"Every Word Of God Is Tried"

by L. Burrows | Category: General | Feb 1958

(Proverbs 30.5).

Much has been written on the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures; and the purpose of this article is to emphasize the matter of their verbal inspiration. A firm belief in this truth is vital if progress is to be made in spiritual things. Those who accept any other view of inspiration are courting spiritual disaster, as has been demonstrated in the lives of some young people.

When we say that the Scriptures are verbally inspired, we mean that the very words of the original sacred writings were inspired of God. They are therefore to be implicitly relied upon for their accuracy. We can be thankful to God that the sacred text has been wonderfully preserved. In the Bible we have in our hands today a translation which has remarkably few defects and which may be used in full assurance that it is indeed the living oracles. The men who wrote these were failing men, as all men are, but they nevertheless spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1.21). This does not mean that they were like unthinking machines. In some wonderful way, known only to God, each writer's distinctive character is preserved, thus giving beautiful variety to the sacred page, but at the same time the divine accuracy and truth of the Word are not impaired. Undoubtedly verbal inspiration is a miracle, but believing as we do in the greater miracle of Christ's incarnation, we accept by faith the truth of verbal inspiration.

When legal documents and Acts of Parliament are drafted, every word is carefully chosen by men of proved linguistic ability, and when they are interpreted in the courts it is the words themselves which are binding, not the thoughts which may have been in the writers' minds. How much more must this be true of the Law of God and our title deeds to heaven

The strongest proof of the verbal inspiration of the Scriptures is supplied by the words of the Lord Jesus Christ himself, who came into the world that He might bear witness unto the truth (John 18.37). Being the Son of God, His views on the Old Testament Scriptures must be accepted without reserve. He said, " One jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the Law, till all things be accomplished " (Matthew 5.18). In John 10.34-36 He builds an argument upon the single word "gods " quoted from Psalm 82; and again in Luke 20.41-44 on the word " Lord," quoted from Psalm 110. He told Satan that man shall live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4.4; Deuteronomy 8.8).

We trust our few words will quicken the interest of readers in this vitally important subject. It is a divine mystery which must of necessity present problems to our limited, human mind, but it would be foolish not to consider such a fundamental principle because we cannot fully understand it. The disciple who holds it fast will have his faith established and know much joy as his difficulties arc resolved one by one in quiet and prayerful study of the Word of God.

L. Burrows | Feb 1958
General