2/15/2023 - What We Believe - A Study of our Doctrinal Statement - Introduction #3 & Inspiration #1

2/15/2023 - What We Believe - A Study of our Doctrinal Statement - Introduction #3 & Inspiration #1 - Grace Bible Church Baytown, Texas - Pastor Scott Griffin

Link to our Doctrinal Statement: https://www.gracebiblechurchbaytown.org/doctrinal-statement.html

Doctrinal Statement on Inspiration:
1. We BELIEVE that the HOLY SCRIPTURES are the inspired Word of God, that they are authoritative, free of error and God-breathed. II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21; Matthew 5:18; John 16:12.

Doctrinal Study on Inspiration:
Inspiration
Copyright © 2015, Roy A. Cloudt, Grace Bible Church – Baytown, Texas Page 1 of 3
Note: Additional Bible Studies are found in the Topical Studies section of our website at www.GraceBibleChurchBaytown.org.
I. The Importance of the Inspiration of Scripture – This doctrine is of immense importance. It is foundational to
the faith of the believer. The believer must have confidence that the Bible is the very Word of God.
II. Definitions of and Distinctions between Revelation, Inspiration, and Illumination
A. Revelation – That sovereign decision of God to reveal Himself to His creation. It is the function of the
Holy Spirit in communicating to man, truth that man could not otherwise know.
B. Inspiration – The act of the Holy Spirit in communicating to the human authors of scripture God’s
complete and coherent message, and its recording in writing such that, without waiving their human
intelligence, their vocabulary, their personal feelings, their literary style, their personality or
individuality, God’s complete message to mankind was permanently recorded with perfect accuracy in
the original languages of Scripture.
C. Illumination – Illumination is the ministry of God the Holy Spirit that enables all those who are in a
right relationship with God to understand His revelation.
III. Inspiration in the Word
A. Fact of Inspiration stated – 2 Tim. 3:16, 17.
“All scripture is God-breathed, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness: That the man of God might be mature, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
There are four great truths that are contained in this one verse. They are:
1. The verbal plenary inspiration of the entire Bible – “Verbal” means that God the Holy Spirit led the
human authors in the choice of each and every word of the Scripture. “Plenary” is a term that
means full, complete, absolute, entire, or unqualified. In this context the term “verbal plenary
inspiration” means that the entire, complete content of scripture was directly communicated to
Inspiration
Copyright © 2015, Roy A. Cloudt, Grace Bible Church – Baytown, Texas Page 2 of 3
Note: Additional Bible Studies are found in the Topical Studies section of our website at www.GraceBibleChurchBaytown.org.
the human authors of Scripture, who then recorded it word for word under the control of the Holy
Spirit.
2. The Divine authorship of the entire Bible – even though God used the agency of men to record the
truths of Scripture, He is in fact the Divine author.
3. The supreme value of all Scripture to the spiritual life – there are four benefits we as
believers have from the Scriptures:
a. Doctrine – The Bible is the mind of Christ – 1 Cor. 2:16.
b. Reproof – We are reproved by Scripture when we live wrong lifestyles.
c. Correction – the turning around of the lifestyle problem that resulted in the reproof.
d. Instruction in Righteousness - The Scripture provides us instructions for living the day-to-day
Christian life.
B. Fact of Inspiration Implied – There are many scriptures that imply the fact of Divine inspiration: 1 Kings
16:1; Jer. 13:1; Ezek. 1:3; Eph. 3:1-10; and many more.
C. Other Scriptural Proofs of Inspiration - The Bible declares that God spoke through OT prophets – Heb.
1:1-2. The OT Scriptures are inviolable – John 10:34-36. The perfection and certainty of fulfillment of
promise and prophecy are intrinsic to the often-repeated phrase, “… that what was spoken … might be
fulfilled,” – Matt. 1:22; 2:15, 23; 8:17; 12:17.
Inspiration
Copyright © 2015, Roy A. Cloudt, Grace Bible Church – Baytown, Texas Page 3 of 3
Note: Additional Bible Studies are found in the Topical Studies section of our website at www.GraceBibleChurchBaytown.org.
IV. The Modus Operandi of Inspiration - The nature of inspiration is verbal plenary inspiration. This is also
sometimes called the dynamic view of the inspiration of Scripture. This is the traditional, orthodox view of
inspiration, and was the view held by the early church fathers.
V. The Results of Inspiration
A. Absolute Inerrancy of the Original Documents - 2 Pet. 3:16; 1:20-21.
B. Divine Preservation of the Substance of Scripture
C. Scriptural Inerrancy Embraces Scientific Features
D. Scriptural Inerrancy Embraces Historical and Literary Features