Inspired Scriptures? Especially Evangelical perspective

[~Anastasia~]

2 Tim. 3:16
All Scripture is inspired by God [God-breathed] and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;



1. What does it mean that Scripture is inspired?

2. How did God inspire those who wrote the Scriptures - what did it look like and what process did He use?

3. Since they are inspired, does that also mean the Scriptures must necessarily be inerrant?

4. What are the "Scriptures" mentioned here - OT, NT, both? Why do you think so?



I realize these questions are likely to be hotly debated, but I am particularly interested in the Evangelical understanding of what "inspired" means and just how God inspired the writers of Scripture.

I'd like to get as many points of view as possible, particularly from Evangelicals. And I don't mind discussion - it might even be fruitful - but please try to remember we are all brothers and sisters in Christ and be respectful of one another.

Thanks everyone.

 

[Percivale]

Paul quoted Jesus words as scripture it appears 'the laborer is worthy of his hire.' OT was probably main meaning of scripture then, not all the NT was written yet (at least if Paul actually wrote Timothy, many scholars doubt that). Hebrews says God spoke by the prophets in 'various ways,' so inspiration is not the exact same process in every case. I don't think inspiration implies inerrancy necessarily; God may have given a prophet a message or vision, which the prophet wrote in his own words with some of his own views influencing that. The result would still be worthy of our belief, as it would be mostly divine and the rest from a righteous, wise man.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Hmmmm. Thank you very much for your reply.

Good point about the OT/NT.

Thanks especially for bringing up the "various ways" ... I want to go back and re-read that in context, but it's a very good point.

I also like your pov about inerrancy. Thank you for mentioning that. It's a related question but I had forgotten to ask it. I think I'll go back and add it to the list of questions.

Thanks very much for your reply!

 

[Johnnz]

It does not imply some kind of 'divine dictation'.

God ensured that His acts, purposes and communications were given to us in sucha way that we can rely on them to have a meaningful, reasonable, reliable relationship with Him. God worked through people. As each author was motivated and gathered information when compiling each document there was a Divine oversight in selection, arrangement, themes and genres.

I find the concept of inerrancy somewhat redundant, but I accept the Spirit-inspired reliability of the Scriptures, which we understand as inspiration.

John
NZ

 

[BobRyan]

2 Tim. 3:16
All Scripture is inspired by God [God-breathed] and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;



1. What does it mean that Scripture is inspired?

2. How did God inspire those who wrote the Scriptures - what did it look like and what process did He use?

3. Since they are inspired, does that also mean the Scriptures must necessarily be inerrant?

4. What are the "Scriptures" mentioned here - OT, NT, both? Why do you think so?



I realize these questions are likely to be hotly debated, but I am particularly interested in the Evangelical understanding of what "inspired" means and just how God inspired the writers of Scripture.

I'd like to get as many points of view as possible, particularly from Evangelicals. And I don't mind discussion - it might even be fruitful - but please try to remember we are all brothers and sisters in Christ and be respectful of one another.

Thanks everyone.

The Bible is inspired by God - as even Peter said in 2 Peter 1:19-20 "Holy men of old moved by the Holy Spirit - spoke from God"

And in Mark 7:6-13 Christ calls scripture "the Word of God".

As Peter points out in 2Peter 3 - the writings of Paul were being accepted at that time as scripture - but they did not start off with all 27 books of the NT from the cross onward - they upheld the text of scripture even as they were adding to it - and reading what they added.

And at no point did they hesitate to "study the scriptures daily to SEE IF those things spoken to them by the Apostle Paul were so" Acts 17:11

in Christ,

Bob

 

[BobRyan]

It does not imply some kind of 'divine dictation'.

God ensured that His acts, purposes and communications were given to us in sucha way that we can rely on them to have a meaningful, reasonable, reliable relationship with Him.

True enough.

God's Word is reliable, accurate, and a trustworthy account of actual miracles, of actual history, of actual doctrine being taught by real saints in real time.

And it is for that reason that mankind is held accountable.

It is because the Word is so reliable, so trust worthy, so readily available for each person to read - that each one is held accountable.

And the Jewish people could not 'blame their priests' when they rejected Christ as if God was going to say "well ok - your priest did not tell you the truth and you were not about to read the Bible for yourself -- so OK".

in Christ,

Bob

 

[Restoresmysoul]

Jesus said that the OT scripture spoke about Him so for this reason the scripture are very useful. Paul teaches us that all scripture is profitable for doctrine. Paul also teaches us that the things that were preciously written in the OT scripture were written for us, that we may have hope and comfort in them, he also says that those things previously written are examples for us that we shouldn't lust after evil things.

Paul teaches us that the word of God is the sword of the spirit, its part of Gods armor that He has given us to wear, and Jesus demonstrated this in Mathew chapter 4.

 

[concretecamper]

2 Tim. 3:16
All Scripture is inspired by God [God-breathed] and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;



1. What does it mean that Scripture is inspired?

2. How did God inspire those who wrote the Scriptures - what did it look like and what process did He use?

3. Since they are inspired, does that also mean the Scriptures must necessarily be inerrant?

4. What are the "Scriptures" mentioned here - OT, NT, both? Why do you think so?



I realize these questions are likely to be hotly debated, but I am particularly interested in the Evangelical understanding of what "inspired" means and just how God inspired the writers of Scripture.

I'd like to get as many points of view as possible, particularly from Evangelicals. And I don't mind discussion - it might even be fruitful - but please try to remember we are all brothers and sisters in Christ and be respectful of one another.

Thanks everyone.

Paul is telling Timothy the OT scriptures are inspired. How could his advise include the NT?

 

[Restoresmysoul]

Paul is telling Timothy the OT scriptures are inspired. How could his advise include the NT?

Allow me, please. We all know that the NT is surely inspired scripture. If it were not so then we would be denying Christs authority that is recorded at the end of Mathew, the great commission. These men are Apostles and Prophets. Surely it is scripture.

And Peter seems to suggest the same thing.

2 Peter 3:16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

 

[concretecamper]

Allow me, please. We all know that the NT is surely inspired scripture. If it were not so then we would be denying Christs authority that is recorded at the end of Mathew, the great commission. These men are Apostles and Prophets. Surely it is scripture.

And Peter seems to suggest the same thing.

2 Peter 3:16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

I agree the NT scriptures are inspired. However 2 Tim is not a valid proof.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

2 Tim. 3:16
All Scripture is inspired by God [God-breathed] and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
1. What does it mean that Scripture is inspired?
2. How did God inspire those who wrote the Scriptures - what did it look like and what process did He use?
3. Since they are inspired, does that also mean the Scriptures must necessarily be inerrant?
4. What are the "Scriptures" mentioned here - OT, NT, both? Why do you think so?
I realize these questions are likely to be hotly debated, but I am particularly interested in the Evangelical understanding of what "inspired" means and just how God inspired the writers of Scripture.
I'd like to get as many points of view as possible, particularly from Evangelicals. And I don't mind discussion - it might even be fruitful - but please try to remember we are all brothers and sisters in Christ and be respectful of one another.
Thanks everyone.

when the Father in heaven gives/reveals knowledge of truth to His Own, ekklesia, ecclesia, disciples, little ones, born again ones, new creations,
He reveals the same truth to all of them.

Yhvh is Perfect. Yhvh never contradicts Himself. Yhvh never violates nor contradicts Scripture. but man does all the time.

 

[~Anastasia~]

It does not imply some kind of 'divine dictation'.

God ensured that His acts, purposes and communications were given to us in sucha way that we can rely on them to have a meaningful, reasonable, reliable relationship with Him. God worked through people. As each author was motivated and gathered information when compiling each document there was a Divine oversight in selection, arrangement, themes and genres.

I find the concept of inerrancy somewhat redundant, but I accept the Spirit-inspired reliability of the Scriptures, which we understand as inspiration.

John
NZ

Thanks, I appreciate your answer.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Paul is telling Timothy the OT scriptures are inspired. How could his advise include the NT?

I was curious to see what kinds of answers I would get. It's more of a survey.

 

[~Anastasia~]

The Bible is inspired by God - as even Peter said in 2 Peter 1:19-20 "Holy men of old moved by the Holy Spirit - spoke from God"

And in Mark 7:6-13 Christ calls scripture "the Word of God".

As Peter points out in 2Peter 3 - the writings of Paul were being accepted at that time as scripture - but they did not start off with all 27 books of the NT from the cross onward - they upheld the text of scripture even as they were adding to it - and reading what they added.

And at no point did they hesitate to "study the scriptures daily to SEE IF those things spoken to them by the Apostle Paul were so" Acts 17:11

in Christ,

Bob

Thank you for your reply, BobRyan.

 

[Restoresmysoul]

I agree the NT scriptures are inspired. However 2 Tim is not a valid proof.

Yes, i must agree.

 

[Standing Up]

2 Tim. 3:16
All Scripture is inspired by God [God-breathed] and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;



1. What does it mean that Scripture is inspired?

2. How did God inspire those who wrote the Scriptures - what did it look like and what process did He use?

3. Since they are inspired, does that also mean the Scriptures must necessarily be inerrant?

4. What are the "Scriptures" mentioned here - OT, NT, both? Why do you think so?



I realize these questions are likely to be hotly debated, but I am particularly interested in the Evangelical understanding of what "inspired" means and just how God inspired the writers of Scripture.

I'd like to get as many points of view as possible, particularly from Evangelicals. And I don't mind discussion - it might even be fruitful - but please try to remember we are all brothers and sisters in Christ and be respectful of one another.

Thanks everyone.

A similar, but more revealing verse is Heb 1:1-2.

Heb 1:1
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Heb 1:2
Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

OT-God to prophets (overlap with "poetic")
NT-Christ to apostles (overlap w/ associates (Luke, Mark))

This theme of "inspired writing" via OT prophets and NT apostles is also found at Eph. 2:20 and 2 Peter 3:2.

God "moved" them to write.

Paul was referencing the OT and the NT (he was penning his final book, though the final book of the NT was yet to come via John).

PS. The antitypes are OT false prophets and NT false teachers (no more apostolic eyewitnesses). 2 Peter 2:1

 

[~Anastasia~]

A similar, but more revealing verse is Heb 1:1-2.

Heb 1:1
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Heb 1:2
Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

OT-God to prophets (overlap with "poetic")
NT-Christ to apostles (overlap w/ associates (Luke, Mark))

This theme of "inspired writing" via OT prophets and NT apostles is also found at Eph. 2:20 and 2 Peter 3:2.

God "moved" them to write.

Paul was referencing the OT and the NT (he was penning his final book, though the final book of the NT was yet to come via John).

PS. The antitypes are OT false prophets and NT false teachers (no more apostolic eyewitnesses). 2 Peter 2:1

Thank you for your reply.

 

[Nanopants]

I prefer to let scripture speak for itself here if I can.

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. -2 Cor 12:2

No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. -John 3:13

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. -1 John 3:2

So I said:
“Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King,
The LORD of hosts.” -Isa 6:5

So here it seems that Isaiah, a prophet, would have been able to identify with what the New Testament authors wrote, meaning he had some form of contact with the Son of Man, probably not unlike the following:

At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. -John 14:20

The sayings of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings which are given by one Shepherd. -Ecc 12:11

And the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD for the potter. -Zec 11:13

I've heard that the largest living organism on earth is actually a grove of trees interconnected through their roots somewhere in North Western America. I wouldn't go so far as to say that it's a perfect analogy, but if you look carefully, it appears that the Son has been around, and that there is a kind conversation going on throughout the scripture which is kind of, over one's head, among the tallest of the trees so to speak. I know that seems strange but, if we're saved for good works, salvation is not of works, and He is our righteousness, then who is it that's really doing the works if not the Son in us?

 

[Restoresmysoul]

I know that seems strange but, if we're saved for good works, salvation is not of works, and He is our righteousness, then who is it that's really doing the works if not the Son in us?

Perhaps we can say that we only do good because Christ commanded us to do good, so we cannot boast in our works because we needed to be commanded instead of doing them by ourselves. I'm sure there is more to it than this, but this is how i try to give Glory to God in all ways, or perhaps how i try to understand it. Even His command is His, its not ours, and those commands are His ways, not ours. So if we do anything He commands then the Glory is all His, and perhaps He even gives us the faith to believe.



Isaiah 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

 

[Nanopants]

Perhaps we can say that we only do good because Christ commanded us to do good, so we cannot boast in our works because we needed to be commanded instead of doing them by ourselves. I'm sure there is more to it than this, but this is how i try to give Glory to God in all ways, or perhaps how i try to understand it. Even His command is His, its not ours, and those commands are His ways, not ours. So if we do anything He commands then the Glory is all His, and perhaps He even gives us the faith to believe.

Good question.

Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do?" Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." -John 6:28-35

Isaiah 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

One of my favorites ;]

Here's some more on that subject of a forest, starting with the bit from Isaiah which Jesus read in the assembly:

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,
Because the LORD has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD... -Isa 61:1,2

Here's a bit which He left out:

And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” -Verses 2,3