The Inspiration of the Scriptures
In these days when “Higher Criticism” and “Rationalism” are seeking to eliminate practically all supernaturalism from Christianity it is helpful to read a sound and convincing plea for the old-time belief in the Bible as in a special sense the book of God. The following masterly statement of the truth was written by Dr. Adolph Saphir, himself a converted Hebrew, whose intimate acquaintance with the chosen nation, combined with a fervent Christian experience, has given great force to his utterances concerning both the written and the incarnate Word of God. Dr. Saphir says:— The whole history of Israel is a golden history, if we may so say—a Holy Ghost history. It differs from every other history. This nation God formed for himself; and in all the events, institutions, and great men of this people, God in a special manner revealed himself and the truths of his kingdom. And this because the eternal Word, the Saviour of sinners, the King of the Jews, the Head of the church, the Heir of all things, who is the upholder and end of all ages, Jesus himself, is organically and inseparably connected with this chosen nation; he is of the seed of David, of the seed of Abraham. Now such being the character of the history, was the record of this history (or the Scripture) the work of man, depending on the capacity and grasp of human intellect, the faithfulness of human memory, on man’s wisdom and design? Is not the casket also golden which contains the invaluable jewel? If the spirit and substance were God-given, has he not also clothed it with a body prepared and perfected by his own omnipotent and all-wise hand? We believe that Scripture is given by inspiration of God. We do not believe it possible that this book, world-wide and eternal in its character, could have been written by holy men unless they were moved by the Spirit, who searcheth the deep things of God, and guided by him who was, and is, and is to come. We believe Scripture to be inspired. And our faith in the inspiration of Scripture has its basis and root in our faith in God himself. It is because we have experienced the divine power of the truth Scripture contains, and because in the reading of Scripture we have heard the voice of God; it is because God speaks to us in this written Word, that we believe it is God’s. This faith is a conviction, an inward beholding and seeing, a knowledge which far transcends in light and strength, in certainty and firmness, all human evidence and argument. We can not communicate this faith to our neighbor; for faith is the gift of God, and “they shall be all [and each] taught of God;” we can only testify of it and give a reason, a connected statement of the knowledge that is in us. But on no lower ground can we build our assertion, that Scripture is God-inspired; not on the testimony of the church, not on the evidences (valuable as they are) of the historic faithfulness of the record, the fulfilment of prophecy, the effects of the sublime teaching on human minds, etc. The inspiration of Scripture is an object of faith; and faith can rest only on the word of God, the testimony of the Spirit to the soul. When we are asked, Is this inspiration verbal? or does it refer only to the divinely revealed truths and promises? it is not necessary for us to enter into distinctions which Scripture itself does not make. We need no adjective to qualify the substantive, inspiration. It is impossible for us to form a theory of inspiration. Even of that influence of the Spirit of which we possess personal experience in our own conversion and daily renewal, it would be impossible for us to frame a theory; for the work of the Spirit is mysterious. We can not trace the beginning or end of his path (John 3:8); his intercession is “with groanings which can not be uttered” (Rom. 8:26); we can not explain his indwelling in the heart; and as his love is infinitely tender, entering into our deepest and most individual peculiarity and need, so is it impossible for us to analyze his constant vivifying influence, guidance, and rule. If it is thus with the work of the Spirit, of which we have experience, why should we attempt to form a theory of inspiration of which none of us has experience? Most probably the prophets themselves could not explain and analyze the operation of the holy and infinite Spirit upon and within their spirit, and could give no other reply to our inquiry than the statement which Scripture contains: the Spirit of the Lord came upon them; they spake not of themselves, but as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. The inseparable connection between thought and word, between the substance and spirit and the form and expression, is obvious. The Holy Spirit, God who reveals truth and spiritual reality to holy men, moves them also in speaking; influencing also the words, so that they are correct and adequate expressions: the spoken and written word is an adequate manifestation of the word inwardly revealed. To separate thought and word, spirit and embodiment, matter and manner, is at all times a very difficult and perilous thing; for not merely is the boundary line between the idea and the expression almost impossible to find, but the Spirit who animates the body which it has formed can be retained by us only in the word. Hence, as Martin Luther said against the rationalists of his day, “Christ did not say of his Spirit, but of his words, they are spirit and life.” Scripture is God’s word; it is his gift, and a revelation of himself. It is God’s word, the revelation of eternal and spiritual truth in a written record. The language of Scripture accordingly is perfectly unique; it possesses an indescribable something which is not found in any (merely) human writings; the Spirit, who seeth all things in their depth and reality, and who knoweth the end from the beginning, speaks here in a way so profound and comprehensive that the wisdom and experience of all ages can not exhaust his meaning, and yet with such simplicity and definiteness that all childlike hearts find guidance and consolation in their daily path of duty and trial. The style of Scripture betokens its inspiration. Here is a depth, a solemnity, a heart-winning sweetness and familiarity, which we meet nowhere else. Here is the voice of One who speaketh with authority, and communicates to us out of an inexhaustible fulness what is profitable for us in our present condition. The Scripture is to other books as nature is to the works of art, as the ocean is to a lake; the Scripture sees all things from a great height, and breathes the atmosphere of eternity. In the best human books, in the loftiest poetry, in the most fervent and devout utterances of man, there is always something unreal, artificial, self-conscious; something morbid and necessarily ephemeral. Scripture is the only true, real, eternal book.