Do You Believe In The Full Verbal (Word) Inspiration of the Bible?
Do you believe in the full verbal (Word) inspiration of the Bible? This is a valid question that we aim to answer. First, why is it important? First, if God did not inspire the full text of the Bible, then it must be a document of man. A document created by man is subject to change, whether it be by amendment or destruction. The United States Constitution reflects the former. There are amendments (27 in all) that have modified some aspects of American life in the nation's history. Some manmade documents have been destroyed. On December 25, 1993, the current Russian Federation constitution took effect, destroying the constitution of the former Soviet Union. Clearly, with civil law, it can be changed by the Supreme Court or destroyed by force.
We must also consider the consequences of not having a verbally inspired Word of God as our supreme law. If the Bible is not inspired, then it is manmade and subject to change. If that is the case, then the Bible is fallible and has no authority in matters of faith and practice. This would, as noted above, make the document amenable or subject to revocation when man is ready for a change. For our purposes, we are going to focus on the internal evidence of the Divine inspiration of the text.
God is the Source of Truth
The God of Heaven has provided mankind with truth, and it is found in His inspired Word. I want to remind you of the words of Jesus as He prayed for His disciples in John 17:17, “Sanctify them in the truth: thy word is truth.” The standard of truth is plainly the Word of God. In fact, the Scriptures make it clear that these words proceed from His mouth. “But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matt 4:4). It is God that breathed out every Word that we have in our Bibles. It is written, “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 Tim 3:16-17).
God has made it clear that He doesn't have to have a man’s interpretation. “For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). The Bible student must approach the Word of God with this at the forefront of his mind. When we do this, we realize there is no special knowledge that is peculiar to any individual or group of individuals. Rather, God is able and willing to equip the student with the knowledge necessary for life and godliness (cf. 2 Peter 1:2-3).
Some Examples of the Precision of God’s Word
The Bible is verbally inspired. God is responsible for every word that is included in the Holy Writ. The Bible is a perfect, complete, word-for-word, Divinely inspired text. The only such text that exists in the world. How did God do it?
God’s superintendence extends even to the words of the writer. Paul based his argument on a plural noun, and insisted that God intended the word to be understood in the singular sense (Galatians 3:16). Jesus based on the precise verbal form of Scripture (John 10:34). He based His point on a particular word in Matthew 22:43, on a particular tense in Matthew 22:32, and even on the letters and their strokes in Matthew 5:17-18. Paul also affirmed verbal inspiration in 1 Corinthians 2. He claimed that his speech and his preaching were not “words of human wisdom” (vs. 4). Rather, his words were “in demonstration of the Spirit. (Butt and Miller, xi)
If God is the selector of every word included in the Bible, then we must understand Him as the originator, the author, the editor, and perfector of the complete text.
The Bible Claims Inspiration
The Bible is replete with evidence supporting the fact that God is the source of Scripture. The text rightfully claims this to be true. The book of Leviticus is often overlooked by many Christians and picked apart by skeptics. However, that book alone affirms who is speaking more than any other book of the Bible. Eighteen chapters of Leviticus begin with the words: The Lord said to Moses. Is there any question as to who is the source of the writing there? Jeremiah also recorded, “Then Jehovah put forth His hand, and touched my mouth; and Jehovah said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth” (Jeremiah 1:9). Similarly, 2 Samuel 23:2 reads, “The Spirit of Jehovah spake by me, And His word was upon my tongue.” The reader would also find similar statements in New Testament passages such as 1 Cor. 2:9-13; 1 Thess. 2:13.
Worth Our Consideration
If God was able to deliver the law unto Moses, and He put His intended words into the mouth of His prophet, why can He not do the same with precision in the Gospel accounts, the Acts, and Epistles of the New Testament? The same God created the heavens and the earth in six literal days. He also parted the Red Sea to allow His people to pass through on dry land, then drowned the horse and rider of Pharaoh in the same sea. The same God came to this earth in the person of His Son, took on flesh, lived a perfect and sinless life, and was crucified until He died. That very same Christ rose from the dead on the third day as was prophesied. All of those details are but a few of the mighty works in Scripture. If God can do this, could He not inspire men to record the exact word-for-word message He intended for mankind to receive? It appears the answer is much easier than many critics make it out to be.
End Notes:
Butt, Kyle, and Dave Miller, editors. Defending the Faith Study Bible: NKJV New King James Version. Apologetics Press, Inc., 2020.
