The Bible Is Inspired
When Christians claim Scripture is inspired, what do they mean? Inspiration is about the relationship between God and the Bibles authors. These men werent inspired in the way we typically use the word todayits not as if the apostle Paul saw a gorgeous sunset and then wrote Galatians. Nor does it mean he would enter some catatonic state, recite a bunch of words to a friend, then pick up the parchment and say, Lets see what God wrote!
First and foremost, inspiration has to do with the fact that the Bibles ultimate author is God.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The entirety of the Bible is God-breathedexhaled from God. No wonder its commonly referred to as Gods Word.
If God authored it, though, then what were Moses and David and Paul and John and all the rest doing? Werent they writing Holy Scripture, too? Exactly. The Bible was written by God and humansor, more precisely, by God through humans. The apostle Peter explains it this way:
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophets own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
In other words, God made sure the human authors wrote exactly what he wanted them to writeno more, no less.
The Bible Claims To Be God’s Word
The very first thing we need to understand about the Bible is that it definitively claims to have its source in God. Meaning, the Bible proclaims itself to be divinely inspired by God.
Look at 2 Timothy 3:16-17, for example:
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Just as God breathed life into Adam to create a living being, He also breathed life into the Scriptures. While it’s true that a number of people were responsible for recording the words of the Bible over the course of thousands of years, the Bible claims God was the source of those words.
The apostle Paulwho wrote several books in the New Testamentclarified this point in 1 Thessalonians 2:13:
And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.
The apostle Peteranother biblical authoralso identified God as the ultimate Creator of the Scriptures:
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit .
His Character And Word Have Been Exalted Above All Things
The traditional Hebrew text, the Massoretic text, literally says, for you have made great over all your name your word. This has been understood in a number of different ways.
A number of versions see the verse saying that Gods name and His Word have been exalted above all things. For example, the New International Version says,
I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.
The Holman Christian Standard Version says something similar. It reads,
I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.
The translation Gods Word says,
I will bow toward your holy temple. I will give thanks to your name because of your mercy and truth. You have made your name and your promise greater than everything.
The idea here is that Gods character and promise, or His Word, is greater than everything. This seems to be a much better way of understanding the text.
Some Emend the Text
The New English Translation understands this verse differently. It says,
I will bow down toward your holy temple, and give thanks to your name, because of your loyal love and faithfulness, for you have exalted your promise above the entire sky.
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Scriptures About The Importance Of Knowing Gods Word:
The Word Of God Trains Us:
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17NASB
The Word Of God Directs Us:
Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. Psalms 119:105 NASB
Meditate On Gods Word:
This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Joshua 1:8 NASB
The Word Of God Is Our Sword:
And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17 NASB
The Bible Helps Us to Follow Gods Desires:
But He answered and said, It is written, MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’Matthew 4:4NASB
Gods Word Guides Us:
For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Romans 15:4 NASB
We Are To Seek God With All Our Heart:
With my whole heart I seek you let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:10-11 ESV
We Are To Hold His Word Close:
*Gods Word Is Alive:
What Is Gods Word And Why Does It Matter
Colin Smith
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God .
Notice that Gods communication with us, which is normally referred to as the Word of God, is described here as the Word of Christ. That phrase is only used here and in one other place in the New Testament, but it reminds us of a very important truth.
The whole Bible is one story and it is all about Jesus Christ. Jesus said to the Pharisees, The Scriptures bear witness about me . On the road to Emmaus, Jesus took two confused disciples through the Old Testament scriptures, showing them in all the Scriptures, the things concerning Himself .
Jesus Christ is the central figure in the whole Bible, in both the Old and the New Testaments. In the Old Testament, He is hidden and anticipated. In the New Testament, He is revealed and enjoyed.
The whole point of the Bible is that we should come to know and enjoy and love and serve and believe in and live for Jesus Christ the Son of God, who is the Savior, the Lord of all.
This is the great theme of Colossians: In Him, all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell . In Him, God has triumphed over all the dark powers . In Him, believers are rooted and built up and established in the faith .
The word of Christ, the Bible, is God speaking to us about His Son, or God speaking to us through His Son.
New Thinking about the Bible
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Studying Helps Us Serve God Better
9. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.
10. 2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
The Bible Is Precious
The Bible is the most valuable treasure in the universe. Its our food , our life , our comfort , our strength , our guidance , our desire , our hope , our love , our joy , and our treasure .
Did you know that even Leviticus and Chronicles and Obadiah were written to encourage you?
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
Everything. Paul is going so far as to claim the entirety of the Old Testament was written for youto instruct you, to encourage you, to help you endure, and to flood your heart with hope.
And while we must avoid bibliolatrytreasuring Scripture more than its Authorits striking to note how inseparably connected Gods Word is with God himself . Indeed, to abandon it is to abandon him. Until Jesus returns and our faith becomes sight, we must live in the age of the ear. For now, Augustine said, treat the Scripture of God as the face of God. Melt in its presence. Or as one great preacher remarked, To me the Bible is not God, but it is Gods voice, and I do not hear it without awe.
The Bible is a bottomless treasure chest of beauty and wonder. It claims to be inspired, true, authoritative, clear, sufficient, powerful, Christ-centered, and precious. May God help us to treat it as such.
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God Speaks Through His Word
Not only are there many promises in Scripture, sometimes God speaks to us through His Word in a way that we know it was Him. If God gave you a promise. He will fulfill it at the best time.
14. Isaiah 55:11 so My word that comes from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.
15. Luke 1:37 For no word from God will ever fail.
Study To Teach Others And To Be Better Prepared To Answer Questions
11. 2 Timothy 2:2 What you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well.
12. 1 Peter 3:15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.
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Gods Word Provides What Is Good
According to Psalm 119, the word of God is the way of happiness , the way to avoid shame , the way of safety , and the way of good counsel . The word gives us strength and hope . It provides wisdom and shows us the way we should go . Gods verbal revelation, whether in spoken form in redemptive history or in the covenantal documents of redemptive history , is unfailingly perfect. As the people of God, we believe the word of God can be trusted in every way to speak what is true, command what is right, and provide us with what is good.
This article is adapted from Taking God At His Word: Why the Bible Is Knowable, Necessary, and Enough, and What That Means for You and Me
Kevin DeYoung is the senior pastor at Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, North Carolina, and associate professor of systematic theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte. He has written books for children, adults, and academics, including Just Do Something Crazy Busy and The Biggest Story. Kevin and his wife, Trisha, have nine children.
The Bible Claims To Be True
Inerrant and infallible are two theological words often applied to the Bible. We’ll need another article to explain the different shades of meaning connected with those words, but they both boil down to a similar idea: that everything contained in the Bible is true.
There are many Scripture passages that affirm the essential truth of God’s Word, but these words from David are the most poetic:
The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous .
Jesus also proclaimed that the Bible is true:
Sanctify them by the truth your word is truth .
Finally, the concept of God’s Word being true points back to the idea that the Bible is, well, God’s Word. In other words, because the Bible comes from God, we can have confidence that it communicates truth. God isn’t lying to us.
Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure .
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Does The Bible Say That God Puts His Word Above His Name
The Attributes of God That Belong to Him Alone Question 19
There is a statement in Scripture which seems to teach that God actually puts His Word above His Name. In Psalm 138:2, the King James Bible reads as follows.
I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
The American Standard Version of 1901 translates the verse in a similar manner. It reads,
I will worship toward thy holy temple, and give thanks unto thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
The New King James Version reads something similar. It translates the verse as follows.
I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth for You have magnified Your word above all Your name.
This has given the popular idea that God actually magnifies His Word, what He says, above His name or character. Is this what the Scripture teaches? Is Gods Word more important than His character? The following points need to be made.
The Claim Of The Bible
Even a casual reader of the Bible will soon discover he is reading a very unusual book. Even though he may not accept its claims, a careful and reflective reading will demonstrate, for most at least, that this book is not only unique, but makes some very unique claims. The following are a number of evidences that support this uniqueness.
Internal Evidence
In hundreds of passages, the Bible declares or takes the position explicitly or implicitly that it is nothing less than the very Word of God.
Some thirty-eight hundred times the Bible declares, God said, or Thus says the Lord . Paul also recognized that the things he was writing were the Lords commandments , and they were acknowledged as such by the believers . Peter proclaimed the certainty of the Scriptures and the necessity of heeding the unalterable and certain Word of God . John too recognized that his teaching was from God to reject his teaching was to reject God .17
For other passages which either declare or assume the Bible as Gods Word see Deuteronomy 6:6-9, 17-18 Joshua 1:8-9 8:32-35 2 Samuel 22:31 Ps. 1:2 12:6 19:7-11 93:5 119:9, 11, 18, 89-93, 130 Prov. 30:5-6 Matthew 5:17-19 22:29 Mark 13:31 Luke 16:17 John 2:22 5:24 10:35 Acts 17:11 Romans 10:17 Colossians 3:16 1 Thessalonians 2:13 2 Timothy 2:15 3:15-17 1 Peter 1:23-25 2 Peter 3:15-16 Revelation 1:2 22:18.
External Evidence
Enns has an interesting comparison as it pertains to the Bibles continuity. He writes:
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The Power Of The Spoken Word Of God
Summary: The word of God, spoken in faith in the Name of Jesus, has awesome power to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
Isaiah 55:10-11 … so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
- There is irresistible supernatural power in God’s word it will not return to Him empty.
- Gods Word will accomplish His desires and purposes. The King James Version descriptively says that the word of God will not return void to Him . In other words, it will get the job done!
- The Word of God is powerful, because it is guaranteed by God to be effective.
- When you speak the Word of God, you are tapping into limitless power!
Jeremiah 23:28-29 Let the one who has my word speak it faithfully … Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?
- Think of the Word of God as a hammer. Picture it.
- This hammer can drive home a nail = positive results.
- This hammer can break down obstacles = overcoming negatives.
- SPEAK faithfully and all kinds of positive things will begin to happen, and all kinds of obstacles and opposition will begin to be broken.
John 11:43-44a When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, Lazarus, come out! The dead man came out…
- In Genesis God said, Let there be… and light sun, moon, and stars animals, birds, and fish and more came into being from God’s spoken word of power.