF INSPIRATION
The total message of the Bible is a supernatural one which
only God could reveal to his
spokesmen. They recorded the activities and
conversations of God at times and places where no
man was present to observe. That which was otherwise
hidden from man and known only by
God was revealed or shown by God to them. Yet, some
read the Bible and miss this principle.
The Bible teaches that its message came from God and
the source of its words are from God.
Those who deny the revelation and inspiration of the
Bible claim that God gave only an
impression or an experience. They deny verbal
inspiration, but a close study of the following
authors reveals their attitude toward being a divine
instrument for communicating the message to
men.
Moses. Moses did not attempt to hide his source in recording
Scripture but readily
acknowledged the fact of revelation. "The secret
things belong unto the Lord our God; but those
things which are revealed belong unto us and to our
children forever, that we may do all the
words of this law" (Deut. 29:29).
At his trial, Stephen recognized that the writings of Moses
were the revelation of God by
the Holy Spirit. After highlighting some of what
Moses taught in relation to Christ, Stephen
said, "Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart
and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost; as
your fathers did, so do ye" (Acts 7:51). Resisting
the words of Moses is here equated with
resisting the Holy Spirit. That which Moses recorded
was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit.
David. Another major contributor to the Old Testament, David,
had a special relationship
with the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "For David himself
said by the Holy Ghost" (Mark 12:36). This
introduction to an Old Testament quote demonstrated
the method of inspiration in Scripture. It
recognizes that David was used of God to record
Scripture. In doing so, God permitted David
the full use of his faculties and personality so
that it is accurate to say, "David himself said" at the
same time he spoke "by the Holy Ghost." An
understanding of inspiration must recognize that
both are true without affecting a compromise upon
the other. "For the prophecy came not in old
time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake
as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (2
Pet. 1:21).
In his desire to be right with God, David once prayed, "Cast
me not away from thy
presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me" (Ps.
51:11). As he recorded the Psalms, he was
recording what the Holy Spirit had revealed to him
in his walk with God. The New Testament
church recognized, "Thou art God, which hast made
heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in
them is: who by the mouth of thy servant David..."
(Acts 4:24, 25). This powerful verse shows
that the people of the New Testament recognized that
the Creator also spoke through human
authors by inspiration.
The prophets. As we read the writings of the major and minor
prophets we cannot help
but be impressed with their reliance upon God for
their message. Again and again we read,
"Thus saith the Lord." Isaiah said, "The Spirit of
the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath
anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he
hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening
of the prison to them that are bound" (Isa.
61:1).
God told Jeremiah, "Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth"
(Jer. 1:9). Ezekiel began
his prophecy acknowledging, "I saw visions of God"
(Ezek. 1: 1). Even the minor prophets
acknowledged the work of God. "This is the word of
the Lord... not by' might, nor by power, but
by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts" (Zech. 4:6).
The prophets gave abundant witness to
speaking God's Word.
Disciples. Jesus promised his disciples that the Holy Spirit
would reveal himself to them
so they could record the Word of God. "Howbeit when
he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will
guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of
himself; but whatever he shall hear, that shall he
speak: and he will shew you things to come" (John
16:13).
It is interesting in the light of this promise to see how one
of these disciples began the
final book of the Bible. "The Revelation of Jesus
Christ, which God gave unto him, to show
unto his servants things which must shortly come to
pass; and he sent and signified it by his
angel unto his servant, John" (Rev. 1:1). It should
also be noted that John "was in the Spirit on
the Lord's day" (Rev. 1:10) when he received this
revelation and at least seven times in the
Revelation Jesus says, "He that hath an ear, let him
hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches"
(Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). This promise,
fulfilled in the ministry of John, was also
fulfilled in ,the ministries of Peter and Matthew as
they recorded what the Holy Spirit revealed to
them for eternity.
Paul. The apostle Paul acknowledged that God had given him a
special revelation. He
spoke of "my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus
Christ, according to the revelation of the
mystery, which was kept secret since the world
began, But now is made manifest" (Rom. 16:25,
26). Concerning his revelation, the apostle stated
in another place, "But God hath revealed them
unto us by his Spirit" (1 Cor. 2:10). The Holy
Spirit had a ministry in the life If Paul where the
message of God wa revealed to him to teach it to
others (1 Cor. 2:12, 13). Very quickly in the
early church, the epistles of Paul were collected
and studied as equal to the Old Testament
Scripture (2 Pet. 3:15, 16). Those that read the
Scriptures recognize that Paul's writings were
accepted on the same level a Moses and the writers
of the Old Testament.
CONCLUSION
God has inspired a single Book for our edification. He used a
number of different men
and methods to reveal his Word, yet the Holy Spirit
governed the writers in such a way that the
end result is the very Word of God. The Christian
can turn to the Bible with confidence that he is
going to hear personally and authoritatively from
God. Every Christian needs to allow God to
use the Bible in his life to accomplish the will of
God.
The children's story Peter Pan is based upon the idea of a
boy who decided he would
never grow up. This story is an amazing commentary
on many Christians. Many persons have
been born again and have apparently decided to never
grow up. For us to ignore all that God has
given us is like going to a huge banquet and not so
much as drinking a glass of water. A poor
diet can stunt the growth of a child. The same holds
true of the Christian who ignores his Bible.
DAILY READINGS
Monday: Psalm 19
Tuesday: I Peter 1:13-15
Wednesday: 2 Peter 1:12-21
Thursday: Hebrews 4:9-16
Friday: 2 Timothy 3:15-4:8
Saturday: Isaiah 40:1-8
Sunday: James 1:19-27
Taken from:
What The Faith Is All About by Elmer Towns |
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