March 22, 2010 Sharing God’s Word

TODAY'S ENCOURAGING WORD

Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

-- Isaiah 40:31

GIVEN BY INSPIRATION

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

This passage is the most definitive of all passages on the inspiration of the Bible. It explicitly repudiates all the false concepts which men have developed to try to escape this vital doctrine.

For example, it repudiates the humanistic theory of inspiration, which says that the writers were "inspired" with the same quality of exalted feelings that inspired other great writers. But this verse attributes it not to human inspiration, but to the "inspiration of God."

Then, there is the partial theory of inspiration, which says that part of the Bible is inspired (the "religious" parts), but that part of it is not (the scientific and historical parts). But our verse says that all Scripture is inspired! The dynamic theory says the thoughts are inspired, but not the words. However, it is the Scriptures that are inspired, not the thoughts of the men who wrote them. The "Scriptures" mean the "writings"--the actual words written.

The encounter theory says the Scriptures are not inspired in themselves, but only become inspired when a reader "encounters" God through reading them. This, also, is false. The Scriptures are inspired regardless of how they affect the reader. Actually, the phrase "given by inspiration of God" is one word in the Greek, meaning "God-breathed."

Thus, plenary verbal inspiration and complete divine origin and authority of all the Holy Scriptures is the true biblical doctrine. When one does accept the God-breathed authority of Scripture, however, he has an infinite resource, serving as an inerrant framework for all true wisdom and knowledge, and leading him into full maturity in the Christian life.

PRAYER; IN GRATITUDE FOR THE LABORS OF OTHERS

A hundred times a day I remind myself
that my inner and outer life depends
on the labors of other men,
living and dead,
and that I must exert myself in order
to give in the measure as I have received
and am still receiving.

Forward to your family and friends!

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God Bless You!