1. The Inspiration of the Bible
Lesson 3:
The Inspiration of the Bible

2. The Inspiration of the Bible
In an Age of Skepticism, the Bible Reader Can Have Confidence in the Bible.
It Is Important to Understand the Definitions of Revelation and Inspiration.
The word “revelation” means an “uncovering” of something previously unknown to man.
Revelation is God’s revealing of Himself to mankind.
There are two types of revelation:
There is general revelation, which is a “natural” revelation.
There is special revelation, which is a “supernatural” revelation.
Inspiration is God’s working directly through select men to write the very words of God without error or omission.

3. The Work of the Holy Spirit
The Bible Claims Verbal Inspiration Throughout Its Pages.
There are three key passages to know regarding the Bible’s inspiration.
The Bible teaches that it is God-breathed in 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
The Bible teaches that it is the product of the Holy Spirit of God in 2 Peter 1:20-21.
The Bible teaches that it is the revelation of the mind of God in 1 Corinthians 2:10-13.
These passages emphasize the verbal (i.e., “word”) inspiration of the Bible—it is directly from God and not from human wisdom.
The Old Testament claims verbal inspiration.
The New Testament claims verbal inspiration.
The Bible is verbally and completely inspired by God.

4. The Work of the Holy Spirit
There Are Many False Theories Regarding the Bible’s Inspiration.
Natural Inspiration – the Bible is not from God.
Partial Inspiration – some parts of the Bible may be from God.
Encounter Inspiration – the Bible “becomes” God’s Word when it “inspires” a reader.
Summary:
It is not that the Bible “CONTAINS” the Word of God.
It is not that the Bible “BECOMES” the Word of God.
It is that the Bible “IS” the Word of God.

5. The Work of the Holy Spirit
There Is an Abundance of Evidence to Prove That the Bible Is Inspired of God.
It should not surprise the Bible reader that the Bible claims to be inspired of God.
The “Unity of the Biblical Record” is evidence for the Bible’s inspiration.
The unity of the Bible’s penmen is inexplicable on a human level.
The unity of the Bible’s theme is inexplicable on a human level.
The unity of the Bible’s doctrine is inexplicable on a human level.
The unity of the Bible’s details is inexplicable on a human level.
The unity of the Bible’s structure is inexplicable on a human level.

6. The Work of the Holy Spirit
There Is an Abundance of Evidence to Prove That the Bible Is Inspired of God.
The “Factual Accuracy of the Biblical Record” is evidence for the Bible’s inspiration.
The “Fulfilled Prophecy of the Biblical Record” is evidence for the Bible’s inspiration.
Predictive prophecy is one of the strongest proofs of divine inspiration.
In order to determine the validity of a predictive prophecy, certain criteria must be met.
The Bible presents numerous prophecies about nations.
The Bible presents numerous prophecies about individuals.
The Old Testament presents 332 prophecies about the coming Messiah.

7. The Work of the Holy Spirit
There Is an Abundance of Evidence to Prove That the Bible Is Inspired of God.
The “Scientific Foreknowledge of the Biblical Record” is evidence for the Bible’s inspiration.