Christian Doctrine: The Authority and Inspiration of the Bible (pt.1)

The reformation of historic Christianity initiated by Martin Luther and continued by Zwingli, John Calvin and other Protestant Reformers in the 16th-century affirmed the authority, inspiration, and sufficiency of Holy Scripture. Martin Luther took a bold stand upon the authority of the Bible and he refused to recant what the Bible clearly and plainly taught. Today Bible believing Christians affirm that which the Bible affirms of itself, that it is authoritative and divinely inspired.

The Bible declares that it is of divine inspiration. What is Scriptures meaning of the word, “inspiration?” Perhaps we should begin with what is not meant. The word “inspiration” does not refer to a feeling or a heightening of one’s ability. For example, Shakespeare was inspired to write great plays or Fanny Crosby was inspired to write great hymns. That is one meaning or understanding of inspiration. This is not the way the Bible is inspired.

When the word “inspiration” is used by the Scriptures themselves it affirms two things. It affirms the Bible’s divine origin and supernatural nature. The key verse affirming the divine origin of the Scriptures is 2 Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” The phrase “is given by inspiration of God” is one Greek word Theopneustos which means “God Breathed.”

In the Old Testament “the breath of God” is associated with the creative activity of God (Gen 2:7, Psalm 33:6). So the term “God-breathed” is one of the strongest and clearest terms Paul could have used to affirm the divine origin of Scripture. This idea of divine origin is emphasized in 2 Peter 1:20, 21. Scripture did not originate in the genius of man nor is it the result of human research.

There are many other references in the Bible that tell us that men were moved by the Holy Spirit to speak God’s word (Ex 4:10-16, 2 Sam 23:2, Micah 3:8, Zech 7:12). Over 3,000 times phrases like “the Lord spake,” “the word of the Lord came” are used in the Bible.

To say the Bible has a divine origin in no way denies that men were involved in its writing. Neither does it imply that the human writers of the Bible were mere writing machines. It means that the Holy Spirit worked through human instrumentality in such a way that it resulted in producing what God wanted written.

The Scriptures reveal to us who God is and what He has done and is doing to redeem humanity. From the Bible we learn the great doctrines of the faith once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3). In this article I want to explore these tremendous truths in the coming weeks. Join me each week as we examine these precious doctrines. Until next time, may God bless you and remember that God loves you and so does First Baptist Church.