BIBLIOLOGY #4
The Doctrine of Scripture
The Fact of Inspiration
Dr. Russell K. Tardo
IV. THE FACT OF INSPIRATION
A. Old Testament Evidence:
Evidence that the Old Testament Scriptures are inspired can be found in numerous Bible passages. The prophets, who were the Old Testament writers, asserted that they were inspired by God. They openly testified to their own inspiration.
9Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.... 17Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. [Jer. 1:9, 17]
1Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, 2The spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. [2 Sam. 23:1-2]
3And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel.... 7And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him. [Ex. 19:3, 7]
And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of the Lord: and these are their journeys according to their goings out. [Num. 33:2]
During the 400-year period between the Old and New Testaments, there was no prophet in Israel. The Apocrypha (uninspired writings) were written during this period and consequently, they were rejected by the Jews.
The writings of the Bible were referred to as scriptures in the following verses:
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. [Acts 17:11]
(Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) [Rom. 1:2]
The testimony of Jesus Himself revealed the inspiration of the Old Testament Scriptures.
If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
[John 10:35]
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
[Matt. 5:17]
And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, [Matt. 19:4]
For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall be the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. [Matt. 12:40]
5Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands? 6He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.... 10For Moses said, Honor thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: 11But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. 12And ye suffer him no more to do aught for his father or his mother; 13Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. [Mark 7:5-6, 10-13]
And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. [Luke 16:31]
26And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.... 28Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot.... [Luke 17:26, 28]
B. New Testament Evidence:
Evidence of divine inspiration can be found in the New Testament as well. It was necessary that the life of Christ be accurately and infallibly recorded and preserved. That all was divinely inspired is borne out in the testimony of New Testament writers.
This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. [John 21:24]
1The 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: 2Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. 3Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. [Rev. 1:1-3]
And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. [Rev. 21:5]
9Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. 10And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. [Rev. 22:9-10]
For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. [1 Thess. 2:13]
13Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. [ 1 Cor. 2:13-14
If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. [1 Cor. 14:37]]
For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that readeth out the corn. And, the laborer is worthy of his reward. [1 Tim. 5:18]
[The first portion of that scripture comes from the book of Deuteronomy 25:4 and the last portion is from the gospel of Luke.]
1This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: 2That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior.... 14Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. 15And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. [2 Pe. 3:1-2, 14-16]
(Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) [Rom. 1:2]
Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. [Rom. 3:2]
And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. [Luke 8:10]
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. [Rom. 10:17]
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged 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. [Heb. 4:12]
48And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. 49And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.
[Acts 13:48-49]
Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain. [Phil. 2:16]
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. [Col. 3:16]
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. [Eph. 1:13]
The Bible is a complete revelation; it needs no additions, such as the Book of Mormon. Nor are there any missing or undiscovered books. The same God who was mighty enough to give us an infallible revelation of His word, was also able to preserve that revelation intact.
C. Fulfilled Prophecies:
Much Old Testament prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus, in the New Testament. Following are some examples:
Prophecy:
But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. [Micah 5:2]
Fulfillment:
1Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judah in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.... 6And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among the princes of Judah: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
[Matt. 2:1-2, 6]
Prophecy:
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. [Isa. 7:14]
Fulfillment:
22Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. [Matt. 1:22-23]
Prophecy:
I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. [Isa. 50:6]
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. [Isa. 53:6]
Fulfillment:
Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
[Matt. 27:26]
Prophecy:
16For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.... 18They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. [Ps. 22:16, 18]
Fulfillment:
17And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha.... 23Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: how the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. 24They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.... 34But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. [John 19:17, 23-24, 34]
Prophecy:
And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. [Zech. 11:12]
Fulfillment:
3Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. 5And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. 6And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. 7And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. 8Wherefore that field was called, the field of blood, unto this day. 9Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; 10And gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me.
[Matt. 27:3-10]
Prophecy:
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. [Isa. 53:7]
Fulfillment:
But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled. [Mark 15:5]
Prophecy:
They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. [Ps. 69:21]
Fulfillment:
They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.
[Matt. 27:34]
Prophecy:
7All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, 8He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. [Ps. 22:7-8]
Fulfillment:
30Save thyself, and come down from the cross. 31Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save. 32Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him. [Mark 15:30-32]
