Day 32: Inspiration, God-Breathed and Given by the Spirit

Scripture
“Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:20–21 ESV

 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16 ESV

Confessional Summary
The Reformation confessions place Scripture’s origin in God’s own words.

The Second Helvetic Confession begins with a direct claim. “We believe and confess the Canonical Scriptures of the holy prophets and apostles of both Testaments to be the true Word of God, and to have sufficient authority of themselves, not of men.” It then explains why. “For God himself spake to the fathers, prophets, apostles, and still speaks to us through the Holy Scriptures” (Second Helvetic Confession, ch. 1).

The Belgic Confession echoes 2 Peter almost word for word. “We confess that this Word of God was not sent nor delivered by the will of man, but that holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, as the apostle Peter saith.” It adds that God, “from a special care which He has for us and our salvation, commanded His servants, the prophets and apostles, to commit His revealed Word to writing.” Therefore “we call such writings holy and divine Scriptures” (Belgic Confession, Article 3).

Westminster states the same truth in plain terms. The Scriptures are those books, “all which are given by inspiration of God, to be the rule of faith and life.” It then draws a firm line, saying the Apocrypha is “not being of divine inspiration,” and therefore “of no authority in the Church of God” (WCF 1.2–1.3).

The French Confession compresses the doctrine into one clean sentence. “We believe that the Word contained in these books has proceeded from God, and receives its authority from him alone, and not from men” (French Confession, Article 5).

Taken together, the confessions teach that the Bible is not a collection of pious opinions about God. It is God’s own Word given through human writers by the Holy Spirit, and therefore to be received as divine.

Reflection
Inspiration answers the question: “Where did Scripture come from?” Peter will not let you reduce the prophets and apostles to insightful religious men. Their message was not produced by human will, and it was not steered by private interpretation. They spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. Paul says the same reality in a single phrase. Scripture is breathed out by God.

That does not mean God treated the writers of Scripture like puppets. The human voice remains real. Moses reads like Moses. David sings like a poet. Paul reasons like a trained mind. Yet the Spirit so superintended their speaking and writing that what they wrote is what God intended to say.

This is why Scripture carries weight. You do not sit over it as a judge. You sit under it as a listener.

Application
Read 2 Timothy 3:16 again aloud. Then pray one sentence of reception, “Lord, this is Your Word, so I will receive it.” As you read the Bible, stop at the first command, warning, or promise that lands, and respond to it in submissive prayer before you move on.

Prayer
Living God, You have breathed out Your Word for our good. Guard me from casual reading and selective listening. Give me reverence as I open the Scriptures, humility as I receive them, and obedience as I respond. Speak, and teach me to listen. In Jesus’ name, Amen.