(2 Tim. 3:16.)
It not only becomes necessary, but imperative, that we ever keep distinctly before us what verbal inspiration implies. As one generation passes away and another takes its place, present-day testimony and exposition of the sacred Scriptures are required. And this for a double purpose:first, to enlighten, establish, and encourage true believers; second, to refute, as well as to deliver those ensnared by the skeptical tendencies of the present day.
The enemies of the Word of God, since it was first given, have been a great host, both in Old and New Testament times. From the days of the Apostles, when the Church was in its infancy, and in every generation of the Church's history, unregenerated men have been hostile to God's authority and to His revealed will as contained in the sacred Word.
At one time, the enemies of truth strove against inspiration from without, men who made no profession of Christianity whatever, such as Paine, Voltaire, Bradlaugh, Ingersoll, etc., but a new order of men have replaced them -men who have entered the professing Church, the universities, colleges, seminaries of Christian institutions, which are now largely filled with skeptical teachers, if not bold infidels; and it is m these seats of learning that the rising generation has as leaders and teachers men who sow the seed of unbelief in the mind of the young as to the truth and the inspiration of the Word of God.
SEARCH THE WORD
Hence, every new generation has to search the Scriptures for itself, learn what they teach and what they claim for themselves. The Scriptures invite and call upon us to search them, and commends those who do it (Acts 17:11). Such a search is wholesome, and benefits the searcher. But we need to be reminded that it is a spiritual search; only spiritual men and women of prayerful spirit will be able really to apprehend the lessons they contain, for as it is written, and should ever serve as a warning, "The natural man understandeth not the things of the Spirit of God, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Cor. 2:14). Natural men may .read books, magazines, and papers of human composition, and give correct judgment concerning the vast array of things that can be written "under the sun," but the whole Bible is a spiritual book, and can be truly understood alone by the spiritual mind.
The variety of its subjects and expanse of thought is very great. Its history, prophecy, poetry, ethics, etc., cover a large and varied field of thought, yet it is a spiritual book. And to take in its teaching, men require a God-given life and nature. So our Lord when on earth, informed a man of position, of learning and culture, that" new birth is the first necessity to enter the spiritual realm -"Ye must be born again." This new birth places men in a new and divine relationship with God, for, be il remembered, by the fall, man lost his place before God in the relationship of creation, and by nature the whole human race are now "children of wrath" (Eph. 2:3).
By new birth, a new life and nature are imparted to the believer in relationship with God according to a new order, a spiritual one–"sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus," and added to this new birth relationship, each believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. New birth relationship, we repeat, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, are true of each believer in our favored Christian age. The New Testament Scriptures clearly unfold these things, which were not known in Old Testament times.
Added to this God-given relationship, there are privileges and responsibilities attached to the Christian life. First, there is communion or fellowship. In the Christian life we have perseveringly to cultivate fellowship with both the Father and the Son. This brings in the necessity of prayer; and prayer has a large place in the believer's life. It gives capacity and ability to enter into the Word of God, not only to search it but feed upon it; and not only to learn and understand the truth, but joy in the will of God as revealed in it. To search the Word of God thus becomes a pleasure and delight.
THE CLAIMS OF SCRIPTURE
We will now consider the claims of the Book itself. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God" (A.V.). "All Scripture is inspired of God" (Num. Bible). "Every Scripture is divinely inspired" (J. N. D.). This is a very important text of Scripture, and we are not surprised to find those who do not like the Book, hostile to the exact reading of this verse; but each of the translators just quoted have faithfully dealt with the translation from the original language. The marginal reading of the R.V. agrees with these. Critics who have sought to weaken the force of inspiration have tried to weaken confidence in this particular verse, but this statement is uniform with the teaching of the whole Book, and is worthy of the fullest confidence of every reader and student of God's Word.
INSPIRATION
The word " inspiration" is Theopneustos, "God-breathed," in the original language. It is nowhere else used in the New Testament, but it coincides with the teaching of the Old and New Testaments throughout. "Every Scripture is God-breathed," correctly represents what the Bible is, in which are found the treasures of knowledge and wisdom that fill the Book from Genesis to Revelation. The Scriptures being "God-breathed" are in close touch with God Himself.
(1) In the early part of Genesis, when God was arranging the earth and creation according to His own special design into vegetable, animal and" human life, out of the lifeless clay He formed a body into which "God breathed" the breath of life, and man became by this in breathing a living soul. Thus man was an offspring of God, put in supremacy and lordship over all the earth-creation.
This place of preeminence on earth was marred by the fall, and life in fellowship with God was lost. Man now was 'a sinner, a rebel against God who had so blest him. Angels too had fallen before, and no remedy is provided for them. But in sovereign wisdom and goodness God has found in man's fall an occasion to reveal Himself in love, grace and mercy, combined with perfect justice. Hence He sent His own Son, who made atonement on the cross by which God is glorified and His holy character perfectly maintained, and Christ arose triumphant from the grave the third day. What a story of love and victory over sin, death and Satan!
(2) After His resurrection, when He appeared to His disciples in the upper room, we see another in breathing. As the Second Man, the last Adam, risen from the dead and Head of a new creation, "He breathed upon them (marg., Gr., into), and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit" (John 20:22). He associates them with Himself as the Second Man, the Head of a new race, in contrast to Genesis 2:7. By this symbolic act of in breathing, He establishes them in this new place over which He is Head. They had been quickened with divine life, hence no new life was imparted to them at this time. They were already in possession of the life He gives (John 3:36). Then He makes known to them the gift of the Spirit as accompanying this divine life, and says to them, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit." He had previously promised this to them (John 14:16,17; 15:26; 16:13-15). Here it is restated; yet the Spirit was not given until the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-33).
By new birth and this in breathing of the Holy Spirit, redeemed men are brought into closer relationship with God than that of creation. A holy spiritual relationship has been established, never again to be broken, and never to pass away. A. E. Booth
(Continued in next number.)