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Verbal inspiration view UEGW 34

The verbal inspiration view ranges from a dictation or mechanical inspiration view to a divine management of the verbal content. Early twentieth- century fundamentalists closely interacted with Adventism in various causes and influenced Adventist views on inspiration. When strict verbalists argued for the inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible, they said that in the original autographs, God dictated the Bible in much the same way that He gave the Ten Commandments from Sinai. Some allowed that God worked within the vocabulary and language limitations of the prophet, but God chose most of the words that were used. The human aspect was removed or minimized. God essentially inspired not just the men of the Bible but also managed their words. Thus, in the verbal inspiration view, the prophets functioned more as God’s pen than as His penmen. 5See James M. Gray, “The Inspiration of the Bible: Definition, Extent, and Proof” in The Fundamentals: A Testimony to the Truth (Chicago: Testimony Publishing, 1910-1915), 3:7-41. UEGW 34.1