DIFFERENT THEORIES OF INSPIRATION

By Pastor Art Watkins of Coden Bible Church (Coden, Alabama)

May 14, 2010

Many people think that the authors of the Bible went into a trance and saw the Bible and copied it down word for word. But this theory is wrong for it would not allow the writer a choice of words at all. The truth is, the writers freely chose their own words which is apparent by the fact that they all write in different styles and their own personalities are also evident in their writings. The personalities of men like David, Moses, Peter, John, and Paul are very evident in their writings. Luke the doctor uses a medical term in Luke 8:44, David the shepherd writes of sheep, slings, and shepherds equipment like rods and staffs. Paul's logical mind is evident in Romans and Galatians.

There are some who believe God dictated the scriptures as an executive to his secretary but this would reduce inspiration to a mere mechanical process and as we said before the men who wrote the Bible retained their individualities throughout the Bible. Anybody who reads the Bible knows that the writings of Moses are not like the writings of Paul. The writings of David do not match the writings of Luke. Matthew does not write like Malachi and Isaiah does not match John.

When the Holy Ghost spoke through Peter, James, John, and Paul, He did not lead any of them to say the same thing, the same way. They kept their individual styles and wrote in their own individual ways.

Another theory of inspiration is called natural inspiration. This is the theory taught by the modernists and liberals. In this theory you simply go through the Bible like a banana and take off what you don't like and eat what you like. That is, whatever is positive and appeals to your flesh you accept as inspired; whatever goes contrary to your upbringing and ideology and concordances and dictionaries you throw out. This theory teaches that the Bible contains the word of God when in truth the Bible is the word of God.