I. The Scriptures testify the Holy Spirit is responsible for giving us the Bible:
A. The Holy Spirit directly "moved" men to pen the words:
1. II Peter 1:19-21, "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well
that ye take heed, as unto a light that shines in a dark place . . . . knowing this
first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the
prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they
were moved by the Holy Spirit."
2. II Timothy 3:16, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable .
. . . that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."
(Also vs 17)
B. Christ instructed the apostles as to exactly how He would do this:
1. John 14:25-26, "These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he
shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I
have said unto you."
2. John 16:12-13, "I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth; for
he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and
he will shew you things to come."
3. Now then, when you take all the sermons, parables and words which Jesus spoke in
the hearing of the 12 and add them to all the prophecies and things to come, you have
the "all truth" or "all Scripture"--the completed Bible. This is exactly what the Holy
Spirit did in "moving" the "holy men" to write the Scriptures. So absolute is the
infallible content and inerrancy of the Bible that anytime an individual rejects God's
exact revelation and teaching on any subject, he has "resisted the Holy Spirit" as in
Acts 7:51.
4. Paul commended the church at Thessalonica "because, when ye received the word of
God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth
the word of God" (I Thess 2:13).
II. This giving of the Word is known as an "unction" (an anointing) "from the Holy
One" (I Jn 2:20).
A. John reminded the saints of his day they had "received this annointing of him" (I
Jn 2:27). It enabled them to "know all things" (I Jn 2:20), so that he said, "ye need
not that any man teach you" (I Jn 2:27). Rather "God hath revealed them unto us by his
Spirit" (I Cor 2:9-10). Since no man "hath seen, heard or imagined the things"
contained in the Bible, "but God hath (instead) revealed them unto us by his Spirit,"
truly no man taught us these truths.
B. But in view of the fact that the Holy Spirit is our teacher, the question is how
does He teach us? Does He, in answer to prayer, merely pour the knowledge into our
heads? Of course not. John, an inspired apostle stated, "The annointing is truth," and
"it" hath taught you" (I Jn 2:20, 27). Thus Christ prayed to His Father, "Sanctify
them through thy truth, thy word is truth" (Jn 17:17). The "anointing" is not a "him"
but an "it." It is the Word of God itself.
C. In instructing Timothy, who was not directly inspired or "moved" by the Holy Spirit
in either the giving or receiving of the Word, Paul said, (as an inspired apostle)
"consider what I say, and the Lord give thee understanding in all things" (II Tim
2:7). To "consider" is to "study" according to II Timothy 2:15. Those who obey this
injunction may show themselves to be "approved of God" to forgo shame and to be found
"rightly dividing the word of truth" (II Tim 2:15). None of this is due to the
processes of human reasoning nor the mere philosophical teachings of man but because
the Holy Spirit revealed the Word to men chosen of God to pen it in words for our
study and guide. David remarked, "the entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth
understanding" (Ps 119:130). And therefore Paul wrote, testifying, "Which things also
we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Spirit
teacheth" as we "compare Spiritual things with spiritual" (I Cor 2:13). This is
exactly how the Holy Spirit teaches men the truth in our day!
III. Some things of which to beware:
A. Infallibility and inerrancy is limited to the revelation of truth, never extending
to include the interpretation of it.
B. Most folks follow their so-called "religious impulses," flatly disregarding the
exact and expressed will and mind of God.
1. They "feel moved" to do something.
2. Since we "have the mind of Christ" expressed clearly in the Word (I Cor 2:16), we
must take great care to "try the spirit whether they are of God: because many false
prophets are gone out into the world" to deceive (I Jn 4:1). Thus we "prove all things
and hold fast that which is good" (I Thess 5:21). Then let us remember that "through
thy precepts I get understanding" (Ps 119:104).
3. Keep in mind also "if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is
no light in them" (Isa 8:20).
IV. The greatness of the gift of the word:
A. The absolute purity of the word is expressed in Psalms 19:8, "The statutes of the
Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening
the eyes."
B. The supreme authority of the Word is told in Psalms 119:128, "I esteem all thy
precepts concerning all things to be right."
C. The perfect unity of the Scriptures is mentioned in John 10:35, " . . . . the
scriptures cannot be broken."
D. The eternal permanency of the Bible is given in I Peter 1:25, "But the word of the
Lord endureth forever."
E. The Word of God is able:
1. "To make wise" (II Tim 3:15). This is especially true of the young.
2. "To save" (Jas 1:2). This is good news to the lost.
3. "To build you up" (Acts 20:32). This should be exciting to all the saved.
F. The Word of God is a living thing according to Hebrews 4:12. "For the word of God
is living (quick) and powerful."
G. The Word of God is life-imparting. (See Eph 1:13; Jas 1:18; Jn 6:63; Acts 15:7-8)
H. The Word of God is also life-developing. (See I Pet 2:1-2; II Pet 3:18; Acts 20:32;
I Pet 5:1-3)
A. The Holy Spirit directly "moved" men to pen the words:
1. II Peter 1:19-21, "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well
that ye take heed, as unto a light that shines in a dark place . . . . knowing this
first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the
prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they
were moved by the Holy Spirit."
2. II Timothy 3:16, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable .
. . . that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."
(Also vs 17)
B. Christ instructed the apostles as to exactly how He would do this:
1. John 14:25-26, "These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he
shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I
have said unto you."
2. John 16:12-13, "I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth; for
he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and
he will shew you things to come."
3. Now then, when you take all the sermons, parables and words which Jesus spoke in
the hearing of the 12 and add them to all the prophecies and things to come, you have
the "all truth" or "all Scripture"--the completed Bible. This is exactly what the Holy
Spirit did in "moving" the "holy men" to write the Scriptures. So absolute is the
infallible content and inerrancy of the Bible that anytime an individual rejects God's
exact revelation and teaching on any subject, he has "resisted the Holy Spirit" as in
Acts 7:51.
4. Paul commended the church at Thessalonica "because, when ye received the word of
God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth
the word of God" (I Thess 2:13).
II. This giving of the Word is known as an "unction" (an anointing) "from the Holy
One" (I Jn 2:20).
A. John reminded the saints of his day they had "received this annointing of him" (I
Jn 2:27). It enabled them to "know all things" (I Jn 2:20), so that he said, "ye need
not that any man teach you" (I Jn 2:27). Rather "God hath revealed them unto us by his
Spirit" (I Cor 2:9-10). Since no man "hath seen, heard or imagined the things"
contained in the Bible, "but God hath (instead) revealed them unto us by his Spirit,"
truly no man taught us these truths.
B. But in view of the fact that the Holy Spirit is our teacher, the question is how
does He teach us? Does He, in answer to prayer, merely pour the knowledge into our
heads? Of course not. John, an inspired apostle stated, "The annointing is truth," and
"it" hath taught you" (I Jn 2:20, 27). Thus Christ prayed to His Father, "Sanctify
them through thy truth, thy word is truth" (Jn 17:17). The "anointing" is not a "him"
but an "it." It is the Word of God itself.
C. In instructing Timothy, who was not directly inspired or "moved" by the Holy Spirit
in either the giving or receiving of the Word, Paul said, (as an inspired apostle)
"consider what I say, and the Lord give thee understanding in all things" (II Tim
2:7). To "consider" is to "study" according to II Timothy 2:15. Those who obey this
injunction may show themselves to be "approved of God" to forgo shame and to be found
"rightly dividing the word of truth" (II Tim 2:15). None of this is due to the
processes of human reasoning nor the mere philosophical teachings of man but because
the Holy Spirit revealed the Word to men chosen of God to pen it in words for our
study and guide. David remarked, "the entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth
understanding" (Ps 119:130). And therefore Paul wrote, testifying, "Which things also
we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Spirit
teacheth" as we "compare Spiritual things with spiritual" (I Cor 2:13). This is
exactly how the Holy Spirit teaches men the truth in our day!
III. Some things of which to beware:
A. Infallibility and inerrancy is limited to the revelation of truth, never extending
to include the interpretation of it.
B. Most folks follow their so-called "religious impulses," flatly disregarding the
exact and expressed will and mind of God.
1. They "feel moved" to do something.
2. Since we "have the mind of Christ" expressed clearly in the Word (I Cor 2:16), we
must take great care to "try the spirit whether they are of God: because many false
prophets are gone out into the world" to deceive (I Jn 4:1). Thus we "prove all things
and hold fast that which is good" (I Thess 5:21). Then let us remember that "through
thy precepts I get understanding" (Ps 119:104).
3. Keep in mind also "if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is
no light in them" (Isa 8:20).
IV. The greatness of the gift of the word:
A. The absolute purity of the word is expressed in Psalms 19:8, "The statutes of the
Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening
the eyes."
B. The supreme authority of the Word is told in Psalms 119:128, "I esteem all thy
precepts concerning all things to be right."
C. The perfect unity of the Scriptures is mentioned in John 10:35, " . . . . the
scriptures cannot be broken."
D. The eternal permanency of the Bible is given in I Peter 1:25, "But the word of the
Lord endureth forever."
E. The Word of God is able:
1. "To make wise" (II Tim 3:15). This is especially true of the young.
2. "To save" (Jas 1:2). This is good news to the lost.
3. "To build you up" (Acts 20:32). This should be exciting to all the saved.
F. The Word of God is a living thing according to Hebrews 4:12. "For the word of God
is living (quick) and powerful."
G. The Word of God is life-imparting. (See Eph 1:13; Jas 1:18; Jn 6:63; Acts 15:7-8)
H. The Word of God is also life-developing. (See I Pet 2:1-2; II Pet 3:18; Acts 20:32;
I Pet 5:1-3)
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| "The Work of the Holy Spirit -- Part II" "The Author of the Word of God, the Bible" CHAPTER 10 By John C. Morgan |