Hello

Many Christians today believe that our Bible is inspired by God.  Here’s a very important question: 

Did the teaching that our Bible is inspired by God come from God or is it a human teaching? 

If this teaching came from our loving heavenly Father, then when, where and how did he make it known to his human children?  Where do we read that he spoke directly, or through an angel, or through a prophet, saying that he inspired these writings?  There is no record of any such event.  This is very important because, if we cannot be certain that God has said that he inspired the writings in our bibles, then we must conclude that this teaching (that our Bible is inspired by God) is a human teaching.  And Jesus was very critical of church leaders who taught human teachings:

 "You charlatans!  Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human teachings.'” (Matthew 15:7-9)

Several of the Old Testament prophets clearly stated that they were instructed by God to write what God told them (Some examples: Exodus 34:27-28; Isaiah 8:1; Jeremiah 36:1-3; Habakkuk 2:2).   But most writers of Old Testament writings do not claim that God was instructing them what to write.  The only book in the New Testament that contains indications that the author believed our loving Father was instructing them is Revelation – and that was instruction to write letters to certain churches.  So, why do some people today believe that God inspired the authors of all writings found in our Bibles, when we are not told that he did so, but we are told that he directed some authors on certain occasions?  I don’t know the answer to that question, but I do have my suspicions.  I think the doctrine may have originated with priests who wanted to keep control over their parishioners.  For most of the history of the church (the first 1900 years) most people couldn’t read.  Only members of the ruling classes and the priesthood could read.  So, it would have been very handy for those priests who wanted control over their congregations to tell them that the Bible was inspired by God, and "The Word of God”, and “Holy”, when only they could read it and tell others what it said.  Of course, I could be wrong.

 

Moving on, it is very important to remember that Jesus did claim that his words came from the Father.

“My teaching is not mine but his who sent me.” (John 7:16)

“…the one who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” (John 8:26)

“The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his work.” (John 14:10)

“…the word you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me.” (John 14:24)

“for I have not spoken on my own, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment about what to say and what to speak.  And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I speak, therefore, I speak just as the Father has told me.” (John 12:49-50)

 

The good news is that God certainly speaks to us through the words that we read in our Bibles.  He can speak to us any way he chooses and he certainly speaks to us through our Bibles when he chooses to do so.  However, if we believe that every word in our Bibles is inspired by God then we may tie ourselves in knots trying to work out what God is saying to us through ancient and very difficult passages which were not, in fact, inspired by him at all.  The devil would love to see us doing that.

May our loving Father bless us, continue to speak to us, and keep us safe.

Jesus is Lord.

Peter O

 

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