Christian Beliefs By T.H. Jamison

The Holy Scriptures are the authoritative, infallible revelation of God's character and will. Both the authority and the infallibility of this divine revelation come from the fact that the Bible is the word of God, the written expression of God's thoughts concerning man.[10]

Revelation communicated through the Scriptures is of little value to us unless we have the assurance that the written record is an accurate statement of what God desired to reveal to men. Consequently, both the revelation to the prophets and their writings were safeguarded so that we may have full confidence in the Scriptures as the word of God. The production of the original manuscripts of the Old and New Testaments was under divine supervision. Paul speaks of the writings as "given by inspiration of God." 2. Tim. 3:16. And Peter adds that the Holy Spirit was the member of the Godhead who actively worked with the prophets: "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2. Peter 1:21. This process of being "moved by the Holy Ghost" is called inspiration.[15]

We cannot give a complete definition of the process of inspiration because we do not know exactly how the Holy Spirit worked to accomplish His purposes through the writers. Nevertheless, by "inspiration" we mean that the Holy Spirit exercised control over the production of the original manuscripts of the Old and New Testaments. This control resulted in the Scriptures becoming for mankind an unerring and sufficient guide to salvation.

Scriptural Claims to Divine Inspiration

The Scriptures claim to be divinely inspired. Many of the writers affirm repeatedly that God was speaking through them. To the Christian, the weightiest testimony of all is that given by Jesus Christ concerning the Old Testament's inspiration.

1. The Testimony of the Old Testament.

The expressions, "the word of the Lord came," "thus saith the Lord," "the Lord said," or their equivalent appear more than 3,800 times in the OT. Ezekiel alone uses such terms more than 300 times. Perfection is claimed for the law and the testimony of God as given through the prophets:

"Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets." 2. Kings 17:13.

"The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple." Psalm 19:7.

Frequently one book recognizes the authority of another either by allusion or by direct quotation:

"Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest." Joshua 1:7.

"Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God." Ezra 3:2.

"And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel." Nehemiah 8:1.; See also Daniel 9:1,2,11,13; Zech. 7:12; Malachi 4:4.

David claimed:

"The spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue." 2. Samuel 23:2.{PP 366.3 to 367:0.}

2. The Testimony of Jesus Christ

The Saviour not only quoted frequently from the OT, but on a number of occasions He proclaimed His acceptance of what was written there. He said that He had not come to destroy "the law or the prophets." Mt. 5:17. He brought together from all parts of the OT - "in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms" - the prophecies concerning Himself, Lk. 24:44, 27.. His confidence in the moral law and the statutes of Moses is expressed in His words: "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Mt. 5:18. Jesus often referred to OT passages during His ministry. (Examples: Mt. 4:14; 11:10; 13:14; Lk. 22:37). One of the Saviour's strongest statements indicates that when men reject the writings of Moses they will inevitably reject His words, John 5:46,47.[30]

3. The Testimony of the NT writers.

Since the OT was the only Scripture known to the writers of the NT, most of the statements they made concerning inspiration referred to those writings. The frequency with which quotations from the OT are used throughout the NT reveals the high place that the earlier books held in the thought and teaching of the apostles and leaders of the early church. When Peter addressed the group of believers in the upper room before Pentecost, he said, "Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus." Acts 1:16.

Peter places the words of the OT prophets side by side with those of the apostles (2.Peter 3:2), and in the same chapter he classes Paul's writings with "the other scriptures." 2. Pt. 3:16. Paul says that his own messages were given through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2.Cor. 2:13), and that he wrote "the commandments of the Lord." 1.Cor. 14:37. The book of Hebrews is based on the premise that the OT is the inspired Word of God.

It is evident that the Bible writers were persuaded that the Lord was the source of their revelations, and that they wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The method by which the revelations were given is not described in detail; but out interest is primarily in the results of the work of God's Spirit rather than His methods.

Divine Revelation Written by Inspired Human Agents

In the Bible we find a blending of the human and the divine. Men received the revelation; men wrote the Book. Yet the Book is not the word of man, but the word of God. This is possible because the Spirit of God moved men to write - to record divine revelation in human language. The Bible writers describe the Spirit's influence in giving them the revelation and in prompting their messages as they spoke or wrote.[50]

Variety of Ways

Note the variety of ways in which the Spirit is said to have acted upon the prophets. Ezekiel speaks more frequently than any other prophet concerning his encounters with the Spirit. On can find more examples from the experiences of other Bible character.

"And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded: And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you." 2.Chr. 15:1,2.

"And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me." Eze. 2:2.

"And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy." Eze. 8:3.

"And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the Lord; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them." Eze. 11:5.

"So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll." Eze. 3:2.

"Then the spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet, and spake with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself within thine house." Eze. 3:24.

"The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones . . ." Eze. 37:1.

After the Spirit had given the divine revelation to the prophet, He prompted and guarded its delivery in either oral or written form.[70]

Read these scriptures:

"The spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue." 2.Sam 23:2.

"Yet the Lord testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets." 2.Kings 17:13.

"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual." 1.Cor. 2:12,13.

"For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 2.Pt. 1:21.

The word of God expressed by men.

The fact that the Holy Spirit was so closely associated with the giving and the passing on of God's messages does not imply that the prophets were used mechanically or that the words they spoke and wrote were dictated to them. On the other hand, the messages given the prophets were of such importance that their expression could not be left entirely to men without the guidance of the Holy Spirit. If men had been completely free to do as they chose in relaying the messages to us, we would have no assurance of their accuracy. Here, as in Christ, we find the mysterious blending of the human with the divine that is beyond our comprehension.[80]

God chose men, prepared them for His service, and through the Spirit guided them to write His word. The writers expressed themselves in their own style, at their own level of literary ability, and their writings revealed their individual personality. The words they used were their own; they drew on their personal background and experience.[90] The Spirit enlightened their mind, prompted their thinking, enlivened their memory, and directed their attention to matters to be recorded. Their methods of expression were characteristically their own, but at the same time the communications formed God's divine message to men. God chose to covey His thought through the prophets words. Thus the words of men became the word of God. These words, considered in their total context and in their natural sense in harmony with the usage of their day, teach the truth regarding God's character, His will, and His plan of salvation.

In this setting we can understand such expressions as: "Hear the words of the Lord" Joshua 3:9; "The word of our God" (Isa. 40:8); "He has despised the word of the Lord" (Num. 15:31); "The word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah" (Ezra 1:1); "I will make My words in thy mouth fire" (Jer. 5:14); and hundreds of other similar declarations. In some instances the prophets undoubtedly quoted the exact words of the Lord, but what they called "the word of the Lord" was not limited to direct quotations. The message of God, expressed in the words of the prophet under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, became the word of God.

For this reason the messenger called attention not only to the thought expressed, but often to the words in which it had been given.

Examples:

"Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say." Ex. 4:12.

Also review 1.Cor. 2:13; 2. Peter 3:2; and 2.Pt. 1:21.

In Paul's statement, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God . . ." (2.Tim. 3:16), the phrase "given by inspiration" means literally "God breathed." Scripture is God's thinking communicated to men. Consequently, it is ". . . profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 2.Tim. 3:16,17.

[10] Quote: "In His word, God has committed to men the knowledge necessary for salvation. The Holy Scriptures are to be accepted as an authoritative, infallible revelation of His will. They are the standard of character, the revealer of doctrines, and the test of experience. "Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness; that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.'" 2 Timothy 3:16, 17, R.V. {GC vii.1}

[15] Quote: "If God reproves His people through an individual, He does not leave the one corrected to guess at matters, and the message to become corrupted in reaching the person it is designed to correct. God gives the message and then takes especial care that it is not corrupted." {Letter 8, 1860, p. 17. (To Elder J. N. Andrews, June 11, 1860.) - Released January 16, 1975.; 6MR 333.1}

[30] Quote: "In teaching these disciples, Jesus showed the importance of the Old Testament as a witness to His mission. Many professed Christians now discard the Old Testament, claiming that it is no longer of any use. But such is not Christ's teaching. So highly did He value it that at one time He said, "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." Luke 16:31. {DA 799.1}
"The child Jesus did not receive instruction in the synagogue schools. His mother was His first human teacher. From her lips and from the scrolls of the prophets, He learned of heavenly things. The very words which He Himself had spoken to Moses for Israel He was now taught at His mother's knee. As He advanced from childhood to youth, He did not seek the schools of the rabbis. He needed not the education to be obtained from such sources; for God was His instructor." {DA 70.1}

[50] Quote: "The Bible points to God as its author; yet it was written by human hands; and in the varied style of its different books it presents the characteristics of the several writers. The truths revealed are all "given by inspiration of God" (2 Timothy 3:16); yet they are expressed in the words of men. The Infinite One by His Holy Spirit has shed light into the minds and hearts of His servants. He has given dreams and visions, symbols and figures; and those to whom the truth was thus revealed have themselves embodied the thought in human language. {GC v.3}
The Ten Commandments were spoken by God Himself, and were written by His own hand. They are of divine, and not of human composition. But the Bible, with its God-given truths expressed in the language of men, presents a union of the divine and the human. Such a union existed in the nature of Christ, who was the Son of God and the Son of man. Thus it is true of the Bible, as it was of Christ, that "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." John 1:14. {GC v.4}
"The union of the divine and the human, manifest in Christ, exists also in the Bible. The truths revealed are all "given by inspiration of God;" yet they are expressed in the words of men and are adapted to human needs. Thus it may be said of the Book of God, as it was of Christ, that "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." And this fact, so far from being an argument against the Bible, should strengthen faith in it as the word of God. Those who pronounce upon the inspiration of the Scriptures, accepting some portions as divine while they reject other parts as human, overlook the fact that Christ, the divine, partook of our human nature, that He might reach humanity. In the work of God for man's redemption, divinity and humanity are combined. {5T 747.1}

[70] Quote: "If God reproves his people through an individual he does not leave the one corrected to guess at matters, and the message become corrupt in reaching the person it is designed to correct. God gives the message and then takes especial care that it is not corrupted." {PH016 22.1}

[80] Quote: "God has been pleased to communicate His truth to the world by human agencies, and He Himself, by His Holy Spirit, qualified men and enabled them to do this work. He guided the mind in the selection of what to speak and what to write. The treasure was entrusted to earthen vessels, yet it is, nonetheless, from Heaven. The testimony is conveyed through the imperfect expression of human language, yet it is the testimony of God; and the obedient, believing child of God beholds in it the glory of a divine power, full of grace and truth. {GC vi.3}
In His word, God has committed to men the knowledge necessary for salvation. The Holy Scriptures are to be accepted as an authoritative, infallible revelation of His will. They are the standard of character, the revealer of doctrines, and the test of experience. "Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness; that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16, 17, R.V. {GC vii.1}

[90] Quote: "The Bible is not given to us in grand superhuman language. Jesus, in order to reach man where he is, took humanity. The Bible must be given in the language of men. Everything that is human is imperfect. Different meanings are expressed by the same word; there is not one word for each distinct idea. The Bible was given for practical purposes. {1SM 20.2}
The stamps of minds are different. All do not understand expressions and statements alike. Some understand the statements of the Scriptures to suit their own particular minds and cases. Prepossessions, prejudices, and passions have a strong influence to darken the understanding and confuse the mind even in reading the words of Holy Writ." {1SM 20.3}
The disciples traveling to Emmaus needed to be disentangled in their interpretation of the Scriptures. Jesus walked with them disguised, and as a man He talked with them. Beginning at Moses and the prophets He taught them in all things concerning Himself, that His life, His mission, His sufferings, His death were just as the Word of God had foretold. He opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures. How quickly He straightened out the tangled ends and showed the unity and divine verity of the Scriptures. How much men in these times need their understanding opened. {1SM 20.4}
The Bible is written by inspired men, but it is not God's mode of thought and expression. It is that of humanity. God, as a writer, is not represented. Men will often say such an expression is not like God. But God has not put Himself in words, in logic, in rhetoric, on trial in the Bible. The writers of the Bible were God's penmen, not His pen. Look at the different writers. {1SM 21.1}
It is not the words of the Bible that are inspired, but the men that were inspired. Inspiration acts not on the man's words or his expressions but on the man himself, who, under the influence of the Holy Ghost, is imbued with thoughts. But the words receive the impress of the individual mind. The divine mind is diffused. The divine mind and will is combined with the human mind and will; thus the utterances of the man are the word of God." [Manuscript 24, 1886 (written in Europe in 1886.] {1SM 21.2}

Quote: "Human minds vary. The minds of different education and thought receive different impressions of the same words, and it is difficult for one mind to give to one of a different temperament, education, and habits of thought by language exactly the same idea as that which is clear and distinct in his own mind. Yet to honest men, right-minded men, he can be so simple and plain as to convey his meaning for all practical purposes. If the man he communicates with is not honest and will not want to see and understand the truth, he will turn his words and language in everything to suit his own purposes. He will misconstrue his words, play upon his imagination, wrest them from their true meaning, and then entrench himself in unbelief, claiming that the sentiments are all wrong. {1SM 19.1}
The writers of the Bible had to express their ideas in human language. It was written by human men. These men were inspired of the Holy Spirit. Because of the imperfections of human understanding of language, or the perversity of the human mind, ingenious in evading truth, many read and understand the Bible to please themselves. It is not that the difficulty is in the Bible. Opposing politicians argue points of law in the statute book, and take opposite views in their application and in these laws. {1SM 19.3}
The Lord gave His word in just the way He wanted it to come. He gave it through different writers, each having his own individuality, though going over the same history. Their testimonies are brought together in one Book, and are like the testimonies in a social meeting. They do not represent things in just the same style. Each has an experience of his own, and this diversity broadens and deepens the knowledge that is brought out to meet the necessities of varied minds. The thoughts expressed have not a set uniformity, as if cast in an iron mold, making the very hearing monotonous. In such uniformity there would be a loss of grace and distinctive beauty. . . . {1SM 21.5}
The Creator of all ideas may impress different minds with the same thought, but each may express it in a different way, yet without contradiction. The fact that this difference exists should not perplex or confuse us. It is seldom that two persons will view and express truth in the very same way. Each dwells on particular points which his constitution and education have fitted him to appreciate. The sunlight falling upon the different objects gives those objects a different hue. {1SM 22.1}
Through the inspiration of His Spirit the Lord gave His apostles truth, to be expressed according to the development of their minds by the Holy Spirit. But the mind is not cramped, as if forced into a certain mold." {Letter 53, 1900. (1SM 22.2)}
The Lord Speaks in Imperfect Speech
The Lord speaks to human beings in imperfect speech, in order that the degenerate senses, the dull, earthly perception, of earthly beings may comprehend His words. Thus is shown God's condescension. He meets fallen human beings where they are. The Bible, perfect as it is in its simplicity, does not answer to the great ideas of God; for infinite ideas cannot be perfectly embodied in finite vehicles of thought. Instead of the expressions of the Bible being exaggerated, as many people suppose, the strong expressions break down before the magnificence of the thought, though the penman selected the most expressive language through which to convey the truths of higher education. Sinful beings can only bear to look upon a shadow of the brightness of heaven's glory." Letter 121, 1901. {1SM 22.3}