Understanding Divine Inspiration and the Scriptures

Divine Inspiration We Can Know

Divine Inspiration Modernism- a movement toward modifying traditional beliefs in accordance with modern ideas, especially in the Roman Catholic Church in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Modernist reject and seek to eradicate the Divine inspiration of the Scriptures. They attempt to redefine inspiration to inspiring, inspirational, or motivational, i.e., Milton, Shakespeare, Dante, etc

Divine Inspiration Inspiration All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (2 Timothy 3:16 KJV) theospneustos- God Breathed or divinely given by God and descries the whole of Scripture

Divine Inspiration The Bible Claims Inspiration All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:16 17 KJV) Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they weremoved by the Holy Ghost. (2 Peter 1:20 21 KJV) Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say. (Exodus 4:12 KJV) Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. (2 Samuel 23:1 2 KJV)

Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. (Jeremiah 1:9 KJV) And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. (Luke 24:44 KJV)

Divine Inspiration Inspiration The Scriptures Affirm Themselves The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, (Matthew 19:3 4 KJV) He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. (Matthew 19:8 KJV)

But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Matthew 24:37 39 KJV)

Divine Inspiration Nature of Inspiration Verbal- communicated through words, whether silent or audible. (sign language, etc) Plenary- complete or comprehensive There is a distinction between revelation and inspiration Revelation has reference to communication of knowledge. It makes the recipient wiser or more knowledgable An inspired person imparted divine instruction without receiving special wisdom or knowledge through the process itself (Ex 20:18-21)

And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. (Exodus 20:18 21 KJV)

Inspiration Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed. (Luke 1:1 4 KJV) Revelation And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. (Acts 10:10 13 KJV)

Inspiration Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed. (Luke 1:1 4 KJV) Revelation And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, (Acts 7:56 57 KJV)

Revelation/Inspiration For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. (Galatians 1:11 12 NAS95) For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: (Ephesians 3:1 6 KJV)

Divine Inspiration Nature of Inspiration Verbal- communicated through words, whether silent or audible. (sign language, etc) God express His will verbally in the most detailed way

Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (Galatians 3:16 KJV) But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. (Matthew 22:31 32 KJV)

Divine Inspiration Nature of Inspiration Inspiration was not a mechanical process There are some exceptions (Balaam s donkey and the Apostles on Pentecost) . God used the background, experience, and character of these men to reveal his will through His holy word Matthew was Jew who wrote to a Jewish audience. He uses terms like Kingdom of Heaven instead of Kingdom of God like the other writers. Also quoted the Old Testament more than the others. Frequently used terms like It is written. Luke being a physician writes more specific and detailed. He uses terms like certain quite often. John emphasizing the Deity of Christ wrote more emphatically. John was the only Gospel writer the used Verily, Verily. (25 times)

And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. (Matthew 19:24 KJV) It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. (Mark 10:25 KJV) Rhaphis- a small, slender instrument, pointed on one end and with a hole at the other For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. (Luke 18:25 KJV) belone- the point of a spear; a needle [NASB, ESV] (Mounce)

Divine Inspiration Proof of Inspiration The Bible s amazing unity 66 different books written by 40 men, with different backgrounds, occupations, and experiences, during the course of 3 dispensations, all telling a unified woven together story of the one man Jesus Christ! External Evidence: Many historians provide ample evidence to the authenticity of the inspiration of the Bible, Josephus, Pliny, and others Internal Evidence Fulfilled prophecy

And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men s bones shall be burnt upon thee. And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out. (1 Kings 13:1 3 KJV) house of the LORD, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people. (2 Kings 23:4 6 KJV) And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel. And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven. And he brought out the grove from the And all the houses also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the LORD to anger, Josiah took away, and did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Bethel. And he slew all the priests of the high places that were there upon the altars, and burned men s bones upon them, and returned to Jerusalem. (2 Kings 23:19 20 KJV) Josiah lived around 639-609BC. the time of Jeroboam was around 928-907BC,

Divine Inspiration Proof of Inspiration Unattainable Information As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me. (Jeremiah 33:22 KJV) It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: (Isaiah 40:22 KJV)

Divine Inspiration We Can Know

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (Mark 16:15 16 KJV)