(2 Timothy 3:16) All scripture is given by the inspiration of GOD (God-breathed”), and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. This is scripture’s most important statement about itself, meaning that scripture is the product of God’s creative breath. Therefore, being God’s own utterance, it is properly called “the WORD of God.”
The absolute authority of the Bible over our lives is based in our conviction that this Book does not merely contain the Word of God, but that it is the Word of God in its sum and its parts. This text testifies to this, describing the actual process of this inspiration (inbreathing of life):
1) It is the word of the Holy Spirit. Theopneustos (Greek), trans-lated “inspiration of God,” literally means “God-breathed.” This describes the source of the whole Bible’s derivation (that is, “all Scripture”) as transcendent of human inspiration. The Bible is not the product of elevated human consciousness or enlightened human intellect, but is directly “breathed” from God Himself.
2) 2 Peter 1:20, 21 elaborates this truth, and adds that none of what was given was merely the private opinion of the writer (v.20) and that each writer involved in the production of the Holy Scriptures was “moved by” (literally,” being borne along”) The Holy Spirit.
Listen Friends, this does not mean that the writers were merely robots, seized upon by God’s power to write automatically without their conscious participation. God does not override those gifts of intellect and sensitivity that He has given His creatures. (Beware of all instances where individuals claim to “automatically” write anything at any time, for the Holy Spirit never functions that way.)
3) 1 Cor. 2: 10-13 expands on this process by which the revelation of the Holy Scriptures was given. V. 13 says that even the word used in the giving of the Bible (not just the ideas, but the precise terminology) were planned by the Holy Spirit, who deployed the respective authors of the Bible books to write, “comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (literally, “matching spiritual words to spiritual ideas”. This biblical view of the bible’s derivation is called the plenary verbal inspiration of the Scriptures, meaning every word is inspired by the Holy Spirit of God.
Playwright Janet Irene Thomas
Founder/Chairman/CEO
Bible Stories Theatre of
Fine & Performing Arts
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