The Holy Scriptures are the work of the Holy Spirit. It was He who guided each writer, whether in the Old Testament or the New, filling and taking possession of the vessel while holding in check all that would be of man, that we might have the mind of God in its perfection and purity without adulteration. Let us hold this firmly, for never was Satan more determined to wrest the Scriptures from souls than at the present time. Ritualism on the one hand places a priest between the Word of God and the soul; rationalism on the other throws doubt on all that is revealed. Both systems, though in different ways, would rob us of the priceless treasure God has given.
In 1 Corinthians 2:9 the Apostle reminds us of the word of Isaiah that “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him,” adding, “but God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit.” Here he asserts divine revelation as the source of the vital truths he taught. We read also in Ephesians 3:3-53How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; (Ephesians 3:3‑5), “The mystery . . . which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.” No one can reveal the things of God but the Spirit of God. The Apostle asks, “What man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God” (1 Cor. 2:11). As no one knows my things (thoughts) but my own spirit until I utter them or reveal them, so no one knows God’s things but His Spirit. Nothing can be more degrading than the notion that God cannot reveal His mind to man. The truth is that the Spirit has revealed the mind of God, and we have it in the Scriptures. Thus the apostolic writings are the standard whereby truth and error may be tested. As John says, referring to himself and the other apostles, “We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error” (1 John 4:66Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. (John 4:6)).
The Human Element and the Divine
It may be remarked that revelation does not go beyond the person receiving it; to pass the truth on to others in its perfection requires divine inspiration. Such is man, that even the favored recipients of divine revelations could not be trusted to communicate them to others without spoiling them. Here the Spirit of God comes in again. Thus Paul tells us, “Which also we speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, communicating spiritual things by spiritual means” (1 Cor. 2:13 JND). This is inspiration. Here, too, we may see how far inspiration extends. Some have taught that the doctrines of Scripture are inspired of God, but that the writers were allowed to express them in their own language; others have taught that the reasoning so often found, particularly in the epistles, was left to the writer. Still others think the inspired writers used their own illustrations and selected Old Testament scriptures to confirm their words. All such thoughts are below the truth. The fact is that none of this was left to the vessel. The words, not merely the truths or doctrines, were given by the Holy Spirit. Were it otherwise, we could have no divine certainty. Where would we draw the line between the human and the divine? Not that a human element is altogether denied. Paul has his style, and Peter has his, for the Spirit took up the men as He found them. Nevertheless, every word thus written was from Himself.
Original Writings and Translations
We cannot contend for the inspiration of a particular translation. In such efforts there may be (and are) blemishes, for God does not work perpetual miracles. Here the study of languages comes in as an important and valuable work, and also care in reproducing the original as accurately as possible. We do assert, however, that every word of the original writings was inspired by the Spirit of God.
There are many scriptural proofs of this. As to the Old Testament Peter says, “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). Paul says in Acts 28:2525And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, (Acts 28:25), “Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers.” In Acts 3:1818But those things, which God before had showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. (Acts 3:18), we are told that God showed by the mouth of all His prophets that Christ should suffer.
Proofs of Divine Inspiration
The New Testament as well as the Old is vouched for in the general statement of 2 Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God.” Paul’s writings are referred to, including, and I suppose specially referring to, the Epistle to the Hebrews, in 2 Peter 3:16. And in 1 Timothy 5:18, he quotes from Luke 10:77And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house. (Luke 10:7) and says, “The scripture saith.” These are but a small part of the proofs. The more deeply the subject is investigated, the deeper will be the soul’s confidence in God that He has given us by His Spirit His unerring word in all its fullness and beauty.
In conclusion, one more thought remains to be noted in 1 Corinthians 2. We have seen that the chapter asserts revelation and inspiration; it also shows that the help of the Holy Spirit is needed in order to receive and understand the things that have been given. This is why enemies stumble and man’s mental powers fail. His powers are unavailing, apart from the Holy Spirit. “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14). The soul must be born of God, and the Spirit must be the teacher; then all is simple and plain. He has come down from above to guide the saints into all the truth, and He never disappoints or fails the humble, waiting soul. W. W. Fereday, adapted