The Bible is fully inspired of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Galatians 1:11-12; etc.), but what was the method of inspiration? More specifically, were only thoughts and ideas inspired or were the very words?
David said, “The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue” (2 Samuel 23:2). The Book of Jeremiah tells us, “Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: ‘Behold, I have put My words in your mouth’” (Jeremiah 1:9). The very words of the Bible have meaning.
Paul made an argument based upon the plural form of a word. Notice what he wrote: “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, ‘And to your Seed,’ who is Christ” (Galatians 3:16). Paul’s argument depends upon the “s” on the end of the word “seed.” Curtis Cates wrote, “The plural would not have communicated his argument” (67). Does it matter whether or not Paul used the plural form of the word? Absolutely! Plural and singular forms of words matter; they communicate specific concepts. You can add or take away a word, or add or take away an “s” and completely change the meaning. Words mean something.
Think about pronouns. Do they have meaning? As recorded in John 14-16, Jesus used distinct pronouns to refer to the Father, to Himself and to the Holy Spirit, showing that there are distinct persons within the Godhead. Using “myself” or “my” communicates something different than using “himself” or “his.” Words mean something.
What does this mean for us? It means we are to take verbal inspiration seriously. Words mean something, and the words of the Bible are the most crucial. Our souls depend upon heeding those words, as we will be judged by them (John 12:48).
Works Cited
Cates, Curtis A. “Christ, the Promised Seed (Gal. 3:15-18).” Studies in Galatians. Dub McClish, ed. Denton: Valid Publications, 1986.
