An Analysis into the Inspiration of the Scriptures

There are many fields of communication, the most important of which is God's Word handed down to us over many generations in the written form of the Bible. In this day and age, Higher Criticism, Modernism, and Infidelity are making great strides and inroads into the schools, and into the young minds of America. As a result, the Bible is being given up as the inspired Word of God. In the following paragraphs, the defense of the Scriptures will be taken up, and proofs will be given to establish the Bible as the infallible Word of God. Yet, there is not much the writer can do to defend the Book, because the Bible defends itself. The external evidence of the divine authenticity of the Scriptures is very weighty. As H.H. Snell points out so very clearly in his book, On the Inspiration of the Scriptures:
The attempt to prove by human reasoning and external evidence that the Scripture is God's Word would be just as absurd as lighting a candle to look at the sun. Everyone knows, except he be blind, that the sun gives light and heat. We know nothing of the sun without these effects. So every honest mind that has cars to hear and gets before God, finds Scripture so searching that it commends itself to his conscience as being the Word of God.
“The Word of God is quick [living], and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword." Heb. 4:12. As a test for good cooking is in the eating, so, the test for the Scriptures is in the reading of them intelligently. Before the surface of our subject is scratched, a workable definition of inspiration must be given. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God [literally, God-breathed], and is profitable for doctrine [teaching], for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." 2 Tim. 3:16. This verse places all Scripture on one basis as to inspiration, whether it be historical, doctrinal, or prophetic. We learn from this passage that not simply the persons who wrote were divinely motivated, but the writings themselves were divinely inspired. All writings are composed of words, and if these writings are God-breathed, the words are inspired. This is what is commonly called verbal inspiration.
Many of the attacks made upon the Book of books are not directed at verbal inspiration, but the difficulty arises as to what has been called the human element in inspiration. If the words of Scripture are inspired, it has been asked, how is it that the style of the writer is so manifest? The Apostle John's style, for instance, is clearly distinguishable from that of the Apostle Paul. The simple answer is that it is as if one used, so to speak, different kinds of pens to write with. God made the mind of man as well as his body, and was surely able to use the mind of each of the writers He employed, and yet cause him to write exactly what He wished.
Today, many people believe only those Scriptures which were spoken by the Lord Himself to be inspired. This is not the case. In the Gospel of John, it is recorded that our Lord recognized certain writings which He called Scriptures, and which testified of Himself. Again, according to H.H. Snell:
The Lord quoted from them constantly and especially taught that Moses wrote of Him. But more than that, He also recognized that Moses wrote them not by his own will, but by the Holy Spirit, and that He ranked Moses’ writings as of equal authority with His own words.
“If ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe My words?" John 5:47.
Our Lord, however, does not stop at the book of Moses, but goes on further to recognize the rest of the Old Testament. "And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." Luke 24:27. Later in the same chapter, He said, "All things must be fulfilled, which were written in the Law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning Me." Luke 24:44. R.A. Torrey states that, "The Jews divided the Old Testament into three parts—the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms—and Christ takes up each of these parts and sets His stamp of authority upon it." John N. Darby said, "Christ owned, then, what we call the Old Testament, and owned it as we and the Jews have it." Taking a quote from W. Kelly, we see that, "divine authority belongs equally to both the Old and New Testaments. Its authority is because God speaks in both through His instruments.”
You may ask, what composes the Scriptures? Our English Bible is composed of sixty-six books, thirty-nine of the Old Testament, and twenty-seven comprising the New. Although the Bible was written by many different writers (some thirty in number), and at different times, it is complete in the full sense of the word. The life span of many writers did not reach into that of another. Some books were written hundreds of years apart. Yet, the plan, unity, theme, completeness, and freshness of Scripture are clearly seen.
It must be acknowledged that the order in which the books appear in our Bible is very remarkable. Some regard it as having been divinely overruled, for there seem to be distinct traces of design in the arrangement, which it is not only impossible to ignore, but which is in itself a constant source of admiration and wonder to the thoughtful Bible student. Sidney Collet testifies that, "the more the Scriptures are studied, the more one is convinced that they are self-contained and absolutely complete, revealing a perfect plan throughout." Mr. Collet also goes on to say that:
The Bible is certainly a complete organism. For on a careful study it is found to contain in itself a well considered plan throughout, showing that each part belongs to, and contributes toward the beauty and perfection of the whole, the correspondence of its various parts, each to the other being strikingly apparent, the whole being pervaded in every part by the Spirit of Life, and manifesting in itself such completeness, that no single part can be dispensed with while there is neither need nor room for any additional part or parts.
In fact, it is most significant that the Bible contains three solemn warnings against any attempt to add or detract from the words of God, and this significance is greatly enhanced by the fact that the first of such warnings was written by the first of all writers of the Scripture. The second warning is found near the middle of the Book, while the third was written by the last of the writers. These references are important and worth looking at. "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it." Deut. 4:2. "Add thou not unto His words, lest He reprove thee." Prov. 30:6. "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: 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." Rev. 22:18, 19.
Upon further discovery, the Holy Scriptures are found to have a theme. What is its theme? Mr. Snell says. "The one grand absorbing and paramount subject throughout is Jesus, the Son of God, who is Lord of all and the Savior of sinners that believe." He goes on to say:
The bright line which runs from Genesis to Revelation, and gives the whole Book a unity which nothing else could, is its testimony to infinite glory of the Person of the Son, the eternal efficacy of His one sacrifice for sin, His moral worth and excellency beyond all thought, and the glorious offices in our account He now sustains, as well as His glories yet to be revealed.
A. J. Pollock goes on further to state in his book, Why I Believe the Bible:
The whole of the Scriptures revolve around the Person of the Son of God. The Pentateuch gives us the figures of Christ, the Psalms, the feelings of Christ, the Prophets, the foretellings of Christ, the Gospels, the facts of Christ, the Epistles, the fruits of Christ, and Revelation, the final judgment of Christ.
Indeed, when we come to see that the Book testifies of this wonderful Person, and the Person testifies of the Book, and that these testimonies stand or fall together, it must be concluded that we either must receive both the Book and the Person, or refuse both the Book and the Person. There is not any middle ground. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1. It is shown in this verse that both the Book and the Person are interwoven, as they are one.
The pages of this wonderful book are alive and fresh. Scripture though old, is always new. It carries with it a freshness and power to the heart and conscience as no other book does. All the changes in the world and in mankind never seem to affect it. This is surely not true of any other book. The Bible is the only book that we do not judge; it judges us. If this book were written by man, it certainly would not condemn mankind, but tend to exalt the human race.
You may ask, “If the Bible is God's book, why didn't He write it in plain language so an ordinary person could understand it”? According to H.E. Hayhoe, "There is nothing in Scripture contrary to reason, yet it does contain what is beyond reason, and must necessarily do so, because it comes from God." The Bible is the only book that the natural man cannot understand. "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." 1 Cor. 2:14. Again quoting from H.E. Hayhoe, "This book teaches a religion of faith, not reason, for reason can never travel beyond the realm of ideas—facts are always the fruit of testimony or experience." The Apostle Paul could say with certainty, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day." 2 Tim. 1:12. It presents the truth of salvation simply enough for a child, yet contains heights and depths for the meditation and instruction of the most spiritual believer. "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Matt. 18:3.
It has been said that the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed, and the New Testament is the Old revealed. A quote from A. J. Pollock will bear this out:
So it is with the Old Testament in relation to the New. For instance, the prophecies of the Old Testament in relation to the coming of Christ into the world, the place and manner of His birth, His life, His death, His resurrection, are all answered in the New Testament, with their fulfillment to the very letter. Again the sacrifices, sin offerings, burnt offerings and peace offerings, offered century after century on Jewish altars were prophetic in their character. They emphasized that there is no approach to God except through the offering up of the life of a victim, spotless and without blemish.
“Without shedding of blood is no remission." Heb. 9:22. "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7. Again and again, New Testament scriptures fulfill Old Testament scriptures.
Prophecy is a very deep and complicated subject, and it is not the writer's purpose to enter into it very deeply in this paper, but only to cite those events which stand out.
He was to be born in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2.) Fulfillment: Luke 2:4-6.
He was to be sold for thirty pieces of silver (Zech. 11:12.) Fulfillment: Matt. 26:14,15.
He was to be born of a virgin (Isa. 7:14.) Fulfillment: Matt. 1:18-25.
His hands and His feet were to be pierced (Psa. 22:16.) Fulfillment: John 20:24-29.
His side was to be pierced (Zech. 12:10.) Fulfillment: John 19:34-37.
His garments were to be divided among the soldiers who crucified Him, and for His vesture they cast lots (Psa. 22:18.) Fulfillment: John 19:23, 24.
They were to give Him gall and vinegar as He hung on the cross (Psa. 69:21.) Fulfillment: Matt. 27:34.
He was to be buried in a rich man's tomb (Isa. 53:9.) Fulfillment: Matt. 27:57-60.
Today, the Scriptures have been translated into thousands of languages and are being carried to every corner of the globe. All types and conditions of men come under its influence; men of high degree and lowly birth, men whose skin is white or brown or black—all come under the mighty influence of the Book of books. No other book in the world can boast of an influence like this.
Scripture itself furnishes a test from which it emerges triumphant. In the Gospel of Matthew we read of this test:
Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Matt. 7:17-20.
There could be no finer test than this. The fruit of the Bible is good and only good, for wherever a life is molded by the Word of God you get purity, honesty, truthfulness, goodness, and kindness.
Words carry a peculiar weight when an opponent of Christianity pays tribute to the Bible. The late Professor Thomas W. Huxley, a declared agnostic said:
I have always been strongly in favor of secular education without theology, but I must confess that I have been no less seriously perplexed to know by what practical measures the religious feeling which is the essential basis of moral conduct, is to be kept up in the utterly chaotic state of opinion on these matters without the use of the Bible.
What a tribute to the Book of books! When an enemy of Christianity can write like this, it constitutes a more powerful testimony to the Bible than could be rendered by even the best of its friends.
Is there still a question in the mind of the reader as to whether or not the Bible is without doubt the Word of God? Surely, if we have not the words of God, we have no basis for faith, and must therefore, be tossed about with irremediable uncertainty. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." Rom. 10:17. But we are not left in this state; having divinely given communications, we have on their authority divinely given certainty as to eternal salvation. By it also we have present assurance, founded on the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ, that our sins are forgiven, that we have eternal life, that we are the children of God, and that we shall not come into judgment.
“To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins." Acts 10:43. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3:36. "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." Gal. 3:26. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." Rom. 8:1.
What precious promises these are, and the reader may now, too, know that he has the present assurance of eternal life. If you have never read the Bible before, you have surely missed much. It would greatly enrich you to unfold its pages and discover its many hidden treasures. "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." 2 Cor. 4:3, 4. As was previously mentioned, as the proof of good cooking is in its eating, so the proof of the Bible is in the reading of it, and that in a spirit of submission. Oh that you, too, may be able to say as the Psalmist of old, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart." Psa. 119:11. You may now be able to trace out the subject further for yourself, and thus discover whether what has been stated is according to the Word of God. "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." 1 Thess. 5:21. B. Christensen