Revelation and Inspiration

What is the difference in these words?

What is the difference?

• REVELATION – is the body of truth God desires men to know.

• God parts the curtain and lets us see into his mind

• God has revealed truth for us

What is the difference?

• INSPIRATION – is the method God used to write and preserve the truth.

• God directed men to write.• He wanted them to share, copy and

preserve the writing.

What is the difference?

• These words are not the same:• Some had a revelation without any

inspiration (See 1 Corinthians 12-14)• The Bible IS inspired of God.• The Bible CONTAINS the revelation

from God.

The Need for Revelation

So we can learn:

1. The Character of God

2. The Origin of Evil

3. Mankind’s Origin

4. Mankind’s Purpose

5. Mankind’s Destiny

The Claim of Inspiration

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

The Claim of Inspiration

• 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

• 2 Peter 1:20-21

The Claim of Inspiration

• 1 And God spoke all these words, saying: 2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Exodus 20:1-2

The Claim of Inspiration

• 1 Now these are the last words of David. Thus says David the son of Jesse; Thus says the man raised up on high, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet Psalmist of Israel: 2 "The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue. 2 Samuel 23:1-2

The Claim of Inspiration

• Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.

• Psalms 119:89• But concerning the resurrection of the

dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying,

• Matthew 22:31

The Claim of Inspiration

• There are 2,700 such statements in the Bible.

• “Given by inspiration of God” is the translation of one Greek word

• The word literally means – God breathed

Theories of Inspiration

Naturalistic – like Shakespeare or Milton were inspired to write

Dynamic – thoughts (concepts) were inspired, man chooses the words to express the idea

Mechanical – man was just a dictation machine for God

Theories of Inspiration

Encounter – the words are inspired when the reader is inspired by them

Plenary, Verbal – Men wrote exactly what God wanted them to write, without mistakes or errors, yet with their own personalities and vocabulary clearly evidenced.

Theories of Inspiration

Plenary, Verbal – Simply put – God inspired the thought and selected the words and phrases from the writer’s vocabulary to precisely express the mind of God.

Verbal Inspiration

9 But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him." 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10

Verbal Inspiration

11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 1 Corinthians 2:11-12

Verbal Inspiration

13 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 1 Corinthians 2:13

Verses 9-12 – discuss revelationVerse 13 – explains inspiration

Points to Clarify

There is a difference between revelation and inspiration.

Early Christians received a revelation from God – but they were not inspired.

Neither inspiration nor revelation assures that the man comprehends the message.

Neither of them were an assurance against sin.

Points to Clarify

Inspiration extended to a variety of people – fisherman, king, doctor, tax collector, tree trimmer.

Bible writers viewed each others’ works as inspired of God.

No Bible writer ever criticized the work of another.