INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE How did the mind and thought of God come to be written by men?

Introduction  Is the Bible infallible, inerrant, inspired?  How was the mind and thought of God recorded, written and preserved ?  How can I know that the Bible is inspired of God ?  Are there different theories about how the Bible was written down ?

Introduction  What does the word “inspiration” mean ?  People use the word to mean different things.  What is the evidence for the verbal (word for word) inspiration of the Bible ?

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  The Bible originated with God, not man.  Revelation 19:9 – These are the SAYINGS (WORDS) of God.

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  Old Testament writers claimed this  Isaiah 1:2a Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the Lord has spoken:  Jeremiah 10:1 Hear the word which the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel.

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  Old Testament writers claimed this  Ezekiel 1:3 the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was upon him there.

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  Old Testament writers claimed this  Hosea 1:1a The word of the Lord that came to Hosea  Hosea 1:2a When the Lord began to speak by Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea:

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  Old Testament writers claimed this  Micah 1:1 The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth  Zechariah 1:1 In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  Old Testament writers claimed this  Exodus 4:22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the Lord: "Israel is My son, My firstborn.  NOTE : This phrase occurs 413 times in the KJV and 418 times in the NASB

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  Old Testament writers claimed this  Genesis 1:3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.  NOTE : This phrase is seen 46 times in the Old Testament.

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  Old Testament writers claimed this  2 Samuel 23:2 The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue.  1 Kings 22:24b "Which way did the spirit from the Lord go from me to speak to you?"

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  Old Testament writers claimed this  2 Chronicles 20:14a Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel  2 Chronicles 20:15a And he said, "Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you:

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  New Testament writers claimed this  1 Corinthians 14:37 If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  New Testament writers claimed this  Ephesians 3:3-5 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  New Testament writers claimed this  1 Thessalonians 4:15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.  1 Timothy 4:1a Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith,

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  New Testament writers claimed this  John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  Inspired men said what others wrote was from God  Matthew 1:22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:  Matthew 2:15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son."

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  Inspired men said what others wrote was from God  Acts 1:16 Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus;

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  Inspired men said what others wrote was from God  Acts 28:25 So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: "The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers,

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  Inspired men said what others wrote was from God  Hebrews 1:1-2 1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  Inspired men said what others wrote was from God  Matthew 15:4 For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  Inspired men said what others wrote was from God  Matthew 22: Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven. 31 But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 32 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living."

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  Inspired men said what others wrote was from God  Luke 10:16 He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."  John 16:13b He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  Writers denied they wrote from human wisdom  Jeremiah 14:14 And the Lord said to me, "The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart.

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  Writers denied they wrote from human wisdom  Ezekiel 3: I will make your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be mute and not be one to rebuke them, for they are a rebellious house. 27 But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God.' He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  Writers denied they wrote from human wisdom  1 Corinthians 2:4-5 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  Writers denied they wrote from human wisdom  Matthew 10: But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  Writers denied they wrote from human wisdom  Galatians 1: But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  Writers denied they wrote from human wisdom  2 Peter 1: knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  Writers denied they wrote from human wisdom  Revelation 22: For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  Writers claimed inspiration for everything in Scripture  Exodus 24:3-4 3 So Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the judgments. And all the people answered with one voice and said, "All the words which the Lord has said we will do." 4 And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord. And he rose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  Writers claimed inspiration for everything in Scripture  Deuteronomy 17: And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, 20 that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  Writers claimed inspiration for everything in Scripture  Matthew 4:4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.' "

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  Writers claimed inspiration for everything in Scripture  2 Timothy 3: All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  Special Study from 2 Peter  2 Peter 1: knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

THE WORDS ARE FROM GOD  Special Study from 2 Peter  2 Peter 3: and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation--as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.