What do we mean when we speak of the Bible being inspired by God?
When we hear songwriters discuss what inspired them to pen the words to our favorite songs, many times the lyrics are attributed to something of beauty - a sunrise, the smile of someone they love, even a noble idea like peace and unity. Their songs take the form of a creative commentary, a way of communicating what the artist has observed as beautiful or what they have envisioned as worth pursuing. Their source of inspiration guides them in their craft, creating art that resonates with others. We have all experienced the beauty of a sunrise, felt the warmth from a smile, and cherish the seemingly sporadic moments of peace and tranquility that are sprinkled throughout our busy lives.
When we speak of the inspiration of Scripture, there are indeed some parallels that can be drawn, but there are also some vast differences. While it is true that the Bible offers a vivid commentary on the majesty and beauty of God, cultivating a deep appreciation and earnest pursuit of his glory. What inspired the writers of our sacred text were not merely the attributes of God, but God himself. In other words, God goes beyond the general revelation of himself that can be seen in nature (Ps 19:1-4). Scripture is the special, self-revelation of God written to all humanity.
Scripture is the special, self-revelation of God written to all humanity.
In the Old Testament, the phrase "thus says the LORD" appears over 400 times, informing the reader that God himself is speaking. As Moses spoke to Pharaoh in Egypt and later to God's people Israel, he did not approach either with a message of his own, but under God's authority delivered the oracles of God that were given to him (Acts 7:38). The prophets that followed later in redemptive history also spoke the words of God; specifically, we read in Jeremiah that God would put his words in the mouth of his servant (Jer 1:9).
When we arrive at the New Testament, we find that Jesus affirms that the Old Testament was inspired by God. He appeals to the authority of Scripture when he is tempted by Satan (Matt 4:4,7,10), confirms the existence of Adam and Eve (Matt 19:4-6), and gives reference to the canon of the Old Testament (Matt 5:17, Matt 25:35).
We also find that the New Testament authors give reference to each other as Scripture. We see Peter citing Paul's letters (2 Pet 3:15,16) and Paul quoting Luke (1 Tim 5:18). New Testament Authors placed emphasis on the inspiration and authority of Scripture (2 Tim 3:16,17), rejoicing in the life of Jesus, the Messiah, as the living Word of God whose life, death, burial, and resurrection has been recorded for us as testimony in Scripture.
New Testament Authors placed emphasis on the inspiration and authority of Scripture rejoicing in the life of Jesus, the Messiah, as the living Word of God whose life, death, burial, and resurrection has been recorded for us as testimony in Scripture.
When we speak of the inspiration of Scripture, we refer to the means by which God accomplished recording this revelation of himself through human authors. We find an excellent description of this in 2 Peter 1:21
"For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."
What Peter describes here is divine inspiration, that the words themselves are considered God-breathed, recorded by human writers. This is more than recording what is observed when considering who God through personal experience. Peter is speaking of being "carried," guided by the Holy Spirit; a supernatural impression upon the writers.
The word impression allows us to consider the writers as guided and aids in preventing us from recognizing the human authors as mere stenographers. It is true that the written message found origin with God, but the writers were not in a trance or "robotic" state. It is not as if God were unable to write his own message and required dictation (remember his own finger etched the ten commandments into stone tablets) but he allowed the authors personalities, styles, and vocabularies to be a part of his chosen method of delivery to the people. We can arrive that the human writers' personal expressions were superintended by God in recording his message, resulting in the authoritative words of God.
For the theology nerds, this is called "verbal plenary inspiration," meaning that God inspired and oversaw not just the thoughts of Scripture, but also the specific details and exact words the author's used to perfectly record Scripture, while simultaneously allowing for the author's personality and style.
The inspiration of Scripture demands a high view of Scripture. The Bible is more than just literature. It is more than a collection of historical records or moral truth claims. It is the very word of God.
This means, as God's word, it is the ultimate authority. It exposes our sinfulness, rebellion, and need of a Savior. It speaks to all areas of our lives and provides a means by which we can cooperate with the Holy Spirit in learning to discern what is good, acceptable, and perfect (Rom 12:2), progressively becoming more like Jesus in our thinking and conduct. It promises hope for a future day when Christ will return to restore all things, and he shall reign forever and ever, and we shall behold his glory!
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