PerryDox – BeJustAChristian

Biblical truth standing on its spiritual head to get our eternal attention.

2 Timothy 3:16 – Inspiration or Out-Spiration

Breathe in, breathe out.  There…I have defined, illustrated and explained inspiration.  For some reason though, I think a further and definitely deeper explanation is needed and useful.  As words literally cannot be said without the breath of life, divine inspiration is the breath of spiritual life.  But I dare not say that such a study will be “inspired.”  And I choose not to say that such a study will be inspirational.

Now for another brief but hopefully instructive analogy, let’s look at John’s monologue:

 John 1:1, 14 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God….   And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 Inspiration, like the incarnation, but on a much, much smaller scale, is the breath of God in man for the purpose of salvation.  With the incarnation, it is Jesus in human form; while with inspiration it is the Holy Spirit speaking to human forms.  And like the incarnation, our explanations and understandings of inspiration shall be far shallower than our fertile imaginations.  Therefore while we might have theories and opinions, let us be content with what simple explanations and illustrations as God has deemed worthy of our finite minds.

What Is Inspiration?

 2 Timothy 3:16-17 – (NASB) (16) All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;  (17)  so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV2011) (16) All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, (17) that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

“Inspired” (theopneustos) literally means, “God breathed” (Vincent) as in “divinely breathed in” (Strong).  A few translations have this undeniably clear wording in their renderings of 2 Tim.3:16:

  • ISV – All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
  • LITV – All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
  • Young – every Writing is God-breathed, and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for setting aright, for instruction that is in righteousness,
  • The Message – Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way.
  • Amplified Bible – Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action),

Although every scripture is “God breathed,” take a guess how many times the verb theopneustos (2315) appears in the New Testament?  Once, and only once.  Somewhat ironic considering that what is said to be inspired is “all scripture.”  Yet only one scripture says all scriptures are “inspired.”  But once is enough.  Despite that little irony, many scriptures support and defend the claim, simply by other means and other words.

2 Peter 1:20-21 – (20) But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation,  (21)  for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

By the way, the word scripture(s), which simply means “writing,” is found 51 times.  In the Bible, and in every day common use, it has taken upon itself the more specific meaning of “inspired writing.”  Therefore when seeing “scripture” think “God-breathed.”

Another somewhat ironic note is that the word “inspired” is actually a misnomer.  God does not breathe into scripture making it divine.  That would imply that the scripture or writing existed before and separate and apart from God.  No, literally God breathes out scripture and into humans.  So technically, scripture is God breathed but not inspired.  Men, however, are inspired, breathed into.  We see this nuance in the English Standard Version:

  • ESV – All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

That little bit of knowledge allows me to do something I enjoy doing – making up new words.  Therefore, correctly understood, all scripture is “out-spired.”  I learned of this correct way of looking at “out-spiration” from the ISBE:

“What it says of Scripture is, not that it is ‘breathed into by God’ or is the product of the Divine ‘inbreathing’ into its human authors, but that it is breathed out by God, ‘God-breathed,’ the product of the creative breath of God. In a word, what is declared by this fundamental passage is simply that the Scriptures are a Divine product, without any indication of how God has operated in producing them. No term could have been chosen, however, which would have more emphatically asserted the Divine production of Scripture than that which is here employed. The ‘breath of God’ is in Scripture just the symbol of His almighty power, the bearer of His creative word.” (ISBE)

Despite the ironies and nuances, let’s focus on defining “inspiration.”  God-breathed is definitely a picturesque definition of the mechanics God used to bring His word to us.  Maybe this is why Jesus breathed on His apostles, to symbolize them becoming bearers of God’s message:

John 20:22 – And when He had said this, He breathed on them and *said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

Even looking at the first definition of inspired in an English dictionary works with the Greek definition in that what is breathed out by God is breathed in by man: a breathing in, as of air into the lungs; inhaling.

Here’s a plethora of definitions of “inspired.” Not all of them apply to the Bible, but do show the variety of uses that hopefully will increase our understanding of the cause and effect.  As we read these definitions we will notice a degrading in the meanings as opposed to the Biblical definition.  But hopefully we will also see a related meaning to both cause and effect.  We will begin with the physical, because that is the origin of the word itself:

The Physical – The Mechanical

The Divine – The Spiritual

  • inspiration – divine guidance: (theology) a special influence of a divinity on the minds of human beings; “they believe that the books of Scripture were written under divine guidance”
  • inspiration – The doctrine that the Bible was written by the influence of God. It is, therefore, without error. It is accurate and authoritatively represents God’s teachings (2 Tim. 3:16). As such it is a revelation from God which implies direct knowledge about God, creation, man, salvation, the future, etc. … keyboardsforchrist.com/Theological-j.html
  • Meaning that the writing was God-breathed.
    www.ncbible.info/mod/glossary/view.php
  • inspiration – That extraordinary or supernatural divine influence vouchsafed “to those who wrote the Holy Scriptures, rendering their writings” ” …www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Free-Bible-Dictionary-I.php

The Imaginative – The “Inspirational”

What do we learn from those definitions?  As our physical bodies breathe in and out and produce life, God breathed out His life giving word.  As said before, words cannot be said without the breath of life, and inspiration is the breath of spiritual life.  The physical description became spiritual illustration.  Then the spiritual word became common place – again ironic if you think about it – and describes acts and thoughts of mere men.  Today to be “inspired” means to be “exceptional” and yet how exceptional can it be when the word is used so commonly?  Going into a religious book store today, much of man-written religious material today is considered “inspirational” as a category.  And yet, we can even learn from that use…God’s inspiration has an impact on our minds, emotions, and actions, stimulating His creative thoughts within us.

Much to my personal disdain, the NASB uses the English word “inspired” (ek – 1537) in this last sense in one passage:

2 Corinthians 8:7  But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also.

Here is the HCSB:

2 Corinthians 8:7 (HCSB) (7) Now as you excel in everything — faith, speech, knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love for us — excel also in this grace.

In this study, when reading the word inspiration, don’t think of the popular sense of poetic genius (i.e. Shakespeare), or of inventive ideas (i.e., the proverbial light bulb , nor even of courageous examples. While people commonly might describe such things as inspirational, and even some sermons or reading material as inspirational, preaching today is not inspired in the Biblical sense of that word. That’s the definitional difference between a prophet and a preacher.  All prophets were preachers and therefore inspired, but not all preachers were prophets, nor inspired – and today, some uninspired preachers might not even be inspirational!

The Holy Spirit was the divine agent of God working with and within man producing inspiration or divine exhalation.

“The Jews understood that God’s Revelation had been accomplished through a multitude of channels: dreams, theophanies, His word spoken from heaven inspiring the prophets in an undefined fashion. With the exception of the direct appearance of God, all these revelations were mediated by the Spirit of Yahweh. The Holy Spirit was regarded as the spirit of prophecy. Thus, any to whom God would reveal Himself was deemed to be a prophet. Thus the title prophet came to be applied not only to the major and minor prophets, but also to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon, and even Mordacai. In all, Judaism recognized forty-eight prophets and seven prophetesses who bore God’s message to Israel. (G. F. Moore, Judaism (Cambridge Mass: Harvard University Press, 1930), p. 235-237” (bible.org)

The Spirit of Yahweh used this word, theopneustos, in 2 Tim.3:16 – “All Scripture is inspired by God.” Interestingly and I doubt coincidentally, the word spirit/pneuma itself is sometimes translated, breath.  The Holy Spirit is the Holy Breath of God.  When thinking of the Holy Spirit first and foremost think of life as in Holy Breath.  Again let’s look at John 20:22:

John 20:22 – And when He had said this, He breathed on them and *said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

When thinking of the finished work of the Holy Spirit, the inspired word of God, again think of life that comes from breath:

 Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

John 6:63 – “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

John 6:68 – Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.

Act 7:38 –  “This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living oracles to pass on to you.

Revelation 22:19 – and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.

Scripture is living in its origin and in its effect.  Inspiration is God breathing life out of His mind into ours.  It is by inspiration that we learn about life and how to live again.

We can see the mechanics of inspiration explained by another word picture in Jeremiah 1:9 – Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, “Behold I have put My words in your mouth.”  Prophets were “touched” by God enabling them to speak God’s words.  No longer does God choose to process information to us through direct inspiration (1 Cor.13:8-13; Hebrews 1:1-2).  Today we read the results of such inspiration in the Bible.  The Bible, through its original manuscripts, is an inspired book, it is God-breathed.

To understand this breathing-out, breathing-in aspect of inspiration, I would like to begin at an unusual starting point.  Genesis 2:7 reads, “Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breathe life; and man became a living being.”  Some versions read, became a living soul, interpreting the phrase to mean spiritual life instead of physical life.  Either way, the analogy to inspiration is intact. God takes man, breathes into his lungs, and man lives.  God takes words, breathes into man’s mind, and man lives.  Why? Just as the breath of God gives life, the breath or Spirit of God gives life (Jn.6:63).

According to the ISBE, I am not the first to make this connection:

“In the Vulgate (Jerome’s Latin Bible, 390-405 ad) the verb inspiro (Gen_2:7; The Wisdom of Solomon 15:11; Ecclesiasticus 4:12; 2Ti_3:16; 2Pe_1:21) and the noun inspiratio (2Sa_22:16; Job_32:8; Psa_18:15; Act_17:25) both occur 4 or 5 times in somewhat diverse applications.” (ISBE)

Job’s friend Elihu, the only friend not to be condemned by God, possibly claims to be inspired and again uses this picturesque language:

Job 32:8 – “But it is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding.

When many disciples left Jesus, He asked His apostles, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” (Jn.6:67).  Peter answered for them all in saying, “Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have words of eternal life.” (Jn.6:68).  God’s words are life because they have the breath of God breathing out the message to mankind.

I will never fully comprehend the grandness of inspiration, but everyone of us is living, walking proof that it exists.  How?  We breathe in and breathe out.

Does the Bible claim to be inspired?

Two hundred and fifty times the Bible claims to express “the word of the Lord.”   Nineteen times the “words of the Lord.”   Forty-three times it states to speak “the word of God.”  Seven times the “words of God.”  Twelve times “God spoke.”  One hundred thirty three times “The Lord spoke.”  Four hundred ninety-four times there is the phrase, “says the Lord.”  So you tell me, does the Bible claim to be inspired? When people believed the message, they did not think that the prophets were rephrasing, but speaking the direct words of God.

In the Old Testament,

“There are 2,700 such statements in the Old Testament alone, all of which make direct claim that the Bible is the Word of God” (Ridenour, 1967, p. 2).

In the New Testament, Peter wrote,

2 Peter 1:20-21 – (20) But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation,  (21)  for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

The prophets did not look at events and interpret the events, the times, the coincidences, and then create prophecy.  This verse is not saying that today we do not interpret the scriptures that already exist.  It is saying that scriptures did not originate with people interpreting their surroundings.  The source is not the human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

Paul said,

2Timothy 3:16 – All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

And finally, we have Paul’s words to the Corinthians that were meant to separate him from others:

1 Corinthians 2:10-16  For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.  (11)  For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.  (12)  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God,  (13)  which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.  (14)  But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.  (15)  But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.  (16)  For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.

Theories of Inspiration

Within Scripture there is not a detailed analysis as to exactly how God inspired His messengers.  Therefore people have come up with theories which I will describe now.  There are various names for the following theories.

The Automatic Writing theory: The Oxford Companion to the Bible states that Philo of Alexandria (20 BCE to 40 CE) “proposed what might be termed the ‘mantic theory’ of the inspiration of the scriptures, in which the human author becomes possessed by God and loses consciousness of self, surrendering to the divine spirit and its communicatory powers.” (www.religioustolerance.org/chr_insp.htm)

The Dictation theory: This is the belief that the Holy Spirit pre-determined each word that the authors wrote. The “authors” were thus performing the function of a secretary. The words recorded are thus considered the actual, authoritative words of God.  “This is the theory that God told Moses to write the word, “In,” and he wrote, “In.” Then God said, “Write the word, ‘the,’” and Moses wrote “the.” Then God said, “now write, ‘beginning.’” (www.angelfire.com/nt/theology/03insp.html).  Many have problems with this theory due to the many different writing styles found within Scriptures.

The Natural theory – The Biblical writers were only inspired in the same sense that Shakespeare was “inspired.”

The Dynamic theory – The Biblical writers wrote about their first-hand experiences with God, but the words written themselves were not inspired.

The Limited Inerrancy Theory – Concerning spiritual matters, the Bible is inspired and inerrant, but concerning historical and scientific matters it is not.

The “Negative assistance”/Accommodation theory: Jacques Bonfrère (1573-1642) suggested that the authors expressed their thoughts in their own style and words, while the Holy Spirit only intervened as needed, in order to prevent them from making any mistakes. (www.religioustolerance.org/chr_insp.htm)

Some of these theories are obvious unbiblical.  But let us be content with knowing certain truths:

  • God perfectly and inerrantly caused His will and words to be proclaimed and written down (1 Corinthians 2:11-16).
  • God allowed human expression based upon the personality of the writer (Luke’s gospel account is very different than Mark’s).
  • God allowed human will as to the cause of writing (Luke 1:1-4)
  • God allowed human preparation in the creation of what was written (Luke 1:1-4)
  • God allowed personal notes that were not doctrinal to be included (2 Tim.4:13)
  • God describes the prophets as speaking exactly His words (Jer.1:9)

It does not matter what we call the above as long as we know that scripture is God breathed and take that as literally as it implies as to the result. My conclusion is that God chose the exact words He wanted the authors to use while still using their personality. We can ask, “How can that be?” and I will simply echo Jesus’ answer to another question that likewise produced a similar question, “with God all things are possible” (Mt 19.25-26). Maybe a negative example will describe more exactly what I mean. In Acts 2.39 Peter preached, “For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” Peter did not yet understand how the Gentiles would be called through the gospel he just finished preaching. If the angels and authors did not understand everything they wrote (1 Pt 1.12), that again implies the very words were not original to the author but breathed out by God who in His wondrous way used the uniqueness of each author despite the authors’ incomplete comprehension of what he was writing.

Who Wrote The Bible?

If we understand the meaning of “inspiration” we know the answer to this question.  While penned by men, the Bible was not written by men, per se.  There is an obvious difference in authoring a book versus typing it!  Think, does anyone know the name of Tom Clancy’s secretary?

But the prophets, apostles and others were more than mere secretaries and much less than the originators, although they are routinely called the authors.  And they are authors to some extent which we will discuss this later.  In the mean time, think what a privilege to be used by God for such a task of being God’s spokesman.  Because God used men to pen the books of the Bible, we know the names of the so-called authors.  Here is a vivid description of both the Holy Spirit and one of God’s servants describing not only inspiration but also showing the true source:

Act 1:16 – “Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David….

While using their mouths to speak God’s words and their hands to record His words, the men of the Bible constantly referred to God as the true author, the one responsible for the inspiration.  In reference to originality, they considered themselves as insignificant as a pencil or pen is to the message.

Because of the nature of the books of the Prophets, God’s authorship is especially evident:

  • Isaiah 1:1-2 – The vision of Isaiah…which he saw…. Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth; for the LORD speaks….
  • Jeremiah 1:4 – Now the word of the LORD came to me saying…
  • Ezekiel 1:3 – the word of the LORD came expressly to Ezekiel the priest…and there the hand of the LORD came upon him.

By beginning their books with direct declarations that God spoke through them, the prophets gained authenticity.  Five times in Amos 1:3-13 Amos wrote, “Thus says the LORD.” In Haggai, 26 times in 38 verses, the author claims God is speaking. In Malachi, the messenger claims 21 times in 55 verses “Says the Lord of Hosts.”

While this next statement might sound degrading, it is not meant to be.  I believe one reason the prophets so immediately and so frequently reminded their audience of God being the author of their message was because they didn’t want to be held responsible for originating the message.  Often times the prophet’s message was one of condemnation.  Their message would only be effective if people understood the spokesmen were not responsible for originating it.  This brings us to an interesting point – God’s messages, whether of hope or condemnation, are only valuable because they are from God. Any other aspect, such as their philosophical truth, sage advice, or even financial help, is secondary to the awesome fact that God is the author.  Let’s never forget that all true meaning goes back to the true God of inspiration.

In authoring this inspiration, the Father breathed into man through the Holy Spirit, the Holy Breath; He being the Divine agent of God working with and within man.

The Uniqueness of Inspiration

In trying to understand the exact nature of inspiration, many have discussed the mechanics of God breathing into prophets His words. Here is an interesting comment on the blending of God and man in producing inspiration:

“The prophet is a person, not a microphone.  He is endowed with a mission, with the power of a word not his own that accounts for his greatness – but also with temperament, concern, character, and individuality.  As there was no resisting the impact of divine inspiration, so at times there was no resisting the vortex of his own temperament. The word of God reverberated in the voice of man.” (The Prophets, Abraham J. Heschel, p.viii)

Individuality among the writers is one of the most curious and unique aspects of inspiration.  We should not be surprised to discover different personal nuances in each author as we would not be surprised to hear different voices if we were to have been privileged to hear Moses, Jeremiah, or Peter preach.  The result of inspiration is as personal as the method used to spread the message in the New Testament – letters.  No other world religion dogmatized its teaching through personal letters.  Christianity is very personal, and so was God with His prophets.

God did not dictate words without taking into account the backgrounds, educations, and interests of the people being inspired.  Isn’t that humbling?  We often speak of that fact that certain books were tailored for certain audiences: Matthew for the Jews; Mark for the Romans; Luke for the Gentiles; John was universal.  The audience wasn’t the only thing taken into account.  The authors were tailored to their audience too!  Paul was the perfect apostle to the Gentiles considering he was a Roman citizen.  The Bible is God’s Word using man’s words.  Just think, even the very words God used were human words.  What “language” is divine?

“Scripture is not only man’s word, but also, and equally God’s word, spoken through man’s lips or written with man’s pen” (J.I. Packer, The Origin of the Bible, p. 31).

I wouldn’t say it exactly how Mr. Packer did, but the point is well taken.  Scripture is not “equally God’s word” at least how I understand that phrase.  The Bible is God’s word written with the words, ideas, vocabulary and such of the men God chose.

However, and this is a huge “however,” that does not mean that man’s own ideas and even his own foibles filled the Bible with mistakes. God not only honored men to be used as His messengers, He allowed them to retain their individuality.  They were tools of God that talked, but not talking tools.  What do I mean by that?

Although not speaking about inspiration, but still on the subject of God empowering them, notice the attitude of Peter and John:

Acts 3:12-13 – But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk?  (13)  “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him.

Not once, not even a little bit, have my tools burst out bragging. Yes, there are different levels of tools, but even the best tool in the wrong (that is, mine!) hand is inferior to the worst tool in a skilled hand.

The heart of the king of Assyria was arrogant and haughty.  He said, “By the power of my hand and by my wisdom I did this, for I have understanding” (Isa.10:13). Believe me, there is even more that he said.  God responded, “Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it?  Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it (Isa.10:15)?

We have too many talking tools.  But not Peter; and not John. When stunned unbelievers stared at them after the healing of the lame man, Peter rightly said, “it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all” (3:12,16).

While we are good at verbally giving God the credit, do we sometimes mentally brag on ourselves?  Just a little?  Pride is dangerous to ourselves, and to congregations. Could this congregation survive without me? Obviously. Can it survive without you? Definitely. What it can’t survive without is people willing to be nothing more than tools of God.  Pride is foolish, it is like a tool taking credit for digging a deep hole, or a saw for cutting a straight line.  Don’t be a talking tool!  Even the inspired tools of God did not take credit.

God’s talking tools, God’s inspired men, the individuals used for breathing out God’s word to the people understoodd the difference between what they said as God’s word versus what they said as opinion.

1 Corinthians 7:25 – Now concerning virgins I have no command of the Lord, but I give an opinion as one who by the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy.

That means that they understood God was speaking through them and could tell when God was not.  They never took credit for God’s wisdom and God’s words.

In his introduction to the book of Romans, J. Sidlow Baxter, quotes Findlay on why Paul was the perfect author of Romans.  What he says fits in quite well with our point on the uniqueness of inspiration:

“There was only one man equal to this crisis, capable of grasping in all its breadth the situation….With his Pharisaic training, with his strict and delicate conscience, and his intense faith in the religion of Israel, St. Paul realized, even more than his opponents, the force and the difficulty of these questions; and we can see that it cost him, both before and during the controversy, a prolonged struggle and the most strenuous mental effort to arrive at the solution he has given us.  We must not suppose that inspiration superseded study on the part of the teachers of Scripture, that the gifts of the Holy Spirit served as a contrivance for saving labour (sic.). On the contrary, it was with severe toil and by the unsparing exertion of his spiritual and intellectual powers that St. Paul composed his great doctrinal epistles; and the Holy Spirit prompted, sustained, and crowned the travail of his human will and reason.” (Explore the Book, v.6, pp.67-68)

Evidence for the Bible Being Inspired

Joh 5:31-37  “If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true.  (32)  “There is another who testifies of Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true.  (33)  “You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth.  (34)  “But the testimony which I receive is not from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved.  (35)  “He was the lamp that was burning and was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.  (36)  “But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish–the very works that I do–testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me.  (37)  “And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form.

Joh 8:13-18  So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not true.”  (14)  Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.  (15)  “You judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone.  (16)  “But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me.  (17)  “Even in your law it has been written that the testimony of two men is true.  (18)  “I am He who testifies about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me.”

The Inspired Men

The Bible was penned by about forty men.  They were from all walks of life. Some were well educated and others had very little formal education. It was about sixteen hundred years from the time the first writer began to write until the last one finished. Then all the books they had written were collected and made into one book, the Bible.  What kind of book had they written?

Effects of Inspiration on the Inspired

Here’s a question for our contemplation: What was the effect of inspiration and the baptism of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles?   Maybe we can best understand what effect inspiration had on the apostles if we first comprehend what effect it didn’t have.

Inspiration did not control behavior.  Peter sinned hypocritically as recorded in Galatians 2.  Therefore perfect inspiration does not mean perfect obedience.

Inspiration does not control understanding.  Peter illustrates in reference to Cornelius, that just because he had preached that the promise is for all even those “far off” (Acts 2:39) that did not clear up his misunderstanding in reference to how the Gentiles would be saved.  Therefore perfect inspiration does not mean perfect understanding.

Therefore I suggest that the only effect of inspiration is on what the apostles spoke and wrote – what they taught not what they believed.

John 14:26 – “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

John 16:12-13 – (12) “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  (13)  “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.

The above text supposedly explains why the apostles could not understand the kingdom’s spiritual nature.  They could not “bear” right now.  This cannot refer to the nature of the kingdom for Jesus had constantly taught about the spiritual nature of the kingdom.  Just read the Sermon on the Mount.  No, what the Holy Spirit would teach them that they could not bear at that time was not about the kingdom’s true character.  It had to be future new additional teachings.

Let continue looking at the effect of inspiration.

Mark 13:11 – “When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit.

Apparently, after being inspired, the apostles had too, like the rest of us, understand what they had been teaching through the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit taught them as the Holy Spirit teach us – through words.  As already stated, Peter taught by divine inspiration,

Acts 2:39 – “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”

But did Peter understand that Gentiles would be saved through grace as were the Jews?  When did Peter understand what he had said by inspiration?  After the vision, but please notice the immediate effect of the vision

Acts 10:17 – Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon’s house, appeared at the gate;

Did the miracle of the vision immediately clear up his misunderstanding?  No, it was only after contemplating the meaning of the vision along with God sending Cornelius’ servants that Peter understood.

Let’s see what he himself said:

Acts 10:28-35 – And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.  (29)  “That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. So I ask for what reason you have sent for me.”  (30)  Cornelius said, “Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during the ninth hour; and behold, a man stood before me in shining garments,  (31)  and he *said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God.  (32)  ‘Therefore send to Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you; he is staying at the house of Simon the tanner by the sea.’  (33)  “So I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”  (34)  Opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality,  (35)  but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.

Acts 15:7-11 – After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe.  (8)  “And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us;  (9)  and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.  (10)  “Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?  (11)  “But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”

Miracles did not miraculously change peoples’ misunderstandings and misconceptions without their free will volition contemplating the meaning of the miracles.

If being inspired did not automatically mean that the apostles had perfect understanding, then that would mean that just because the apostles had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, that in and of itself does not mean that the effect of such baptism was a correct understanding of the kingdom.  As I will illustrate later, I think they already understood prior to this baptism.  So if I am correct in my conclusion as to the effect of inspiration, to say that the apostles understood correctly the kingdom because of inspiration is a non sequitur.

Implications of Inspiration

Listen to the sublime applications in correctly understanding and accepting the Biblical definition of inspiration. Since God is the author and inspirer of the scriptures, that leads us to some inescapable conclusions, conclusions that should vastly affect our lives. For as we are about to learn, inspiration is not simply a doctrine for theological discussions.  A correct understanding of God’s inspiration of the scriptures leads to a way of life.

1 Timothy 6:3-6 – (3)  If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness,  (4)  he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions,  (5)  and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.  (6)  But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.

First, since God inspired the Scriptures, He has the right to command us through those scriptures. Whether we like it or not, the Scriptures are not ours to find loopholes in, neglect, nor twist to our own satisfaction. Those attitudes lead to destruction, both in this life and for eternity (2 Pet.3:16). We must not add to, nor subtract from, nor alter in any form the scriptures to fit our lives. Our lives are what must change. The goal is a peaceful harmony between the two.  Our lives must match God’s word; the Bible must not ever change to harmonize with our lives (2 Tim.1:13). God created both us and the Scriptures. He created us for Him and His glory, but He created the Scriptures for us to use for His glory (1 Tim.1:8-11). In them we see God.

Second, if Scripture is the mind of God (1 Cor.2:6-16), then obviously they reveal God to us. That is why we must not change the scriptures, for in doing so we are changing God! In effect, we are creating a god in our own image. Of course, in reality we are not, but in our own perception we are. That leads to the twisting of scriptures mentioned above.

 

If the scriptures reveal the character of God, we may infer that we must interpret the scriptures according to the nature of God. Isn’t that an awesome thought? If we want to rightly interpret the scriptures, we must know God. We learn about God through nature and His word (Ps.19). Therefore as we are studying the scriptures, study God also. Only after we know God, can we know His word. The irony is, we must learn about our God from His word. So, what do you know about God?

 

Don’t think this is a subjective way of interpreting the scriptures. Some say, “God is love,” but that love is not only for us, but also for truth and righteousness. Yes, God is love, but that love is greater than our understanding.

 

Others actually try to interpret the scriptures, not according to God’s character, but their own.  They disguise this by saying, “God wants me to be happy,” and then define happiness according to their own character.

 

As you can see, our two conclusions keep finding each other. God has the right to command us because of His character.

 

Jesus said that the scriptures contain life (John 5:39). This is because they are inspired by God for us to use for Him and His glory.  And because God is life.

 

Those are the lessons of inspiration.

 

Inspiration’s Slippery Slopes

My maternal grandfather owned a few farms.  On one such farm, imaginatively named “the big farm,” I, my brother and cousins went exploring. March, march, march, through the woods, kids just having fun. Still vivid in my mind, even after more than three decades, is this muddy, slippery slope we climbed down.  Hanging onto a fence, with muscles straining, we stepped and slipped, slipped and stepped, over boards, over rocks, and through mud – until yours truly no longer slipped over, but slipped squarely onto…a nail.  Valiantly, but vainly, I tried to lift my own foot off of the nail. Finally, my brother came to the rescue.  If he was reading this, that would make him very happy.  It wouldn’t have been so bad had I not been barefooted. Why I was barefooted can only be explained by naïve stupidity!  Somehow being on a farm with a bunch of kids, away from the watchful eye of grownups had the effect of dulling my otherwise brilliant mind!

 

You can say I actually lived through the proverbial “slippery slope.” Others aren’t so lucky. Some have literally slipped to their death like a little boy in Hawaii who ignored written warning signs of a slippery slope.  He slipped and slid to his death.

 

What is a slippery slope? It is a place, whether physical, spiritual, emotional, mentally or literal that seems safe…at first.

 

At first, the slipping can be almost innocent and fun, until you realize that you are no longer in control. Then fear replaces fun.

 

A slippery slope is a beginning that leads to an end unforeseen, unpurposed and unwelcomed.

 

A slippery slope is spiritually dangerous and to be avoided at all costs.

 

But, a word of precaution, the proverbial slippery slope is not the same as arguing, “but it might lead to something unscriptural.”  That argument is a tacit admission that the “it” is scriptural, but might lead to another “it” that isn’t.  The Bible never states we shouldn’t do what is right because it might lead to what is wrong.

 

Understand, I’m not saying we should not use everything we can, but I am saying we shouldn’t misuse what is right, nor use what is wrong. Let’s apply this.

 

  • Do we believe the Bible is inspired (lit., God-breathed)?
  • Are we willing to accept what the Bible says simply because it says it, no matter what it says? Even if it disagrees with us?
  • Do we understand that when we accept what the Bible says we are in reality admitting that God is actually and literally speaking? (2 Tim.3:16-17)
  • When someone argues against the Bible being inspired, do we grasp they are arguing against the very existence of God?

 

We will examine the wrongful use of something right; plus the use what is obviously wrong. Both of these we be applied to inspiration.  Both these are slippery slopes.

Let’s all hope we don’t slip and slide down the slope and fall upon the nail of spiritual destruction by denying inspiration.

 

Slippery When Wet – You’ve seen the signs.  You’ve heeded the warnings.  Now it’s time to apply it spiritually.

 

In reading, studying, and talking with others, I’ve seen slippery slopes of argumentation. That’s why it is important, even necessary to have book, chapter and verse for every belief and practice. That’s why I use so many scriptures in my sermons. Did you realize, every time I use a scripture, I am tacitly teaching my belief in inspiration?  Beware of preachers that spend more time telling stories than quoting scriptures! One such preacher defended this practice by saying Jesus often told stories without quoting scriptures. I guess He forgot Jesus is God!  When He tells stories, they BECOME SCRIPTURE!

 

While slippery stances are always dangerous, the danger is heightened and intensified when the subject is inspiration. Why? Because believing in and accepting inspiration is the foundation for every other belief! How can we come to the Bible as our authority unless we can agree the Bible is our authority?! If the builder and the owner cannot agree on which blueprints to use, they will never be able to build a house together.

 

Did you every play “King of the Hill” when growing up?  Everyone is trying to knock you off the top.  Unless you have good footing, you’ll never be able to win.  As Christians, we never want to be knocked off the mountain of God.  Believing in inspiration is our foothold.

 

In keeping with the word picture of slopes, at the top of the proverbial slope everyone involved admits to and believes in inspiration, but through certain types of argumentation people slip, falling downward in a spiral of traps and destruction by denying what it once affirmed – the divine inspiration of the Bible by our eternal Father through His Holy Spirit.

 

A question of warning – How can we stand firm (Eph.6:11,13,14) unless the ground upon which we stand is firm? That ground is the belief in the inspiration of Scriptures.

 

An example of the slippery slope is the time-line. Time-lines can be both helpful and innocent…depending upon how and why they are used.  What begins as a tool separate from our understanding of inspiration, and then slips into a tool for supporting inspiration, but then slides down the slope of rationalism, a direct denial of interpretation.

 

What is a time-line? A date-based tool, using internal and external evidence, for chronologically organizing the writing and events recorded within scripture.

 

It is an innocent tool if used outside the realm of inspiration. If used historically and not theologically, time-lines can even become essential to connecting the dots of what happens when. It can be used like a set of instructions for sequentially understanding the Bible.  For example, which came first, Peter’s defense of grace and the unity of believers in Acts 15, or his practical denial of such in Gal.2?  Was Peter ignorant or hypocritical?  A time-line can help.

 

How can it be misused?  When it becomes more important than the Bible.

 

For example, when we use a time-line to show that two scriptures cannot contradict each other because, time-wise, they happened within a close proximity of each other, we have misused the time-line and crept ever more closely to the slippery slope.

 

While this time-line argumentation is fancy reasoning, and can be very helpful, it can become slippery-slope reasoning.  How? If I start showing consistency through time-lines, I can slip to the position of showing inconsistency through a more distant time-line. I’ve seen this advance to the point where people start arguing that the writer “grew in his knowledge” and therefore wrote something different later on.  That is an out-right denial of inspiration. God does not grow in knowledge. What began as fancy reasoning ended up as a denial of inspiration.

 

Josephus said, “For, although such long ages have now passed, no one has ventured either to add, or to remove, or to alter a syllable, and it is an instinct with every Jew from the day of his birth, to regard them as the decrees of God, to abide by them, and if need be, cheerfully die for them.” (Against Apion, 1.8)

 

Jn.17:17 – Sanctify them in Your truth, Your word is truth.

 

Here is another example of slippery reasoning: “some think this portion of Mt.19:9 wasn’t actually spoken by Jesus, but was later added, of course by inspiration.”  That’s scary!  Before you know it, the argument then takes the form “some think this portion of Mt.19:9 wasn’t actually spoken by Jesus,” leaving off   “of course by inspiration.” 

 

Matthew gave no indication he was adding something, but rather that he recorded as was. Plus, I’ve seen the progression, or rather digression, where the argument goes through these stages: 1) Inspired; 2) Added though inspired; 3) Correctly added by author but not inspired; 4) Incorrectly added by another and not inspired.

 

Do you see the digression?  Instead of discussing what the inspired text means or doesn’t mean, people have switched to wondering if the text is even inspired? Why? They don’t like what the text says! This can be on marriage, divorce and remarriage; the role of women; baptism, or any other subject. Therefore they remove it!  Reminds me of Jehoiakim in Jer.36:23 – And it came about, when Jehudi had read three or four columns, the king cut it with a scribe’s knife and threw it into the fire that was in the brazier, until all the  scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier.

 

In the beginning of the German school of Theology, the intent was to question everything so as to get to the true meaning of the text.  Admirable intention, if indeed it was honest.  Liberal Theology was born and gave birth to doubt and denial of anything miraculous, which of course included inspiration.

 

This has evolved into the Jesus Seminar which recently took upon themselves the task of deciding which words of Jesus were really spoken by the historical Jesus. How did they finally decide?  They voted. Majority won. But I wonder what criteria they used to vote. It wasn’t belief in inspiration. Believing in and accepting the scriptures as inspired are the foundation for all our beliefs.

 

Here is another example of slippery reasoning: “some think this portion of Mt.19:9  wasn’t actually spoken by Jesus, but was later added, of course by inspiration.”  That’s scary!  Before you know it, the argument then takes the form “some think this portion of Mt.19:9  wasn’t actually spoken by Jesus,” leaving off   “of course by inspiration.” 

 

Matthew gave no indication he was adding something, but rather that he recorded as was. Plus, I’ve seen the progression, or rather digression, where the argument goes through these stages: 1) Inspired; 2) Added though inspired; 3) Correctly added by author but not inspired; 4) Incorrectly added by another and not inspired.

 

Do you see the digression?  Instead of discussing what the inspired text means or doesn’t mean, people have switched to wondering if the text is even inspired? Why? They don’t like what the text says! This can be on marriage, divorce and remarriage; the role of women, or any other subject. Therefore they remove it!  Reminds me of Jehoiakim in Jer.36:23 – And it came about, when Jehudi had read three or four columns, the king cut it with a scribe’s knife and threw it into the fire that was in the brazier, until all the  scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier.

 

In the beginning of the German school of Theology, the intent was to question everything so as to get to the true meaning of the text.  Admirable intention, if indeed it was honest.  Liberal Theology was born and gave birth to doubt and denial of anything miraculous, which of course included inspiration.

 

This has evolved into the Jesus Seminar which recently took upon themselves the task of deciding which words of Jesus were really spoken by the historical Jesus. How did they finally decide?  They voted. Majority won. But I wonder what criteria they used to vote. It wasn’t belief in inspiration. Believing in and accepting the scriptures as inspired are the foundation for all our beliefs.

 

 

 

2 Peter 1:20-21 – But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation,  (21)  for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

 

Joh 10:35  “If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken),

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