Inspired word of God.
The Bible is considered the inspired word of God, meaning it is divinely influenced and authoritative for teaching, correction, and guidance in the life of believers.
What Does "Inspired" Mean?
The term "inspired" refers to the belief that the Scriptures were divinely influenced by God.
This concept is often summarized by the phrase "God-breathed," as stated in 2 Timothy 3:16, which asserts that "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness".
This means that every part of the Bible is viewed as having originated from God, making it unique among all other writings.
Theological Implications.
Divine Authority: Because the Bible is inspired, it holds authority in matters of faith and practice. Believers regard it as the ultimate guide for living a life that aligns with God's will.
Verbal Plenary Inspiration: This theological view posits that not only the ideas but also the very words of Scripture are inspired by God.
This means that every word in the Bible is significant and purposeful.
Purpose of Inspiration: The inspiration of Scripture serves several purposes, including teaching truth, correcting errors, and training individuals in righteousness.
It equips believers for every good work, as highlighted in 2 Timothy 3:17.
Understanding the Bible as the inspired word of God is crucial for Christians, as it shapes their beliefs, practices, and relationship with God.
It provides a foundation for doctrine and moral guidance, ensuring that believers can discern truth from falsehood in their spiritual journey.
The concept of the Bible being the inspired word of God emphasizes its divine origin, authority, and purpose in the lives of believers, making it a central aspect of Christian faith and practice.
An essential doctrine of the Christian faith is the belief that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, or "God-breathed." The Bible itself claims to be written by divine inspiration:
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness... (2 Timothy 3:16, NKJV).
The English Standard Version (ESV) says the words of Scripture are "breathed out by God." Here we find another verse to support this doctrine:
And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. (1 Thessalonians 2:13, ESV)
But what do we mean when we say the Bible is inspired?
We know the Bible is a compilation of 66 books and letters written by more than 40 authors over a period of approximately 1,500 years in three different languages. How, then, can we claim it is God-breathed?
"God superintended the human authors so that they composed and recorded His revelation without error, but they used their own individual personalities and even their own unique writing styles.
In other words, the Holy Spirit permitted the authors to exercise their own personalities and literary talents even though they wrote under His control and guidance.
The result is a perfect and errorless recording of the exact message God desired to give to humankind."
The Scriptures teach us that the Holy Spirit produced the work of preserving the Word of God through the authors of the Bible. God chose men such as Moses, Isaiah, John, and Paul to receive and record his words.
These men received God's messages in various ways and used their own words and writing styles to express what the Holy Spirit brought forth.
They were aware of their secondary role in this divine and human cooperation:
Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation.
For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:20-21, ESV)
And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. (1 Corinthians 2:13, ESV).
It's important to understand that the doctrine of the inspiration of Scripture applies solely to the original handwritten manuscripts. These documents are called autographs, as they were penned by the actual human authors.
While Bible translators throughout history have worked painstakingly to maintain accuracy and complete integrity in their interpretations, conservative scholars are careful to assert that only the original autographs are inspired and without error.
And only faithfully and correctly interpreted copies and translations of the Bible are considered reliable.
Because the Scriptures are the inspired Word of God, we can conclude that they are also inerrant and authoritative.
A correct view of God will lead us to a correct view of His Word.
Because God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and completely perfect, His Word will by its very nature have the same characteristics.
The same verses that establish the inspiration of the Scriptures also establish that it is both inerrant and authoritative.
Without a doubt the Bible is what it claims to be—the undeniable, authoritative, Word of God to humanity.
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