When we think about inspiration, we
often think of something along the lines of, “I feel so inspired…” But biblical
inspiration is not about feeling. It is about history and reality.
With regard to the text of
Scripture, inspiration means that through the influence of the Holy Spirit, the
writings of God-selected persons (prophets) are also the trustworthy and
authoritative Word of God. Inspiration has to do with this influence, describing
the process whereby the breath of God—his spiration—works
through his prophets, making their written words his Word.
The family of terms translated
“breath” in the New Testament, namely, pneuma
and related terms, is used concerning the creation the universe (Genesis 1:2)
and of humanity (Genesis 6:17) in the Greek version of the Old Testament. God
spoke, and the universe became. God breathed into the human's nostrils, and he
became a living being. God breathed into the writings of the prophets, making
those written words the very Word of God.
Because the Scripture, this written
text, is breathed by God, it has value for our growth as persons in community
in Christ. The prophets understood they were writing the words of God. They
understood inspiration and their part in it. They communicated this each time
they used the phrase, “This is what Yahweh says.”
Feeling moved, awed, or convicted in
response to Scripture is good. It is important to feel the feelings rather than
set them aside as useless or analyze them into non-existence. But feelings are
not the foundation of faith. Truth is. And the inspired Word of God is our
primary source of the truth about God. Feelings must not be the filter through
which we select which biblical passages are authoritative and which we set
aside. The entire Bible is authoritative.
Biblical truth, gleaned from the
entire Bible, is a sure foundation. It is always worth our intellectual,
emotional, and behavioral engagement. Know the truth. Feel the feelings. Do
God's work.
Sources
2 Peter 1:16-21
1 Peter 1:10-12
1 Corinthians 14:36-40
2 Peter 3:14-18
C. F. H. Henry. Bible, Inspiration of. Ed. Elwell, W. A. (2001). In Evangelical dictionary of theology: Second Edition (pp. 159–163). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
