In our last visit we tried to amplify what 1 Corinthians 2 says about the Holy Spirit’s part in producing God’s Word. First, He knows the thoughts of God. He then reveals the truth God wants us to know to chosen individuals. In verses 12-13 it appears He is like a superintendent overseeing their attempts at putting into words what He revealed to them.
The way this happened is that as these chosen ones put into words what the Holy Spirit revealed to them they used their own vocabulary, cultural orientation and experience data base. Luke and Paul spoke and wrote as well educated men. John wrote as a common man, a fisherman. As they tried using the right words, phrases and word pictures the Holy Spirit would direct them in this selecting process.
“This is what we speak,” Paul writes, “not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.” The words were human words, their vocabulary. But the Holy Spirit guided them to use the best word or words or phrases in their mind’s data base to best say what He had revealed to them. That is what is meant by the Bible, God’s Word, being inspired or God breathed.
There were times when what was revealed was a direct word from God, dictation, a “Thus says the Lord!” At other times it was God’s thoughts put in words chosen by men but directed in that choice by the Holy Spirit. That’s why we refer to the Bible as being verbally inspired. It was always protected from error. That’s why it is called, God’s Word.
