The Inspiration of Scripture: What’s it Mean for the Bible to Be the Word of God?
This is the first in a blog series entitled “the Significance of Scripture” in order to help youth workers develop a clear theological understanding of what it means to say “the Bible is the Word of God.” Subscribe to the blog to make sure you benefit from the remainder of the series.
One of the foundations of Christianity is that the Bible is God’s Word. God has revealed truths about Himself and His purposes for creation in a medium that is easily accessible: a compilation of books.
But what does it mean that the Bible is “God’s Word?” After all, the Bible was written by human authors, who are historical figures, normal people like you and me: Moses, Paul, Peter, etc. If that’s the case, why do we act as if God Himself penned every word in Scripture? Why do we trust this series of documents as authoritative if they were composed by fallible people?
This is where the doctrine of inspiration comes in, and as youth workers, it is an important doctrine for our students to grasp as they grow in Christian maturity.
What is the Doctrine of Inspiration?
According to Moody Bible Institute, the Inspiration of Scripture means, “The original autographs/manuscripts of Scripture are verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit.” This includes three big ideas:
All Scripture is “Breathed Out” by God
Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:16 that all Scripture is inspired by God, or the exact phrasing, “God-breathed”. Scripture is God revealing Himself through words. The basic idea is that all Scripture finds its ultimate source in God. Everything that God wanted to include in His revelation to us is there, which means every page of Scripture is intentionally crafted. Not only are the concepts and analogies inspired, but the words themselves are intentionally selected by God to communicate specific ideas.
All Scripture is Written by Human Authors
Even though God is the ultimate source of the Bible, it was composed by 40 different human authors, each living in a particular context and with a specific audience. Peter makes it clear, that these men “spoke from God, as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit,” (2 Pet. 1:21). They were chosen by God, gifted with a particular piece of divine revelation, and tasked with communicating it as the Spirit intended. This means even though it was God’s message, these authors played a significant part in how it was delivered, using their particular giftings, writing styles, and contextual knowledge to articulate God’s purposes.
Only “Inspired” Books Are Authoritative
Only God’s Word is inspired. The canon of Scripture, then, is composed only of documents that have been recognized for carrying the marks of inspiration, being in line with the testimony, continuity, and/or prophecy that are consistent with other books of the Bible. Apocryphal works that are either purely historical (Books of Maccabees) or that contradict claims and events recounted in other Scripture (Gospels of Thomas, Mary, or Epistle of Barnabas) do not fall in this category of “inspired works.” Although these might have some benefit for understanding the history of thought around the time of the early church, they do not carry the same authority as inspired books. It does not bear the weight of God’s voice, and therefore, does not function as our authority.
Why Does the Doctrine of Inspiration Matter for Students?
Here are three implications of the doctrine of inspiration for our students:
When the Bible speaks, God speaks
If the Bible is the revelation of God then we are not merely recounting things God has said in the past, we are expecting Him to speak through it today. After all, the Bible is not merely a history of what God had said, it is “living and active” (Heb. 4:12), continuing to address us 2000 years later. The Bible wasn’t the Word of God; it is the Word of God. The Holy Spirit, who spoke to and through the human authors in their day, continues to speak to us, testifying to what Christ has done (John 15:26), reminding us of what He has said (John 14:26), and guiding us into all truth (John 16:13).
Scripture is more than something “worth listening to”; it is foundational to our flourishing. More than that, God has given us His Word as the primary means of equipping us for godliness. It is where His person, plans, and power are most fully revealed. This means that God’s Word is essential for the Christian life, functioning as the foremost authority for every area of our students’ lives.
What the Bible says, we need to understand
Doing the hard work to understand difficult or confusing passages will help us discover that every verse is valuable and relevant. What the doctrine of inspiration entails, however, is that every verse of Scripture is God-breathed. Sometimes we need to learn from bad examples. Other times, it is announcements of judgment on enemies of God’s people that bring us comfort. Maybe there are crucial pieces of backstory that are setting up vital truths to come later, or patterns that call our attention to how God works in similar ways at different times.
One thing is sure: every passage of Scripture is relevant to our students. We can never argue that some passages of Scripture aren’t worth studying with our students. All of it is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, or training them to know God and become more like Him.
Where the Bible speaks, we must speak
When it comes to subjects of human purpose and flourishing, what God says matters. Since He created us for Himself, what He says about how we are meant to conduct our lives carries authority: it’s up to us whether we submit or rebel. It should be the final word. This means that where our personal feelings, cultural pressures, and Scripture disagree, God’s Word takes priority. It also means that when the same concerns need to be addressed in others, we boldly stand on the authority of God’s Word, our own ideas or arguments.
Reminders About Teaching Students the Inspiration of Scripture
God’s Word is Powerful
God uses His Word to bring people to life, to transform them for His purposes, and to sustain them as He brings those purposes to completion. It is a source of life for students that never runs out, meaning there is no situation, no discouragement, and no sin that God’s Word cannot speak into.
God’s Word is Trustworthy
Because the Bible is God’s Word, its positions and commands, though sometimes difficult, are always good and trustworthy. We don’t have to worry about the legitimacy of each passage, the relevance, or whether we should really trust the writings of Paul, Peter, or John. Because they are inspired, we can approach them with confidence, knowing that they are able to work in us for our good.
God’s Word is Relational
The Bible is God’s Word to us. He chose to reveal Himself in many different times and in many different ways for one purpose: that we might know Him and experience the kind of relationship He made us for. This means even as we talk about the need to recognize the authority of Scripture and the commands we are meant to follow, we show our students that all of this stems God’s desire to make himself known – so that we might become the children of God.
