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Scripture: Isaiah 55:6-11
C.I.: God's Word is Inspir(ing)ed
Today we are beginning a new series… - People place various amounts of
weight on the Bible. – Yet the question must not rest on, “How important
is the Bible to me?” but, “How important is it to God?!”
Faith (God/Bible) = 3-legged stool requiring; Evidence (external & internal) & willingness
to believe, ( Matt. 28:11-13 ), “…some of the guard
came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened…”
• “All Scripture is Inspired by God….”
• Views of Inspiration
• Man's (unfounded) Views of Inspiration…
• Illumination View: Pious men of old received religious insight
(Moses, David, Luther, etc.)
• Intuition View: Various men “understood” truths needed for their day & time
• However, what was true at one time - may not be true for
today.
• Demythologizing View: Bible has been embellished by legends
and the kernel must be found.
• Ultimately, this view leaves nothing to be believed (ex:
The Jesus Seminar).
• Verbal Dictation: God, like a boss, dictates a letter and
the writer is nothing more than His steno
• You will notice: in 2 of these views God does everything – in
the other 2 – man does everything!
• God's (proper) View of Interpretation:
• God's part:
• ( Quote II Tim. 3:16 ): Inspired = God-breathed, i.e.,
God was very active in inspiration
• ( Matt. 5:18 ), “For truly I say to
you, until heaven and earth shall pass away, not the smallest letter
or stroke shall pass away from the law until all is fulfilled.”
• Letter: ' ( yod = Hebrew);
Stroke: _________ (Hebrew)
• Therefore, the end result is EXACTLY how God intended it
to be!
• Man's Part:
• God used each writer's style and vocabulary in their writings – ( Lk.
1:1-2), “In as much as many have undertaken to compile an
account of the things accomplished among us, just as they were handed
down to us by those who were eye-witnesses [ autoptai – autopsy] .” – Luke
was a physician, so he understood the value of autopsy . (only time used
in scripture!)
• The men would also investigate the things given to them – ( Lk.
1:3 ), “…it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated
everything carefully from the beginning….”
• The Means of Inspiration
• Old Testament Inspiration
• “Thus saith the Lord” (or phrases like this) – appear
over 200 times in the Old Testament.
• ( Ex. 20:1 ), “Then the Lord spoke all
these words, saying…” [10 Commandments].
• ILLUST.: Other O.T. passages where the Bible claims
inspiration…!
• Not only did God speak to the prophets, - but He also told
them to write down their words.
• ( Ex. 34:27 ), “Then the Lord said to
Moses, ‘Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I
have made a covenant with you and with Israel.”
• New Testament Inspiration
• Inspiration begins with the Holy Spirit being promised to
the apostles…
• ( Jn. 14:26 ), “The Helper, the Holy
Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things,
and will bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
• The apostles were too immature to understand all they would
later need to know, e.g., ( Acts 1:6-7 ), “…they were
asking Him, saying, ‘Lord, is it at this time You are restoring….”
• ILLUST.: Inspiration begins with God
• The Holy Spirit revealed the word/will of God to the apostles…
• ( I Cor. 2:12 ), “Now we have received,
not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that
we might know the things freely given to us by God, which things….”
• ( Eph. 3:3, 5 ), “By revelation there
was made known to me the mystery… which in other generations was not
made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to….”
• ILLUST.: The Holy Spirit inspired the apostles
• The apostles imparted the spiritual gift of prophecy to the
prophets by the laying on of hands…
• ( Acts 8:17-18 ), “Then they [Peter & John] began
laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.
Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on
of the apostles' hands, he offered them money….”
• ( Acts 19:6 ), “And when Paul laid his
hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began speaking
with other tongues and prophesying.”
• ILLUST.: Prophets received the Holy Spirit through
laying on of the apostles' hands.
• The apostles and prophets then wrote the words of God and
we can read them…
• God's word could teach - ( Eph. 3:3-5 ), “By
revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before
in brief. By referring to this, when you read you can understand
my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations
was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to
His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit.”
• ILLUST: The inspired writers (apostles/prophets)
wrote what they received from God!
• The Purpose of the Inspired Word is to Change People's
Lives…
• …according to the words of Jesus
• ( Jn. 8:30-31 ), “If you abide in My
word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall….”
• (Jn. 12:48 ), “He who rejects Me and
does not receive My sayings has one who judges him….”
• …according to the words of the apostles
• ( Jms. 1:21 ), “…in humility receive
the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.”
• ( II Thess. 3:14 ), “If anyone does
not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person
and do not associate with them, so that he will be put to shame.”
CONCLUSIONS:
1. Based on the internal evidence given to us through the Bible – we
have to conclude that the book we
are hold on our laps – was conceived in the mind of God – and He has given
it to us!
2. Based on this thought – the Bible is not only inspired – but it is
inspiring to consider we have this
incredible gift which has been given to us by God Himself!!!
a. ( I Jn. 1:3 ), “What we have seen and heard we
proclaim to you also, so that you may have
fellowship with us; indeed, our fellowship is with the Father, and with His
Son Jesus Christ.”
• ( Mark 16:15-16 ), “Go into all the
world and proclaim the gospel to all creation….”
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