The Holy Spirit – And His Written Word – 1 Corinthians 2:1-16
Note: Last week we looked into the Holy spirit in relation to patriarchs and to those under the Old Covenant. This week we will look at the bigger picture of the Holy Spirit and Scripture overall.
The Bible claims to be from God (2 Timothy 3:16). Either it is or it is not. If we can place faith and confidence in one area of declaration by God, we should also be able to place confidence in other areas of His claims. The relationship between the Spirit and the Bible or written word is tremendously important.
Opening Question — Get Us Thinking:
Have you discovered your ancestor’s love letters? How did they give you a new insight into their relationship?
God uses the Bible to communicate truth and hopefully it is passed on to each generation. This lesson will deal primarily with the areas of Revelation, Inspiration, Canonicity, and Transmission. What do we learn about God? What do we learn about human beings? God desperately wants a relationship with you and me. Let’s discuss the meanings of the words: Revelation, Inspiration, Canonicity, and Transmission.
Research Questions — “Dig Deeper” to find God’s Word & Will.
First, let’s get a handle on “Revelation” How do we use the term “revelation”? Revelation means the "origin and giving out" of Biblical truth. The Hebrew word galah and the Greek word apokalupsis both suggest the process of unveiling or uncovering. The revelation of scripture began with God. He chose through whom His word would come to His creation. In the Old Testament, individuals such as Moses, Joshua, David, Jeremiah, and Malachi were selected to be the instruments through whom His word would come. Individuals such as Matthew, John, Paul, Peter, and James were human instruments through whom God worked to bring His New Testament message. One significant thing to remember is that the message or messages always originated with God. The messages came through human beings, but the revelation originated with God, not man. The revelation would be consistent with His will.
Now, let’s talk about “Inspiration.” What is the best way to use the term inspiration and how does the Bible use the Greek word theopneustos? Inspiration refers specifically to the "reception and recording" of Biblical truth. The Greek word theopneustos occurs in 2 Timothy 3:16 and translates to "God breathed." Paul's declaration is that all scripture is "God breathed." The message is "breathed out" by God and "breathed in" to selected individuals in both the Old and New Testament periods.
The words "revelation" and "inspiration" may both have a specific and a general usage. How would you describe the difference in the two uses of “revelation” and “inspiration”? In specific usage, revelation refers to the origin or giving out of Biblical truth. Inspiration refers to the reception and recording of Biblical truth. When used in a general sense, revelation can refer to the total process: the word originating with God and coming through selected individuals to the intended audience. A good example of revelation used in a general sense is Ephesians 3:1-6. Inspiration of scripture speaks of the entire process of communicating the message of God to man. A good example of inspiration used in a general sense is 2 Timothy 3:16. More about the revelation-inspiration process can be discovered by looking at different theories of how the Bible is inspired by God and the different proofs for believing that the Bible is what it claims to be—God's message to man.
How would you describe the process of inspiration? Here are a few theories of Inspiration. Hopefully looking at several theories of inspiration will help refine our thinking. These have been discussed through the ages.
- Natural Theory suggests that the Bible was written by men who had unusual natural ability. This theory states that the Bible is inspired only in a sense similar to Shakespeare. This theory reduces the Bible to the level of man and leads to the conclusion that scripture is subject to error.
- Dynamic Theory suggests that the Spirit of God gave the thought and individual writers put that thought in their own words.
- Neo-Orthodox Theory states that the Bible "becomes" the word of God upon the basis of a personal encounter with truth.
- Dictation Theory or Machine-Gun Theory says that the message originated with God, but in the communication process He used individuals as one would use a machine gun or robot. This theory makes no allowance for differences in style, syntax, and vocabulary.
- Plenary or Plenary Verbal Theory seems to me to be the Biblical view of inspiration. The Latin word plenus means "full" or "complete." The word "verbal" means "by words." This theory states that the entire communication process from God through uniquely-selected individuals was under the superintendence of the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21). The Plenary Theory allows for differences in such things as personality, background, education, and experiences. However, the Holy Spirit took all of these things into consideration when revealing God's word. The message of scripture originated with God and came through different individuals. It came without error. The Plenary Theory allows for differences in writing styles etc. but still maintains the deep conviction that all scripture is "God breathed" (2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible claims to be inspired of God. My deep conviction is that it is.
What are some of the strong and weak points about these “theories” above? Is there a better way in your mind to express inspiration?
In talking with others about inspiration, how would you help people understand the Bible’s accuracy and its authenticity? Proofs of Inspiration are helpful. Although many "proofs of inspiration" could be considered, I want to suggest only a few:
- Unity of the Bible. How do you explain some 40 different writers over a period of about 1500 years producing a writing that is in agreement? The answer is one common source-the Holy Spirit of God.
- Indestructibility of the Bible. Pagans, infidels, modernists, political figures, emperors, and religious leaders have made sincere attempts to destroy the Bible. All attempts have been foiled. It remains a best seller.
- Fulfilled Prophecy. This is strong evidence. Predictions are made in scripture which do not come to pass for hundreds of years. They are fulfilled exactly how scripture predicted (cf. Micah 5:2; Isaiah 44:28; Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:16).
- Relevance to Human Needs. Whatever the human need, God's word speaks to that need. The need may relate to companionship, peace, fear, trial, or death. The Bible deals with our every need. Scripture speaks loudly.
Other proofs could be included: the historical and scientific accuracy of the Bible; the universality of the Bible; the tremendous ability which scripture has to bring changes to individual lives.
These are but a few of the proofs for accepting the Bible as the revealed word from God.
What is “Canonicity”? Canonicity is an additional link in the chain of getting the message of God down to man. This process has to do with the recognition and collection of the inspired writings. This is quite a process that is beyond the scope of this class. However, weighty evidence exists for accepting the 66 books which we presently have in our English Bible. It is faith-building to me that the Holy Spirit has made it possible for research to prove the accuracy of the Bible over many years.
On top of canonicity , the process of Transmission across different languages and times shows how much God loves all people. Transmission is the process by which the inspired writings have been translated from the original languages to different modern languages, such as English. What are the languages of the original writings the Holy Spirit gave the writers? The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew and Aramaic. The New Testament was written in Koine Greek. The Bibles which most of us have today are translations of the Biblical text. The present-day English Bible has integrity. Many good English translations are available. May we never take this tremendous blessing for granted.
The Holy Spirit works through the revealed word today in leading people to obey Jesus. The gospel is the power of God to save (Romans 1:16). The word of God is the seed of the kingdom (Luke 8:11). James declares that we are "given birth through the word of truth" (James 1:18). He further declares that we should "humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you" (James 1:21). Jesus says that His word (through the Spirit) is the basis of judgment (John 12:48). Paul declares that God calls people unto Himself by means of the gospel (2 Thessalonians 2:14). The Apostle John closes out the New Testament writings by declaring that God's inspired word will be the basis of final judgment for every person who has ever lived (Revelation 20:12-15).
All of these passages connect the Holy Spirit and the written word. It is the Spirit who inspired the writing of all the books of the Bible. It is the Spirit who inspired all of the Old Testament and New Testament prophets who "spoke" for God.
In Summary, God has revealed Himself in creation (Genesis 3:8-24). He has revealed Himself in nature (Psalms 19:1-4). His revelation has been seen in the person of Jesus (Colossians 2:9). God can certainly be seen in His revealed word (1 Corinthians 2:6-13). That word came to us by the Holy Spirit. The entire process of communication involved Revelation, Inspiration, Canonicity, and Transmission. A study of the relationship between the Holy Spirit and the written word is one of tremendous importance. God's word is truth (John 17:17). God's word must be accepted as final authority in all areas of religious thought (Romans 10:17; James 1:21; Revelation 20:12-15).
Reflective Questions for a Response — Live it today.
- God's word is the basis for final judgment. What does this mean to you?
- I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to you in this study? How will you apply it to your life this week?
- How does this equip us to be better disciples and help empower us to “make disciples”?
- You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this?
“In regard to this great book, I have but to say, it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good Savior gave to the world was communicated through this book. But for it we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man's welfare, here and hereafter, are to be found portrayed in it. — Abraham Lincoln
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