Reference: Inspiration
American
That supernatural influence exerted on the minds of the sacred writers by the Spirit of God, in virtue of which they unerringly declared his will. Whether what they wrote was previously familiar to their own knowledge, or, as in many cases it must have been, an immediate revelation from heaven; whether his influence in any given case was dictation, suggestion, or superintendence; and however clearly we may trace in their writings the peculiar character, style, mental endowments, and circumstances of each; yet the whole of the Bible was written under the unerring guidance of the Holy Ghost, 2Ti 3:16.
Christ everywhere treats the Old Testament Scripture as infallibly true, and of divine authority-the word of God. To the New Testament writers inspiration was promised, Mt 10:19-20; Joh 14:26; 16:13; and they wrote and prophesied under its direction, 1Co 2:10-13; 14:37; Ga 1:12; 2Pe 1:21; 3:15; Re 1:1,10-19.
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And, when they deliver you up, be not anxious how or what ye shall speak, - for it shall be given you in that hour what ye shall speak; For it is not, ye, who are speaking, but, the Spirit of your Father, that is speaking in you.
But, the Advocate, The Holy Spirit, which the Father will send in my name, He, will teach you all things, and will put you in mind, of all things which, I, told you.
Howbeit, as soon as, he, hath come - The Spirit of truth, he will guide you into all truth; for he will not speak from himself, but, whatsoever he heareth, he will speak, and, the coming things, will he announce unto you.
Unto us, in fact, hath God revealed through the Spirit; for, the Spirit, into all things, maketh search, yea! the deep things of God. For who of men knoweth the things of a man, - save the spirit of the man that is in him? thus, even the things of God, hath no one come to know, save the Spirit of God. read more. But, as for us, - not the spirit of the world, have we received, but the Spirit which is of God, - that we might know the things which, by God, have been given in favour unto us: - Which we also speak - not in words taught of human wisdom, but in such as are taught of the Spirit, by spiritual words, spiritual things, explaining.
If anyone thinketh himself to be a prophet, or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge the things which I am writing to you, - that they are, a commandment, of the Lord.
For neither, from man, did I accept it, nor was taught it , - but through a revealing of Jesus Christ.
Every scripture, is God-breathed, and profitable - unto teaching, unto conviction, unto correction, unto the discipline that is in righteousness, -
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him, to point out unto his servants the things which must needs come to pass with speed, - and he shewed them by signs, sending through his messenger, unto his servant John;
I came to be, in Spirit, in the Lord's Day, and heard, behind me, a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying - What thou seest, write in a scroll, and send unto the Seven Assemblies, - unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamum, - and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, - and unto Laodicea. read more. And I turned round, to see the Voice which was speaking with me, and, having turned, I saw Seven Lamps of gold; and, in the midst of the lamps, One like unto a Son of Man: - clothed with a robe, reaching to the feet, and girt about at the breasts with a girdle of gold, And his head and hair, white, like white wool - like snow, and, his eyes, like a flame of fire, And, his feet, like unto glowing copper, as if in a furnace refined, and, his voice, like a sound of many waters, And, having in his right hand, seven stars, and, out of his mouth, a sharp, two-edged sword, going forth; and, his whole appearance, as when, the sun, shineth in its strength. And, when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead, and he laid his right hand upon me, saying - Do not fear! I, am the First, and the Last, and the Living One, - and I became dead; - and lo! living, am I, unto the ages of ages, and have the keys of death and of hades. Write, therefore - what things thou hast seen and what they are; and what things are about to come to pass, after these things:
Easton
that extraordinary or supernatural divine influence vouchsafed to those who wrote the Holy Scriptures, rendering their writings infallible. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God" (R.V., "Every scripture inspired of God"), 2Ti 3:16. This is true of all the "sacred writings," not in the sense of their being works of genius or of supernatural insight, but as "theopneustic," i.e., "breathed into by God" in such a sense that the writers were supernaturally guided to express exactly what God intended them to express as a revelation of his mind and will. The testimony of the sacred writers themselves abundantly demonstrates this truth; and if they are infallible as teachers of doctrine, then the doctrine of plenary inspiration must be accepted. There are no errors in the Bible as it came from God, none have been proved to exist. Difficulties and phenomena we cannot explain are not errors. All these books of the Old and New Testaments are inspired. We do not say that they contain, but that they are, the Word of God. The gift of inspiration rendered the writers the organs of God, for the infallible communication of his mind and will, in the very manner and words in which it was originally given.
As to the nature of inspiration we have no information. This only we know, it rendered the writers infallible. They were all equally inspired, and are all equally infallible. The inspiration of the sacred writers did not change their characters. They retained all their individual peculiarities as thinkers or writers. (See Bible; Word of God.)
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Every scripture, is God-breathed, and profitable - unto teaching, unto conviction, unto correction, unto the discipline that is in righteousness, -
Fausets
The supernatural action of the Holy Spirit on the mind of the sacred writers whereby the Scriptures were not merely their own but the word of God. Scripture not merely contains but is the word of God. As the whole Godhead was joined to the whole manhood, and became the Incarnate Word, so the written word is at once perfectly divine and perfectly human; infallibly authoritative because it is the word of God, intelligible because in the language of men. If it were not human we should not understand it; if it were not divine it would not be an unerring guide. The term "scriptures" is attached to them exclusively in the word of God itself, as having an authority no other writings have (Joh 5:39; 10:34-36). They are called "the oracles of God" (Ro 3:2), i.e. divine utterances.
If Scripture were not plenarily and verbally sanctioned by God, its practical utility as a sure guide in all questions directly or indirectly affecting doctrine and practice would be materially impaired, for what means would there be of distinguishing the false in it from the true? Inspiration does not divest the writers of their several individualities of style, just as the inspired teachers in the early church were not passive machines in prophesying (1Co 14:32). "Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty" (2Co 3:17). Their will became one with God's will; His Spirit acted on their spirit, so that their individuality had free play in the sphere of His inspiration. As to religious truths the collective Scriptures have unity of authorship; as to other matters their authorship is palpably as manifold as the writers. The variety is human, the unity divine. If the four evangelists were mere machines narrating the same events in the same order and words, they would cease to be independent witnesses. Their very discrepancies (only seeming ones) disprove collusion.
The solutions proposed in Harmonies, being necessarily conjectural, may or may not be the true ones; but they at least prove that the differences are not irreconcilable and would be cleared up if we knew all the facts. They test our faith, whether on reasonable evidence we will unreservedly believe His word in spite of some difficulties, designedly permitted for our probation. The slight variations in the Decalogue between Exodus 20 and its repetition Deuteronomy 5, and in Psalm 18 compared with 2 Samuel 22, in Psalm 14 compared with Psalm 53, and in New Testament quotations of Old Testament, (sometimes from Septuagint which varies from Hebrew, sometimes from neither in every word), all prove the Spirit-produced independence of the sacred writers who under divine guidance and sanction presented on different occasions the same substantial truths under different aspects, the one complementing the other.
One or two instances occur where the errors of transcribers cause a real discrepancy (2Ki 8:26, compared with 2Ch 22:2). A perpetual miracle alone could have prevented such very exceptional and palpable copyists' mistakes. But in seeming discrepancies, as between the accounts of the same event in different Gospels, each account presents some fresh aspect of divine truth; none containing the whole, but all together presenting the complete exhibition of the truth. Origen profoundly says: "in revelation as in nature we see a self concealing, self revealing God, who makes Himself known only to those who earnestly seek Him; in both we find stimulants to faith and occasions for unbelief." The assaults of adversaries on seemingly weak points have resulted in the eliciting of beautiful and delicate harmonies unperceived before; the gospel defenses have been proved the more impregnable, and the things meant to injure "have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel."
When once it is admitted that the New Testament writers were neither fanatics nor enthusiasts, (and infidelity has never yet produced a satisfactory theory to show them to have been either,) their miracles and their divine commission must also be admitted, for they expressly claim these. Thus, Paul (1Co 14:37), "if any man think himself a prophet, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord." And not only the things but the words; (1Co 2:13) "we speak not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Spirit teacheth." The "discerning of spirits" was one of the miraculous gifts in the apostolic churches. His appeal on the ground of miracles (1Co 2:4) which are taken for granted as notorious rather than asserted, (the incidental mention being a clear mark of truth because it excludes suspicion of design,) and to persons whose miraculous discernment of spirits enabled them to test such claims, is the strongest proof of the divine authority of his writings.
Peter (2Pe 3:16) classes Paul's epistles with "the other Scriptures"; therefore whatever inspiration is in the latter is in the former also. That inspiration excludes error from Scripture words, so far as these affect doctrine and morals, appears from Ps 12:6, "the words of the Lord are pure words, as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times." As our Lord promised the disciples His Holy Spirit, to teach them how and what they should say before magistrates (Mt 10:19-20), much more did the Spirit "abiding" with the church "for ever" (Joh 14:16) secure for the written word, the only surviving infallible oracle, the inspiration of the manner as well as the matter. So (Joh 16:13) "the Spirit of truth will guide you into all (the) truth," namely, not truth in general but Christian truth.
Also (Joh 14:26) "the Holy Spirit shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you." "He shall testify of Me" (Joh 15:26) "He will show you things to come ... He shall receive of Mine and shall show it unto you" (Joh 16:13-14). Paul (2Ti 3:16) declares that no part of the written word is uninspired, but "ALL" (literally, "every scripture," i.e. every portion) is "profitable" for the ends of a revelation, "doctrine, reproof (conjuting error: the two comprehending speculative divinity; then follows practical), correction (setting one right, 1Co 10:1-10), instruction (disciplinary training: De 13:5; 1Co 5:13) in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works"; as it makes him "perfect" it must be perfect itself.
Some parts were immediately communicated by God, and are called "apocalypse" or "revelation," as that to John, and to Paul (2Co 12:1; Ro 16:25). Others, as the historical parts, are matter of human testimony. But inspiration was as much needed to write known facts authoritatively as to communicate new truths; else why should certain facts be selected and others be passed by? Inspired prohibition is as miraculous as inspired utterance. Had the evangelists been left to themselves, they doubtless would have given many details of Jesus' early life which our curiosity would have desired, but which divine wisdom withheld, in order to concentrate all our attention on Christ's ministry and death. The historical parts are quoted by Paul as God's "law," because they have His sanction and contain covert lessons of God's truth and His principles of governing the world and the church (Ga 4:21).
Considering the vast amount of Mariolatry and idolatry which subsequently sprang up, the hand of God is marked in the absence from the Gospel histories of aught to countenance these errors. Sacred history is like "a dial in which the shadow, as well as the light, informs us" (Trench). The Spirit was needed to qualify the writers for giving what they have given, a condensed yet full and clear portraiture of Messiah, calculated to affect all hearts in every nation, and to sow in them seeds of faith, hope, and love. The minor details, such as Paul's direction to Timothy to "bring his cloth and parchments," and to" drink a little wine for his stomach's sake and his infirmities," are vivid touches which give life and nature to the picture, making us realize the circumstances and personality of the apostle and his disciple, and have their place in the inspired record, as each leaf has in the
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Thus Yahweh used to speak unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend, - and when he returned unto the camp, his attendant Joshua son of Nun, a young man, moved not from the midst of the tent.
Then said he Hear, I beseech you my words. When ye have your prophet, As Yahweh in a vision, will I make myself known, unto him; In a dream, will I speak with him. Not so, my servant Moses, - In all my house, trusty, is he: read more. Mouth to mouth, do I speak with him And plainly - not in dark sayings, And the form of Yahweh, doth he discern, - Wherefore then, were ye not afraid to speak against my servant - against Moses?
And that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death because he hath spoken revolt against Yahweh your God, - who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt and redeemed thee out of the house of servants, to seduce thee out of the way wherein Yahweh shy God hath commanded thee to walk, - so shalt thou consume the wicked thing out of thy midst.
The Spirit of Yahweh, spake in me, - And, his word, was on my tongue;
Two and twenty years old, was Ahaziah when he began to reign, - and, one year, reigned he in Jerusalem, - and, his mother's name, was Athaliah, daughter of Omri, king of Israel;
Forty-two years old, was Ahaziah when he began to reign, and, one year, reigned he in Jerusalem, - and, the name of his mother, was Athaliah, daughter of Omri.
And thou didst suffer many years to pass over them, and didst testify against them by thy Spirit through thy prophets, yet did they not give ear, - therefore didst thou deliver them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.
The words of Yahweh, are words, that are pure, silver refined in a crucible of earth, purified seven times!
BOOK THE FOURTH Lord! a dwelling-place, hast, thou, become to us, From generation to generation:
The oracle of the word of Yahweh on the land of Hadrach, and, Damascus, shall be the resting-place thereof, - For, Yahweh, hath an eye - to mankind, and to all the tribes of Israel;
The oracle of the word of Yahweh, on Israel, - Declareth Yahweh - Stretching out the heavens, and founding the earth, and fashioning the spirit of man within him:
For, verily, I say unto you, until the heaven and the earth shall pass away, one least letter, or one point, may in nowise pass away from the law, till all be accomplished.
And, when they deliver you up, be not anxious how or what ye shall speak, - for it shall be given you in that hour what ye shall speak; For it is not, ye, who are speaking, but, the Spirit of your Father, that is speaking in you.
For I came to set at variance - a man, against, his father, and, a daughter, against, her mother, and, a bride, against, her mother-in-law;
Verily, I say unto you - There hath not arisen, among such as are born of women, a greater than John the Immerser, - yet, he that is less in the kingdom of the heavens, is, greater than he.
And, he, answering, said - Did ye never read - He who created at the beginning, Male and female, made them, -
I, am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? - He is not God, of the dead, but, of the living.
He saith unto them - How then doth, David, in spirit, call him, Lord, saying -
Ye search the Scriptures, because, ye, think, by them, to have, life age-abiding; and, those Scriptures , are they which bear witness concerning me:
Jesus answered them - Is it not written in your law: I, said, Ye are, gods? If, those, he called gods, unto whom, the word of God, came - and the Scripture cannot be broken -
If, those, he called gods, unto whom, the word of God, came - and the Scripture cannot be broken - Of him whom, the Father, hallowed and sent forth into the world, are, ye, saying - Thou speakest profanely, because I said, Son of God, I am?
nor do ye take into account, that it is profitable for you that, one man, should die for the people, and not, the whole nation, perish.
And, I, will request the Father, and, Another Advocate, will he give unto you, that he may be with you age-abidingly,
But, the Advocate, The Holy Spirit, which the Father will send in my name, He, will teach you all things, and will put you in mind, of all things which, I, told you.
Whensoever the Advocate shall come, Whom, I, will send unto you from the Father, The Spirit of truth, which, from the Father, cometh forth, He, will bear witness concerning me;
Howbeit, as soon as, he, hath come - The Spirit of truth, he will guide you into all truth; for he will not speak from himself, but, whatsoever he heareth, he will speak, and, the coming things, will he announce unto you.
Howbeit, as soon as, he, hath come - The Spirit of truth, he will guide you into all truth; for he will not speak from himself, but, whatsoever he heareth, he will speak, and, the coming things, will he announce unto you. He, shall glorify me; for, of mine, shall he receive, and announce unto you.
Brethren! It was needful for the Scripture to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spake beforehand through the mouth of David, concerning Judas, - who became guide unto them who apprehended Jesus;
When there came suddenly out of heaven a sound, just as of a mighty rushing wind, - -and it filled all the house where they were sitting;
For, David, saith concerning him - I foresaw the Lord before me continually, because he is, on my right hand, that I may not be shaken; For this reason, was my heart made glad and my tongue exulted, - ye further, even my flesh, shall encamp on hope: read more. Because thou wilt not abandon my soul unto hades, neither wilt thou give thy man of lovingkindness to see corruption; Thou madest known unto me paths of life, thou wilt make me full of gladness with thy countenance. Brethren! it is, allowable, to say with freedom of speech unto you, concerning the patriarch David, - that he both died and was buried, and, his tomb, is among us until this day. Being then, a prophet, and knowing that, with an oath, God had sworn unto him, of the fruit of his loins, to seat on his throne, With foresight, spake he concerning the resurrection of the Christ - that neither was he abandoned unto hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. The same Jesus, hath God raised up, whereof, all we, are witnesses! By the right hand of God, therefore, having been exalted, also, the promise of the Holy Spirit, having received from the Father, He hath poured out this which, yourselves, do see and hear.
Howbeit, God - what things he had before declared, through the mouth of all the prophets, for his Christ to suffer, - did thus fulfill!
Unto whom, indeed, heaven must needs give welcome, until the times of the due establishment of all things, of which God hath spoken through the mouth of his holy age-past prophets.
Who, by our father, through means of the Holy Spirit, even by the mouth of David thy servant, said - Unto what end did nations rage, and, peoples, busy themselves with empty things?
Much, every way: - First, indeed, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.
Now, unto him who hath power to establish you, according to my glad-message - even the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of a sacred secret, in age-past times kept silent, But now made manifest, and through means of prophetic scriptures, according to the command of the age-abiding God, for obedience of faith unto all the nations made known,
And, my discourse, and what I proclaimed, were not in suasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of Spirit and power:
Which we also speak - not in words taught of human wisdom, but in such as are taught of the Spirit, by spiritual words, spiritual things, explaining.
Be not depriving one another - unless perhaps by consent for a season, that ye may have leisure for prayer, and, again, may be together, - lest Satan be tempting you by reason of your want of self-control. This, however I am saying, by way of concession, not of injunction;
To the married, however, I give charge - not, I, but the Lord, - that, a wife, from her husband, do not depart, -
But, unto the rest, say, I - not the Lord, - if, any brother, hath, a wife that believeth not, and, she, is well pleased to dwell with him, let him not leave her; And, a woman who hath a husband that believeth not, and, he, is well pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave her husband; - read more. For the husband that believeth not is hallowed in the wife, and the wife that believeth not is hallowed in the brother: else were, your children, impure, but, now, are they, pure. But, if, the unbelieving, departeth, let him depart: the brother or the sister hath not come into bondage, in such cases, but, in peace, hath God called us.
But, concerning them who are virgin, injunction of the Lord, have I none; yet, a judgment, do I give, as one who hath obtained mercy from the Lord to be, faithful: I consider this, then, to be, good, in the circumstances, by reason of the existing distress, - that it is, good for a man, so, to be: read more. Hast thou become bound to a wife? do not seek to be loosed; hast thou become loosed from a wife? do not seek a wife. If, however, thou shouldst even marry, thou hast not sinned; and, if one who is virgin should marry, that one hath not sinned; - but, tribulation of the flesh, shall, such, have: - howbeit, I, spare you. But, this, I say - the opportunity is, contracted for what remaineth - in order that, they who have wives, may be, as though they had none, And, they who weep, as though they wept not, and, they who rejoice, as though they rejoiced not, and, they who buy, as though they possessed not, And, they who use the world, as though they used it not to the full, - for the fashion of this world passeth away; And I desire you to be, without anxiety: - the unmarried man, is anxious for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; But, he that hath married, is anxious for the things of the world, how may please his wife - And he is divided; and, the unmarried woman, or the virgin, is anxious for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy bothin her body and in her spirit; but, she that hath married, is anxious for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. This, however, with a view to your own profit, am I saying, - not that, a snare, upon you, I may cast, but with a view to what is comely, and devoted unto the Lord, without distraction. If however anyone considereth it behaving unseemly towards his virginity, if he should be beyond the bloom of life, - and, thus, it ought to come about, what he chooseth, let him do, - he sinneth not: let them marry: But, he that standeth in his heart, steadfast, having no necessity, but hath authority concerning his own will, and, this, hath determined in his own heart, - to preserve his own virginity, well shall he do. So that, he that giveth in marriage his own virginity, doeth, well; and, he that giveth it not, shall do, better.
For I wish not ye should be ignorant, brethren, that, all our fathers, were, under the cloud, and, all, passed through the sea, - And, all, immersed themselves into Moses, in the cloud, and in the sea; read more. And, all, did eat the samespiritual food, And, all, drank, the same spiritual drink, - for they continued to drink of the spiritual rock that followed them, and, the rock, was the Christ: - Nevertheless, with the most of them, God, was not well-pleased, for they were strewed along in the desert. But, in these things, they became, ensamples for us, to the end we should not be covetous of evil things, even as, they, also coveted; Neither become ye, idolaters, as some of them, - as it is written - The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to be making sport; Neither let us commit fornication, as, some of them, committed fornication, and there fell, in one day, three and twenty thousand; Neither let us be putting the Lord to the test, as, some of them, put him to the test, and, by the serpents, were perishing; Neither be ye murmuring, even, as some of them, murmured, and perished by the destroyer.
Prophets, moreover, let two or three speak, and let, the others, judge.
And, spirits of prophets, unto prophets, do submit themselves;
And, spirits of prophets, unto prophets, do submit themselves;
If anyone thinketh himself to be a prophet, or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge the things which I am writing to you, - that they are, a commandment, of the Lord.
For, no other things, are we writing unto you, than what ye are either reading or even acknowledging, - I hope, moreover, that, throughout, ye will acknowledge,
For we are not, as the many, driving a petty trade with the word of God; but, as of sincerity, but, as of God, before God, in Christ, we speak.
And, the Lord, is, the Spirit: now, where the Spirit of one who is Lord is, there is freedom!
To be boasting, is needful, - it is not, indeed, profitable, yet will I come to visions and revelations of the Lord: -
Since, a test, ye are seeking, of the speaking in me of Christ; - who, unto you, is not weak, but is powerful in you, -
For I make known unto you, brethren, as to the glad-message which was announced by me, that it is not after man; For neither, from man, did I accept it, nor was taught it , - but through a revealing of Jesus Christ.
Now, unto Abraham, were spoken the promises - and unto his seed; - He saith not - and unto thy seeds, as of many, but, as of one - and unto thy seed, which is Christ:
How that, by way of revelation, was made known unto me the sacred secret, - even as I before wrote in brief, -
Which, in other generations, had not been made known unto the sons of men, as it hath, now, been revealed by his holy apostles and prophets, in Spirit; -
Because, in him, dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead, bodily, And ye are, in him, filled full, - Who, is the head of all principality and authority,
Every scripture, is God-breathed, and profitable - unto teaching, unto conviction, unto correction, unto the discipline that is in righteousness, -
All things, hast thou subjected beneath his feet. For, in subjecting, to himthe all things, nothing, left he, to him unsubjected; But now, not yet, do we see, to him, the all things subjected; -
For, both he that maketh holy, and they who are being made holy, are, all, of One; For which cause, he is not ashamed to be calling them, brethren,
Let us therefore fear, lest at any time, although there is left behind a promise of entering into his rest, - any one from amongst you should be deemed, to have come short; For we have had delivered to us the joyful message, just as even, they; but the word which was heard did not profit them, they not having been blended, by faith, with the things heard. read more. For we who have believed, are to enter into the rest, according as he hath said - So I sware in mine anger, They shall not enter into my rest; And yet, the works, from the foundation of the world, had been brought into existence, For he hath spoken, somewhere, concerning the seventh day , thus - And God rested, on the seventh day, from all his works; And in this again - They shall not enter into my rest. Seeing, therefore, that it is left over for, some, to enter into it, and, they who formerly had delivered to them the joyful message, entered not in by reason of obstinacy, - Again, he marketh out a certain day, To-day, in David, saying - after so long a time as this, - according as it hath been said before: - To-day, if, unto his voice, ye would hearken, do not harden your hearts. For, if, unto them, Joshua had given rest, it had not in that case, concerning another day, been speaking, after, these things. Hence there is, left over, a Sabbath-keeping, for the people of God. For, he that hath entered into his rest, He too, hath rested from his works, just as, from his own, God, rested . Let us, therefore, give diligence to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall into the same example, of obstinacy.
Searching into what particular, or what manner, of season the Spirit of Christ which was in them was pointing to, when witnessing beforehand as to - The sufferings, for Christ, and the glories, after these, -
Of this, first, taking note - that, no prophecy of scripture, becometh, self-solving; For not, by will of man, was prophecy brought in, at any time, but, as, by Holy Spirit, they were borne along, spake, men, from God.
As also, in all letters, speaking in them concerning these things, - in which letters are some things, hard to be understood, which, the uninstructed and unstable, wrest, - as also the other scriptures, - unto their own destruction.
And, if anyone shall take away from the words of this prophetic scroll, God, will take away his part, - from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, - from the things written in this scroll.
Hastings
The subject comprises the doctrine of inspiration in the Bible, and the doctrine of the inspiration of the Bible, together with what forms the transition from the one to the other, the account given of the prophetic consciousness, and the teaching of the NT about the OT.
1. The agent of inspiration is the Holy Spirit (see p. 360) or Spirit of God, who is active in Creation (Ge 1:2; Ps 104:30), is imparted to man that the dust may become living soul (Ge 2:7), is the source of exceptional powers of body (Jg 6:34; 14:6,19) or skill (Ex 35:31); but is pre-eminently manifest in prophecy (wh. see). The NT doctrine of the presence and power of the Spirit of God in the renewed life of the believer is anticipated in the OT, inasmuch as to the Spirit's operations are attributed wisdom (Job 32:8; 1Ki 3:28; De 34:9), courage (Jg 13:25; 14:6), penitence, moral strength, and purity (Ne 9:20; Ps 51:11; Isa 63:10; Eze 36:26; Zec 12:10). The promise of the Spirit by Christ to His disciples was fulfilled when He Himself after the Resurrection breathed on them, and said, 'Receive ye the Holy Ghost' (Joh 20:22), and after His Ascension the Spirit descended on the Church with the outward signs of the wind and fire (Ac 2:2-3). The Christian life as such is an inspired life, but the operation of the Spirit is represented in the NT in two forms; there are the extraordinary gifts (charisms)
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Now, the earth, had become waste and wild, and darkness, was on the face of the roaring deep, - but, the Spirit of God, was brooding on the face of the waters,
So then Yahweh God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed in his nostrils the breath of life - and man became a living soul.
and filled him with the spirit of God, - in, wisdom in understanding and in knowledge, and in all manner of execution;
But, Joshua, son of Nun, was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands upon him, - so the sons of Israel hearkened unto him, and did, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
But, the spirit of Yahweh, clothed Gideon, - so he blew with a horn, and Abiezer was gathered after him.
And the spirit of Yahweh began to urge him to and fro, in the camp of Dan, - between Zorah and Eshtaol.
And the Spirit of Yahweh, came suddenly over him, and he tore it in pieces as if he had torn in pieces a kid, there being, nothing at all, in his hand, - but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.
And the Spirit of Yahweh, came suddenly over him, and he tore it in pieces as if he had torn in pieces a kid, there being, nothing at all, in his hand, - but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.
And the Spirit of Yahweh, came suddenly over him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and smote of them thirty men, and took their garments, and gave the changes of raiment to them who had told the riddle, - and his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.
And, thy Good Spirit, thou gavest, to instruct them, - and, thy manna, thou withheldest not from their mouth, and, water, thou gavest them, for their thirst.
Yet surely, there is a spirit in men, and, the inspiration of the Almighty, giveth them understanding;
Yet surely, there is a spirit in men, and, the inspiration of the Almighty, giveth them understanding;
Do not cast me away from thy presence, And, thy Holy Spirit, do not take from me:
Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created, And thou renewest the face of the ground.
But, they, rebelled, and grieved his Holy Spirit, - And so he turned against them as an enemy, he himself, fought against them.
And I will give you a new heart, And a new spirit, will I put within you,-And I will take away the heart of stone, of your flesh, And will give you a heart of flesh;
But I will pour out upon the house of David and upon the inhabitant of Jerusalem, the spirit of favour, and of supplications, and they will look unto me, whom they have pierced, - and will wail over him, as one waileth over an only son, and will make bitter outcry over him, as one maketh bitter outcry over a firstborn.
All things, unto me, have been delivered up by my Father; and, no one, fully knoweth the Son, save the rather, neither doth any one fully know, the Father, save, the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son, may be minded, to reveal, him.
He saith unto them - How then doth, David, in spirit, call him, Lord, saying -
And, he, said unto them - O thoughtless ones! and slow in heart to rest your faith upon all things which the prophets have spoken: -
But, the Advocate, The Holy Spirit, which the Father will send in my name, He, will teach you all things, and will put you in mind, of all things which, I, told you.
Howbeit, as soon as, he, hath come - The Spirit of truth, he will guide you into all truth; for he will not speak from himself, but, whatsoever he heareth, he will speak, and, the coming things, will he announce unto you.
And, this, saying, he breathed strongly, and saith unto them - Receive ye Holy Spirit: -
When there came suddenly out of heaven a sound, just as of a mighty rushing wind, - -and it filled all the house where they were sitting; And there appeared unto them - parting asunder - tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each one of them;
Now, having gifts of favour, according to the favour given unto us, differing - whether prophesying, let us use it according to the proportion of our faith, Or ministering, use it in our ministering, or he that teacheth, let him use his gift in his teaching, read more. Or he that exhorteth, in his exhorting, he that imparteth, let it be with liberality, he that taketh a lead, with diligence, he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
And God hath, indeed, set, certain, in the assembly, - first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that mighty works, then gifts of healings, helps, guidings, kinds of tongues.
But, the fruit of the Spirit, is - love, joy, peace, long-suffering, graciousness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control; - against such things as these, there is no law.
Every scripture, is God-breathed, and profitable - unto teaching, unto conviction, unto correction, unto the discipline that is in righteousness, -
For not, by will of man, was prophecy brought in, at any time, but, as, by Holy Spirit, they were borne along, spake, men, from God.
Morish
Though this word occurs in the Bible but once in reference to the scriptures, yet the one statement in which it is found is important and full of deep meaning: "Every scripture is divinely inspired literally, 'God-breathed', and is profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be complete, fully fitted to every good work." 2Ti 3:16-17. This places all scripture on one basis as to inspiration, whether it be historical, doctrinal, or prophetic. We learn by this passage that not simply the persons who wrote were inspired, but the writings themselves are divinely inspired. Cf. 2Pe 1:21.
All writings are composed of words, and if these writings are inspired, the words are inspired. This is what is commonly called 'verbal inspiration.' Other passages speak of the importance of 'words:' Peter said, "To whom shall we go? thou hast the words (??????) of eternal life," Joh 6:68: and we find those words in the Gospels. When it was a question of Gentiles being brought into blessing without being circumcised, James in his address appealed to the 'words' of the prophets. Ac 15:15. Paul in writing to the Corinthian saints said, "Which things also we speak, not in the 'words' (?????) which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth." 1Co 2:13. The Holy Spirit taught Paul what words to use. The whole of scripture forms the word of God, and both in the O.T. and in the N.T. we read of 'the words of God.' 1Ch 25:5; Ezr 9:4; Ps 107:11; Joh 3:34; 8:47; Re 17:17. Neither must His word be added to, or taken from. De 4:2; 12:32; Re 22:18-19.
The above passages should carry conviction to simple souls that every scripture is God-inspired. As nothing less than this is worthy of God, so nothing less than this would meet the need of man. Amid the many uncertain things around him he needs words upon which his faith can be based, and in the inspired scriptures he has them. The Lord Jesus said, "The words (??????) that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life." Joh 6:63. He had the words of eternal life; and, through the grace of God, many a soul has found them to be such, and has no more doubt of the plenary inspiration of scripture than of the existence of God Himself.
It may be noted that scripture records the sayings of wicked men, and of Satan himself. It need scarcely be said that it is not the sayings but the records of them that are inspired. Paul also, when writing on the question of marriage, makes a distinction between what he wrote as his judgement, and what he wrote as commandments of the Lord. "I speak this by permission," he says; and again, "I give my judgement." 1Co 7:6,10,12,25. He was inspired to record his spiritual judgement and to point out that it was not a command.
Some have a difficulty as to what has been called the human element in inspiration. If the words of scripture are inspired, it has been asked, how is it that the style of the writer is so manifest? John's style, for instance, being clearly distinguishable from that of Paul. The simple answer is that it is as if one used, so to speak, different kinds of pens to write with. God made the mind of man as well as his body, and was surely able to use the mind of each of the writers He employed, and yet cause him to write exactly what He wished. God took possession of the mind of man to declare His own purposes with regard to man.
Further, it has been asserted that the doctrine of verbal inspiration is valueless, because of diversities in the Greek manuscripts, which in some places prevent any one from determining what are the words God caused to be written. But this does not in any way touch the question of inspiration, which is, that the words written were inspired by God. Whether we have a correct copy is quite another question. The variations in the Greek manuscripts do not affect any one of the fundamental doctrines of Christianity, and only in a few places are the words doubtful.
Another objection to the value of verbal inspiration is that most persons read scripture in a translation, the words of which cannot, it is alleged, be said to be inspired. But if the translation conveys exactly the same meaning as in the original, the words can be said to be inspired: for instance, the words 'God is love,' may surely be said to be the same as ? ???? ????? ?????, or Deus caritas est, Dieu est amour, or Dio ? carit?, to those who can read them. It may be that the translations from which the above are taken cannot in all places be said to be the same as the Greek; but this only shows the great importance of each having a correct translation in his vernacular tongue. And it must not be forgotten that the Lord Himself and those who wrote the New Testament often quoted the Septuagint, which is a translation from the Hebrew; and they quoted it as scripture.
Nothing can exceed the importance of having true thoughts of the inspiration of scripture. As no human author would allow his amanuensis to write what he did not mean, so surely what is called the word of God is God's own production, though given through the instrumentality of man. Though there were many writers, separated by thousands of years, there is a divine unity in the whole, showing plainly that one and only one could have been its Author. That One can only have been the Almighty
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Ye shall not add unto the word which, I, am commanding you, neither shall ye take away therefrom, - that ye may keep the commandments of Yahweh your God, which, I, am commanding you.
Whatsoever be the thing which I am commanding you, the same, shall ye observe to do, - thou shalt neither add thereunto, nor take away therefrom.
All these, were sons of Heman, the seer of the king in the things of God, at the lifting of the horn. And God gave to Heman, fourteen sons and three daughters,
Then, unto me, were gathered, all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, concerning the unfaithfulness of them who had been exiled, - but, I, sat stunned, until the evening gift.
Because they had rebelled against the sayings of GOD, - and, the counsel of the Most High, they had spurned;
For, he whom God hath sent, the sayings of God, doth speak; for, not by measure, giveth he the Spirit.
The spirit, it is, that giveth life, - the flesh, profiteth, nothing: The declarations which, I, have spoken unto you, are, spirit, and, are, life.
Simon Peter answered him - Lord! unto whom, shall we go? Declarations o life age-abiding, thou hast;
He that is of God, heareth, the sayings of God; therefore, do, ye, not hear, because, of God, ye are not.
And, with this, agree the words of the prophets, according as it is written -
Which we also speak - not in words taught of human wisdom, but in such as are taught of the Spirit, by spiritual words, spiritual things, explaining.
To the married, however, I give charge - not, I, but the Lord, - that, a wife, from her husband, do not depart, -
But, unto the rest, say, I - not the Lord, - if, any brother, hath, a wife that believeth not, and, she, is well pleased to dwell with him, let him not leave her;
But, concerning them who are virgin, injunction of the Lord, have I none; yet, a judgment, do I give, as one who hath obtained mercy from the Lord to be, faithful:
Every scripture, is God-breathed, and profitable - unto teaching, unto conviction, unto correction, unto the discipline that is in righteousness, - In order that, ready, may be the man, of God, unto every good work, being well-prepared.
For not, by will of man, was prophecy brought in, at any time, but, as, by Holy Spirit, they were borne along, spake, men, from God.
For, God, hath put into their hearts, to do his mind, and to do one mind, - and to give their sovereignty unto the wild-beast, until the words of God shall be completed.
I, bear witness, unto every one that heareth the words of the prophecy of this scroll: - If anyone shall lay aught upon them, God, will lay upon him, the plagues which are written in this scroll; And, if anyone shall take away from the words of this prophetic scroll, God, will take away his part, - from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, - from the things written in this scroll.
Smith
Inspiration.
Dr. Knapp given as the definition of inspiration, "an extra-ordinary divine agency upon teachers while giving instruction, whether oral or written, by which they were taught what and how they should write or speak." Without deciding on any of the various theories of inspiration, the general doctrine of Christians is that the Bible is so inspired by God that it is the infallible guide of men, and is perfectly trustworthy in all its parts, as given by God.
Watsons
INSPIRATION, the conveying of certain extraordinary and supernatural notices or thoughts into the soul; or it denotes any supernatural influence of God upon the mind of a rational creature, whereby he is formed to a degree of intellectual improvement, to which he could not have attained in his present circumstances in a natural way. In the first and highest sense, the prophets, evangelists, and Apostles are said to have spoken and written by divine inspiration. This inspiration of the Old Testament Scriptures is so expressly attested by our Lord and his Apostles, that among those who receive them as a divine revelation the only question relates to the inspiration of the New Testament. On this subject it has been well observed:
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And, when they deliver you up, be not anxious how or what ye shall speak, - for it shall be given you in that hour what ye shall speak; For it is not, ye, who are speaking, but, the Spirit of your Father, that is speaking in you.
Go ye, therefore, and disciple all the nations, Immersing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, -
Go ye, therefore, and disciple all the nations, Immersing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, - Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I myself have commanded you, And lo! I, am, with you, all the days, until the conclusion of the age.
and he appointed a twelve, whom also he named, Apostles, - that they might be with him, and that he might be sending them forth to make proclamation,
Seeing, indeed, that, many, had taken in hand to re-arrange for themselves a narrative, concerning the facts which have been fully confirmed amongst us, - according as they who from the beginning became eye-witnesses and attendants of the Word delivered them unto us, read more. it seemed good, even to me, having closely traced from the outset all things accurately, to write unto thee, in order, most excellent Theophilus: that, as touching the matters which thou hadst been taught by word of mouth, thou mightest obtain full knowledge, of the certainty.
He that hearkeneth unto you, unto me, doth hearken, and, he that setteth you aside, doth set, me, aside; and, he that setteth, me, aside, doth set aside, him that sent me.
For, I, will give you a mouth and wisdom, which one-and-all who are setting themselves against, you shall be unable to withstand or gainsay.
And, I, will request the Father, and, Another Advocate, will he give unto you, that he may be with you age-abidingly, The Spirit of truth, - which, the world, cannot receive, because it beholdeth it not, nor getteth to know it. But, ye, are getting to know it; because, with you, it abideth, and, in you, it is.
But, the Advocate, The Holy Spirit, which the Father will send in my name, He, will teach you all things, and will put you in mind, of all things which, I, told you.
This, is my own commandment, That ye be loving one another, just as I loved you.
Yet many things, have I, unto you, to be saying, - but ye cannot bear them, just now; Howbeit, as soon as, he, hath come - The Spirit of truth, he will guide you into all truth; for he will not speak from himself, but, whatsoever he heareth, he will speak, and, the coming things, will he announce unto you.
Not however concerning these alone, do I make request, but, concerning them also who believe, through their word, on me: That they, all, may be, one, - even as, thou, Father, in me, and, I, in thee, - that, they also, in us, may be; - that, the world, may believe that, thou, didst send me forth.
Many other signs, doubtless, did Jesus, in presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but, these, are written, that ye may believe that, Jesus, is, the Christ, the Son of God; and that, believing, ye may have life in his name.
This, is the disciple who beareth witness concerning these things, and who hath written these things; and we know that, true, is, his witness.
Brethren! It was needful for the Scripture to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spake beforehand through the mouth of David, concerning Judas, - who became guide unto them who apprehended Jesus;
Who, by our father, through means of the Holy Spirit, even by the mouth of David thy servant, said - Unto what end did nations rage, and, peoples, busy themselves with empty things?
Among which things, being on a journey unto Damascus, with the authority and commission of the High-priests, at midday, on the road, I saw, O King, from heaven, above the splendour of the sun, shining around me, a light, and around them who, with me, were journeying; read more. and, when we were all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice, saying unto me, in the Hebrew language - Saul! Saul! why, me, art thou persecuting? It is hard for thee, against goads, to be kicking! And, I, said - Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said - I, am Jesus, whom, thou, art persecuting! But rise and stand upon thy feet; for, to this end, have I appeared unto thee, - To appoint thee an attendant and a witness, both of the things as to which thou hast seen me, and of those as to which I will appear unto thee: Rescuing thee from among the people, and from among the nations, unto whom, I, am sending thee - To open their eyes; that they turn from darkness unto light, and the authority of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins, and an inheritance among them who have been made holy by the faith respecting me.
and, not being, agreed, among themselves, they began to leave, - Paul having said one thing - Well, did, the Holy Spirit, speak through Isaiah the prophet, unto your fathers,
Unto us, in fact, hath God revealed through the Spirit; for, the Spirit, into all things, maketh search, yea! the deep things of God.
But, as for us, - not the spirit of the world, have we received, but the Spirit which is of God, - that we might know the things which, by God, have been given in favour unto us: - Which we also speak - not in words taught of human wisdom, but in such as are taught of the Spirit, by spiritual words, spiritual things, explaining.
If anyone thinketh himself to be a prophet, or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge the things which I am writing to you, - that they are, a commandment, of the Lord.
Paul, an apostle, - not from men, nor through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father who raised him from among the dead,
For neither, from man, did I accept it, nor was taught it , - but through a revealing of Jesus Christ.
But, when God, who set me apart from my mother's womb and called me through his favour, was well-pleased to reveal his Son in me, that I might announce the glad-message regarding him among the nations, straightway, I conferred not with flesh and blood, read more. Neither went I up unto Jerusalem unto them who, before me, were apostles, - but I went away into Arabia, and again returned unto Damascus.
Having been built up on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, there being, for chief corner stone, Jesus Christ himself, -
And, as soon as the epistle hath been read amongst you, cause that, in the assembly of Laodiceans also, it be read; and, that from Laodicea, that, ye also, read.
And, for this cause, we, are also giving thanks unto God unceasingly, that, when ye received a spoken word from us - which was God's, ye welcomed it - not as a human word, but, even as it truly is, a divine word, - which is also inwardly working itself in you who believe.
Every scripture, is God-breathed, and profitable - unto teaching, unto conviction, unto correction, unto the discipline that is in righteousness, -
Searching into what particular, or what manner, of season the Spirit of Christ which was in them was pointing to, when witnessing beforehand as to - The sufferings, for Christ, and the glories, after these, -
For not, by will of man, was prophecy brought in, at any time, but, as, by Holy Spirit, they were borne along, spake, men, from God.
To remember the fore-spoken declarations made by the holy prophets, and the commandment of the Lord and Saviour, by your apostles.
And account, our Lord's long suffering, to be salvation: - even as, our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you;
We, are, of God: he that is getting to understand God, hearkeneth unto us, - whoso is not of God, hearkeneth not unto us: from this, perceive we - the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him, to point out unto his servants the things which must needs come to pass with speed, - and he shewed them by signs, sending through his messenger, unto his servant John;
I came to be, in Spirit, in the Lord's Day, and heard, behind me, a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying - What thou seest, write in a scroll, and send unto the Seven Assemblies, - unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamum, - and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, - and unto Laodicea. read more. And I turned round, to see the Voice which was speaking with me, and, having turned, I saw Seven Lamps of gold; and, in the midst of the lamps, One like unto a Son of Man: - clothed with a robe, reaching to the feet, and girt about at the breasts with a girdle of gold, And his head and hair, white, like white wool - like snow, and, his eyes, like a flame of fire, And, his feet, like unto glowing copper, as if in a furnace refined, and, his voice, like a sound of many waters, And, having in his right hand, seven stars, and, out of his mouth, a sharp, two-edged sword, going forth; and, his whole appearance, as when, the sun, shineth in its strength. And, when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead, and he laid his right hand upon me, saying - Do not fear! I, am the First, and the Last, and the Living One, - and I became dead; - and lo! living, am I, unto the ages of ages, and have the keys of death and of hades. Write, therefore - what things thou hast seen and what they are; and what things are about to come to pass, after these things:
and, the wall of the city, having twelve foundations, and, upon them, twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.