“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right” (2 Tim. 3:16, NLT).
“Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God” (2 Peter 1:20-21, NLT).
A. DEFINITION OF INSPIRATION
1. The doctrine of inspiration is based on a Greek word theopneustos, used in 2 Tim. 3:16.
2. Inspiration is based upon two words “God” and “Spirit.” Better translated “God breathed out.”
3. Since breath is life, when God put His breath into the words of Scripture, He was also putting His life in Scripture. “These things we speak, not in the words that a man chooses to speak, but words that come from the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 2:13, ELT).
B. WHAT ARE THE FOUR QUALITIES OF INSPIRATION?
1. Inspired guidance.
a. Holy men of God spoke as they “were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). The moving by the Holy Spirit means, “to be born alone.”
b. These men were moved (picked up and borne along) as they wrote God’s message.
c. Inspiration means an author was guided to write in his thinking or in his written expression what God wanted him to write.
2. Inspired personality.
a. Inspiration incorporates the personality of the writer into the final product.
b. The style of writing and selection of words reflect the personality and background of the writer.
3. Inspiration means the words are planted there by God. “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Cor. 2:12-13).
4. Inspired results.
a. Because God inspires the Bible, it is completely accurate and reliable.
b. Since God has given us a message, it is only natural to expect that He will guarantee the accuracy of His message.
C. JESUS AFFIRMED INSPIRATION/INERRANCY IN FOUR AREAS
1. Jesus recognized the authority and inerrancy of Scripture.
a. Jesus appealed the authority of the Word of God as the final source of truth, i.e., “It is written” (Mark 4:1-11).
b. Jesus argued the entire resurrection belief on the tense of simple verb “to be” (Matt. 22:32).
c. Jesus argued the unity of truth on the historical writing of the Bible, Jesus claimed the “Scriptures cannot be broken,” i.e., altered (John 10:35). The Scriptures cannot be treated as if the event—its record of the concepts it teaches “never happened.”
d. Jesus argues the use of spelling, i.e., letters in words were accurate. “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled” (Matt. 5:18). Jesus read half of a text and stopped in the middle of a sentence.
D. THE WORDS OF MOSES AND DANIEL ARE CALLED THE WORDS OF GOD
1. The words of Moses are called the words of God. At his trial, Stephen recognized that Moses wrote Scripture. “This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel” (Acts 7:37). Stephen quotes Deuteronomy 18:15, then notes Israel rejected Moses, “to whom our fathers would not obey” (Acts 7:39). Yet God said, “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit” (Acts 7:51). Resisting the words of Moses is equated with resisting the Holy Spirit.
2. The words of David are called the words of God. “For David himself said by the Holy Spirit” (Mark 12:36). “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David” (Acts 1:16). “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the mouth of Your servant David have said” (Acts 4:24-25).
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:
Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God and rejoice with you.
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