Inspiration of the Scripture (2)
by Harry Osborne
January 25, 2009

Last week, we began our study of inspiration by examining passages throughout the Bible that clearly claim it is the product of divine inspiration. As the apostle Peter expressed it, Scripture "never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Pet. 1:20-21). The inspired apostle Paul noted the extent to which inspiration was exerted by God, saying, "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). Hence, the Bible plainly states that its message is explained by divine choice down to the very words used.

The verbal inspiration of the Scripture leads us to another aspect of inspiration we need to consider. If God guided the very words chosen to deliver His message, His omniscience must be seen as controlling every aspect and every subject revealed in the Bible. This point was stressed in a familiar passage concerning inspiration:

Every scripture is inspired of God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness. That the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

There is a clear basis for the stated conclusion that the inspired word gives us the full information and admonition needed to make us fully equipped to know and do good. We could not be so equipped if the Bible contained mistakes and errors in some matters it addresses. Complete furnishing in every aspect requires an inerrant source for instruction and correction. The Bible claims to be that inerrant source regarding every matter discussed.

Claims of Plenary Inspiration

The word "plenary" means "full, complete or absolute." Though the word is not found in the Bible, the concept surely is. The psalmist said, "I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right" (Psa. 119:128). That leaves room for no mistake in any realm. The Bible claim is clear. It was repeated by the inspired king David who said,

The law of Jehovah is perfect, restoring the soul: the testimony of Jehovah is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of Jehovah are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of Jehovah is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of Jehovah is clean, enduring for ever: the ordinances of Jehovah are true, and righteous altogether(Psa. 19:7-9).

God's control and guidance of every word of His revelation explains its accuracy in prophecies made hundreds of years before their fulfillment. This is true with respect to prophecies concerning the nations and with messianic prophecy as we will note in detail in future articles in this bulletin. Even in areas where the human spokesman did not comprehend the things he was saying, God guided the accuracy and truthfulness of the message by means of inspiration (1 Pet. 1:10-12). In that way, the inerrancy of Scripture was insured.

Test for Protection of the Inspired Message -- Balaam

Several incidents in the Scripture illustrate that God can and has over-ruled the thoughts and desires of men so that His will or revelation was declared accurately. The story of Balaam is a case in point. Balak, king of Moab, offered Balaam a great reward if Balaam would curse the Israelites so that Moab could defeat them. Balaam was not a good man who refused on principle to do such an evil deed, but was one "who loved the wages of unrighteousness" (2 Pet. 2:15). Even though God desired the blessing of Israel, Balaam wanted to prophesy a curse to bring himself gain.

Numbers 22 - 24 tells the story of Balaam's effort to prophesy a curse against the will of God. God repeatedly reminded Balaam of the fact that "only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak" (Num. 22:35). This was not due to the fact that Balaam wanted to so limit his prophecy, but because God imposed those limits upon Balaam to safeguard the expression of His will.

When Balak sought some assurance that Balaam would curse Israel, he was convinced of Balaam's desire to speak evil against Israel. However, the meeting included this statement by Balaam to Balak:

Look, I have come to you! Now, have I any power at all to say anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that I must speak(Num. 22:38).

Balaam understood the obstacle before him. When he spoke in the name of God's will, he had no ability to speak anything but that which God caused him to speak. He could not speak against God's will even though he wanted to do so! This was evidenced as we are told about Balaam blessing Israel three times when he wanted to curse them. What explained this failure of Balaam to speak as he desired? The text says that "Jehovah put a word in Balaam's mouth" (Num. 23:5, 16). How was that done? The texts says, "the Spirit of God came upon him" (Num. 24:2). Inspiration of the Spirit guided and protected God's message even when the prophet wanted to speak to the contrary.

After Balaam had blessed the Israelites three times, the text sums up the situation as follows:

Then Balak's anger was aroused against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, "I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have bountifully blessed them these three times! Now therefore, flee to your place. I said I would greatly honor you, but in fact, the Lord has kept you back from honor." So Balaam said to Balak, "Did I not also speak to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, 'Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the Lord, to do either good or bad of my own will; but what the Lord says, that I must speak?'" (Num. 24:12-13).

Balaam's will to do evil could not overpower God's will. It was God's will that controlled, not Balaam's will. That is verbal inspiration guarded to assure absolute accuracy! God did not merely put a thought in Balaam's head and let the prophet express it as he desired. If such had been the case, Balaam's desire would have led him to speak contrary to the will of God. That is not what happened. God made sure that His truth was revealed unto man in just the words He desired, regardless of the desires of the speaker or writer.

Conclusion
The fact that God demonstrated the power to control the faithful delivery of His message even when the speaker desired to say the contrary should give us confidence in the revelation we have in the Scripture. In every verse of every book dealing with every subject considered, God caused His will to be declared in words that He chose to make sure it was the absolute truth. Belief in the plenary inspiration of Scripture is the logical conclusion of believing its claim for verbal inspiration. True believers in the inspiration of God's word cannot believe one without believing the other. Conversely, any denial of verbal or plenary inspiration constitutes an assault on the overall doctrine of inspiration.

Acceptance of the verbal and plenary inspiration of Scripture has implications which necessarily follow. God's control and guidance of every word of His revelation would demand that God insure the accuracy of the historical facts stated in Scripture concerning peoples unknown to the human writer. It would demand that God insure the accuracy in statements dealing with scientific fact even before such things were understood by humanity. Plenary inspiration could tolerate no error made in these or other areas. The true believer in the inspired word of God will affirm such. When one refuses to affirm the necessary implications of verbal and plenary inspiration, the problem should be clear to all -- he does not truly believe in the divine inspiration of Scripture.

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