We have already been introduced to four views on the inspiration of the biblical content. Though each is compelling in its own way (and may be partially true), they all disagree with the Bible’s own definition of inspiration.
Partial Inspiration teaches that only sections of Scripture are inspired, but, as 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us, “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God.”
Degree Inspiration makes a similar mistake. It places certain portions of Scripture above others, holding that they are more inspired. But any portion that is less inspired is not truly inspired at all. Unless it is perfect, it is not from God.
Concept Inspiration removes inspiration from the individual words, rather claiming that the concepts alone are inspired. Yet how can inspired concepts be communicated through uninspired words and still give an inspired message? Inspiration must extend to each word if the final truths are to remain intact. And, in 1 Corinthians 2:13, Paul says, “These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” His specific words were not from man but from the Spirit. So we conclude that both the concepts and the words are divinely inspired.
Barthian Inspiration emphasizes Jesus as the Living Word, leaving the Written Word as an accessory in our relationship with Him. It says that, while the Bible may help us know Him, it is not a central part of our relationship with Him. And it is certainly not all true. But this, again, does not fit with Scripture’s testimony. Christ is the Living Word because He is the culmination of everything in the Written Word. We do not know Christ outside of the Bible, we know Him through the Bible. And, while this relationship must certainly extend to all of life, it begins when we rightly understand the Written Word.
So the question remains, what does the Bible teach about inspiration?
What does the Bible say?
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
Several words in these verses must weigh in on our discussion. First, “Scripture.” The Greek word here used typically refers to the Old Testament—the then accepted canon. When the New Testament writers used the word, they were referencing the entire known and accepted Word of God. It’s natural, then, for us to extend this statement to include the New Testament as well, since each piece that was added to the canon also gained the title of “Scripture.” So, this word refers to the entire Word of God—both Testaments.
“All” also shapes our understanding of inspiration. In inspiration, we do indeed have a flat Bible. All of the Bible is equally, fully inspired. Each Psalm, each historical account, each epistle is God-breathed. We use the term plenary inspiration to convey this truth (plenary = entire, total, complete1). All of the Bible—the entire canon—is inspired by God.
I’d like to clarify two things. First, remember that inspiration and relevance are not the same. The fact that portions are more life changing doesn’t mean those portions are more inspired. The Gospel of John and the writings of Nahum will not impact us equally. That doesn’t mean God was any less involved in Nahum’s writings than He was in John’s. Inspiration means God directed the process to make sure all of what we now hold is exactly as He wanted it to be. It means it should all be understood as from Him, given for our instruction.
Second, inspiration is not the same as truthfulness. Job contains faulty perspectives on God. Genesis records Satan’s lies. The gospels record a number of cases where the Jews distort Christ’s person and ministry. Inspiration means that the words are recorded accurately, not necessarily that every word is true. The same could be said for many Old Testament accounts. Just because the Bible records something an Israelite did doesn’t mean it is condoning his behavior, it simply tells us exactly what happened. That said, we must eagerly accept all of the Bible as truth unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
Returning to Timothy, the third word that deserves our attention is “theopneustos,” translated “inspiration of God.” A literal translation is “God-breathed.” This is really the core of the doctrine of inspiration—God breathed out Scripture. It is not man’s work; it is from God. He exhaled it. He wrote it. The Bible is not another book to collect dust on the shelf. It is categorically distinct, a level above every other book written since it is the only one written by God. When we read the Bible we hear directly from the Lord of the universe. We see His great work through history and His magnificent grace given in the gospel. The Bible is God’s Word to us.
For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21).
If we only had the 2 Timothy passage we could easily think that the Bible was simply penned by God, without any human involvement. Yet, as we read it we see definite marks of man’s participation. Peter tells us that the Holy Spirit moved, but also that men spoke. How these fit is sometimes difficult to understand (we’ve wrestled with that some already in this column). Charles Ryrie digs into the etymology to help us understand this a bit better.
The use of the same verb in Acts 27:15 illuminates our understanding of what is meant by “bearing” or “moving” the human writers. Just before the ship that was taking Paul to Rome was wrecked on the Island of Malta, it ran into a fierce storm. Though experienced men, the sailors could not guide it, so they finally had to let the wind take the shop wherever it blew. In the same manner as that ship was driven, directed, or carried about by the wind, God directed and moved the human writers He used to produce the books of the Bible. Though the wind was the strong force that moved the ship along, the sailors were not asleep and inactive. Similarly, the Holy Spirit was the guiding force that directed the writers who, nevertheless, played their own active roles in writing the Scriptures.2
We must maintain both the divine and human aspects of inspiration if we want to be faithful to what Scripture tells us about it. Peter lays these side by side in verse 21 (men spoke, the Holy Spirit moved) without attempting to reconcile them. That seeming contradiction leaves us with some questions, but, as with many similar issues, we must own our weakness and believe God’s word in simple faith. The Bible is trustworthy because it is from God; it is relatable because it is written by men. The Bible gives us both truths, so we believe them.3
The Biblical Doctrine of Inspiration
The Bible is the Word of God. Everything is exactly as God intended it to be. All of it is from Him. We see in it the various textures of humanity, but we also see God’s divine thread woven throughout. Our humble acceptance of the entire Bible as God’s Word is important for at least two reasons.
First, if we allow any compromise of the integrity of Scripture, who becomes the authority? Several of the other views we looked at (especially Partial Inspiration and Barthian Inspiration) question the plenary inspiration of Scripture and leave the reader to discern what does and does not qualify as Scripture. But then we are above the Bible rather than being subject to it. We determine what is and is not inspired. And, in that case, who is acting as God? We are. We choose where God is right and where He is wrong. We choose what is true and what is a lie. There’s a crucial switch when the entire inspiration of Scripture is compromised—we become the authority, not the Word of God.
Orthodox inspiration holds that God knows what He’s talking about, even when it doesn’t fit with what we think or understand. It believes that, whether or not it seems to make sense, the Bible is always right. Whether we’re dealing with science or history, it says that, since Scripture is from God—and God does not and cannot lie—the Bible will always be right. It leaves God and His Word in authority, choosing to bow to Him.
- “Plenary,” Merriam-Webster, accessed August 29, 2019, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plenary.
- Charles C. Ryrie, Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1999), 77.
- This does not mean that the Bible contradicts itself. It does mean that we often don’t have the capacity to fully understand a God who is infinitely greater than we are.