The Fact Of Inspiration Series

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]