Before citing biblical claims to inspiration, it might be good to acquaint the reader with what is called “Higher Criticism” and “Lower Criticism.” The first may imply it is better, but not so. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia states: “Higher criticism… manifestly tends to widen out illimitably into regions where exact science cannot follow it, where often, the critic’s imagination is his only law.” Higher criticism is obviously not concerned with the accuracy of the biblical text and would contribute to destruction of faith in the Bible. Lower criticism, on the other hand, “…deals strictly with the text of Scripture, endeavouring to ascertain what the real text of each book was as it came from the hands of the author” (I.S.B.E. 749).
“Higher criticism,” it seems, has been given impetus by infidel German theologians and philosophers. The term Higher Criticism was given by a German biblical critic, Eichorn, about the beginning of the nineteenth century. The reader can easily see that “Lower Criticism” is much more valuable than “Higher Criticism” in that this science seeks to give us the true text, whereas the former would destroy such. In view of the fact that even some among us, so-called Gospel preachers and professors of the Bible, have become so enamored with the false critics as to deny the verbal inspiration of the Bible, class parts as inaccurate, thereby affecting the faith of many and leading many into error, it is in order to continually warn and to uphold the inerrancy of proper translations of the Bible. Now, let us observe that God did not just give the Bible writers an idea or thought and let them write of their own volition, but the Holy Spirit gave the actual words they were to use. No writer of the Bible ever claimed credit for originating his writings, nor does one ever find any mere human production claiming such inspiration as does the Bible. More than two thousand times such statements as follows are found in the Bible.
The apostle Paul made it clear that what he spoke and wrote were not the words of men: “If any man think himself to be a prophet… let him acknowledge that the things I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord (1 Corinthians 14:27). “…[W]hen ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God…” (1 Thessalonians 2:13). Even the Lord Jesus Christ never presumed to speak of Himself, but said, “For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father gave me commandment, what I should say and what I should speak” (John 12:49). The apostles were told not to “premeditate” what they should speak, “for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost” (Mark 13:11). The Scriptures are called “the oracles of God” (Romans 3:2), “the word of God” (Luke 8:11), “The word of the Lord” (Acts 13:48) or “The word of Christ” (Colossians 3:16); the apostles spoke “the mighty works of God” (Acts 2:7, 11). Now, observe claims in the Old Testament.
God promised to be with Moses and “teach thee what thou shalt speak” (Exodus 4:10-12). Even Balaam said, “Told not I thee, saying All that the Lord speaketh, that I must do?” (Numbers 22:38; 23:36). David said, “The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue” (2 Samuel 23:2). Jeremiah wrote, “And the Lord said unto me, Behold I have put my words in thy mouth” (Jeremiah 1:6-10). Nearly one hundred times Jeremiah said, “The word of the Lord came unto me” or in other ways declared he uttered “the word of the living God.” Isaiah 1:10 says, “Hear the word of the Lord…,” and no fewer than twenty times did he so declare that what he spoke were God’s words, not his. God testified “by the Spirit in the prophets” to Israel (Nehemiah 9:20, 30). Second Peter 1:21 declares, “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.” About sixty times Ezekiel said what he wrote are the “words of God.” “Son of man, all my words that I speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord God” (Ezekiel 3:10-11).
Keep in mind, well over 2,000 times are such expressions used showing that the words of the Bible came from God, not from any man. The apostle Paul summed up the whole matter in these words: “Which thing also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth” (1 Corinthians 2:13). So we can join the peerless apostle in saying, “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.”
