Meaning and Operation of Inspiration
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.” 2 Timothy 3:16. This statement lifts the prophetic gift to the highest possible service for mankind. The apostle Peter declares: “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 Ghost.” 2 Peter 1:20, 21.AGP 32.1
Another passage explains this matter more fully: “Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” 1 Peter 1:10, 11.AGP 32.2
From these passages we must conclude that the prophets were inspired by “the Spirit of Christ;” that by this inspiration the purposes of God were revealed to them; and, that they testified to the world that which had been revealed to them. The Scriptures came from God by this divine inspiration. Thus the supreme, incomparable word of God came to the world through the prophetic gift, operating through the prophets.AGP 33.1
Volumes have been written regarding the inspiration by which the word of God came to prophets. One writer says: “By inspiration in the theological sense is meant that influence of the Spirit of God upon the mind of the sacred writers by which He communicated the knowledge of religious truths or future events, and guarded them against error in delivering these truths to others, either orally or by writing.”AGP 33.2
The consciousness and the certainty of the prophets concerning the manifestation of the Spirit of God within them is explained in the following statement:AGP 33.3
“Inspiration” is “a term employed to designate the divine origin of Holy Scripture…. The interior process of the Spirit’s action upon the minds of the speakers or writers was of course inscrutable (John 3:8) even to themselves. That they were conscious, however, of such an influence is manifest from the authority with which they put forth their words; yet, when they sat down to write, the divine and the human elements in their mental action were perfectly harmonious and inseparable (Luke 1:3).” “Cyclopædia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature,” McClintock and Strong, Vol. IV, art., “Inspiration,” pp. 611, 613.
Another says:AGP 33.4
“As an action of God, working through His Spirit, the communication of revelation to the human mind and His guidance of it to the moment of its expression in words, either oral or written, has been called inspiration. The fact of such inspiration is unmistakably presented in the Bible.” “A New Standard Bible Dictionary,” art., “Revelation,” p. 771.
Taken together, these paragraphs give a clear, comprehensive definition of inspiration.AGP 33.5
Revelation is “a disclosure of something that was before unknown; and divine revelation is the direct communication of truths before unknown from God to men. The disclosure may be made by dream, vision, oral communication, or otherwise.” “Cyclopædia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature,” McClintock and Strong, Vol. VIII, art., “Revelation,” p. 1061.AGP 34.1