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The Bible is the world's all-time best selling book. About 2.5
billion copies have been printed which are available in over 700
languages. Although the Bible has enjoyed such vast distribution
and attention, it is read relatively little. Perhaps part of the
reason the Bible is so neglected is the many doubts people have
about this unique book. If the Bible came from the mouth of God,
then the scriptures are believable when they speak of Jesus Christ
and accurate when they touch the realm of science.
All scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching,
for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that
the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work .
(2 Timothy 3:16,17)
The word "inspired" (theopneustos) in the original Greek
language literally means "God-breathed". When the Bible
claims to be inspired, we understand therefore, that it came from
the mouth of God. It is God-breathed, inspired.
But a skeptic will say, "Everyone knows the Bible was written
by men! The book of 1 Corinthians, for example, was written by
a man named Paul. After all, the very first verse bears his name
as the author." In reply to this we answer: "Yes, 1
Corinthians was written by Paul. Notice however, what Paul said
in chapter 14, verse 37: "the things I write to you are the
Lord's commandment." Paul knew the source of his writings
and understood that he was like a pen in the hand of Almighty
God. We must not view the Bible as the word of Paul, Peter, or
Jeremiah, but rather, as the message God revealed through these
men just as it is written in Jeremiah 1:9,
Then the Lord stretched out his hand and touched my mouth, and
the Lord said to me, "behold, I have put my words in your
mouth".
The Bible writers were not like news reporters giving their personal
interpretation of events they eye-witnessed, but were divinely
guided as 2 Peter 1:20-21 says,
"Above all, you must understand that no prophesy 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."
God and man worked together in writing the scriptures. However,
in this work, God is the author who dictated the message, and
man is the writing instrument. Men were guided or inspired to
write the exact message God wanted recorded in the Bible. Now
that we have a fundamental understanding of inspiration and the
origin of the Bible, let us look at some evidence of inspiration.
"We constantly thank God that when you received from us the
word of God's message, you accepted it not as the word of men,
but for what it really is, the word of God" (1 Thessalonians
2:13).