Verbally Inspired
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin ArticlesThe Bible claims that it is verbally inspired (2 Timothy 3:16). The Greek word translated “inspired” is theopneustos from (Theos, “God,” pneo, “to breathe”). This means that the very words of the Bible narrative are from God. In 2 Samuel 23:2, David declared: “The Spirit of Jehovah spake by me, And his word was upon my tongue.”
Here David affirms: (a) He has been used as a instrument of the Spirit; (b) The ultimate source of the message was God; (c) The divine message was presented by words. Though David’s tongue was used, in reality, the word was God’s. In Acts 1:16, Peter states that the Holy Spirit spoke through the mouth of David concerning Judas’ betrayal of Jesus (Psalm 41:9)
We are told in 2 Peter 1:21 that various men, chosen by God to be the human instruments to reveal His will through the written word, wrote as they were guided by the Holy Spirit. They did not write what they “thought” God said. These men did not pen what they “wished” God said; neither did they write what they “thought” God “ought” to have said. They wrote exactly what God wanted them to write.
Because the Bible is verbally inspired of God, it is the powerful medium (Romans 1:16; Hebrews 4:12) through which mankind is to be convicted of their sins (Acts 2:37) and converted to Christ and His church (Acts 2:41,47). Let us as faithful brethren continue to preach and teach God’s inspired and powerful word to the spiritually lost (2 Timothy 4:2; Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16).