Chapter 3: All Scripture is Given by Inspiration of God
Introduction
This segment on the Bibliology series will focus on some commonly used terms that pertain to the Bible: inspiration, infallibility, and inerrancy. Let us take a look at these concepts.
Inspiration
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
This verse is the one time the word inspiration is used in the New Testament. This Greek word theopneustos is a hapax legomenon (used only once in the New Testament), which captures the whole concept of “given by inspiration of God.” Though we may use the word “inspired,” we may want to think of the Word as being breathed out by God. In the Greek word, we can clearly see the root for the word ‘breath’ and for the word ‘spirit’ (the word for breath and spirit are the same word).
We can infer from this that the Scriptures originated from God. He is the author of the Scriptures given to the human authors to record. These are His own words, which is what makes the Scriptures authoritative and “able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15). Timothy had learned the Scriptures young, which made him the great servant of the Lord he became. If our doctrine, instruction, etc., comes from the Lord’s words, the logical conclusion is that we are properly equipped and empowered to do the good works God has created for us.
God’s Own Words
God’s prophets, who were the human authors of the Bible, only spoke the words of God. An example is Micaiah, the son of Imlah, in 1 Kings 22. The wicked king Ahab would only hear what he wanted to hear, so he surrounded himself with false yes-men prophets. King Jehoshaphat, who was interested in God’s truth, persuaded King Ahab to avoid these false prophets and get good godly counsel. Ahab then called Micaiah, a genuine prophet of the Lord. Micaiah was pushed to tell Ahab what he wanted to hear. The godly prophet answered: “As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak.” Under extreme pressure, he only said what the Lord told him to say.
Jeremiah wrote down all of God’s words in his book. Concerning the seventy years prophecy, he wrote, “And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations.” God’s spoken word written down by His prophets is sure, as we see the fulfillment of this Scripture in Daniel 9:2.
New Testament Confirms the Hebrew Bible as God’s Word
In anticipation of coming persecution, the apostles pray this within their prayer:
And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, 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 hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? (Acts 4:24-25)
First, we see that God spoke by the mouth of David. David did not write down his own ideas in Psalm 2. God used the human king David to record what He had said. Second, we also want to note that the apostles and their close associates, who wrote the New Testament, affirm the Old Testament as the very words of God.
Again, we can glean similarly when Paul shows his frustration to Jewish folks who were not accepting the Gospel:
And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive (Acts 28:25-26)
We see that the Holy Spirit spoke by Isaiah; the words are not from any human author. We also see that this time, it is the Holy Spirit speaking. We should remember the word theopneustos written above: God-breathed, or by God’s Spirit. God the Holy Spirit is the One who is behind the writing of the Scriptures.
When we also look together at these two passages, Acts 4:24-25 and Acts 28:25-26, we see God speaking in the former, and the Holy Spirit speaking in the latter. This comparison demonstrates the deity of the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit is God, then we know the Scriptures are of diving origin.
Oracles of God
The usage of the word “oracle” (logion) shows that the Word of God is verbal. This word for oracle appears four times in the New Testament: Acts 7:38; Romans 3:2; Hebrews 5:12; and 1 Peter 4:11. The first two references indicate the Old Testament (the first specifically referring to the Law received on Mt. Sinai).
We can also see that the Words of God are authoritative before they are even written down. In Galatians 3:8, we read, “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.” The Gospel was not written down until 2,000 years after Abraham, but the Gospel was preached to Abraham.
Again, in Romans 9:17: “For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.” The Words of God spoken to Pharaoh in Exodus had authority before the Pentateuch was compiled in its present form years later.
Moved by the Holy Ghost
For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 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 Peter 1:16-21)
This passage tells us a lot about the Word of God. First, once again we see that Peter is not coming up with his own ideas about the Gospel; he and the apostles “were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” They knew the Lord face to face, and recorded His words. They also heard the words of God the Father concerning the Son. They actually heard His voice. This direct communication from God authorizes the Gospel message, and legitimizes the apostles, being eye witnesses, as the human authors of the New Testament.
The scriptures are not “of any private interpretation.” They are not of human origin. Once again, we see that the Holy Spirit was the source of the truth of the Scriptures, taking the words of God and moving the human authors to pen exactly as He would have them written.
Consider also this pertinent Scripture:
Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 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 Peter 1:10-12)
The prophets of the Old Testament who recorded the Gospel long before the events of Calvary took place did not know the specifics of everything that lied ahead. The role of the Holy Spirit was to first use the prophets to record God’s Word despite their lack of understanding of it, and then to use the same Word of God in the apostles to preach to both to the original audience of the epistle, and to us today.
Infallibility and Inerrancy
Some people use these words interchangeably, but there seems to be a slight difference between the terms at which we will look.
The word infallible is used once in the English Bible, and the hapax legomenon tekmerion is used in Acts 1:3, referring to ‘infallible proofs’: “To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” The little I have read on this word does not seem to give any more insight on the English translation. Here, after Christ’s Passion He was seen alive, with His pierced hands, eating food, and speaking with His followers. About 500 people saw Him alive after His crucifixion. These were infallible proofs; nobody can argue with them.
Likewise, when we are talking about the Scriptures, they are reliable and sure. The things taught within the Scriptures are factually correct, and are authoritative because of their divine source. They effectively communicate truths from God.
Inerrancy goes a little bit further in saying that there are no errors in the Scriptures and it does not contradict itself. We may see some minor issues such as the following:
Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother’s name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. (2 Kings 24:8)
Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD. (2 Chronicles 36:9)
So what is Jehoiachin’s age when he becomes king? This goes beyond the scope of this essay, as this is an issue of textual criticism. It could be that this was a copyist error, and the original autograph would have the correct answer. Some propose there is something else at hand, such as Jehoiachin co-reigning with his father for a portion of the time. Whatever the solution, these issues do not affect any real doctrine. We would easily say that inerrancy exists in the original manuscripts. Whatever the case, with careful study with textual variants, we can construct the original words and meaning, no matter how insignificant it may seem.
Other Scriptures About God’s Word
Consider the following scriptures:
Proverbs 30:5-6: “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” All of God’s Word is pure, so we conclude that it is both inerrant and infallible. The Word is pure because He is pure.
Psalm 12:6-7: “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.” God promises to preserve His Word!
Matthew 4:4: “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” We need the entire Word of God to live the life God wants us to live.
Matthew 5:18: “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” We have every single word... even every piece of a word... of God’s Word.
Psalm 119:160: “Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.” God’s Word is eternal, from everlasting, to everlasting.
Romans 10:17: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” God’s Word stimulates faith; in other words, it saves us.
Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” God’s Word is alive.
Conclusion
If God’s Word is not from God, and not inspired, inerrant, or infallible, then we are somehow left guessing about God, and cannot truly know or trust God. Since Satan said “Yea, hath God said” in the Garden to Eve, people have tried to undermine or corrupt God’s Word. However, we can see that God has left us His complete Word, and it is still available in completion today.
Next: Chapter 4: The Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms
Previous: Chapter 2: God Created the Heaven and the Earth