Was the Bible Inspired by GOD?

(2Timothy 3:16-17)
“16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

Perceived Problem:
Paul wrote that “all” Scripture is given by inspiration of GOD. Some  critics think that the word “all” should be replaced by the word “every.” Plus, some believe that the copula “is” should be placed after the remark concerning the inspiration of the Scriptures, not before. In doing so this can lead to the conclusion that some Scripture is not inspired.

Solution:
First, most versions translate this verse “All Scripture is God-breathed,” except those that translate this verse with the copula “is” after the word “God.” This makes it sound like there are some Scriptures that are not inspired of GOD (e.g., RSV, ASV), although the marginal notes in these translations give a more accurate rendering. But, most Bibles see the verse as reading “All Scripture is inspired of God.”

Second, concerning whether the word “all” should be translated “every,” some argue that it should on the grounds of, if the definite article is missing in reference to this word, the verse should be translated “every.” However, whenever the word “Scripture” (graphē) is used in the New Testament, it always refers to authoritative and inspired writings — never the opposite — with or without the definite article in Greek. This word is used of the Hebrew Scriptures (as in our present verse) or New Testament writings (2Peter 3:16).

Third, the Greek word for “inspired by God” suggests that GOD so guided the New Testament authors as to write the very word of GOD. As we notice in 2Peter 1:20-21, no prophecy of Scripture came about by the will of man but by the Holy Spirit moving (carrying along) the writers of Scripture to speak from GOD. The word for “moved” (pherō) in 2Peter is the same word used in Acts 27:15 where the ship which carried Paul was so caught up in a storm that they could not face the wind. They gave way to it, and they let themselves be “driven along” by the storm. This is true of the Holy Spirit inspiring the authors of Holy Scripture to write the Word of GOD. But if all the authors of Scripture were moved by GOD, then the words of Scripture were breathed out by GOD and without error, since GOD cannot err (Hebrews 6:18; Titus 1:2; John 17:17).

Finally, even if it could be argued from the New Testament that not every use of “the Scriptures” refers to an inspired writing, nonetheless, it would not undermine Paul’s teaching here that the entire Old Testament is inspired of GOD. For the context makes it clear that the “Scripture” to which he refers is “the Holy Scriptures” (2Timothy 3:15) which Timothy’s Jewish mother and grandmother had taught him (2Timothy 1:5), and this could be none other than the whole Jewish Old Testament. 

Inspiration:

The word “inspired” is the English translation of the Greek word theopneustos (theh-op’-nyoo-stos), which is a compound of the words theos (theh’-os) and pneuma (pnyoo’-mah). The word theos is the word for God and the word pneuma comes from its root word pneo (pneh’-o), which communicates the idea of the dynamic movement of air as to breathe hard or blow, like a gust of wind. Therefore, the word theopneustos means God-breathed. 

For instance, the concept of this movement of breathe can mean to blow air as through an instrument in order to produce a distinct musical sound. But there are also places in Scripture where it is translated to breathe or to emit a fragrance. And finally, this root word can be used to denote the projection of emotions, such as anger, courage, or goodwill. But when the root word becomes pneuma, as in this specific verse under examination, it carries a more profound range of meanings, including life, force, life-force, energy, dynamism, and power. The Jews considered the pneuma to be the powerful force of GOD that created the universe and all living things, and the force that continues to sustain creation. In the Old Testament, the pneuma of GOD would sometimes move mightily upon a person, enabling him to do supernatural feats. 

And so this “inspiration” is the image of GOD breathing or emitting His own substance into something. Just as a musician would blow on an instrument to produce a distinct sound, the breathe of GOD moved through willing human participants who penned the Scriptures and they became the unique instruments through whom GOD expressed His heart and will. They were the writers, but GOD was the Great Musician who breathed through them. And each one of them produced their own distinct sound according to their distinct personalities. Thus, the Bible is GOD’s message delivered through human writers to you and me. 

Just as the word pneuma can carry the idea of a fragrance, the Word was breathed out from GOD and thus carries His very essence and fragrance within it. And since this word can also portray the projection of emotions, this tells us that GOD projected the totality of His emotion into the written Word when He inspired its writing. Therefore, the Word not only conveys an intellectual message, but it has GOD’s heart in it as well. 

It’s important to understand that the pneuma of GOD didn’t merely create the Scripture and then depart from it. This power — the same power that originally created and continues to sustain the universe — is still working inside the Word, upholding and empowering it to be just as strong as it was the day it was penned by “God-breathed” writers. 

An example of this “God-breathed” theopneustos can be illustrated with a balloon. If I blow into a deflated balloon, the balloon will inflate. The blowing of my breath causes it to fill up so that its true form becomes visible. After the balloon is fully inflated, I tie a knot at the end in order to trap the air within. And now the air that filled the balloon and caused it to take form becomes the substance that empowers it to sustain its form. And if the molecules inside the balloon were to be analyzed, my DNA would be discovered within. Likewise, GOD’s breath produced life-giving words until the end result was the finished work of the Bible. And if each human writer was a unique instrument, then the Bible is an entire orchestra that’s playing a heavenly symphony, which conveys a love letter from GOD to all humanity. 

Summary:

Since the GOD of the Bible is all-knowing (Psalm 139:1-6; 147:5), all-good (Psalm 136; 1 Peter 2:3), and all-powerful (Genesis 1:1; Matthew 19:26), it follows that He would not inspire books for the faith and practice of believers down through the centuries and then fail to preserve them. Lost inspired books would be a lapse in GOD’s providence. The GOD who cares for the sparrows (Luke 12: 6-7) will certainly care for His Scriptures. In short, if GOD inspired them (2Timothy 3:16), GOD will preserve them. GOD completes what GOD begins (Philippians 1:6). To say that the Bible is not inspired because GOD produced and preserved His Word through finite and fallible humans is to try to change the definition of GOD to fit the finite and fallible flaw of the humans themselves. That’s why in Luke 18:27 it is written, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” The Bible is inspired because the very people GOD used to produce the Bible were inspired and guided by the infallible GOD. And if any books were written that were not inspired and contained heresies, wouldn’t GOD be able to communicate the heresies to His children via the Holy Spirit? In fact, that is what GOD did and that’s why there were books that were rejected and never included as being inspired. 

Conclusion:

The 66 books of the Bible were written over 1,600 years (from approximately 1500 BC – AD 100) by more than 40 people (kings, prophets, leaders, and followers of Jesus). The Old Testament has 39 books (written approximately 1500-400 BC). The New Testament has 27 books (written approximately AD 45-100). The text of the Bible is better preserved than the writings of Caesar, Plato, or Aristotle. A thorough examination of the Bible reveals that the 66 books within were/are inspired by GOD.

Recommended Reading:

• How Did We Get The Bible?

• What About The Apocrypha?

• Is Judaism and Christianity Complementary or Contradictory? 

• Are the Writings of the Bible Reliable and Accurate?