The Bible claims to be a book from Jehovah, a message with divine authority. Indeed, the biblical writers affirm that they were moved by the Holy Spirit to express His very words—that their message came by revelation, so that what they wrote was breathed out (inspired) by Jehovah Himself.

Two Basic Texts on Revelation and Inspiration

A summary of what the Bible claims about itself is found in two crucial texts. Peter stated that the writers were moved by the Holy Spirit, and Paul claimed their writings were breathed out by Jehovah. Hence, the Bible’s claim that Spirit-moved writers produced God-breathed writings.

2 Peter 1:20-21 declares: “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

In short, the prophetic Scriptures (of the Old Testament) did not originate with man but with Jehovah moving on men called prophets.

2 Timothy 3:16, the other classic New Testament text, reads: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

While Peter speaks of the message originating with Jehovah, Paul indicates that it becomes the written Word of Jehovah. God is the ultimate Cause, and the Scriptures are the authoritative result.

Old Testament Descriptions of Inspiration

In Deuteronomy 18:18, God said to Moses: “I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.” On his deathbed, David testified, “The Spirit of Jehovah spoke through me; his word was on my tongue” (2 Samuel 23:2). God spoke to Isaiah of “my words that I have put in your mouth” (Isaiah 59:21). Second Chronicles 34:14 tells of “the Book of the Law of Jehovah that had been given through Moses.” The prophet Zechariah wrote of “the words that Jehovah Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets” (Zechariah 7:12).

Likewise, in Matthew 22:43, Jesus questioned, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls Him ‘Lord’?” (Psalm 110:1). Peter referred to “God … who spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David …” (Acts 4:24-25). The writer of Hebrews adds, “He [Jehovah] … spoke through David as was said before” (Hebrews 4:7).

New Testament Descriptions of Inspiration

The New Testament writers considered their writings to be inspired Scripture. Peter, speaking of Paul’s epistles, said they too were “Scripture” (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16) just as the Old Testament was. He wrote, “Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:15-16).

Paul asserted that his teachings were taught by the Spirit and were the word of God (1 Thessalonians 2:13). He claimed divine revelation for his message (Galatians 1:12). John, in Revelation, speaks of “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him” (Revelation 1:1) and identifies himself as a prophet (Revelation 22:9).

Suggested Definition of Inspiration

Inspiration is the supernatural operation of the Holy Spirit, who, through the different personalities and literary styles of the chosen human authors, invested the very words of the original books of Holy Scripture, alone and in their entirety, as the very Word of God without error in all that they teach or imply (including history and science). The Bible is thereby the infallible rule and final authority for faith and practice of all believers.

The Modus Operandi of Inspiration

The mode of operation by which the Holy Spirit worked with the authors to ensure an infallible and inerrant product is a matter of much speculation among theologians. The mystery remains inscrutable, but the process is intelligible and the parameters are definable.

Two factors define the limits within which legitimate speculation may occur:

1. The product is infallible and inerrant.
2. Whatever means is used, different personalities, different styles, and the freedom of the authors manifested in their books must be accounted for.

The first point is known from the doctrine of Scripture supported above by numerous references. The second is known from the data of Scripture, clearly manifested in its human characteristics.

Problematic Explanations

Like illustrations of the Trinity, no analogies of scriptural inspiration are perfect; some are better than others, and still others are misleading. Several fall into this latter category.

In particular, two illustrations should be avoided: that of a secretary and that of a musical instrument. Early church fathers were particularly known to use the latter. The problem with these illustrations is that they lend to the false charge that evangelicals believe in mechanical dictation.

The musical instrument illustration is unhelpful because a musical instrument has no free will, no personality, and no literary style—it is an inanimate object and not an efficient cause of the notes but only an instrumental cause.

The secretary illustration is not much better because faithful secretaries take dictation. While they are not inanimate or non-free instruments, by the very nature of their occupation, they are not creating the material but merely recording it. The words written are not theirs, nor is their personality expressed. This is not true of biblical inspiration, which employs the freedom, style, vocabulary, and personalities of the various biblical authors to convey God’s Word to humankind.

A Better Analogy

In his noted work, Theopneustia, Louis Gaussen (1790-1863) uses the illustration of an orchestra conductor. This is somewhat better since all members of the orchestra are freely participating and expressing their distinctive sounds while the master brings them together in unity and harmony, as Jehovah does with the Scriptures. Even here the analogy breaks down, however, since the whole sound is not really the result of each member playing his own solo. Further, instrumentalists make mistakes, while the Bible does not.

Many evangelicals have been content to rely on the providentially preplanned personalities model, whereby Jehovah preplanned the lives, styles, and vocabularies of the various biblical authors so that they would freely choose to write the correct thing in the right way at the right time, which Jehovah, by preordained divine concurrence, has determined would be their part of His Word. While this is no doubt true, even this does not account for the whole story. For one thing, it does not explain how free will fits into the picture. Were the free choices of the various authors causally predetermined? If so, were they really free? Further, how could Jehovah guarantee that the results would be infallible and inerrant if the authors were really free to do otherwise?

While some models are better than others, no matter how good the model is, there always seems to be some mystery left at the very point where there is a divine/human encounter. This is true of the doctrines of predestination and free will, as well as the doctrines of how the two natures of Christ relate and the mode of inspiration.

Without attempting to solve the mystery, there are meaningful ways to describe it. Thomas Aquinas offered one of these in his teacher/student analogy, arguing that the relationship between Jehovah and the human authors of Scripture is more like that of a teacher to his pupil. The value of this analogy is that it preserves the personality of the human authors while at the same time explaining the commonality between what the teacher conveyed and what the student expressed.

Individuality and Inspiration: A Harmonious Relationship in the Bible

The Evidence of Individual Expression

The evidence clearly shows that the men used by God to record the Scriptures were not mere automatons simply transcribing dictated material. For instance, the apostle John was given the “God-breathed” Revelation through an angel “in signs,” and he “bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw” (Revelation 1:1-2). John was instructed, “What you see write in a scroll” (Revelation 1:10-11). This indicates that God allowed Bible writers to use their mental faculties in selecting words and expressions to describe the visions they saw (Habakkuk 2:2), while exercising sufficient control to ensure that the final product was accurate, true, and suited to Jehovah’s purpose (Proverbs 30:5-6). The personal effort involved in writing is evident from Ecclesiastes 12:9-10, which describes the process of pondering, searching, and arranging to present “delightful words and the writing of correct words of truth.”

Diversity in Writing Styles

This explains the diversity in writing styles and expressions that reflect the backgrounds of the individual writers. The natural qualifications of the writers were likely a factor in God’s selection of them for their specific tasks, and He may have prepared them to serve His particular purpose.

For example, Matthew, who was a tax collector, made numerous specific references to numbers and money values (Matthew 17:27; 26:15; 27:3). Luke, the “beloved physician” (Colossians 4:14), used distinctive expressions reflecting his medical background (Luke 4:38; 5:12; 16:20). Even when the writers spoke of receiving “the word of Jehovah” or a certain “pronouncement,” it may have been transmitted as a mental picture of God’s purpose, which the writer then expressed in words. This is suggested by instances where writers speak of ‘seeing’ (rather than ‘hearing’) “the pronouncement” or “the word of Jehovah” (Isaiah 13:1; Micah 1:1; Habakkuk 1:1; 2:1-2).

Cooperation with the Holy Spirit

The men used to write the Scriptures cooperated with the operation of Jehovah’s Holy Spirit. They were willing and submissive to God’s guidance (Isaiah 50:4-5), eager to know God’s will and leading (Isaiah 26:9). In many cases, they had specific goals in mind (Luke 1:1-4) or responded to evident needs (1 Corinthians 1:10-11; 5:1; 7:1), and God directed them so that their writings aligned with and fulfilled His purpose (Proverbs 16:9). As spiritual men, their hearts and minds were attuned to God’s will, and they ‘had the mind of Christ,’ ensuring they did not record mere human wisdom or “a vision of their own heart,” as false prophets did (1 Corinthians 2:13-16; Jeremiah 23:16; Ezekiel 13:2-3, 17).

The Varieties of the Holy Spirit’s Operations

The Holy Spirit exhibited “varieties of operations” upon these Bible writers (1 Corinthians 12:6). Much of the information was accessible to them, sometimes existing in written form, such as genealogies and historical accounts (Luke 1:3; 3:23-38; Numbers 21:14-15; 1 Kings 14:19, 29; 2 Kings 15:31; 24:5). Here, God’s Spirit operated to prevent inaccuracy and guide the selection of material to be included. Not everything stated by others and included in the Bible was inspired by God, but the selection and accurate recording of material were directed by the Holy Spirit (Genesis 3:4-5; Job 42:3; Matthew 16:21-23).

Through the inspired Word, God preserved a record that demonstrates the outcomes of listening to Him and working in harmony with His purpose versus disregarding or being ignorant of His ways. The prehuman history of the earth (Genesis 1:1-26), heavenly events and activities (Job 1:6-12), prophecies, and revelations of God’s purposes and doctrines were not humanly obtainable and were transmitted supernaturally by the Holy Spirit. As to wise sayings and counsel, even though the writer may have learned from personal experience and previous Scriptures, the Holy Spirit’s operation was essential to qualify the information as part of the Word of God that is “alive and exerts power and is able to discern thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

The Apostle Paul’s Distinctions

This distinction is evident in the apostle Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. When giving counsel on marriage and singleness, Paul states, “But to the others I say, yes, I, not the Lord” (1 Corinthians 7:12). He clarifies, “Now concerning virgins I have no command from the Lord, but I give my opinion” (1 Corinthians 7:25). Regarding a widowed woman, Paul says, “But in my opinion, she is happier if she remains as she is, and I think that I too have the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 7:40). Paul’s statements mean he could quote no direct teaching by Jesus on these points; thus, he gave his opinion as a Spirit-filled apostle. Nevertheless, his counsel was “God-breathed” and thus part of the Sacred Scriptures, having equal authority with the rest of those Scriptures.

Canonical vs. Non-Canonical Writings

There is a clear distinction between the inspired writings of the Bible and other writings that, while reflecting a measure of the Spirit’s direction and guidance, are not part of the Sacred Scriptures. In addition to the canonical books of the Hebrew Scriptures, there were other writings, such as official records concerning the kings of Judah and Israel. These records may have been composed by men devoted to God and used by inspired writers in their research. Similarly, during apostolic times, many letters were written by apostles and elders to various congregations. While these writers were Spirit-guided, God did not distinguish any additional writings as part of the inerrant Word of God.

Non-canonical Hebrew writings may have contained errors, and even non-canonical apostolic writings might reflect the incomplete understanding present in the early Christian congregation (Acts 15:1-32; Galatians 2:11-14; Ephesians 4:11-16). However, as God granted certain Christians in the first century the “distinguishing of spirits,” He also guided the church in discerning, which inspired writings to be included in the canon of the Sacred Scriptures (1 Corinthians 12:10).

The Holy Spirit’s Role in Scripture

The Holy Spirit’s role in guiding the Bible writers ensured that the Scriptures were accurate and true, despite the writers’ individuality. This divine guidance allowed for diverse expressions and styles, reflecting the backgrounds and experiences of the writers, while maintaining the integrity and unity of the biblical message. The Holy Spirit’s operation in this process was not merely mechanical but involved the writers’ active cooperation, their spiritual attunement to God’s will, and their use of available resources and personal insights.

In conclusion, the individuality of Bible writers is consistent with the Bible’s divine inspiration. The Holy Spirit’s guidance allowed for diverse expressions while ensuring the accuracy and truth of the Scriptures. This dynamic relationship between divine inspiration and human expression underscores the richness and reliability of the Bible as God’s Word.

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