Inspiration, by Scriptural definition means “God breathed”. The fact that it is written down, being recorded on paper by God’s chosen writers, makes the words that “God breathed” Scripture.
Psalm 33:6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
Hebrews 3:7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,
Matthew 22:29,31 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. [31] But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,
Exodus 4:14 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.
Acts 1:16 Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.
Revelation 1:10-11 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, [11] Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
We see here that it is a matter of the Words being inspired, not the men. This inspiration is not the inspiration of a literary sense. Literary inspiration would be in the sense that a man in love is inspired to write a song or poem to his lover, driven by emotion. This is not the case with Scripture. In Scripture, the actual literal Word is inspired. Divine Inspiration is not the writer being inspired to record a concept; the issue is the Words on the page.
It is impossible to derive the exact Words on the page from concepts and doctrine. However, from the exact Words on the page, we can derive concepts and doctrine. Do not confuse the order of inspiration; the issue is the God breathed Words on the page! God dictated, using the writers’ vocabulary, and the men wrote it down. The Word of God is dictation, not composition.
Mark 12:35-36 And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the Son of David? [36] For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.
Acts 28:25 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers,
Hebrews 3:7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,
Therefore, Scripture is not the work of man based on man’s feelings; it is a matter of the Words on the page being inspired; spoken by God; God breathed.
The Word of God has power, it is not simply concepts, morals, or doctrine; the issue is the Words on the page.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The requirement is that the writer received God’s spirit, and spoke God’s Words, and recorded those Words on paper. In order for a book to qualify as Scripture, the recorded words must have been the actual words spoken by God Himself.
I Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
The Words, all of them, every one of them, are true and faithful; they are not illustrations, not illusions, and not similes. You cannot change even one of them.
Matthew 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Keep and obey the Words
Revelation 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Each Word is true
Revelation 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
The Words are true and faithful (unchanging)
Revelation 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
You cannot add or subtract Words, which includes changing their position in the sentence
Revelation 22:18-19 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: [19] And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
The actual Words are the issue
John 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
The design of Inspiration is that God and the Scripture are equal; they are one and the same
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Romans 9:17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
Revelation 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
John 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
Scripture is God breathed Words on the page, not subject to changes by any man. The fact that the Words on the page are God breathed, spoken by God Himself, makes them Scripture. Therefore, any book that claims to be a Bible that is paraphrased, contains additions to, deletions from, or has word substitutions in any manner, no longer qualifies as Scripture; it is no longer the Word of God. If it is not the Word of God, wherein is the power of God for your faith?
It does not matter if you agree with the words or not. If you choose to define them to your own liking, or just disregard them, you have taken it upon yourself to contradict God. Therefore, any paraphrase or variant version is simply man contradicting God; they are not Scripture; they are not worth the paper that they are printed on.
II Peter 1:20-21 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. [21] For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
The Word of God is not of man
I Kings 13:20 And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back:
Moreover, the Word of God is not subject to the prophet
Numbers 23:16 And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.
Scripture, the Word of God, is an issue of the actual Words on the page. This is evidenced by the fact that God hangs an argument on a phrase, a Word, and even on the tense of the verb and the voice of a noun. If you change the Words, punctuation, tense, position, or anything, it is no longer Scripture.
It is not my intent to teach you all of the rules in the use of the English language. Nor do I intend for you to be caught up in unnecessary struggles with semantics.
What I want you to comprehend is that you can read the Scripture in English, the language of commerce, the Authorized Version King James Bible, with total confidence. Knowing that everything contained therein is accurate, complete, and concise; every word in the Scripture is directly from God Himself and has purpose, intent, and accuracy, even if you do not understand the why or wherefore of them.
The Authorized Version King James Bible is the only book of Scripture available in the language of commerce in the world today; the literal equivalent of the actual words in the original languages. If you command English, there is absolutely no need for you to learn any foreign language skills in order to get the full benefit of the Word of God, but you must command English. If you are insistent on learning a language that will facilitate your maximum ability to understand the Scripture, learn English! There is absolutely nothing available in Scripture in any language that is not already present in the Scripture in English, the Authorized Version King James Bible. When you command English, you have available to you everything available to anyone in the original languages, or any other language; every nugget, every treasure, every truth.
If your Bible is not in English beware; it is either a translation of a translation or a transliteration … and it probably has errors.
So, let’s look at some examples of English usage;
The tense, first person possessive, I am
John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
The plural of the noun, gods, also proves that anyone telling you that the various Christian religions are all serving the same God is a lie. There is only one “true God” but religion, including Christianity, serves many gods, according to their private agenda.
Exodus 18:11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.
Deuteronomy 10:17 For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:
Zephaniah 2:11 The LORD will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen.
I Corinthians 8:5 For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)
The singular of the noun
Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
Notice the voice of the noun
Jeremiah 15:16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.
Examine the mood of the verb
John 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
Pay attention to the tense of the verb
John 8:47 He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
And the list goes on; study and develop the list further on your own.
God has a purpose for the Words that He spoke
II Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
We are to follow, or live by, the Word of God
I Timothy 6:3-4 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
God gave instructions; we have a responsibility concerning the Word of God
II Corinthians 3:3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
II Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Inspiration does not mean that everything contained in Scripture belongs to you. Not all parts of the Bible are equally applicable to every age (dispensation, which is a bible word, the one that God chose to use), but all the Words are equally inspired.
Be careful not to confuse Biblical Principles with Dispensational Doctrine. Salvation lies within Dispensational Doctrine; you can live your life according to strict Biblical Principles and still be lost and subject to God’s eternal judgment.
God did not inspire interpretations, but God did inspire the words that are interpreted with literal equivalency.
Inspiration does not allow for any false information, but the Scripture does accurately record the lies told by others.
Job 42:7 And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.
Genesis 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
Inspiration does not mean that the writer had personal illumination; the did not always understand what God told them to write
Daniel 7:1 (is the beginning of his vision) In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters.
Daniel 7:28 (continues through to its conclusion) Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.
Daniel 8:27 And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king’s business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.
I Peter 1:10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
Inspiration does not prohibit personal research by the writer, which Luke did. The research is not the basis of the information; the research was done independent of the inspiration. Even though the writer may have done personal research, the words recorded are the words spoken by God Himself: Scripture!
Ezra 6:1 Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon.
Luke 1:3 It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,
The writer was not necessarily in a trance, comma, or catatonic state during the Inspiration, but the writer may have experienced these things. God used the writer’s vocabulary, knowledge, and experience during the Inspiration.
Numbers 24:4 He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
Acts 11:5 I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me:
Inspiration does not deny the use of extra-biblical sources to prove the facts stated by God.
In reference to the poets
Acts 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
Titus 1:12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
In reference to writings in other sections of Scripture; before God used the term “prophet” He referred to them as “seers”.
I Chronicles 29:29 Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer,
I Samuel 9:9 (Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.)
Bona fide Inspiration can also record historical facts as are found, and were included, in the public library system of their time; the public records. This is common since Israel had an extensive archive of public records. (The public records verify the Scripture; Scripture is not given to verify the public records.)
Proverbs 25:1 These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.
Proverbs 30:1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,
Proverbs 31:1 The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.
II Chronicles 9:29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?
II Chronicles 12:15 Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.
II Chronicles 13:22 And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo.
II Chronicles 20:34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, who is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel.
II Chronicles 24:27 Now concerning his sons, and the greatness of the burdens laid upon him, and the repairing of the house of God, behold, they are written in the story of the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.
II Chronicles 26:22 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, did Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, write.
II Chronicles 27:7 Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars, and his ways, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.
II Chronicles 32:32 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his goodness, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
Inspiration does not overwhelm the personality of God’s chosen human writer, but it is dictation.
The term “mechanical dictation” is a term coined (invented) by the modernists to deride, slander, and devalue Divine Inspiration (which is the dictation by God of His Scripture, verbal Inspiration, God breathed words), and the infallibility of the Scripture. The term is specifically intended to destroy the final and absolute authority of the Word of God.
Scripture is by Divine Inspiration – God breathed (spoken by God), recorded by men (written), wherein God spoke without overwhelming the writers mind, senses, knowledge, experiences, or preventing the use of public records and historical information or research.
Never allow the use of the term “mechanical dictation”; it is wrong, misleading, and slanderous. Don’t ever tolerate this gross slander of God by allowing the perpetuation of such an intentionally malicious fabrication of terms.
Inspiration does not mean that there is uniformity in all details given in describing the same event by different writers. God used different writers to record the same event in order to provide a different perspective of the event; to teach or reveal a different message. They show different perspectives but they definitely have the same Inspiration. Notice the gospel accounts – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
It is God’s Words written by the hand of His chosen writers.
It illustrates design and purpose by God.
It is a means, or method, by which God accomplished Progressive Revelation.
Do not confuse inspiration, which is God breathed (spoken) Words dictated to the writer for the writing of the Words on the page, with the elements of Revelation or Illumination.
See also Revelation, Illumination, Preservation