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"...The church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."
I Timothy 3:15
Inspiration
Raymond Blayton
The Scriptural view of inspiration reveals that in relation to the Bible the Words
are inspired.
A recent theory based on human reasoning contends that the writers of Scripture were inspired and only the manuscripts which they penned were inspired. The principal inspiration was upon the writers and the writings received a secondary inspiration which passed away or expired when copies were made. Thus ascribing all inspiration upon men and no initial inspiration of the writers all is left up to scholarly men.
This is French Deism applied to inspiration. They say in essence that God introduced
Scripture and left it to men to preserve it. Hence the hoards of Greek scholars crying,
"We have no inspiration today."
"By the inspiration of the Scriptures, we mean that special divine influence upon
the minds of the Scripture writers in virtue of which their productions, apart from
errors of transcription and when rightly interpreted, together constitute an infallible
rule of faith and practice." (Christian Theology p.
352, 1949 edition)
Following is the BJU position and also the position of practically every other self-appointed
Bible teaching institution in America.
"Because we believe in the inspiration of the original manuscripts of the Old and New Testament, it is important that we be as close to the readings of the originals as possible. Through the carelessness of scribes who copied manuscripts, many varying readings have crept into them." (Position of the Bible Department of BJU on the Scripture).
The whole problem stems from a misunderstanding of what inspiration is. There are
scores of Bible college and seminary professors teaching about inspiration who do
not know what they are talking about.
Let's look now at the Bible teaching on inspiration. The word inspiration appears
only two times in the Bible.
1. Job 32:8 - "But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty
giveth them understanding."
2. 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."
According to Webster's English Dictionary - To expire is "To die, that is to draw
ones last breath." To inspire is "To infuse life into by breathing."
Our scholarly friends generally agree that inspiration means "God breathed."
Adam was inspired - "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Genesis 2:7
God inspired Adam and he became alive. When God formed him of the dust of the ground
he was all made. He looked the same, but until he was inspired he was dead.
God's Words are inspired - "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper
than any two-edged 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." Hebrews 4:12
"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of
God, which liveth and abideth for ever." I Peter 1:23
Those who believe that inspiration passed away with the writers and original autographs
believe that the Word of God expired.
They profess to be teaching a dead book.
Job 32:8 says - "But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty
giveth them understanding."
Here the new birth is taught in the Old Testament. Nicodemus should have known about
being born again. The Lord reprimanded this "ruler of the Jews" for not knowing -
"Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these
things?" John 3:10
You see, man is spiritually dead because Adam's sin (Romans 5:12). He is born that way. He can't understand spiritual things.
"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are
foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
(I Corinthians 2:14)
The only way he can understand is to be born again, to be made spiritually alive.
That is to be "inspired."
Those who believe they have an expired Bible need to read Matthew 24:35- "Heaven
and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
Now the vast majority of those who believe in an inspired Bible are Westcott and
Hort followers. Theirs is a dead book! It didn't expire. It was never alive.
The Textus Receptus is God's inspired Word in Greek. God's inspired Word in English
is the King
James Version.
One recent advocate of an expired Bible said, "Oh, you believe the King James Version
was inspired in 1611."
BJU claims we believe in second inspiration and inspired translators. That is not
so. I believe God's Words were inspired when He gave them and they have been alive
ever since. He used men as instruments to pen down his words -
"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." (II Peter 1:21)
He also uses men to translate His inspired Words. Inspiration in relation to the
Scriptures is upon the Words, not writers or translators.
"The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever." (Psalm 12:6-7)