THE WORK OF INSPIRATION
Above all, you know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from the prophet’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
2 Peter 1:20-21 (CSB)
Peter asserts that nothing in Scripture results from the prophet’s interpretation or personal will; rather, the Holy Spirit acts as the agent of inspiration. When we strive to understand the work of inspiritaiton carried out by the Holy Spirit, we grow in our understanding of the Word of God as the inspired, inerrant Word of God.
THE HOLY SPIRIT PARTNERS
The Holy Spirit partnered with the human authors of Scripture by guiding them to write in accordance with His work in their lives. Peter noted that each of these men was “carried along by the Holy Spirit.” Thus, the Spirit engaged with them by influencing their lives, directing their hearts, and imparting revelation for their writing. This process did not occur as divine dictation; rather, the Holy Spirit worked in the lives each author, allowing them to express their experiences and unique styles under the His guidance and leading.
THE HOLY SPIRIT GIVES POWER
The words of the authors do not carry power in and of themselves. The power of the penned words comes from the Holy Spirit. This power manifests as the Holy Spirit works in the lives of readers today, just as He worked in the lives of the authors back then. The Spirit that empowered and partnered with the original authors is the same Spirit that empowers the words impacting our lives. Thus, the Spirit enables Scripture to pierce the depths of our lives and lead to transformation. This occurs not because of the human words penned, but due to the authority and work of the Word, which extends from the power of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives.
THE HOLY SPIRIT PROVIDES PRECISION
We hold that Scripture is absolute truth, inerrant, and infallible. We affirm these truths because we recognize that the necessary precision comes from the Holy Spirit. Since God is truth, and the Holy Spirit is God, and the Holy Spirit inspired the writing of Scripture, we know that the precision and truth of Scripture are absolute because God provided it. The Holy Spirit worked in the lives of roughly 40 authors to produce a consistent, harmonious revelation of His work in history and His mission to offer salvation.
When we consider the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we must understand that the same Spirit that inspired the writing of Scripture is the same Spirit that inspires us today as we seek to follow in obedience.
QUESTIONS
Why is the truth of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit vital to understanding the revelation of God to us?
How does the truth concerning inspiration of the Holy Spirit provide further proof and support to trust the Word of God completely?
