The Inspired Word
Notes
Transcript
Handout
The French philosopher Voltaire sat one day to rewrite Psalm 51 in poetic form.
All went well until he came to verse 10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God!”
Voltaire, though the largest opponent of Christianity during his day, attempted to translate this verse into a poem.
As he wrote, a sudden realization of the terror of hell came upon him.
He tried to shake the feeling, but found himself unable to write.
Later he confided to his friends that he could not think of that experience without an inner fear that haunted him.
Why does the Bible have such a profound impact on people?
Because it is a message from God, called the “revelation of God,” and because of the way God guarantees the accuracy of recording the Bible through what is called inspiration.
The words of the Bible are the Words of God written by men.
This process is called the “inspiration of the Scriptures”
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
I. The Process of Inspiration
I. The Process of Inspiration
Inspiration recognizes the role of the Holy Spirit in producing the Scriptures.
Paul uses the term theopneustos giving us the idea of God “breathing out” the Scriptures.
Since “spirit” in the original language can also mean “breath” the process of “out-breathing” may rightly be the work of the Holy Spirit as he inspired the Scriptures.
Since God is perfect, accurate and incapable of error, so the Word of God is perfect, accurate and incapable of error.
When we use this term, inspiration, we are referring to the supernatural guidance of the writers by the Holy Spirit which resulted in every Word being accurate and reliable in the original manuscripts.
When we talk about the authorship of Scripture, we recognize dual authorship God wrote the Bible using human authors.
A. Inspired Guidance
A. Inspired Guidance
Inspiration shows us the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit upon the writers.
Not everyone uses the word inspiration with the same meaning.
Sometimes people use the word to describe the “enthusiasm” of a brilliant artist.
we have to define the word as it is used in the context of Scripture.
The Bible says:
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Peter through the Holy Spirits inspiration uses the word moved, meaning picked up and borne along as they wrote God’s message.
So, inspiration means an author was guided to go where God wanted him to go, not where he chose.
B. Inspired Writers
B. Inspired Writers
Inspiration also incorporates the personality of the writer into the final product.
Some have argued in the past that God dictated to the writer who simply recorded it, much as a secretary would type a letter that the boss had dictated.
So, this is called the dictation theory.
There are places in the Bible that are dictated by God, Revelation 2:1-3:22 for instance (the letters to the churches).
At other times, the style of the writing and the selection of words reflect the personality and even background of the writer.
We can especially see this in the four Gospels.
Matthew was a Jewish tax collector, impressed with the fact that he had found the King of the Jews.
His Gospel begins with a royal genealogy and the arrival of the kings from the East to worship Christ.
Mark, a young disciple of Peter, seems to reflect Peter’s activism in his Gospel.
The Key word “straightway” or “immediately” makes it appear Jesus is always on the move, doing something as a servant.
Luke’s Gospel is more methodical, reflecting his historical investigation int o the facts.
Luke the medical doctor reflects the humanity of Christ and his key word is “the Son of man”.
The fourth Gospel, written by one “whom Jesus loved,” seems to be obsessed with love for Jesu sand his love for others. His key word is “believe.”
Though each of the four Gospels reflects a unique style of writer and a unique perspective of Jesus, they do not contradict each other.
They harmonize completely to give us the fully inspired, accurate record of the life of Christ.
C. Inspired Words
C. Inspired Words
Inspiration applies to more than thoughts or impressions of the authors.
Inspiration means God places the words there.
Every word in the Bible are inspired equally, though some may have greater influence on our lives than others.
Though the writers knew much of the content that was to be written, the Holy Spirit was sovereignly directing them on what should be included or excluded.
So, the Holy Spirit’s ministry extends to the very words.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
A man in a sailboat is dependent on both the wind and his own skills in sailing a course.
In the same way, God communicated his revelation to the world in an accurate and reliable Book, every word chosen by the moving of the Holy Spirit of God, yet expressed through the personality of the human author.
D. Inspired Results
D. Inspired Results
The Bible is completely reliable because it is completely inerrant and authoritative
Because God inspired the Bible, it is completely accurate and reliable.
The Bible is different than other good books in its content, method of writing, and the final product.
The doctrine of biblical accuracy and reliability is called “inerrancy.”
We’ll talk about that next week, but if there were any errors in the Bible than that would reflect a flaw in the character of its source and author, God.
II. The Procedure of Inspiration
II. The Procedure of Inspiration
The Hebrew Christians were told,
1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
God used varies ways to reveal his inspired Word to men, who then wrote it down for us.
Sometimes these men were aware of the significance of what they were recording and why they were writing
30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
On other occasions, they did not realize the full truth they were communicating.
Concerning those who wrote the messianic prophecy, Peter said,
12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
Peter was saying that some authors did not fully understand the message they wrote, but today we can examine it to understand its meaning.
God used various means to reveal his inspired Word.
Dreams – Daniel 7:1
Visions – Ezekiel 1:1
The actual voice of God – Leviticus 1:1
Symbols/object lessons – Jeremiah 19:1-15
Dictation – Revelation 2:1-3:22
Eyewitness reports – 1 John 1:1-3; Revelation 1:2
Guidance of the Holy Spirit – 2 Peter 1:21
Experience of men/testimony – Psalm 23; 51
Historical research – Luke 1:1-4
Jesus Christ – John 1:14; Hebrews 1:2
God used poetry, history, testimony, law, epistles, or even biography, yet every word is His Word, complete and inerrant because of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
III. The Proof of Inspiration
III. The Proof of Inspiration
The proofs that the Bible is the inspired Word of God are seen in the Bible itself and in the influence it has had.
A. The Character of the Bible
A. The Character of the Bible
Since an author’s personality is reflected in his journalism, the character of God is reflected in the Book he wrote.
A closer look at the Scriptures will demonstrate that many of those attributes ascribed to God are also true of the Bible.
The holiness of God is prevalent in Scriptures themselves.
It has always seemed appropriate to call it the Holy Bible.
God is a comforting God and his Word is a source of comfort and encouragement to the reader.
Both God and the Bible are eternal and life giving.
I have included a chart to illustrate the revelation of these and other attributes of God and the Bible.
B. The Understandable Nature of the Bible
B. The Understandable Nature of the Bible
Only God could write a Book like this one.
Bible is the result of men who worked within cultural limitations, it is not limited to a particular culture.
People in China find the truths of this Book just a s applicable to their lives as do people in Africa and America.
With the exception of the names of various individuals, which would be strange to anyone of a different background than the Bible lands, most of the Bile can be understood by a school child.
Some studies place the Bible at a sixth-grade readability level.
Despite its simplicity, it has a depth of teaching that men have spent a lifetime trying to learn.
God inspired this Book as a tool for his servants
Few of those servants would be well educated by this world’s standards.
26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
So, God had to remove as many barriers as possible for them to use his Word.
Yet at the same time, the well-educated man is challenged by its profound truths
C. The Influence of the Bible
C. The Influence of the Bible
The Bible can have a definite positive influence on the lifestyle of its readers, even though some have misapplied its truths.
Actually, the Bible’s influence begins at our conversion.
Paul rejoiced that the Romans had
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
The things a person must know to be saved are found in the Bible.
Peter observed that we are …
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
The lifestyle of the believer ought to be different than the unsaved.
This is accomplished in four phases according to
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
What is right, what is wrong, how to make the wrong right, and how to keep the right right.
God has inspired a single Book for our edification.
He used a number of different men and methods to reveal his Word, yet the Holy Spirit governed the writers in such a way that the end result is the very Word of God.
The Christian can turn to the Bible with confidence that he is going to hear personally and authoritatively from God.
Every Christian needs to allow God to use the Bible in his life to accomplish the will of God.
The children’s story Peter Pan is based on the idea of a boy who decided he would never grow up.
This story is an amazing commentary on many Christians.
Many people have ben born again, and have apparently decided to never grow up.
For us to ignore all that God has given us is like going to a huge banquet and not so much as drinking a glass of water.
A poor diet can stunt the growth of a child.
The same holds true of the Christian who ignores his Bible.