Is it merely a motivation like one would have after a great athlete had given an inspirational speech? Is it what you feel when you hear an encouraging tale of how someone overcame cancer? Or is it more than that?
In order to fully understand inspiration, we first need to fully understand some key words that are often associated with the subject.
Definitions
1) Revelation
Revelation is the communication of truth which could not be otherwise discovered. In the same way that a person can reveal something about themselves to someone else that could not have been otherwise determined, so too God revealed His person and purpose to man.
Tying this in with the last session dealing with God's revelation, the Bible therefore is God's revelation to man about Himself, and not man's thoughts about God.
Some key verses relating to this are: Deuteronomy 29:29; Matthew 11:25-27; 16:16-18; 1 Corinthians 2:9-14 and Ephesians 3:2-6.
2) Inspiration
To be honest, in modern English we have forgotten the original meaning of the word. Today it is likened with the word “motivation” as indicated above, but originally it meant something far deeper.
According to the Webster's English Dictionary of 1828, “inspiration” meant “1. The act of drawing air into the lungs; the inhaling of air; a branch of respiration, and opposed to expiration; and 2. The act of breathing into any thing.”
Therefore, when we read the following in the King James Version, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16), we interpret them to be meaning more than God just inspiring man to write the Bible in the modern sense of the word, but that it is more like the rendering in the New International Version that says:
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
While revelation is concerned with the impartation of truth by God to man, inspiration is concerned with the recording of that truth.
Some other key verses relating to this are: Exodus 17:14; 2 Samuel 23:2; Jeremiah 30:2; 2 Peter 1:20-21 and Revelation 1:11.
3) Illumination
Illumination describes the process of the Holy Spirit enlightening man's understanding to be able to receive God's revelation. This is the sense in which the word inspiration is used in the New Testament in relation to how people are to currently operate.
Believers since the death of the apostles are not to receive revelation concerning the written Word, but rather illumination by the Holy Spirit on how to understand it.
Some key verses relating to this are: Luke 24:26-27; 44-45; John 16:12-15; Acts 17:1-3; 1 Corinthians 2:11-14 and Ephesians 1:17-18).
Summary
To summarise the different meanings:
- Revelation – God's act of making himself known to man (see sessions 2 & 3)
- Inspiration – The recording of God's revealed truth
- Illumination – Our perception and understanding of the truth brought about by the influence of the Holy Spirit.
False Theories of Inspiration
Before we progress into looking how the Bible is inspired, let us first look at some of the false theories of inspiration.
By first looking at some of the false theories of inspiration, it becomes easier to understand the true Doctrine of Inspiration as revealed in Scripture.
Natural Theory
This is also referred to as the Intuition Theory. This theory is that the Bible was written by human genius or by men who were mentally superior. Many of the great writing of history can be included into this theory, like Shakespeare's plays, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, or the many of the writings of other religions.
What this theory denies however is that of a divine origin of Scripture. Of someone who is outside of the realm of earth. If this were true, then how come there are so many parts of Scripture that natural man cannot understand, and also, how is it possible that portions written centuries earlier than other parts seem to be so well intertwined with later parts.
Illumination Theory
This theory holds to the idea that the Bible is a result of man reaching some kind of illumination or a heightened sense of religious perception. In terms of this theory, just as man today receives a heightened sense of perception through the Holy Spirit, so the authors of the Bible received the same illumination.
This theory falls short is that it is denying God's involvement in the process. It is impossible for man to reason himself to God, even with the help of the Holy Spirit. Man has to rely on the things that God has already revealed about Himself to man. The Bible is not a product of man's illumination.
Mechanical Theory
Also called the Dictation Theory as it holds to the idea that God dictated the Word of God to the writers in the same manner that a boss would dictate a letter to their secretary. The Bible therefore becomes a verbatim account of the very words spoken by God.
The problem with this theory is that it makes man into a mere robot who acted like a tape recorder who just recites the words exactly as they were spoken. The writers are therefore merely the ones who used their pens to record God's words and excludes the personalities of the writers that are so clearly evident in Scripture. This idea reduces the writers to the same level as spiritists who are controlled by evil spirits.
Trance Theory
Similar to the Mechanical Theory, this theory holds to the idea that the writers entered into a trance and then merely recorded word for word or picture for picture what they heard and saw.
True, there are accounts of this recorded in Scripture, but it is an incomplete concept and rules out man's conscious involvement in the process.
Partial Theory
This theory holds to the idea that only parts of the Bible are inspired. It teaches that the Bible contains the Word of God, but that it is not the total Word of God.
There is one big problem with this theory. Who then is the final authority to tell us which part is inspired and which part is not? It opens the door to all sorts of misinterpretations of Scripture and undermines the inspiration and authority of all Scripture.
Thought Theory
Also referred to as the Dynamic Theory and holds to the idea that God merely gave the writers the thoughts or concepts, but allowed them to express them in their own words.
The question that comes out of this theory is that if the inspiration was limited to the thoughts, how can we be assured that the writers chose the right words to express those ideas? To be reliable, the inspiration had to extend to the words used to express those ideas.
Verbal-Plenary Inspiration
There are two elements that need to be kept in balance to arrive at a Biblical view of interpretation; God's involvement and man's involvement.
God's Involvement
God could have written the Bible Himself in the same manner that He wrote the Ten Commandments (Exodus 32-34) or the writing on Belshazzar's wall (Daniel 5). He could also have had the angels write it in the same way that they were involved in the giving of the Mosaic law (Acts 7:53 and Galatians 3:19). However, He chose to include the goal of the book in its production: re-uniting man unto Himself.
For forty different men, to write sixty-six books in three languages, over a period of one thousand six hundred years to become one harmonious book is humanly impossible. That coupled with the unity and progression of thought from start to finish without a single contradiction, clearly shows that there was only one author behind it all; God.
This is supported in the mere fact that the phrase “God said” appears over three thousand eight hundred times. These human writers themselves claimed to be the channels of God's Word (Exodus 32:16; Deuteronomy 10:2-4; Jeremiah 7:27; 1 Corinthians 2:13 – to name but a few).
God is the author of Scripture and the Bible is His Word.
Man's Involvement
Even though God is the author, He chose men to be involved and to do the writing. The Word of God was intended for men to read, so God used men to write it. Throughout Scripture we see God using man's frame of reference, cultural background, historical perspective, personality, emotions and experiences. God clothed His revelation with man's humanity so that man may understand it.
Product of Both God and Man
The miracle of the inspiration of the Bible is this: that God could channel His revelation through man without it losing its perfection; that sinful man could impart divine truth; and that the Holy Spirit could use fallible man to write the infallible Word of God without violating their personalities.
This brings us to the theory of the Word of God being Verbally-Plenarily inspired.
Verbal simply means by means of words. Plenary means fully or completely, in every part.
This theory states that the writers of the Bible were fully inspired even as to their very choice of words and that the Bible is completely the Word of God. God fully utilised the faculties of sinful, fallible man, and yet overruled their limitations to bring forth a holy, infallible revelation of Himself.
Proofs of Inspiration
There are a number of areas that can be used to confirm the inspiration of the Bible. The first most obvious way is by looking at the prophecies.
1) Prophecy and Fulfilment
In order for a prediction of coming events to be confirmed as valid, four tests need to be done:
- The prophecy must have been uttered before the event happened
- The prophecy must be explicit and specific in its predictions so as to rule out any possible accidental or coincidental fulfilment
- Those who utter the prophecy must not be involved in its fulfilment/li>
- The events of the fulfilment must match 100% to the prophecy in all points
Just the fact that so many prophecies, uttered over such a vast period of time, all being fulfilled in one person within a short space of time is impressive proof that the prophets were inspired to write what they did.
Only God can declare the end from the beginning (Isaiah 40:28; 42:8-9; 43:9-10). Prophecy therefore is solid evidence that the Bible was not written by men alone. No prediction of future events could ever have been predicted by any man without the Spirit of God.
2) Miracles
The Bible is full of miracles, and at each event, there were a number of witnesses to attest to them. Many of them even have non-Biblical evidence that agrees with the accounts as recorded in the Bible. Each of the miracles are a witness to the validity of the message of the Bible, even those that are witnessed today.
3) Numerical Structure
Throughout Scripture there are numbers present. Each with its own unique meaning, yet all connected in one way or another. Sometimes the numbers are mentioned directly, others are merely implied. And still others are hidden. Take the following example of the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:1-7, as seen in the original Greek:
- The number of words used is divisible by 7.
- The number of words beginning with a vowel are divisible by 7.
- Likewise, the number of words beginning with a consonant are divisible by 7.
- The number of letters used is divisible by 7.
- The number of vowels used is divisible by 7.
- Likewise, the number consonants used is divisible by 7.
- The number of words used more than once is divisible by 7.
- Likewise, those words used only once are divisible by 7.
- The number of words occurring in more than one form is divisible by 7.
- Likewise, the number of words used in only one for are divisible by 7.
- The number of nouns used is divisible by 7.
- Likewise, the number of non-nouns used is divisible by 7.
- The number of proper nouns is divisible by 7.
- The number of male names mentioned is divisible by 7.
4) Unity of the Bible
Even though the Bible was written by so many people, in a number of different countries, over such a wide span of time, with a number of different genres, it is an amazingly unified book with one central message that is traced and seen throughout.
5) Preservation of the Bible
Throughout its history, the Bible has been both the most loved and the most hated book. Despite nations and rulers trying to remove the Bible, it has stood the test of time and remains today the number one best selling book of all time.
The Bible has been rejected, corrupted and challenged. Its infallibility and authority have been attacked from all angles. Yet the Bible still stands. This is truly evident of God's miraculous preservation of His Word, and is a fulfilment of His promise in Matthew 5:18, “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”
6) Influence of the Bible
No other book in history has had the influence that the Bible has had. It has touched every nation on earth in one way or another. It has been translated into more languages and reproduced in larger quantities than any other book. Millions of lives have been impacted by it.
7) The Bible's own Claims
Scripture itself claims to be inspired. See the relevant verses in each of the following areas:
The Writers
Both Old and New Testament writers stated that their words were not their own, but came from God – Deuteronomy 4:2; 2 Samuel 23:2; 1 Chronicles 28:11,19; Luke 1:70; Acts 1:16; 1 Peter 1:10-12 and 2 Peter 1:20-21; 3:2.
The Writings
Writers also claimed that God had spoken to them and told them to record it in a book – Exodus 17:14; 34:27; 24:4; Deuteronomy 31:22, 26; 1 Corinthians 2:13; Galatians 1:11-12 and Revelation 1:18-20.
The writings as a whole also claim inspiration – Jeremiah 30:2; Acts 28:25; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16 and Hebrews 2:1-4.
The Contents
Scripture claims that its contents are inspired – Psalm 139:17; Isaiah 55:8-11; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Peter 3:1 and Jude 17.
The thoughts and words originated from God in their prophetic utterances – Leviticus 1:1; Deuteronomy 34:48; Isaiah 1:2; 7:3; 43:1, Jeremiah 11:1; Ezekiel 1:3; Hosea 1:1; Matthew 25:42-45; John 10:35; 1 Corinthians 14:37; Galatians 3:16 and Hebrews 12:26-27.
Conclusion
What benefits then does the inspiration of the Bible give us?
Understanding and knowing that the Bible is inspired (breathed out) by God enables us to understand and be convinced of the fact that the Bible is genuine, credible, infallible and has authority over us.
Once we are clear and stand firmly on all of the above, then we can move on into other areas of doctrine and fully understanding who God is and what He wants for us. If any one of these areas is lacking, we open the door to huge misinterpretation and manipulation of the Bible. It allows the devil to come in and warp our understanding of God and drives a wedge between us and God.
Extra Note: The Apocrypha
Apocrypha means that which is veiled or secret, and refers to the 14 books that were been added to the Old Testament by the Roman Catholic church in AD 1546. These books are: 1 & 2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, Book of Esther, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, Song of the Three Holy Children, History of Susanna, Bel and the Dragon, The Prayer of Manasses and 1 & 2 Macabees.
Most Christian scholars reject the idea that these books have a place within the canon of Scripture for the following reasons:
- It is universally acknowledged that they never had a place within the Jewish canon.
- They were written in the 400 years of silence between Malachi and Matthew when there were no inspired utterances.
- They are not quoted in the New Testament by Jesus or the apostles.
- They are not found in any list of Canonical books during the first four centuries of the church.
- Divine inspiration and authority is not claimed by any of the writers and is disclaimed by some of them.
- None of the writers speak with a message from Yahweh.
- They contain historical, geographical and chronological errors and even contradict themselves, the Bible and history.
- They teach doctrines and uphold practices that are contradictory to the Bible.
Baruch atem b’Shem Yeshua! (Blessings in the name of Jesus!)
GW
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