The Meaning of Inspiration

"All Scripture is God breathed..." 2 Timothy 3:16
"...for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God." 2 Peter 1:21

    The Bible is often spoken of as being inspired (Greek = theopneustos--"God breathed"), but do we really consider what "God breathed" means? In this lesson we will first explore the need for God to breathe His Will to us. Then we will explore the practical meaning of inspiration.

I. THE NEED FOR DIVINE REVELATION:

    For decades the nation of Albania had been officially atheist and religion and the Bible were outlawed. Recently that has begun to change and missionaries are finding a people hungry for the Word of God. One Albanian woman described their plight with these words, "We believe in God, but we don't know what He requires." [CHRISTIANITY TODAY, May 27, 1991, pg. 52.] This statement goes right to the heart of the matter. Why is it the Albanians don't know what He requires? They have intelligence as do we. Could it be that intelligence isn't sufficient? They have feelings, emotions, as do we. Could it be that feelings/emotions aren't sufficient? Let me illustrate with a plausible situation from our every day lives. Suppose you invite me over for dinner. You want to be sure and please me because you want to make a good impression on me. Your favorite dish is lasagna with chocolate ice cream for dessert. So that is the meal that you prepare. Since you were trying to please me, you failed miserably--I don't care much for pasta and I am no fan of chocolate. You see, the only way for you to discover what is pleasing to me is for me to tell you for we are not mind-readers {1Corinthians 2:11}.

    Every God-fearing human being should be making every effort to please Him--"walk as children of light...trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord" {Ephesians 5:8-10; see Romans 12:1-2; Galatians 1:10; Colossians 1:9-10}. Now, if we are incapable of reading each other's minds, how much less are we able to read the mind of God! Indeed, the Scripture says, "How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways" {Romans 11:33}. Likewise, the Bible also reminds us that our limitations and fallibility make us poor guides for determining on our own what the will of God is--"There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death" {Proverbs 16.25; see Isaiah 29:15-16; 55:8-9}. The Apostle Paul said all of the above in 1 Corinthians 2. In verse 11, he pointed out that the only one who really knows a person is the person himself; so it is with God. We cannot read His mind. Secondly, in verses 10 and 13 Paul explicitly said that what the prophets and apostles wrote, the very words, were revealed and taught by the Spirit. Humanity is entirely dependent upon God to reveal to us what His will is for us; we can't discover it on our own {2Kings 17:24-26}. The Albanians didn't know what God required, not because they were not as smart as other people, not because they were duller of heart than other peoples, but because the written, revealed Word of God had been taken from them. Without Divine revelation we don't/can't know what God requires and desires: "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may observe all the words of this law." {Deuteronomy 29:29}

II. THE DIVINE SIDE OF INSPIRATION:

    Just what does inspiration entail? First, what is "God breathed?" All Scripture, according to 2Timothy 3:16. What is considered Scripture? Jesus called the Law of Moses (Torah, the first five books), the Psalms (Writings), and the Prophets "Scripture" {Luke 24:44-45}. That was the threefold division of our Old Testament used by the Jews of Jesus' day. Jesus not only regarded the prophetic writings as inspired and reliable, but also the historical narratives, for he quotes or refers to them often {see Matthew 19:4-6; 24:38-39; 12:39-42}. Paul quoted a line from one of the Gospels and called it "Scripture" {1Timothy 5:18 w/Luke 10:7}. Peter called the letters of Paul "Scripture" {2Peter 3:15-16}. Visit the lesson on the canon for more details.

    Second, what does "God breathed" mean? How were they inspired? Hebrews 1:1 tells us that in the past God used various means to reveal and communicate his message. This could be by direct statement from God {Exodus 3}. God sent dreams {Genesis 31:11}. He sent signs {Daniel 5:5-6}. Then those God had chosen and gifted to deliver the message would repeat what God said, or interpret the dreams and signs. "Thus says the Lord" occurs several thousand times in the Bible. Sometimes God prompted them to record a certain event or write about a particular subject {1Corinthians 10:11; Jude 3; 2Peter 1:20-21}. Paul tells us that the Gospel was not something made up by men, but was revealed by the Lord Jesus to them {Galatians 1:11-12; 1Corinthians 2:5,6,11}. This was accomplished through the Spirit of God given to the Apostles and Prophets {Ephesians 3:2-5; 1Corinthians 2:10}. The Spirit even gave them the very words to use {1Corinthians 2:12-13}.

III. THE HUMAN SIDE OF INSPIRATION:

    In the preceding section, we dealt with the with the Divine side of the inspiration equation. But there is another side to the inspiration equation that is frequently ignored, or played down--the human side. This is unfortunate, for in looking at only part of the equation, the potential for misunderstanding increases.

    To begin, the Bible is God's Divine Word conveyed in human terms. Sounds simple, but it is really quite significant. Can you imagine the task of the Apostle John when he penned Revelation? He saw Heaven, a place unlike anything on earth, a place none of his readers had ever seen. How could he describe such a place in a way comprehensible to his readers? He had to use words and items that they were familiar with to give just an impression of what Heaven is like. To add to the complexity of the problem, consider the following passage: "...for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words" {Romans 8:26}. When the message is coming our way, that "groaning too deep for words" has to be put into words.

    Consider the implications of Paul's statement: "Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets" {1Corinthians 14:29-32}. These words indicate that the human vehicle for inspiration is in control of his or her faculties; although there were Divine exceptions {1Samuel 19:18-24}. That the prophets generally remained in control of themselves helps explain what the Bible reveals regarding the human side of the inspiration equation.

1. INSPIRATION DOES NOT NEGATE INCLUSION OF PERSONAL MESSAGES. "Bring Mark," Paul tells Timothy, "and when you come bring [my] cloak, my books, and the parchments." {2Timothy 4:11,13}
2. INSPIRATION PERMITS VARIOUS METHODS OF TRANSCRIPTION. Paul was a prolific contributor to our New Testament literature, yet he often did not actually write himself. On many occasions he dictated to a secretary. One such secretary, Tertius, included his own greeting in one of Paul's letters {Romans 16:22}.
3. INSPIRATION DOES NOT EXCLUDE INJECTION OF WRITER'S OPINION. Throughout Paul's ministry, he was plagued by a body of false teachers troubling the church. They were a group of Jewish converts who believed that to be saved one had to be circumcised and obey the Law of Moses in addition to being baptized. In Paul's letter to the Galatians, he permits himself an outburst by saying he wished they'd castrate themselves {5:12}. Another example can be found in 1Corinthians 7:6-7,12.
4. INSPIRATION PERMITS FREEDOM OF STYLE. The Bible consists of historical narratives, proverbs, poetic works, songs, treatises on the meaning of life, homilies, letters. The Bible was not written in a standard form. It is clear that the writers were permitted to use the literary conventions of their respective eras.
5. INSPIRATION PERMITS LIMITED FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION. Consider the recorded words of John the Baptist:
• "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." Matthew 3:11
• "After me will come one who is more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." Mark 1:7-8
• "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." Luke 3:16
• "I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie." John 1:26-27
• "Who do you think I am? I am not that one. No, but he is coming after me, whose sandals I am not worthy to untie." Acts 13:25

    Now which did John actually say? Is there a contradiction here? No. Note that the meaning has remained the same in all five accounts. The choice of words differs, the phrasing differs, but not the actual meaning. John most likely spoke in Aramaic. Four of the five references were written in Greek, so they had to translate from Aramaic into Greek. It is clear that the Holy Spirit permitted them to paraphrase or translate in their own way so long as it did not affect the actual meaning of the statement. Also, ask why each was quoting John. What was their point or purpose? The baptism of the Holy Spirit was not germane to Paul's point, so he chose to leave it out.


6. INSPIRATION DOES NOT EXCLUDE THE USE OF SOURCES. Paul quoted some non-Biblical poets to make a point. He quoted the Stoic poet of Cilicia, Aratus, in Acts 17:28. He quotes a poet of Crete, Epimenedes, in Titus 1:12. Luke says he "investigated everything from the beginning" {Luke 1:1-4}. One of the methods he indicates he employed was interviews with eyewitnesses. He also may have relied on previously written accounts and public records. Lastly, one of the sources most often cited by New Testament writers was the Old Testament!

IV. FINAL THOUGHTS ON INSPIRATION:

    Before leaving our study of inspiration, we need to understand the following regarding the process:

• Inspiration does not mean that everything God or the human writer could tell us has been recorded {Daniel 8:26; 12:9; John 21:25; Revelation 10:1-4}.
• Inspiration does not ensure simplicity or comprehension of the message {Daniel 8:27; 12:8; 2Corinthians 12:1-4; 2Peter 3:16}.
• Inspiration involves purpose in the message {John 20:30-31}. Anything not germane to the purpose is likely to be left out--Jesus' adolescent period for example.

    To conclude, inspiration does not mean that the Scriptures were robot-like transcriptions of dictates from God. An inspired person remained in control of his or her mental and physical faculties, "the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets" {1Corinthians 14:29-32}. God used various ways to speak through His chosen human vessels. The fact that God used human beings to communicate His Word gave His Word a human flavor. God permitted the personalities, literary styles, and methods of expression of the various human writers to show through. He permitted them to express their personal feelings and personal messages within the text. Inspiration means that God is the source of the message conveyed by these people. "God breathed" means "man didn't make this up" {2Peter 1:20-21}.