By Pastor Dave Farmer
Summary
Inspiration is the miraculous work of God the Holy Spirit working in the mind of those who were divinely selected to receive God's Holy Revelation. The Bible tells us what it is, but it does not tell us how the Spirit works. Many of the ministries of the Holy Spirit have this similarity. As Jesus says, we see the trees move, but we don't see the wind (John 3:3 ). What we see are the results. The Bible exists, but the mechanics of the Spirit's work is unknown. The next four studies are about what we do know. We start with "The Definition of Inspiration."
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; (2 Timothy 3:16)
Inspiration is a Biblical word, and Paul says that it covers the entire Bible, “All Scripture.” It is the unique ministry of God the Holy Spirit who guided the writers of the Bible so that each book has divine authorship as well as a human writer.
What is Inspiration?
It is activity of God the Holy Spirit who so supernaturally superintended and guided the writers of Scripture that without waiving their human intelligence, their individuality, their literary style, their personal feelings, or any other human factor, God's own complete and coherent message to man was perfectly recorded in the original writings, so that the very words of Scripture bear divine authorship.
The word inspiration comes from the Greek word THEOPNEUSTOS meaning God-breathed. Dr. Jay Adams commented on the word inspired in this way, “When God says that He breathed out His word, He means that what is written is as much His Word as if He had spoken it audibly by means of breath. If the reader could hear God speak, He would find that God said nothing more, nothing less, and nothing different from what was written.” (Adams, p.17) 1
This work of the Holy Spirit makes the books of the Bible unique. Jesus taught this in the upper room the night He was betrayed:
[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. (John 16:12-13)
Because of this wonderful ministry of the Holy Spirit, we have a faithful and accurate record of what God wants us to know. He motivated and guided the writers as Peter says:
[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. [2 Peter 1:20-21]
According to Peter inspiration occurs when God the Holy Spirit leads them to write. We will examine this passage is greater detail in another article.
Distinctions: How does inspiration differ from revelation?
Revelation has to do with the giving of the Word; inspiration has to do with the writing of the Word. In revelation God gives His truth to man; through inspiration, God keeps the truth He gives free from error. In revelation, the mind of God is transferred to the minds of men and in inspiration that truth is transferred from their minds to their writings.
We may have revelation without inspiration:
[1] I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire;
[2] and he had in his hand a little book which was open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land;
[3] and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars; and when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices.
[4] When the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them.” (Revelation 10:1-4)
In this passage, God reveals His truth through the angel called “The seven peals of thunder.” The angel gives to John God’s Word. Special revelation occurred, but John was not permitted to write down the message. Inspiration has to do with the writing down of revealed truth.
We may have inspiration without revelation:
[1] Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us,
[2] just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word [title of Christ],
[3] it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus;
[4] so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.
(Luke 1:1-4)
Dr. Luke wrote two books of Scripture, the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. He began to compile from those who were eyewitnesses a body of material. He investigated and researched the facts concerning Christ. You see, his material from which he writes the Gospel of Luke and major portions of Acts is not by revelation. It's by research. These things were not revealed to him directly from God but to others, but when he wrote, he was protected from error by the Holy Spirit. His writings are inspired - kept free from error.
Another important distinction should be noted before we continue. In the Bible, we have the words of God, the words of men, the words of Satan, the words of demons, and the words of pagan philosophers. Inspiration does not imply that God condones every word, act, or fact. When Satan approached Eve in the Garden of Eden, he implied that God was not truthful. This is a lie and a deception. Inspiration guarantees that what Satan said is recorded accurately. Inspiration does not condone lying and deceiving. You may think this is silly, but it is not.
The people involved in pornography point out that the Bible contains pornography - all types of perversion, rapes, homosexuality, bestiality, etc. They say to Christians, "If the Bible has it, why don't you get rid of those things in the Bible before you try to get rid of those things in our magazines?" They assert that we have a double standard. If it's all right for it to be in the Bible, it should be all right on the newsstands. We sell Bibles. What's the difference?
The Bible is an accurate record of men's dealings with God as well as men's dealings with men. Therefore, it is perfectly natural if our accurate record is going to be kept that these things are going to appear. The perversions found in Scripture are not there to arouse us sexually. They are placed there to show how degenerate man has become apart from God. The Bible "tells it like it is!" Those who are involved in pornography are writing this trash because someone is paying them to be a dirty old man.
The Bible reveals perversion because it wants to describe what life is like is apart from God. They say, "This is what life is like." NO! Don't swallow that. What they show is what existence is apart from God. Man only begins to live when he is in right relationship with God, John 14:6. The Word of God is a faithful record of all that God wanted us to know, even things that are evil and sinful, things He does not condone, sanction, approve of, and are an abomination to Him. Inspiration guarantees the accuracy of the record, not God's endorsement.
Finally, in the Bible, there are many acts which are not God’s will: Noah's drunkenness, David's adultery, Lot's incest, and Balaam's cursing of Israel. Inspiration protects the facts and the words but does not signify God’s support of those acts.
ENDNOTES
1 Adams, Jay, More Than Redemption, Phillipsburg: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1979.