When pollsters survey a population with the question, “Do you believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God?” the majority (in this country) answer “Yes.” However, when asked of their idea regarding its inspiration, the replies are quite diverse: “In thought, but not in word;” “Some of it is, but some of it isn’t;” “It is a moment of human genius, but nothing supernatural.” In spite of the confusion of human opinion, the Bible is quite clear concerning its inspiration.
The Bible clearly reveals the definition of inspiration. In Matthew 10:18-20, as Jesus sent out the twelve men to preach, He warned them that they would be unkindly examined by evil men in high places, and then He consoled them with these words: “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; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.” Although the men’s tongues and larynxes would be that which physically produced the words, the mind that was selecting the words was that of the Holy Spirit. Inspiration was not a mere moment of human genius, it was the speaking of God.
The Bible clearly reveals that the words as well as the thoughts are inspired. In First Corinthians 2:9-13, Paul states that God revealed the things (thoughts) unto the Apostles, “which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth.” Thus, when God revealed thoughts to the Apostles, they spoke those thoughts, not in their own words, but in the words which the Holy Spirit gave them. No, God did not merely inspire the Apostles with only the thought and left the wording up to them. Rather, both the thoughts and the words are God’s.
The Bible clearly reveals that all of the Bible is inspired. Second Timothy 3:16 states that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God….” “All” not “some.” When Jesus mentioned “the law of Moses, …the prophets, and in the psalms” He was referring to the entire Old Testament [as this was the Jewish reference to its three-fold division] (Luke 24:44). The next verse then describes it as “the Scriptures” –writings of God. If only parts of the Bible were inspired, how would we know which parts were which? Such reduces the Bible to guess work and confusion–something of which a perfect, flawless God would not do (John 8:31-32; 1 Cor. 14:33). Thus, if any part of the Bible is inspired, then by necessity, all of it is inspired.
If the pollsters would survey the Bible and those who know the above truths, their report would yield: 100% believe that the Bible is inspired of God; God is the author in its entirety in both thoughts and words.
Gary Henson