Tag Archives: Inspiration

BIBLE, BIBLE QUESTIONS, PETER, SECOND

WHAT DOES “NO SCRIPTURE IS OF PRIVATE INTERPRETATION” MEAN? — BOB PRICHARD

Peter concludes the first chapter of his second epistle with these words: “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 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 1:19-21). These verses of scripture (the written words of God) are especially important because of what they tell us about the inspiration of scripture, reminding us that we have a “sure word of prophecy,” meaning we have trustworthy scriptures.

Unfortunately, the words, “no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation,” have been misused by some religious organizations to keep people from studying the scriptures for themselves. Some prefer to keep people in ignorance, teaching that the individual Christian cannot study or understand the scriptures themselves, but must rely on “the church” or church leaders to interpret the scriptures for them. Thus individuals may think that there is no reason to study and reason for themselves. This is contrary to all the rest of scripture, however. Saving faith comes from understanding and obeying the scriptures. All will be judged by the scriptures.

Some suggest that these verses are teaching that since the words of scripture have a definite meaning, then those who interpret scripture are not free to read whatever meaning they want to into the scriptures, but must consider the context of scripture. Surely it is true that no one should be free to read into the scriptures any of their own personal opinions, but this is not Peter’s concern in the passage. There is a better, more reasonable way to understand his words.

Consider the rendering of 2 Peter 2:20-21 in the New American Standard Version. “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” The prophecy of scripture did not come “by the will of man.” “No prophecy was ever made by an act of human will.” 

The prophets were inspired to write by God, and did not just speak what they wanted to speak, but instead spoke what was revealed to them by God. That is the reason for the amazing accuracy of the teaching of scripture, and the agreement among the different penmen. If each had been free to just write what he wanted to write, then there would be multiplied contradictions among different portions of scripture. The “holy men” were “moved by the Holy Ghost,” literally “borne along,” just as a strong wind propels a ship through the sea. Jesus told His disciples that “when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come” (John 16:13). As the New Testament writers revealed the full truth of God’s revelation, the Holy Spirit guided them. Their message is one for all men to study, obey, and live by.

BIBLE, BIBLE QUESTIONS

CAN WE SEPARATE THE HUMAN ELEMENT FROM THE DIVINE IN SCRIPTURE? — BOB PRICHARD

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and 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 Timothy 3:16-17). Inspiration literally means “God breathed.” All scripture, or written revelation from God, is thus “God breathed.” Peter described the inspiration of the writers of scripture, saying, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 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 1:20-21). The words, “moved by the Holy Ghost,” literally means “borne along,” as a ship is borne along by the winds.

Because God used human beings as the instruments to reveal His will to man, there is necessarily a human element involved in scripture. We see this in things such as the number of medical words found in the writings of Luke, a physician (Colossians 4:14), and in the simple Greek of John, a fisherman, as compared to the more complex Greek of Paul, a highly educated man. Even with differences in style, language, and vocabulary, they all were “moved by the Holy Ghost” to write God’s revelation. Jesus promised the apostles, “the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26). God was the source of Paul’s writing: “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 Corinthians 2:13).

The writers could make mistakes in their personal lives. Paul did not remember all that he had baptized (1 Corinthians 9:27). He rebuked Peter for his sin (Galatians 2:11-16), and said of himself, “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (1 Corinthians 9:27). They still wrote without error, however, because of inspiration.  

God chose those who would reveal His will, even before He formed them, in the case of Jeremiah and others. “Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. … Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth” (Jeremiah 1:4-5, 9).

Scripture is not “God and man,” but “God through man.” It came from human beings borne along by the Holy Ghost, so we cannot separate the human from the divine. God inspired their very words, so that scripture is without error in faith, science, or history. “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds” (Hebrews 1:1-2).

BIBLE, BIBLE QUESTIONS

IS THE BIBLE INFALLIBLE? — BOB PRICHARD

Yes.  Infallible means “incapable of erring, sure, certain, unerring.” A close synonym for infallible is inerrant, which means “free from error.” The Bible as revealed by God in the “original autographs” (original written copies) is both infallible and inerrant. The infallible Bible does not just “contain the Word of God,” it IS the Word of God. Because it is infallible, it gives us all that we need for faith and practice in serving God.  

The Bible claims infallibility for itself. More than 2,000 times in the Old Testament “thus saith the Lord,” or a similar phrase occurs. Surely the Lord was able to communicate  His will accurately! Peter spoke of inspiration saying, “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). The inspired writers wrote what God revealed to them. It was not their own message but the message of God that they recorded. Jesus said “the scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35), meaning that it must be true. He said, “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” (Matthew 5:18). The “jot” was yodh, the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet and the “tittle” was a simple pen stroke, or part of a letter. Thus Jesus asserted the infallibility of the written Word of God, even in the smallest details.

The New Testament claims the same inspired infallibility for the whole Bible. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). Since “all scripture is given by inspiration of God,” then it must all be regarded as authoritative and infallible. If only part of it is authoritative or infallible, how will we choose what is authoritative and infallible, and what is not authoritative or without error? If we use man’s subjective opinion, we will end up being mislead. How much better it is to just accept all that God has revealed, rather than choosing the opinions of men!

Skeptics have long attacked what they perceived as errors in the Bible. When all the evidence is considered, however, the Bible still stands without error. All too often, what are perceived as errors are not errors at all, but simply the expression of different points of view of biblical authors, or misinterpretations of obscure texts, or simple misunderstandings. Too often the “errors” come from the preconceptions of critics concerning what they think the Bible ought to say, rather than what it really says.  

What is really at stake in the question of biblical infallibility is the character of God. God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). He is omniscient or all knowing (Psalm 139). Since He knows all things and cannot lie, then His written Word, all of it, must be infallible. An infallible God can do no less than produce an infallible Bible. Just one error in His revealed Will would be enough to show that God is not God. Because we are limited in our understanding, we may not be able to explain every perceived error or inconsistency in the Bible, but we can accept it as the infallible Word of God because it comes from Him.

BIBLE, CHRISTIAN LIVING

WRINKLE’S HEADSTONE — BOB PRICHARD

She never really cared that much for the piece of carved stone that her deceased husband had found in an old quarry, but Ruth Beeston thought it would serve well to mark the burial place of her dead cat, Wrinkle. She decided to put it up for auction, however, when a local art historian discovered that it was a thousand year old carving of the apostle Peter. Wrinkle’s former headstone brought $383,000 when it was offered at auction (World, December 25, 2004).

This sort of thing seems to happen often (at least to other people). Someone finds some old thing that everyone thinks is worthless, and then it is discovered to be a priceless antique. Just because something is old, it is not necessarily valuable. Some things are true antiques, and some are just “junque.” Some old things are incredibly valuable. 

Consider how the Bible, a truly ancient book is treated. It is old─the newest parts being over 1900 years old, and some parts even much older. Many think that because of its age, it can’t really be worth much. And yet, to those with the proper discernment, it is the most valuable book ever written.

Paul told Timothy, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God [is literally ‘God breathed’], and 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.” Not only does it give us all that we need, but it is profitable and relevant. It is just as relevant today as when it was written hundreds of years ago.

Ruth Beeston required an art historian to tell her that she unknowingly had something of real value. Surely we understand today how valuable the Bible is, that it is profitable to us for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. Unfortunately, many just use that family Bible as a place to store dried flowers, recipes, and the family tree. Wrinkle’s headstone was so much more than Ruth thought. What about the Bible? Have you realized the hidden treasures within?

BIBLE, CHRISTIAN LIVING

SECOND ONLY TO THE BIBLE — BOB PRICHARD

It was required reading in Jr. High School. I can still remember trying to slog through it, and not appreciating it at the time. It is the story of a fifty-year-old man setting off on a quest to do great deeds and right all wrongs. Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes was quite innovative when first published (part one in 1605, and part two in 1615). The exploits of this man of La Mancha have inspired many, whether he is a tragic hero, a non-conformist, or simply a buffoon. According to The Intellectual Devotional (2006), “of all the books published throughout history, Don Quixote is second only to the Bible in terms of total number of copies printed.”

With time, I have come to have more appreciation for Don Quixote—appreciation that I lacked when I was in Jr. High. With maturity, I have learned to appreciate many things that I saw little reason for at 13.

Consider the accolade for Don Quixote, “second only to the Bible in terms of number of copies printed.” Have you noticed how often comparisons are made to the Bible? With all of the great and not so great books published every year, the Bible is the perennial best-seller. Perhaps it does not generate the same media frenzy as a new Harry Potter book, but the Bible continues to outsell every other book.

We know why this is so. It is because there is no other book like the Bible. Although other books make similar claims, it is the only book that is truly inspired—“God breathed.” No other book can offer what it offers.

We should join with the psalmist in praising the Bible, which is second to no other book. “For ever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: Thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. They continue this day according to thine ordinances: For all are thy servants. Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction” (Psalm 119:89–92).

BIBLE

WRITING IN BOOKS — BOB PRICHARD

Bev Ellis, an Australian book store owner was understandably upset when a customer told her a strange man had been defacing many of the store’s Stephen King books by writing in them. She was surprised to catch up with the man in a nearby Woolworth’s and find out that it was Stephen King himself, who had autographed the books (World, September 18, 2007).

Having bought many used books over the years, I am always irritated to find that a previous owner has underlined or highlighted the book, but I am glad to find a book that has been autographed by the author. I realize that defacing the book by underlining lowers the value, but the autograph of the author increases the value.

It would be marvelous if “Original autographs” [the original manuscripts] of some of our Bible books could be found among the thousands of extant manuscripts, but apparently none have ever surfaced. Verification of an original autograph would be a sensation in the archaeological world, no doubt.

Paul apparently used a scribe to write down most of his epistles, although he indicates several times that he personally wrote down a part. “Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand” (Galatians 6:21). “The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write” (2 Thessalonians 3:17).

Moses told Israel, “the LORD delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, which the LORD spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly” (Deuteronomy 9:10).

Every page of the Bible demonstrates the autograph of God. It is more than coincidence that the longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119, is devoted to praise for the written word of God. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).