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Messenger of the Lord

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    Prophets, Not Words, Are Inspired

    For thought inspirationists, God inspires the prophet, not his or her words. 16“The Bible is written by inspired men, but it is not God’s mode of thought and expression. It is that of humanity. God, as a writer, is not represented. Men will often say such an expression is not like God. But God has not put Himself in words, in logic, in rhetoric, on trial in the Bible. The writers of the Bible were God’s penmen, not His pen. Look at the different writers. “It is not the words of the Bible that are inspired, but the men that were inspired. Inspiration acts not on the man’s words or his expressions but on the man himself, who, under the influence of the Holy Ghost, is imbued with thoughts. But the words receive the impress of the individual mind. The divine mind is diffused. The divine mind and will is combined with the human mind and will; thus the utterances of the man are the word of God.” Selected Messages 1:21. In other words, God inspires prophets, not words. Compare Matthew’s digest of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) and Luke’s further abridgment in Luke 6. Thought inspirationists read the Bible and see God working through human beings with their individual characteristics. God provides the thoughts, and prophets, in relaying the divine message, use whatever literary capacity they possess. 17Commenting on Genesis 9:11-16 where God is quoted as saying (in reference to the rainbow of promise): “I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature,” Ellen White wrote that God is not implying “that He would ever forget, but He speaks to us in our own language, that we may better understand Him.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 106. Trained scholars will report a message or describe an event much differently than will a sheepherder. But if both are inspired by God, the truth will be heard by the educated and unlearned alike. This is the way the Bible was written, all writers using their best words to express faithfully the message they had received from the Lord.MOL 16.7

    Revelation in the revelation/inspiration process emphasizes the divine act that discloses information. Seventh-day Adventists believe that this divinely revealed message, or content, is infallible and authoritative. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). 18See Raoul Dederen, “The Revelation-inspiration Phenomenon According to the Bible Writers,” Frank Holbrook and Leo Van Dolson, Issues in Revelation and Inspiration (Berrien Springs, MI: Adventist Theological Society Publications, 1992), pp. 9-29.MOL 16.8

    Inspiration refers to the process by which God fits a person to be His messenger. This kind of inspiration is different from the colloquial use of the word when we describe some insightful poet or gifted singer as being “inspired.”MOL 16.9

    Paul wrote to young Timothy that “all scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16). The Greek word that Paul used, translated as “inspiration,” is theopneustos, a contraction of two words, “God-breathed.” This is more descriptive than a mere poetic touch. When Daniel, for example, was in vision he did not breathe, literally (Daniel 10:17)!MOL 16.10

    Peter said that prophets were “moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). The Greek word for “moved” is pheromeni, the same word that Luke used (Acts 27:17, 27) to describe being “driven” across the Mediterranean Sea in a terrifying storm. Prophets did not mistake the “moving” of the Spirit for normal emotional promptings. They knew when the Lord was speaking to them—they were inspired!MOL 17.1

    Another word that is used often in describing God’s communication system is illumination. When prophets deliver their messages, how do men and women recognize the messages as authentic? The same Holy Spirit that spoke through the prophets speaks to those who hear or read the prophet’s message. The listener or reader is “illuminated” (but not inspired). Further, the Holy Spirit enables the sincere believer to understand the message and to apply it personally. 19John 14:26; John 16:13; 1 John 3:24; 6, 13; 5:6.MOL 17.2

    How the revelation/inspiration process worked in the ministry of Ellen White will be discussed in Chapter 13. Fortunately, Mrs. White spoke forcefully and lucidly on how this process worked both in Bible times and in her own ministry.MOL 17.3

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