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The Uniquely, Authentic, and Inspired Word of God - Part I

Nov 2011

The Bible was written over a 1500 year span of time; written over 40 generations by more than 40 authors, from every walk of life – including Kings, peasants, philosophers, fisherman, poets, statesman, scholars, etc.

The Bible was written in different places.  Moses was in the wilderness; Jeremiah in a dungeon; Daniel in a Palace; Paul inside prison walls; Luke while traveling; John on the Isle of Patmos.

The Bible was written at different times; David in times of war; Solomon in times of peace.

The Bible was written during different moods; some writing from heights of joy and others from the depths of sorrow and despair.

The Bible’s subject matter includes hundreds of controversial topics.  The Bible authors spoke with harmony and continuity from Genesis to Revelation.  There is one unfolding story in the Bible:  “God’s Redemption Plan for man.”

THE WORD OF THE LORD

There are nearly 4,000 declarations in the Old Testament by the Prophets introducing their statements, “Thus says the LORD,” “The Word of the LORD that came unto me,” or something similar.  Two passages that would be an example of this are:

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Write you these Words:  for after the tenor of these Words I have made a Covenant with you and with Israel” (Ex. 34:27).

“And it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that this Word came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, [2] Take you a roll of a book, and write therein all the Words that I have spoken unto you against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spoke unto you, from the days of Josiah, even into this day” (Jer. 36:1-2).

Each writer explained what God had revealed to him, expressing it in the same terms in which he received it from God.  However, God did not dictate to the Prophets as though they were secretaries.  God revealed His Truth to them and showed them how they should present it.  In so doing, they expressed his Word in terms of their own outlook, interests, literary habits, and peculiarities of style.  B.B. Warfield said it this way:

“The church has held from the beginning that the Bible is the Word of God in such a sense that its Words, though written by men and bearing indelibly impressed upon them the marks of their human origin, were written nevertheless, under such an influence of the Holy Spirit as to be also the Words of God, the adequate expression of His Mind and Will.  It has always recognized that this conception of co-authorship implies that the Spirit’s superintendence extends to the choice of words by the human authors (verbal inspiration, but not mechanical dictation!) and preserves its product from everything inconsistent with Divine authorship – thus securing, among other things, that entire truthfulness which is everywhere presupposed in and asserted for Scripture by the Biblical writers (Inerrancy).”

PLENARY INSPIRATION

The Doctrine of Plenary Inspiration holds that the original documents of the Bible were written by men, though permitted to exercise their own personalities and literary talents, yet wrote under the Control and Guidance of the Holy Spirit, the result being in every Word of the original documents a perfect and errorless Recording of the exact Message which God desired to give man.

To better explain plenary, which means “full, complete extending to all parts,” we’ll look at II Timothy 3:16:

“All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God, and is profitable for Doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in Righteousness.”

And the Apostle Paul says in I Thessalonians 2:13:

“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when you received the Word of God which you heard of us, you received it not as the word of men, but as it is in Truth, the Word of God, which effectually works also in you who believe.”

Another Scripture that describes Inspiration is I Corinthians 2:13:

“Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches; comparing Spiritual things with Spiritual.”



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COMMENTS
Karen Rizo says:
March 10, 2015
John, I wish there were a venue where I could go and listen to you as a teacher. Your teachings are so rich and fact-filled, I cannot assimilate it all quickly enough. I want to remember every last word, but I cannot find archives or cd's or books by you, anywhere. Can you suggest a solution for us? I do want to reinforce what you say because much of it I experienced personally in and around the U.N., the corporate world, etc.
Thank you for the peace I derive from discovering I am not alone. There is SOMEONE out there who pursues the facts and who cares, someone who does not advocate our surrender to the "inevitable" but who advises that the answer to all these grievances is Jesus, our Lord. I keep you in my prayers. We need you. Karen



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