Topical Encyclopedia
The concept of "inspired" in the context of the Bible refers to the belief that the Scriptures are divinely influenced or "God-breathed." This doctrine is foundational to understanding the authority and reliability of the Bible as the Word of God. The term "inspired" is derived from the Greek word "theopneustos," which literally means "God-breathed."
Biblical Basis for InspirationThe primary scriptural basis for the doctrine of inspiration is found in
2 Timothy 3:16-17: "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work" . This passage underscores the belief that every part of Scripture is infused with divine authority and purpose.
Another key verse is
2 Peter 1:20-21: "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever brought about through human initiative, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" . This highlights the role of the Holy Spirit in guiding the human authors of the Bible, ensuring that their writings were aligned with God's will.
Nature of InspirationThe nature of biblical inspiration is often described as "verbal plenary inspiration." This means that the inspiration extends to the very words of Scripture (verbal) and that it applies to all parts of the Bible equally (plenary). This view maintains that while human authors wrote the texts, they did so under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who ensured that their writings were free from error in the original manuscripts.
Implications of InspirationThe doctrine of inspiration has several important implications for how Christians view and use the Bible:
1.
Authority: Because the Bible is inspired by God, it holds ultimate authority in matters of faith and practice. Believers are called to submit to its teachings and allow it to shape their beliefs and actions.
2.
Inerrancy: Inspiration implies that the Scriptures, in their original form, are without error. This belief in inerrancy is crucial for maintaining the trustworthiness of the Bible.
3.
Sufficiency: The inspired nature of the Bible means that it contains all that is necessary for salvation and godly living. It is sufficient for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness.
4.
Clarity: While some passages may be difficult to understand, the essential teachings of the Bible are clear and accessible to all who seek to understand them with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Historical PerspectivesThroughout church history, the doctrine of inspiration has been affirmed by various creeds and confessions. The early church fathers, such as Augustine and Athanasius, upheld the divine origin of Scripture. The Protestant Reformation further emphasized the authority of the Bible, with reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin advocating for sola scriptura, the belief that Scripture alone is the ultimate authority for Christian faith and practice.
Challenges and DebatesDespite its foundational role in Christian theology, the doctrine of inspiration has faced challenges, particularly from higher criticism and liberal theology, which question the divine origin and inerrancy of the Bible. In response, conservative scholars have defended the traditional view, emphasizing the historical reliability and internal consistency of the Scriptures.
In summary, the concept of "inspired" as it relates to the Bible is central to understanding its divine authority, reliability, and role in the life of believers. The belief that the Scriptures are "God-breathed" assures Christians of the Bible's truth and its power to guide them in all aspects of life.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
imp. & p. p.) of Inspire.
2. (a.) Breathed in; inhaled.
3. (a.) Moved or animated by, or as by, a supernatural influence; affected by divine inspiration; as, the inspired prophets; the inspired writers.
4. (a.) Communicated or given as by supernatural or divine inspiration; having divine authority; hence, sacred, holy; -- opposed to uninspired, profane, or secular; as, the inspired writings, that is, the Scriptures.
Greek
2315. theopneustos -- God-breathed, ieinspired by God... God-breathed, ie
inspired by God. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration:
theopneustos Phonetic Spelling: (theh-op'-nyoo-stos) Short Definition: God-breathed
...4396. prophetes -- a prophet (an interpreter or forth-teller of...
... particular situation. 4396 ("a prophet") then is someoneinspired by God
to or () the Word of God. Word Origin from a comp. of pro...
1124. graphe -- a writing, scripture
... 1124 () is used 51 times in the NT -- always of , ie theinspired, inerrant writings
of the Bible (the 66 books of Scripture, 39 in Hebrew, 27 in Greek)....
1537. ek -- from, from out of
... based (5), basis (2), because (10), belonged* (1), belonging* (1), depends (1),
depends* (1), derived (1), grudgingly* (1), heavenly* (1),inspired (1), means...
4398. prophetis -- a prophetess
... prophetess. Feminine of prophetes; a female foreteller or aninspired woman --
prophetess. see GREEK prophetes. (prophetin) -- 1 Occurrence....
1100. glossa -- the tongue, a language
... by their speech). 1100 -- tongue, used of flowing speech; (figuratively)
speaking,inspired by God, like of #NAME? to demonstrate...
4102. pistis -- faith, faithfulness
... and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love. weinspired
in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also". ()....
3706. horasis -- the act of seeing, a vision, appearance
... sight, vision. From horao; the act of gazing, ie (externally) an aspect or (internally)
aninspired appearance -- sight, vision. see GREEK horao....
5603. ode -- a song, ode
... heart. Spirit-inspired songs God and exhort others, giving testimony about
the living God to other worshipers. Word Origin contr....
Strong's Hebrew
7307. ruach -- breath, wind, spirit... air (2), anger (1), blast (2), breath (31), breathless* (1), cool (1), courage
(1), despondency* (1), exposed (1), grief* (1), heart (1),
inspired (1), mind (3
...5030. nabi -- a spokesman, speaker, prophet
... prophecy, that prophesy, prophet. From naba'; a prophet or (generally)inspired
man -- prophecy, that prophesy, prophet. see HEBREW naba'. 5029, 5030....
5031. nebiah -- a prophetess
... prophetess. Feminine of nabiy'; a prophetess or (generally)inspired woman; by
implication, a poetess; by association a prophet's wife -- prophetess....
5017. nebuah -- a prophesying
... prophesying. (Aramaic) corresponding to nbuw'ah;inspired teaching -- prophesying.
see HEBREW nbuw'ah. 5016, 5017. nebuah. 5018 . Strong's Numbers.
Library
Hiram, theInspired Artificer
... HIRAM, THEINSPIRED ARTIFICER. BY REV. WJ TOWNSEND, DD. The Temple of Solomon was
the crown of art in the old world.... Hiram was aninspired artist and artificer....
Stand-Point of James as anInspired Teacher, and his Relation to...
... THE EPISTLE OF JAMES. INTRODUCTION. 3. Stand-point of James as aninspired
teacher, and his relation to Paul. The manner, however...
That the Scriptures are DivinelyInspired.
... Book IV. Translated from the Latin of Rufinus. Chapter I."That the Scriptures
are DivinelyInspired. 1. But as it is not sufficient...
We have theInspired Testimony of the Apostles.
... Chapter Two The Hope of the Redeemer's Return 3. We have theinspired testimony
of the apostles. We have already shown in a previous...
The ProphetsInspired by the Holy Ghost.
... Theophilus to Autolycus: Book II. Chapter IX."The ProphetsInspired by
the Holy Ghost. But men of God carrying in them a holy...
Interpretation of Holy Scripture. --Inspired Interpretation. --The...
... SERMON V. INTERPRETATION OF HOLY SCRIPTURE."INSPIRED INTERPRETATION."THE BIBLE IS
NOT TO BE INTERPRETED LIKE ANY OTHER BOOK."GOD, (NOT MAN,) THE REAL...
After This, it Seemed Proper to Celsus to Term the Chaldeans a...
... Chapter LXXX. After this, it seemed proper to Celsus to term the Chaldeans
a most divinely-inspired nation? After this, it seemed...
Here, Perhaps, Some one Inquires Whether the Authors Whose...
... Book 4 Chapter 9. Here, perhaps, some one inquires whether the authors
whose divinely-inspired writings constitute the canon?...
The Name Jesus and Also the Name Christ were Known from the...
... Book I. Chapter III."The Name Jesus and also the Name Christ were known from
the Beginning, and were honored by theInspired Prophets....
That Ghostly Song Accords not with Bodily: and the Cause and the...
... THE ERROR OF GAINSAYERS. AND OF KNOWLEDGE INSHED ORINSPIRED; AND HOW IT
DIFFERS FROM KNOWLEDGE GOTTEN BY LABOUR. But in this every...
Thesaurus
Inspired (20 Occurrences)... 3. (a.) Moved or animated by, or as by, a supernatural influence; affected by divine
inspiration; as, the
inspired prophets; the
inspired writers.
...Inspiration (4 Occurrences)
... writings infallible. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God" (RV,
"Every scriptureinspired of God"), 2 Timothy 3:16. This...
Job (60 Occurrences)
... It is "one of the grandest portions of theinspired Scriptures, a heavenly-repleished
storehouse of comfort and instruction, the patriarchal Bible, and a...
Word (8118 Occurrences)
... sacred pages. Whatever theinspired writers here declare to be true and
binding upon us, God declares to be true and binding. This...
Awe (32 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) The emotioninspired by something dreadful and sublime; an undefined sense
of the dreadful and the sublime; reverential fear, or solemn wonder...
Hebrews (24 Occurrences)
... research to which this epistle has been specially subjected abundantly vindicate
its right to a place in the New Testament canon among the otherinspired books...
Psychology
... The human being thusinspired by God was thereby constituted a nephesh chayyah
("living soul"), because the nishmath chayyim ("breath of lives") had been...
Prophet (315 Occurrences)
... Of the Old Testament prophets there are sixteen, whose prophecies form part
of theinspired canon. These are divided into four groups:...
Madness (13 Occurrences)
... experienced (1 Samuel 10:10), is compared to madness; and conversely in the Near
East at the present day the insane are supposed to be Divinelyinspired and to...
Providence (3 Occurrences)
... expression in Psalm 37:23 the King James Version: "The steps of a good man are ordered
of the Lord, and he delighteth in his way." Theinspired poets make it...
Resources
What does it mean that the Bible is inspired? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is Verbal Plenary Preservation? | GotQuestions.orgAre the writings of the Apostle Paul inspired (see 1 Corinthians 7:12)? | GotQuestions.orgInspired: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
Bible Dictionary •
Bible Encyclopedia •
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