A critical doctrine of orthodox Christianity is that of Inspiration - that the Bible is God's will, doings and qualities in word given to mankind via human scribes for print and protected by God for the ages.
Inspiration addresses the questions:
It is the belief of true Christians that the Bible was exactly, perfectly true in every aspect in the original. While there might be slight variations due to language differences, the core is protected and still precisely of God and true (Matt 5:18, ...till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled).
What does the Bible say about inspiration?
I Timothy 3:16, All Scripture is given by inspiration of God!
Deut. 31:24-26, When Moses had completed writing the words of this law in a book, when they were finished, that Moses commanded the Levites...: “Take this Book of the Law and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there as a witness against you."
I Thess. 2:13, When you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.
II Peter 1:18-21, A voice came to Him from the excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, [Luke 24:44, Jesus said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”]
...you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus told His men that what He taught would be regiven to them that they might pass it on:
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.
John 15:26, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness.
John 16:12-13, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, 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."
Matthew 28:16, Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them… 20, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.
I Corinthians 2:13, These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches.
II Peter 3:15-16, Our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 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.
Thus, those who walked with Him and sat under His teachings, were commissioned by Him and were endued with the Spirit to write the Scriptures: Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, Ephesians 2:20. [writing apostles: Matthew, John, Paul, Peter; writing prophets: Mark, Luke, James, Jude]
Philippians 2:12-13 gives us an idea of inspiration with God the author using human writers: work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Thus, God to the writers, "You work/write and I will be working in you to bring about My good pleasure - a Book declaring all the truth necessary for men to know in order to please Me!”
It is the orthodox view of "inspiration" - God breathed - that the Bible is “verbal" - each word is of God - and it is "plenary" - all parts and all subjects are inspired (II Tim. 3:16-17). Thus, the Bible addresses all that man needs and is fully sufficient to bring people to a place pleasing to God.
It is the Christian's belief that the Bible is of God and absolutely true and authoritative in every way.
Inspiration addresses the questions:
- Is the Bible from God or is it the thoughts of man?
- Is the Bible inspired by God, but flawed with the ideas of mortal man?
- Is the Bible true in the original manuscripts, but corrupted in transmission?
It is the belief of true Christians that the Bible was exactly, perfectly true in every aspect in the original. While there might be slight variations due to language differences, the core is protected and still precisely of God and true (Matt 5:18, ...till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled).
What does the Bible say about inspiration?
I Timothy 3:16, All Scripture is given by inspiration of God!
Deut. 31:24-26, When Moses had completed writing the words of this law in a book, when they were finished, that Moses commanded the Levites...: “Take this Book of the Law and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there as a witness against you."
I Thess. 2:13, When you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.
II Peter 1:18-21, A voice came to Him from the excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, [Luke 24:44, Jesus said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”]
...you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus told His men that what He taught would be regiven to them that they might pass it on:
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.
John 15:26, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness.
John 16:12-13, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, 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."
Matthew 28:16, Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them… 20, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.
I Corinthians 2:13, These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches.
II Peter 3:15-16, Our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 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.
Thus, those who walked with Him and sat under His teachings, were commissioned by Him and were endued with the Spirit to write the Scriptures: Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, Ephesians 2:20. [writing apostles: Matthew, John, Paul, Peter; writing prophets: Mark, Luke, James, Jude]
Philippians 2:12-13 gives us an idea of inspiration with God the author using human writers: work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Thus, God to the writers, "You work/write and I will be working in you to bring about My good pleasure - a Book declaring all the truth necessary for men to know in order to please Me!”
It is the orthodox view of "inspiration" - God breathed - that the Bible is “verbal" - each word is of God - and it is "plenary" - all parts and all subjects are inspired (II Tim. 3:16-17). Thus, the Bible addresses all that man needs and is fully sufficient to bring people to a place pleasing to God.
It is the Christian's belief that the Bible is of God and absolutely true and authoritative in every way.
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