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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But when they turn you over to the courts, you must not worry at all about how or what you ought to speak, for it will be given you at that hour what you ought to speak. For it is not you who are speaking, but the Spirit of your Father that is speaking through you.
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send to represent me, will teach you everything Himself, and cause you to remember everything that I have told you.
But when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into the whole truth, for He will not speak on His own authority but will tell what is told Him, and will announce to you the things that are to come.
For God unveiled them to us through His Spirit, for the Spirit by searching discovers everything, even the deepest truths about God. For what man can understand his own inner thoughts except by his own spirit within him? Just so no one but the Spirit of God can understand the thoughts of God. read more. Now we have not received the spirit that belongs to the world but the Spirit that comes from God, that we may get an insight into the blessings God has graciously given us. These truths we are setting forth, not in words that man's wisdom teaches but in words that the Spirit teaches, in this way fitting spiritual words to spiritual truths.
If anyone claims to have the prophetic spirit, or any other spiritual gift, let him recognize that what I now am writing is the Lord's command.
for I did not get it from any man; I was not taught it, but I got it through a revelation given by Jesus Christ.
All Scripture is inspired by God, and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in doing what is right,
A revelation given by Jesus Christ which God gave to Him, to make known to His slaves what must very soon take place. He sent and communicated it through His angel to His slave John,
On the Lord's day I was in the Spirit's power, and I heard a voice like a trumpet behind me say: "Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea." read more. I turned to see who it was that was speaking to me, and as I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands One resembling the Son of Man, wearing a robe that reached to His feet, and with a belt of gold around His breast. His head and hair were as white as white wool, as white as snow. His eyes were like coals of fire; His feet were like bronze refined to white heat in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters. In His right hand He was holding seven stars, and a sharp, double-edged sword was coming out of His mouth, and His face was shining like the sun at midday. So when I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He laid His right hand upon me and said: "Do not be afraid any more. I am the First and the Last; yea, the ever-living One. I once was dead, but now I live forever and ever. I carry the keys of death and the underworld. So write what you have seen, what is and what is to take place hereafter.
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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All Scripture is inspired by God, and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in doing what is right,
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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I have not come to set them aside but to fill them up to the brim. For I solemnly say to you, heaven and earth would sooner pass away than the dotting of an 'i' or the crossing of a 't' from the law, until it all becomes in force.
But when they turn you over to the courts, you must not worry at all about how or what you ought to speak, for it will be given you at that hour what you ought to speak. For it is not you who are speaking, but the Spirit of your Father that is speaking through you.
For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law,
"I solemnly say to you, of all men born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has ever appeared; and yet the one who is least important in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
And He answered, "Have you not read that the Creator at the beginning made them male and female,
'I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob!' Now God is not the God of dead but of living men."
He asked them, "How then does David, under the guidance of the Spirit, call Him Lord, when he says:
"You keep on searching the Scriptures, for you yourselves suppose that you will get possession of eternal life through them; and yet they are witnesses that testify to me,
Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods"'? If men to whom God's message came are called gods -- and the Scriptures cannot be made null and void --
If men to whom God's message came are called gods -- and the Scriptures cannot be made null and void -- do you now say to me whom my Father has set apart to it and sent into the world, 'You are a blasphemer,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?
you do not take into account that it is for your own welfare that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should be destroyed."
And I will ask I will ask the Father and He will give you another Helper, to remain with you to the end of the age;
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send to represent me, will teach you everything Himself, and cause you to remember everything that I have told you.
"When the Helper comes whom I will send from the Father to you, the Spirit of truth that comes from the Father, He will testify to me.
But when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into the whole truth, for He will not speak on His own authority but will tell what is told Him, and will announce to you the things that are to come.
But when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into the whole truth, for He will not speak on His own authority but will tell what is told Him, and will announce to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because He will take the things that belong to me and tell them to you.
"Brothers, that Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit uttered by the mouth of David in the former times about Judas who became the guide to those who arrested Jesus;
when suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a terrific blast of wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting,
For David says of Him: 'I always kept my eyes upon the Lord, for He is at my right hand, so that I may not be removed. So my heart is glad and my tongue exults, and my body still lives in hope. read more. For you will not forsake my soul to Hades. Nor will you let your Holy One experience decay. You have made known to me the ways of life, and you will fill me with delight in your presence.' "Brothers, I may confidently say to you about the patriarch David, that he died and was buried, and that his grave is here among us to this very day. So, as he was a prophet and knew that God with an oath had promised to put one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw the resurrection of the Christ and told of it, for He was not forsaken to Hades, and His body did not undergo decay. I mean Jesus whom God raised from the dead, to which fact we are all witnesses, So He has been exalted to God's right hand and has received from His Father, as promised, and poured out upon us the Holy Spirit, as you see and hear.
But in this way God fulfilled what He by the lips of all the prophets foretold, that the Christ should suffer.
Yet heaven must retain Him till the time for the universal restoration of which God in the early ages spoke through the lips of His holy prophets.
who spoke thus through the Holy Spirit by the lips of our forefather David, your servant: 'Why did the heathen rage, and the peoples make vain designs?
They are great from every point of view. In the first place, the Jews are entrusted with the utterances of God.
To Him who can make you strong in accordance with the good news I bring and in accordance with the message preached about Jesus Christ, in accordance with the uncovering of the secret which for ages past had not been told, but now has been fully brought to light by means of the prophetic Scriptures, and in accordance with the command of the eternal God has been made known to all the heathen, to win them to obedience inspired by faith --
and my language and the message I preached were not adorned with pleasing words of worldly wisdom, but they were attended with proof and power given by the Spirit,
These truths we are setting forth, not in words that man's wisdom teaches but in words that the Spirit teaches, in this way fitting spiritual words to spiritual truths.
You husbands and wives must stop refusing each other what is due, unless you agree to do so just for awhile, so as to have plenty of time for prayer, and then to be together again, so as to keep Satan from tempting you because of your lack of self-control. But I say this by way of concession, not by way of command.
To the people already married I give this instruction -- no, not I but the Lord -- that a wife is not to leave her husband.
To the rest of the people I myself would say -- though the Lord Himself has said nothing about it -- if a Christian has a wife that is not a believer and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her; and a woman who has a husband that is not a believer, but he consents to live with her, must not divorce her husband. read more. For the unbelieving husband is consecrated by union with his wife and the unbelieving wife by union with her Christian husband, for otherwise your children would be unblessed, but in this way they are consecrated. But if the unbelieving consort actually leaves, let the separation stand. In such cases the Christian husband or wife is not morally bound; God has called us to live in peace.
About unmarried women I have no command from the Lord, but I will give you my opinion as of one who is trustworthy, since I have had mercy shown me by the Lord. Now this is my opinion in the light of the present distress: That it is a good thing for a man to remain as he is. read more. Are you married? Stop trying to get a divorce. Are you unmarried? Stop looking for a wife. But if you do get married, you have not sinned in doing so. And if a girl gets married, she has not sinned in doing so. But those who do will have trouble in their earthly life, and I am trying to spare you this. I mean this, brothers. The time has been cut short. For the future, men who have wives should live as though they had none, and those that mourn as though they did not mourn, and those who are glad as though they were not glad, and those who buy as though they did not own a thing, and those who are enjoying the world as though they were not entirely absorbed in it. For the outward order of this world is passing away. I want you to be free from worldly worries. An unmarried man is concerned about the affairs of the Lord. A married man is concerned about the affairs of the world, and how he can please his wife, and so his devotion is divided. An unmarried woman or a girl is concerned about the affairs of the Lord, so as to be consecrated in body and spirit, but a married woman is concerned about the affairs of the world, and how she can please her husband. It is for your welfare that I am saying this, not to put restraint on you, but to foster good order and to help you to an undivided devotion to the Lord. Now if a father thinks that he is not doing the proper thing regarding his single daughter, if she is past the bloom of her youth, and she ought to do so, let him do what she desires; he commits no sin. Let the daughter and her suitor marry. But the father who stands firm in his purpose, without having any necessity for doing so, and he has made the decision in his own heart to keep her single, will do what is right. And so the man who gives his daughter in marriage does what is right, and yet the man who does not do so does even better.
For I would not have you, brothers, to be ignorant of the fact that though our forefathers were all made safe by the cloud, and all went securely through the sea, and in the cloud and the sea they all allowed themselves to be baptized as followers of Moses, read more. and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink -- for they continued to drink the water from the spiritual Rock which accompanied them, and that Rock was the Christ -- still with the most of them God was not at all satisfied, for He allowed them to be laid low in the desert. Now all these things occurred as warnings to us, to keep us from hankering after what is evil, in the ways they did. Now stop being idolaters, as some of them were, for the Scripture says, "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to dance." Let us stop practicing immorality, as some of them did, and on one day twenty-three thousand fell dead. Let us stop trying the Lord's patience, as some of them did, and for it were destroyed by the snakes. You must stop grumbling, as some of them did, and for it were destroyed by the destroying angel.
Let two or three prophets speak, and the rest consider carefully what is said;
for the spirits of prophets yield to prophets;
for the spirits of prophets yield to prophets;
If anyone claims to have the prophetic spirit, or any other spiritual gift, let him recognize that what I now am writing is the Lord's command.
For what I am writing you is nothing more than what you can read and understand, and I hope that you will understand it perfectly, just as some of you have come to understand me partially;
Now who is qualified for such a task? I am, for I am not a peddler of God's message, like the most of them, but like a man of sincerity, like a man that is sent from God and living in His presence, in union with Christ I speak His message.
Now the Lord means the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
I have to keep on boasting. There is no good to be gotten from it, but I will go on to visions and revelations which the Lord has given me.
since you demand a proof that Christ is speaking through me. For Christ is not exhibiting weakness toward you but power in you.
For I tell you, brothers, the good news which was preached by me is not a human message, for I did not get it from any man; I was not taught it, but I got it through a revelation given by Jesus Christ.
Now the promises were made to Abraham and his descendant. It does not say, "and to your descendants," in the plural, but in the singular, "and to your descendant," that is, Christ.
Tell me, you who want to be subject to law, will you not listen to what the law says?
and how by revelation the secret was made known to me, as I have briefly written before.
which in the earlier ages, so different from the present, was not made known to mankind as fully as now, but through the Spirit it has been revealed to His Holy apostles and prophets --
For it is in Him that all the fullness of Deity continues to live embodied, and through union with Him you too are filled with it. He is the Head of all principalities and dominions.
All Scripture is inspired by God, and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in doing what is right,
You have put all things under His feet!" Now when He gave Him authority over everything, He did not leave a single thing that was not put under His authority. But as yet we do not see everything actually under His authority,
For both He who is purifying them and those who are being purified all spring from one Father; so He is not ashamed to call them brothers,
So let us fear that when the promise for us to be admitted to His rest is still remaining valid some one of you may be found to have missed it. For we have had the good news told to us as well as they, but the message heard did them no good, because they were not by faith made one with those who heeded it. read more. For we who have believed are being admitted to that rest, just as He has said: "As in my anger I took oath, they shall not be admitted to my rest," although God's works had been completed at the creation of the world. For somewhere He speaks of the seventh day: "On the seventh day God rested from all His works"; while in this passage again He says: "They shall not be admitted to my rest." Since then it still remains that some are being admitted to it and that those who first had the good news told to them were not admitted because of disobedience, He again fixes a definite day, saying long afterward through David, as has been quoted: "If you but hear His voice, you must not harden your hearts." For if Joshua had really given them rest, He would not afterward have been speaking of another day. So a sabbath of rest is still awaiting God's people. For whoever is admitted into God's rest himself has rested from his works, just as God did. So let us do our best to be admitted to that rest, so that not one of us may fail through the same sort of disobedience.
earnestly trying to find out the time, and the nature of the times, which the Spirit of the Christ within them pointed to, in foretelling the sufferings of the Christ and the glory that should follow them.
because you recognize this truth above all else, that no prophecy in Scripture is to be interpreted by one's own mind, for no prophecy has ever yet originated in man's will, but men who were led by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
speaking of it as he does in all his letters. In them are some things hard to understand, which the ignorant and unsteady twist to their ruin, as they do the rest of the Scriptures.
and if anyone subtracts from it some of the words of this prophetic book, God will subtract from him his share in the tree of life and the holy city which are described in this book.
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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All things have been entrusted to me by my Father, and no one but the Father perfectly knows the Son, and no one but the Son perfectly knows the Father, and the one to whom the Son chooses to make Him known.
He asked them, "How then does David, under the guidance of the Spirit, call Him Lord, when he says:
Then He said to them, "O men sluggish in mind and slow in heart to believe all that the prophets have said!
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send to represent me, will teach you everything Himself, and cause you to remember everything that I have told you.
But when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into the whole truth, for He will not speak on His own authority but will tell what is told Him, and will announce to you the things that are to come.
On saying this, He breathed upon them, and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit!
when suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a terrific blast of wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting, And they saw tongues like flames of fire separating and resting on their heads, one to each of them,
As we have gifts that differ in accordance with the favor God has shown us, if it is that of preaching, let it be done in proportion to our faith; or of practical service, in the field of service; or of a teacher, in the field of teaching; read more. or of one who encourages others, in the field of encouragement; or one who gives his money, with liberality; or one who leads others, with earnestness; or one who does deeds of charity, with cheerfulness.
And God has placed people in the church, first as apostles, second as prophets, third as teachers, then wonder-workers; then people with power to cure the sick, helpers, managers, ecstatic speakers.
But the product of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. There is no law against such things.
All Scripture is inspired by God, and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in doing what is right,
for no prophecy has ever yet originated in man's will, but men who were led by the Holy Spirit spoke 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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For He whom God has sent continues to speak the words of God, for God continues to give Him the Spirit without measure.
The Spirit is what gives life; the flesh does not help at all. The truths that I have told you are spirit and life.
Simon Peter answered Him, "To whom can we go, Lord? You have the message that gives eternal life,
Whoever is sprung from God listens to what God says. This is why you do not listen to me: you are not sprung from God."
The words of the prophets are in accord with this, as it is written:
These truths we are setting forth, not in words that man's wisdom teaches but in words that the Spirit teaches, in this way fitting spiritual words to spiritual truths.
To the people already married I give this instruction -- no, not I but the Lord -- that a wife is not to leave her husband.
To the rest of the people I myself would say -- though the Lord Himself has said nothing about it -- if a Christian has a wife that is not a believer and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her;
About unmarried women I have no command from the Lord, but I will give you my opinion as of one who is trustworthy, since I have had mercy shown me by the Lord.
All Scripture is inspired by God, and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in doing what is right, so that the man of God may be perfectly fit, thoroughly equipped for every good enterprise.
for no prophecy has ever yet originated in man's will, but men who were led by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His purpose by giving up their authority to the wild beast until God's words are carried out.
I warn everyone who hears the words of prophecy contained in this book that if anyone adds anything to it, God will add to him the plagues that are described in this book; and if anyone subtracts from it some of the words of this prophetic book, God will subtract from him his share in the tree of life and the holy city which are described in this book.
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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But when they turn you over to the courts, you must not worry at all about how or what you ought to speak, for it will be given you at that hour what you ought to speak. For it is not you who are speaking, but the Spirit of your Father that is speaking through you.
Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptize them into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptize them into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to practice all the commands that I have given you. And I myself will surely be with you all the days, down to the very close of an age."
And He appointed the Twelve, to whom He gave the title, apostles, to be with Him, to send them forth to preach,
He who believes it and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe it will be condemned.
Since many writers have undertaken to compose narratives about the facts established among us, just as the original eyewitnesses who became ministers of the message read more. have handed them down to us, I too, most excellent Theophilus, because I have carefully investigated them all from the start, have felt impressed to write them out in order for you that you may better know the certainty of those things that you have been taught.
Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever pays no attention to you pays no attention to me, and whoever pays no attention to me pays no attention to Him who sent me."
for I will give you such wisdom of speech as all your opponents combined will not be able to resist and refute.
And I will ask I will ask the Father and He will give you another Helper, to remain with you to the end of the age; even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it does not see Him or recognize Him, because He is going to remain with you, and will be within you.
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send to represent me, will teach you everything Himself, and cause you to remember everything that I have told you.
This is my command to you, to keep on loving one another as I have loved you.
"I have much more to tell you, but you cannot grasp it now. But when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into the whole truth, for He will not speak on His own authority but will tell what is told Him, and will announce to you the things that are to come.
"I make this petition, not for them only, but for all who ever come to believe in me through their message, for them all to be one, just as you, Father, are in union with me and I in union with you, for them to be in union with us, so that the world may be convinced that you have sent me.
Now there are many other wonder-works which Jesus performed in the disciples' presence which are not recorded in this book. But these have been recorded, in order that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life, as bearers of His name.
This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down, and we know that his testimony is true.
"Brothers, that Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit uttered by the mouth of David in the former times about Judas who became the guide to those who arrested Jesus;
who spoke thus through the Holy Spirit by the lips of our forefather David, your servant: 'Why did the heathen rage, and the peoples make vain designs?
While in this business I once was on my way to Damascus with authority based on a commission from the high priests, and on the road at noon, your Majesty, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, flash around me and my fellow-travelers. read more. We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you continue to persecute me? It is hurting you to keep on kicking against the goad.' 'Who are you, Sir?' said I. 'I am Jesus,' the Lord said, 'whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for the very purpose of appointing you my servant and a witness to me of the things which you have seen and those which I shall yet enable you to see. I will continue to rescue you from the Jewish people and from the heathen to whom I am going to send you, to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from Satan's power to God, so as to have their sins forgiven and have a possession among those that are consecrated by faith in me.'
Because they could not agree among themselves, they started to leave, when Paul had spoken one word more: "The Holy Spirit beautifully expressed it in speaking to your forefathers through the prophet Isaiah:
For God unveiled them to us through His Spirit, for the Spirit by searching discovers everything, even the deepest truths about God.
Now we have not received the spirit that belongs to the world but the Spirit that comes from God, that we may get an insight into the blessings God has graciously given us. These truths we are setting forth, not in words that man's wisdom teaches but in words that the Spirit teaches, in this way fitting spiritual words to spiritual truths.
If anyone claims to have the prophetic spirit, or any other spiritual gift, let him recognize that what I now am writing is the Lord's command.
Paul, an apostle sent not from men or by any man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead --
for I did not get it from any man; I was not taught it, but I got it through a revelation given by Jesus Christ.
But when God, who had already set me apart from my birth, and had called me by His unmerited favor, chose to unveil His Son in me, so that I might preach the good news about Him among the heathen, at once, before I conferred with any human creatures, read more. and before I went up to Jerusalem to see those who had been apostles before me, I retired to Arabia, and afterwards returned to Damascus.
for you are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself the cornerstone.
Our dearly loved Luke, the physician, and Demas, wish to be remembered to you.
When this letter has been read to you, have it read to the church at Laodicea too, and see to it that you too read the one that is coming from Laodicea.
For another reason too, we, as far as we are concerned, are constantly giving thanks to God; that is, when you received the message you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the message of men but as the message of God, as it really is, which keeps on working in you who believe.
All Scripture is inspired by God, and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in doing what is right,
earnestly trying to find out the time, and the nature of the times, which the Spirit of the Christ within them pointed to, in foretelling the sufferings of the Christ and the glory that should follow them.
for no prophecy has ever yet originated in man's will, but men who were led by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
to remember the things foretold by the holy prophets, and the command of the Lord and Saviour through your apostles.
Always think of our Lord's patience as salvation, just as our dearly beloved brother Paul, with the wisdom granted him, wrote you to do,
We are children of God. Whoever knows God by experience listens to us; whoever is not a child of God does not listen to us. This is the way to distinguish a true spiritual utterance from one that is false.
A revelation given by Jesus Christ which God gave to Him, to make known to His slaves what must very soon take place. He sent and communicated it through His angel to His slave John,
On the Lord's day I was in the Spirit's power, and I heard a voice like a trumpet behind me say: "Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea." read more. I turned to see who it was that was speaking to me, and as I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands One resembling the Son of Man, wearing a robe that reached to His feet, and with a belt of gold around His breast. His head and hair were as white as white wool, as white as snow. His eyes were like coals of fire; His feet were like bronze refined to white heat in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters. In His right hand He was holding seven stars, and a sharp, double-edged sword was coming out of His mouth, and His face was shining like the sun at midday. So when I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He laid His right hand upon me and said: "Do not be afraid any more. I am the First and the Last; yea, the ever-living One. I once was dead, but now I live forever and ever. I carry the keys of death and the underworld. So write what you have seen, what is and what is to take place hereafter.
The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the Lamb's twelve apostles.