“Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21 NIV).
2 Peter 1:20-21 offers a glimpse into the mechanics of Biblical inspiration and how that process took place. To gain a better understanding of this concept, let’s consider the example of a sailboat as it moves across a lake. Just as the wind fills the sails of a sailboat to move it over the surface of the water, so God also moved the Biblical authors in communicating His message.
The Apostle Peter used a nautical term that means “to move” or “be conveyed” (1) to illustrate that process. In other words, God propelled these Biblical authors so they went precisely where He wanted them to go, much like the wind propels a sailboat across the water. And just as a sailor remains active on a ship that is steered by the wind, these human authors were involved in communicating the Biblical Scriptures under the guidance and direction of God’s Spirit.
So, even though human beings played a role in recording God’s Word, their writings were “carried along” by the Holy Spirit. One author offers a useful summary that helps define that process…
“The Holy Spirit moved men to write. He allowed them to use their own styles, cultures, gifts, and character. He allowed them to use the results of their own study and research, write of their own experiences, and express what was in their minds. At the same time, the Holy Spirit did not allow error to influence their writings. He overruled in the expression of thought and in the choice of words. Thus, they recorded accurately all God wanted them to say and exactly how He wanted them to say it in their own character, styles, and languages.” (2)
For this reason, the Bible can rightfully claim to be authoritative (Exodus 4:30, 1 Thessalonians 2:13), eternal (Psalm 119:89, Matthew 24:35) and true (Psalm 119:142, John 17:17). We can also rely on Jesus’ testimony regarding this subject. According to Jesus, the Scriptures…
- Are the command of God (Matthew 15:3-4).
- Contain no mistakes (Luke 16:17).
- Are reliable (Matthew 26:54).
- Cannot be broken (John 10:35).
Jesus also promised His disciples that the Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth and remind them of the things He said and did (John 14:26, 15:26-27). This explains why Paul the Apostle (1 Corinthians 14:37) and Peter (speaking of Paul in 2 Peter 3:15-16) each referred to the God-inspired nature of these Biblical letters.
(1) G5342 – phero, Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/Dictionary/viewTopic.cfm?topic=VT0001864 [A-6]
(2) Brian H. Edwards. Why Should We Believe in the Inerrancy of Scripture? Answers in Genesis. Retrieved 24 June, 2024 https://answersingenesis.org/is-the-bible-true/why-should-we-believe-in-the-inerrancy-of-scripture/