Though the word "inspiration" 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 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" (2 Tim. 3:16,17 JND). 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 (see 2 Peter
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" (John 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
(Acts 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" (1 Cor. 2:13). The
Holy Spirit taught Paul what words to use. The whole of Scripture forms the Word of God, and
both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament we read of "the words of God" (1 Chron.
25:5; Ezra 9:4; Psalm 107:11; John 3:34 and 8:47; Rev. 17:17). Neither must His word be added
to, or taken from (Deut. 4:2 and 12:32; Rev. 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 1 speak unto
you, they are spirit, and they are life" (John 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 complete
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 judgment,
and what he wrote as commandments of the Lord. "1 speak this by permission," he says; and
again, "1 give my judgment" (1 Cor. 7:6,10,12,25). He was inspired to record his spiritual
judgment 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, is 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 an absolutely
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.
Nothing can exceed the importance of having true thoughts of the inspiration of Scripture. As no
human author would allow his secretary 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 He who is now revealed to the Christian as his Father as well as his God.
(From Morrish’s New and Concise Bible Dictionary)
FRAGMENT
"Thy Word is true from the beginning:and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for
ever" (Psalm 119:160).