Inspiration of the Scripture (1)
by Harry Osborne
January 18, 2009

Among the most basic differences between those in the religious world are the variant concepts held concerning the nature and extent of divine inspiration of the Scripture. Some teach the Bible is simply the thoughts of some men about God and proper conduct. They explain the words and subject matter addressed in the Bible as a product of the writer's ability and ideas. They would expect the writer to be incorrect at times due to his human limitations. Others say God revealed thoughts concerning these matters to some men and let them convey those thoughts in their own words. They would urge us to discern the guiding thought behind a given passage, but would not stress the words used since they would expect those words to be inexact or even incorrect at times. Still others, including this author, contend that God guided men to reveal His message exactly, in the exact words that He chose. Those holding this view of inspiration believe the words of the Bible, when understood in their proper context, to be absolutely true in every subject addressed and absolutely authoritative in every instruction given.

Our belief about the inspiration of Scripture will determine our response to it. The latter view will cause us to study it with humility and fervency due to our confidence that it is the true word of God, the pattern for our lives. The other views will cause us to look at it more casually as a good book from which we can chose what we wish to believe and practice, or to view it as an interesting curiosity piece fit for academic examination much as we would Shakespeare's works. The Scripture's claim is clear regarding its origin and nature as well as the extent of the inspiration claimed. In this article, we begin a study of several passages to determine the biblical view of the inspiration of its message.

Any examination of the inspiration of the Scripture must begin with understanding the claims made in the Scripture itself. In both the Old Testament and New Testament, the writers repeatedly claimed, not to be the source of the message, but to be repeating the words of God. Let us notice a few examples of such claims.

Mosaic Claims of Inspiration

When Moses gave the summation of the old law, he said the words recorded were God's words (Exod. 20:1-17; Deut. 5:1-22). The detailed ordinances of the law began as God told Moses, "Now these are the ordinances which thou shalt set before them" (Exod. 21:1). Throughout the Pentateuch, Moses repeated that which "Jehovah said" as he related the instruction and admonitions given. At times, Moses did not understand the things said by God, but he repeated the words of God to the people. At times, Moses' thoughts were diametrically opposed to the message of God, but Moses still repeated the words of God to the people.

In each case, we are reminded of the promise made to Moses when God called him to lead Israel out of bondage. Moses had protested, "Oh, Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue" (Exod. 4:10). God responded with the promise, "I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt speak" ( Exod. 4:11). When Moses continued to protest, God added Aaron to work with Moses promising, "I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do" (Exod. 4:15).

Prophetic Claims of Inspiration

Isaiah recognized the origin of the message from the start of his work as is evident when he begins by saying, "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for Jehovah hath spoken" (Isa. 1:2). The record of his call to prophetic duty makes clear whose words were to be related in the prophecies. In Isaiah 6:1-13, Isaiah recognized a problem with him serving as a prophet -- he had "unclean lips." But the God prepared Isaiah for his work by the seraphim touching his "mouth" and "lips" with the live coal. We should note that the preparation was not of prophet's mind (thinking), but his lips (speaking). Isaiah then saw his readiness to be prophet. He was then told to speak the message of God until no hearer remained, even when he was rejected.

In Jeremiah 1:4-19, the Scripture says that "the word of Jehovah" came to Jeremiah as he was called to be a prophet of God. It was not the thought that came to him, but the word. Jeremiah objected, "Ah, Lord Jehovah! Behold, I know not how to speak; for I am a child." At that point, Jeremiah was told, "Whatsoever I shall command thee, thou shalt speak." The record then tells us that God touched the mouth of Jeremiah and said, "I have put My words in thy mouth." God emphasized the point saying, "I watch over My word to perform it." The prophet is then instructed by God to speak "all that I command thee," despite the opposition, or God would "dismay thee." It is clear that God is depicted as the origin of the prophet's speech and that God guided the very words spoken.

The call of Ezekiel as a prophet reinforces the same point of God's control of the message recorded. Ezekiel's commission as a prophet is recorded in Ezekiel 2 & 3. The prophet explained the start of his work as being the point when "the Spirit entered into me when He spake unto me" (Ezek. 2:2). The prophet was repeatedly told by God to "speak My words unto them" (2:7; 3:4; 3:11; etc.). This charge was illustrated by God in His command for Ezekiel to eat the roll of the book (2:8 - 3:3). Again, it is necessary for us to see the point emphasized by God with such an action. God did not give the prophet a thought upon which he was to think, but words which he was to eat. The words of God were to be put within him. Why? So that he could fulfill the call of God, "All My words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thy heart and hear with thine ears" (3:10). There was no automatic implanting of the thought to prophet's mind. The words were given for him to speak, but he needed to receive them into himself in order to respond obediently. Thus, God guided the words of prophecy, but the prophet had the same responsibility to apply those words as every other hearer. The record of the prophet's call also notes that Ezekiel was charged to speak all of God's words even though the people rejected the message (3:11). The prophet had no right to change it in order to make it more appealing to a greater number. The focus was upon guarding the purity of God's message whether the people accepted it or rejected it. Clearly, the claim of Scripture is that the words were God's words, not the prophet's words.
New Testament Claims of Inspiration

Claims of divine inspiration were not unique to the Old Testament. They are repeatedly found in the claims of the New Testament writers as well. For instance, Peter and the Hebrew writer claimed that the words of the Old Testament writers were actually the product of deity (Acts 1:16; 3:21; Heb. 3:7f; 10:15f; etc.). Paul clearly affirmed that the message he declared was from God and was intended as a pattern for man to follow (2 Tim. 1:8-14). He claimed that he as well as the other apostles and prophets were directed in their revelation of God's truth by the Holy Spirit who was the true author of their words (Eph. 3:3-7). That contention is consistent with the other Bible writers' statements about the verbal inspiration of prophets. Peter affirmed the principle, saying,"For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Pet. 1:21). Paul made the unambiguous claim that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Tim. 3:16). Peter classified Paul's writings as Scripture (2 Pet. 3:15-16). But what did these writers claim to be inspired -- the words revealed or just the thought behind such? Paul makes clear the claim in these words:

But we received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God; that we might know the things that were freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Spirit teacheth; combining spiritual things with spiritual words (1 Cor. 2:12-13).

The claim is clear. The Bible claims to be the product of divine, verbal inspiration. In other words, the thoughts and words were not man's, but God's.

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