7th June 2023
Dictated?
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…
2 Timothy 3:16 (ESVUK)
Our Bible is a collection of books written by kings and priests, prophets, apostles, and one doctor-cum-historian over a period of about 1,500 years. None of them thought they were writing what we know as the Bible. In it we have the words of God, knowledge of God, histories, genealogies, lists of laws, prophecies, prayers, wise sayings, guidance in Christian ministry and help in our relationship with God. We also have truth and lies, adoration and praise, and outbursts of anger and distress and doubt.
If you ask the question who wrote the Bible and read the King James Version of 2 Timothy 3:16, it says, ‘All Scripture is given by inspiration of God’. It would seem to indicate that God was responsible for writing it. But the word ‘given’ was added by the translators and is not in the copies of the original.
Now take a look at the word that is translated ‘inspiration’. As you can see from our header scripture it is translated very differently. Many modern translations now translate the Greek word as ‘God breathed’ which is closer to Paul’s wording. He doesn’t say that God wrote or dictated scripture – he says God breathed it.
But why did Paul use this word? With his knowledge of the Hebrew scriptures, maybe he remembered that it was used long before in Genesis where we read that God formed Adam from the dust of the ground. There we read that God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and he became a living creature. He was animated.
And the writers of the Bible were not automated writing machines. They too were animated by the life-giving breath of God’s Spirit. So we see the collaborative work of the Holy Spirit with each writer in giving us all these various books that make our Bible.
And we too, when we read the Bible and take into our minds these chosen words, can still look for the animating power of God to bring the words to life for us, so that they can enter our hearts and minds and transform us.
Prayer
Father, our Spirit-inspired thanks come up to you for giving us our God-breathed and precious Bible, and for bringing the words to life as we read and study them, so we may grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Study by Hilary Buck
About the writer:
Hilary Buck is a minister and pastors the Lewes congregation of Grace Communion International.
Local congregation:
Grace Communion in Lewes
The House of Friendship
208 High Street
Lewes
BN7 2NS
Meeting time:
Sunday 11:00 am
Local congregational contact:
Hilary Buck
Email: lewes@gracecom.church
Like us on www.facebook.com/Grace Communion Lewes
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church