“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17, NASB95)
Many who claim belief in the inspiration of the Bible have only a vague understanding about the process. In fact, the concept of inspiration varies greatly in meaning from one person to the next. Our word, inspired, comes from a Latin word meaning “to breathe into.” Franklin Pack made the following comment: “God’s spirit is in Scripture as my breath and my spirit are in my words. As my words reveal and communicate to you the thoughts of my mind, so the things of God are made known to men through the words of the God-inspired Scriptures.” So, when we say that the Bible is inspired, we are not using the word in the same way that one might use it to say that William Shakespeare was an inspired author. There is much more to it than that.
The writer of Hebrews tells us that, in the past, God spoke to man in many different ways; but, “in these last days [He] has spoken to us in His Son” (Heb. 1:2) Today, God speaks to us through Jesus Christ. But, we should also keep in mind that Jesus promised to guide the apostles into all the truth. This He said would happen with the coming of the Holy Spirit. (Jn. 14:26) The message of the apostles did not depend on human memory. Quite to the contrary, the apostles were empowered to speak God’s message in a way that was free from human error. But, it doesn’t stop there. Not only were they able to preach the message through the power of the Holy Spirit, they were also able to provide that message in written form. The apostle Paul said, “If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things I write to you are the Lord’s commandment.” (1 Cor. 14:37) Did Paul write from his own memory and wisdom? Not at all! He wrote the message of the Lord. The inspired writers of the New Testament were “moved by the Holy Spirit to speak from God.” (2 Pet. 1:21) They were not merely given inspired thoughts which they were to convey in their own way. Instead, the Holy Spirit used their own vocabulary and writing style to combine spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. (1 Cor. 2:6-13)
The practical application of inspiration is Bible study. Since the Bible is the word of God, it must be received with reverence and obeyed in humility. When Paul brought the gospel to the city of Thessalonica, they received his message in a way consistent with its inspiration. He later wrote,
“For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.” (1 Thes. 2:13) We would do well to follow their example. Since God breathed His message into His book, is it any wonder why it is called the “word of life”? (Ph. 2:16) It provides life to all who believe and obey its precepts. Listen to the voice of God by studying His word with an open mind and a humble heart.
— Glen Elliott —