Articles
Understanding Biblical Inspiration
“God didn’t write the Bible, and if He did why is it so full of contradictions?” “Isn’t this just a book written by men?” Such questions are asked by those who choose not to believe in God’s Word or lack knowledge of the methodology the Lord chose to bring about His divine revelation. Man dismisses the notion of God existing and therefore, a book with His actual words is absurd. Not all questions can be answered here, but what will be addressed is whether the Bible is inspired and, if so, in what manner.
If the Bible is inspired, then where in the Scriptures can one go to show someone that is the case? The most explicit reference to Biblical inspiration can be found in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, which reads, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” The word “inspired” in 2 Tim. 3:16 is translated from the Greek word “theopneustos,” and means “God-breathed.” This is the only place in Scripture where the word appears, and it is unnecessary to require it anywhere else. The apostle Paul makes it plain and clear that both the Old and New Testaments are the very words of God. Furthermore, Peter in similar fashion wrote in 2 Pet. 1:20-21, “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” Well, that should clear up any misunderstanding about God’s involvement with the Bible! Obviously, anyone who is critical of the Scriptures will seek to find holes even where none exist. To those that are apathetic towards the Bible, quoting from the source that one is trying to prove the legitimacy of will probably not be advantageous. The best option is to present the skeptic with proven facts that support the claims made by the Word of God.
Fortunately for those that believe in the Word of God, there is much evidence that has been discovered which can be used to affirm its authority. The Hittite Empire was considered to be one of the greatest errors in Scripture, because no archaeological evidence of their existence had been found. It was not until the late 19th and early 20th centuries that the Bible was shown to be correct in declaring that the Hittites were an actual civilization. Another evidence to consider is the massive amount of manuscripts that have been uncovered. No other work comes close to the thousands of documents of both the Old and New Testaments. Homer, the Greek poet who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey, is a distant second with only hundreds of copies of his works. Other sources to strengthen the case of the Bible are: 1) Writings from Josephus, a Jewish historian; and 2) Pliny the Younger, a governor from the Roman Empire. The majority of the Jewish nation rejects Christ being the Messiah, but interestingly enough a Jewish historian acknowledges the life and death of Jesus. Pliny confirms the fact that there was actual persecution of the followers of Christ. History over and over continues to produce evidence to uphold the good book! The Bible is supported not only by history and science as well. For centuries the consensus was that the earth was flat and if anyone would venture to its edges they would fall off. Even though Columbus is erroneously thought to have made this discovery, it was actually the Bible thousands of years prior that identifies the roundness of the earth. Isaiah 40:22, “It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.” Individuals throughout time have tried and failed to wipe out the Bible through their words and actions. To their failure the Word is still the most circulated and translated book in all the world. More can be said to substantiate the truths of the Bible, and providentially evidences continue to arise over time.
In order for an individual to give a defense to the inspiration of God’s Word, then it helps to be knowledgeable of what theories man has put forth in disputing the validity of the Truth. Don Stewart has written in great detail on manmade theories of Biblical inspiration*. Some of the theories he critiques include: 1) Mechanical Dictation; 2) Partial Authority; 3) Authoritative Concepts, but Not Authoritative Words; 4) Natural Inspiration; 5) Illumination; 6) Encounter View or otherwise known as Barthian/Neoorthodox View; and 7) Mythological. A brief description of each of these inadequate theories follows. Mechanical Dictation denotes that the writers of Scripture were told each individual word to put down. Partial Authority as hinted in its title, claims that only part of the Bible is reliable, but there is no objective and universally recognized determining factors to make the distinction between what is or is not the Word of God. Authoritative Concepts Theory explains that God gave His writers ideas on what to put down, but left it up to them to use their own words. Natural Inspiration is essentially saying that the Bible is only a piece of literature meant to inspire and is purely written by human hands. Illumination Theory states that whomever has been given the Holy Spirit then they will be able to write the words of God, which means the Bible is not the only place to find Scripture. Encounter View has a mystical sense to it, because it expounds that Bible becomes active when a person reads it. Also this viewpoint holds that Scripture is filled with contradictions and errors, but even with those shortcomings the person can still see the Word of God come through. The strange thing about this false concept, is that the whole system openly contradicts itself. Finally, the Mythological View denies all of the miracles or anything that appears supernatural contained throughout God’s Word. These are deemed merely as fables or myths, but people can still have an encounter with God by reading his Word. It is of no surprise that so many false notions of Scripture have arisen. Believers, or not, were warned of this happening, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths (2 Tim. 4:3-4).”
So what then is the best explanation given for the inspiration of God’s Word? The most logical and sound position is the Verbal Plenary Inspiration viewpoint. God is still “directing the ship,” but uses the various writers’ abilities to express His Will. The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Cor. 2:10-13, “For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 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. 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, 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.” This stance is in line with 2 Pet. 1:20-21. There is no doubt that in numerous passages that God actually speaks and the writers record the specific words that the Lord had spoken. Moses wrote in Genesis 1:3, “Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.” At the end of the Bible, John records the words of Christ in Rev. 22:20, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” As shown, from the beginning to the end of Scripture, the very words of God are written down for all. Another important thing to keep in mind, which supports Plenary Inspiration, is the style that the various writers of the Bible use. For example, the apostle John uses a simple vocabulary, whereas Luke is more complex with his words. This indicates that there is a distinct difference in their formal education, but that does not degrade or lessen the fact that the words are still inspired of God. God chose people to pen His words from various walks of life; some writers were well-educated and probably wealthy while others were poor in their economic status and unlearned.
When all the information is laid out for all to contemplate, each person has to make the decision to whether to accept or reject the Creator of the universe. Ultimately, the final determination will be as the Psalmist puts it, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Ps. 14:1).
