Lesson No. 2

Lesson No. 2 The Holy Bible, The Book Written by Divine Inspiration

Outline: 1. In studying this topic, we can verify, through different passages, that the Holy Bible was written by divine inspiration.

2. We will also address the meaning of such exclusive inspiration and its functions, citing some characters who were influenced by it.

3. We will also verify, through different passages, that the writings of the Holy Bible are free from error, thanks to the effects of divine inspiration.

Subsection 1) Except for the Holy Bible, all literary works originate from human inspiration. Some writers have drawn inspiration from nature's phenomena, others, indiscriminately, from ethics, philosophy, love, historical and scientific topics, etc. Many of these writings have provided great value to humanity. However, the Holy Bible, the book of unequaled value, was not written by human inspiration, but by the effects of divine influence. Its writings give us clear testimony of this. Consider in this regard the following passages:

Second Peter chapter 1: verse 21: “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”.51

Second Timothy chapter 3: verses 16 and 17: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works”.51

Galatians chapter 1: verses 11 and 12: “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ”.51

I hope that, after having read every biblical passage contained in this book, the reader should perceive that throughout the entire text of both the New and Old Testaments, certain words appear in italics. This formatting indicates that these words are not part of the original text; rather—since the Holy Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, as is well known—when translating it into Spanish, linguistic differences between these languages ​​sometimes resulted in incomplete phrases. To ensure better comprehension, it became necessary to complete these phrases by logically inserting appropriate words—such as prepositions, articles, pronouns, adverbs, etc.—using a typeface that distinguishes them from the rest of the text.

Subsection 2) What does the expression “divine inspiration” mean? It is defined as the influence exerted by the Holy Spirit on certain of his chosen ones, so that they would write what He wanted to communicate to his chosen people or any particular nation.

It is of vital importance to clarify that, in the passage cited according to Second Timothy chapter 3: verses 16 and 17,51 the word inspiration is translated from the Greek term "θεόπνευστος" (theópneustos), which literally means ("inspired by God" or "breathed out by God").3 And is theologically considered as the breath of life that God put in Adam. This establishes the concept that through divine inspiration, God has given life to the Sacred Scriptures. Therefore, it says in Hebrews chapter 4: verse 12,51 that the word of God is quick, and powerful…

I should clarify that the original Greek text—according to the Greek-English Interlinear ESV New Testament—does not say "quick," but rather *living*.6

Regarding the influence of divine inspiration on the Bible's writers, consider some examples:

David: Second Samuel chapter 23: verses 1 and 2: “Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, 2The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue”.51

Isaiah: Isaiah chapter 59: verse 21: “As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever”.51

Acts chapter 28: verses 25 and 26: “And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, 26Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive”.51

Jeremiah: Jeremiah chapter 1: verses 9 and 10: “Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. 10See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant”.51

In these biblical citations, reference is made to three of those great men who were instruments of God for writing his Holy Word, knowing that each of them contributed to the content of a considerable part of the Sacred Scriptures; and, as confirmed by the texts read, none of them acted of their own will, but in response and obedience to God. Our Lord Jesus Christ confirms this sacred concept:

Mark chapter 12: verses 35 and 36: “And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the Son of David? 36For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool”.51

Subsection 3) One of the most important functions of divine inspiration was to prevent the biblical writers from making any errors in transmitting the truths revealed by God. This protected them from communicating anything other than what was true, or that He had not revealed to them, mainly concerning prophecies, which cover the largest content of God's revelations, including his divine promises.

Evidently, this function of divine inspiration is attributed with total authenticity to the original manuscripts, as well as to copies of them and translations; provided that they totally correspond with the majority of the oldest existing manuscripts. It has been considered that both copyists and translators can make errors and errors that are not protected by divine inspiration. See details of vital importance at the end of the topic, about "the divine inspiration conferred to Bible translations".

Regarding the belief that divine inspiration ensured the biblical writers did not present anything untrue, consider the following examples:

Micah chapter 3: verses 5 to 8: “Thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him. 6Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them. 7Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God. 8But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin”.51

This declaration by Micah reveals the existence of false prophets. Their sentence will be spiritual darkness, shame, and confusion, as such reflects the indignation of our God against the promulgation of error. However, this prophet of God was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit which logically exerted in him that divine influence that inspired him to denounce rebellion and sin through oral proclamation and his prophecies, written in the Holy Bible.

First Thessalonians chapter 2: verses 3 and 4: “For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: 4But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts”.51

This biblical quote reveals that in communicating the gospel (written in the Holy Bible), there is no error.

As one can see, these are only intrinsic proofs within the Holy Bible, that is, they are evidences included in the Bible itself which confirm that its writings were carried out under the influence of divine inspiration.

Other fundamental proofs about divine inspiration in the Holy Scriptures are its fulfilled prophecies, some of which spanned a period up to eight hundred years or more from prediction to fulfillment. As proof of that, see chapter 6 of this treatise.

There are many extrinsic evidences to the Holy Bible which provide evidence of the truths revealed in its writings. Among them is the great regenerating power that the Word of God operates in people, converting the wicked and criminals into faithful believers and honest individuals with a high level of morality and good human behavior. All of this is thanks to the fact that it is alive and effective, because it originates from the breath of life given by God to man, which is defined as Divine Inspiration in the Holy Scriptures.

Another detail that has been seriously considered is based on the preservation of these sacred writings. They have survived attempts at total eradication by kings and other powerful entities who, in different eras and places, burned all the copies of the Holy Scriptures they could. The result of all the tragic attempts to destroy it has turned into the reproduction of millions of copies in existence for each one that has been destroyed throughout history.

In addition, the fulfilled prophecies, as mentioned before, also denote consistent extrinsic evidence of divine inspiration in the Writings of the Holy Bible, since many of the predicted and fulfilled events are recorded in history. Evidence of this includes the fulfillment of the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and other prophets. As seen in Second Kings chapter 20: verses 16 to 18,51 and the book of Jeremiah chapter 21: and chapter 25: verses 1 to 12,51 contained in the writings of the Bible. These prophets of God predicted with perfect clarity the capture and destruction of Jerusalem, the capital of the Hebrew kingdom, identified as the people of Israel. These predictions also include the transmigration of the Jewish people to Babylon, where they would have to remain for a period of seventy years until the time foresaw for the desolation of that city and the fall of its Empire. Moreover, history provides evidence that in 587 B.C., the Babylonian Empire launched an offensive against Jerusalem. It caused great destruction, set the city on fire, and took most of its inhabitants captive to Babylon. According to history, it is also evident that, at the time prophesied, they were released from captivity, and many of them returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and the city.

Another extrinsic evidence to the Holy Bible that offers testimonies of the truths revealed in its sacred writings lies in the fulfillment of the prophecies of Daniel, a young Hebrew of royal lineage, who was among the captives King Nebuchadnezzar took from Jerusalem to Babylon, where he carried out his prophetic ministry.

According to the biblical book of Daniel chapter 8: verses 1 to 8, and 20 to 22,51 God revealed to him the fall of the Medo-Persian Empire by the invasion of the kingdom of Greece, and the succession of events with exact historical fulfillment. See the historical data in the appendix at the end of the topic.

One of the most compelling proofs of the truths revealed in the Holy Scriptures, resulting from divine inspiration in its writings, consists in the account of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which also establishes the fulfillment of His own predictions. Both ancient history and the history of Christianity are recipients of external proofs to the Holy Bible, offering clear and detailed evidence of the long and horrendous persecutions Christians endured under the Roman Empire from the year sixty-four A.D. onwards.

Many biblical commentators agree that if the Christians of that time had not truly possessed convincing evidence that Jesus Christ had resurrected, they would never have submitted to the horrible rigors of imprisonment, torture, and martyrdom; to being crucified, torn apart by wild beasts, burned in bonfires, sawed; fleeing through the mountains, hiding in caves and catacombs, simply to maintain their fidelity to a religious ideal. Nevertheless, the history of Christianity confirms that many of those faithful felt blessed to be subjected to such cruel suffering rather than retract before such an immaculate truth, and there were those who voluntarily presented themselves to be delivered to death. For some had been eyewitnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, as He had appeared to them and had shared with them on various occasions after rising, since by that date no more than thirty-five years had passed from that unforgettable event. Furthermore, those who had not seen Him believed it as certain as if they themselves had perceived the events. Because the truths of divine revelations are so vivid and convincing that even after two thousand years, no force has been capable of stopping the growing waves of Christianity, which have reached numbers of millions who believe in the certainty of biblical promises as the book written under the influence of divine inspiration.

Other extrinsic evidences to the Holy Bible, related to the fulfillment of prophecies, constitute authentic historical data about the dispersion, suffering, and total exile of the Jewish people due to their rebellion against God. The annals of history also contain evidence of the fulfillment of Daniel's prophecies regarding the rise and fall of the four great empires of antiquity, known as: The Babylonian Empire, the Medo-Persian, the Greek, and the Roman. As well as other related prophecies.

Appendix

Divine inspiration: conferred upon the translations of the Bible. Just as the full backing of divine inspiration is attributed to the original manuscripts and their copies, it is assumed that translations made into other languages should be considered under the same status, as long as they completely correspond to a wholly correct translation that contains, moreover, a sense truly consistent with that expressed in the original language. For this reason, both ancient and current biblical scholars, supported by biblical societies, have subjected different versions of the Bible to varied and extensive revisions which have helped them to offer a message increasingly clearer and consistent with that expressed in the Writings of the original languages, such as, for instance, our Version The Bible - The King James, which after being translated into English in 1,611, has undergone several revisions including the revision of 1,769,51 executed by Benjamin Blayney, under the sponsorship of the University of Oxford. This proves that although the original text is considered infallible, which admits no changes or censorships, the translations may, however, be subjected to certain revisions and adjustments by scholars or entities authorized for such. Nevertheless, any biblical student has every right to take a passage, expression, or word from a version of the Bible subject to confusion or doubt or simply as an object of their investigation, and analyze it in the light of the text in the originating language. They may also render any logical opinion backed by evidence obtained from various authorized sources of information available regarding this, which does not constitute any attempt to violate the Sacred Text since it is not subjecting the original text's infallibility to judgment or scrutiny.

Attention!: It is very important that the student be very clear about this concept, as in subsequent topics we will have to subject some words and expressions to consideration and analysis regarding their correct translation in light of the text in the original language.

Extrinsic Proof of The Holy Bible

These proofs are based on certain biblical prophecies whose fulfillment is verified by history. After having read the indicated passages, according to Daniel chapter 8: verses 1 to 8 and 20 to 22,51 we must compare them with the historical data that reference the fall of the Medo-Persian Empire under the impetuous force of Greece's invasion. Translated from Spanish based on my own paraphrase.

Greece, 331 to 168 B.C.43 According to authentic historical data, this Empire lasted 163 years. Alexander the Great, who was the first and only king of the Greek Empire, represented the lone horn of the male goat in the prophecy of Daniel chapter 8: verse 21.51 This king is also known in history as Alexander III the Great or Alexander of Macedonia.

The historical account says that Alexander the Great, king of Greece, launched to conquer the known world of that time and the Medo-Persians were defeated by the Greeks in the Battle of Arbela.

This battle, according to historical data, took place on October 1st of the year 331 B.C., on the plain of Gaugamela, near the ruins of Nineveh, about 100 kilometers from Arbela (currently Irbil, in Iraq), on the banks of the river Bumodos.

The account asserts that Alexander the Great's troops faced an impressive Medo-Persian army of more than 400,000 men commanded by Darius III Codomannus. Despite the overwhelming numerical superiority of the Persian troops, the brilliant Macedonian general inflicted a decisive defeat on Darius III, who in panic decided to flee in such a hurry that he forgot his entire family in the camp, including his wife and children. The male goat (Greece) trampled the ram (Medo-Persian).

The account confirms that after triumphing in the Battle of Arbela, Alexander the Great easily conquered the main cities of the Persian Empire, effectively dismantling that Empire and also opening the doors to the vast eastern territories.

History states that Alexander the Great needed only twelve years to conquer the known world then. The sole king of the Greek Empire (the lone horn of the male goat) fulfilled Daniel's prophecy exactly: the Greek Empire dominated the entire earth.

According to the history data, Alexander the Great arrived in Babylon in the spring of 323 B.C., but fell ill with fever and died in June, leaving his Empire, according to his own words, "to the strongest".

Four of his generals divided the Empire among themselves. They are the four symbolic horns of the male goat: Ptolemy, Cassander, Lysimachus, and Seleucus.(trans.)

In addition to all these proofs, it is an equally real and undeniable fact that the Bible, despite the complexity of its literary character, having been written by more than thirty authors, in three different languages, under the different cultures of several countries where none agreed about what they were going to write, despite its historical, didactic poetic and prophetic content, written over a prolonged period of approximately one thousand five hundred and sixty years, still maintains a link of coherences and purposes from beginning to end of the Sacred Book. As a vivid example of this, we have the following details: the Bible presents God as an Almighty Being, creator of man and the entire universe, who is the only source from which life emanates.

It presents Him as the Redeemer and Savior of man. A just God, full of goodness, love and mercy. Likewise, it reveals Him as a holy God, possessing the highest moral characteristics, who punishes sin and evil. These and so many other details appear as a chain of coherences and purposes from Genesis to Revelation.

Evidently, these characteristics are not coincidental but are due to the fact that the intellectual author of the Sacred Book, who directed and inspired each writer in each place, era, and culture, was none other than precisely God. Therefore, these particularities of its literary nature make it a fully trustworthy book.

Now, after having referred to the various proofs demonstrating that the Bible was written by divine inspiration, it is important to note that a proof is a demonstration, a palpable or visible fact, and when a statement can be proven, as we have achieved in this case, it will always be an undeniable fact.