| GOD'S WORD THE BIBLE: | Evidence for Inspiration |
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BIBLICAL CLAIMS It is important to know that through the words of the human authors of scripture, the Bible itself either directly or indirectly, claims to be the word of God. Therefore, the claims for the inspiration of the Bible are not superimposed by others, having been forced upon the text from the outside, but are in harmony with the internal evidence found within the pages of scripture. This fact is the first argument complementing the testimony and teaching of Jesus. CLASSIC PROOF TEXTS There are two key scriptures which highlight the biblical claim for the inspiration of the Bible. Together they explain the means and extent of inspiration. (2 Timothy 3:15-17) ............ from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. {16} All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; {17} that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Peter 1:20-21) But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, {21} for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. Based on these two verses we may make the following statement, " all the sacred writings or scriptures are inspired by God, the authors having been moved by God's Spirit to write what is necessary to give the knowledge of salvation and adequately equip the Christian in all things pertaining to his spiritual life". OLD TESTAMENT In the Old Testament we see many cases where the authors of scripture are directed by God to write what has been committed to them. The following representative examples will illustrate this point. The first three examples are taken from three of the first five books of the Old Testament. In Exodus chapter 20 Moses, the author of the first five books of the Bible, records all the words which God spoke to the people on that day as the ten commandments were given, "Then God spoke all these words, saying, {2} "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. {3} "You shall have no other gods before Me....... (Exodus 20:1-3)". In a similar way at the end of the book of Numbers the written record indicates that all that preceded was what God had commanded through His prophet Moses, "These are the commandments and the ordinances which the LORD commanded to the sons of Israel through Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho. (Numbers 36:13)". Again
in the book of Deuteronomy we find Moses warning the people to take
heed to what he has written because he had given them God's commandments,
"And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments
which I am teaching you to perform, in order that you may live and
go in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of
your fathers, is giving you. {2} "You shall not add to the
word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you
may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you." In the books of the prophets the references to God as the source of the information recorded is abundant. Phrases such as "Thus says the lord" are found hundreds if not thousands of times throughout the biblical text. Three example from the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel will be cited. "The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, concerning Judah and Jerusalem which he saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. {2} Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth; For the LORD speaks......." (Isaiah 1:1-2) "The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, {2} to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah .........{4} Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, {5} "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations." (Jeremiah 1:1-5) Then He said to me, "Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to a rebellious people who have rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day. {4} "And I am sending you to them who are stubborn and obstinate children; and you shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD.' (Ezekiel 2:3-4) THE NEW TESTAMENT We have previously learned of the promise of Jesus to use His Apostles as His messengers to bring God's truth to the world. By way of review the following verses again illustrate the fact that the authors of the New Testament regarded what they wrote to be the words and commands of God. "This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, {2} that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles." (2 Peter 3:1-2) "And
for this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received
from us the word of God's message, you accepted it not as the word
of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs
its work in you who believe." |
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