(Continued-Chapter-II-The Revelation of God)

There were certain students of the Word in Israel of the first century who knew what the prophets foretold, who believed their messages, and who were expecting the appearance of Messiah. That there was such a general expectation of His appearance in the second quarter of the first century is proved by Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver in his book, Messianic Speculation in Israel. This expectation is confirmed by the New Testament. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John give us accounts though brief, of the ministry of John the Baptist, who went to the wilderness and began making his proclamation regarding Messiah's speedy appearance. People flocked to hear his announcement that there was coming one after him the latchets of whose sandals he was not worthy to unloose. He therefore baptized those who accepted his message and confessed their sins. According to the Four Gospels, vast multitudes accepted John's message and acted accordingly. This fact proves conclusively that there was among the people a general expectation of Messiah's advent. There were, however, certain of the leaders at Jerusalem who sent a delegation inquiring of John whether he were the Messiah, "the prophet," or Elijah (John 1:19-28).

Six months after John began his ministry, Jesus of Nazareth stepped forward and began His. Because of John's testimony concerning the Lord Jesus, vast crowds forsook the former and followed the latter.

The consciousness of His divine nature and power is clearly reflected in His prayer recorded in Matthew 11:25-30:

25 At that season Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes: 26 yea, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in thy sight. 27 All things have been delivered unto me of my Father: and no one knoweth the Son, save the Father; neither doth any know the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son willeth to reveal him. 28 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Let the reader note these words: "All things have been delivered unto me of my Father: and no one knoweth the Son, save the Father; neither doth any know the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son willeth to reveal him." Jesus claimed that no mortal could understand Him. God alone could comprehend God--no man--except Himself who was able to understand and know God. Though the Father is an infinite being, Jesus claimed to know and understand Him. There lies behind this utterance the consciousness of His infinite nature, being, and power. This same statement is found in Luke 10:22.

It is not necessary to call attention to the claims of Jesus, presented in the Gospel of John, as to His being on an equality with God. If one will simply read the accounts by Matthew, Mark, and Luke and will in a scientific manner study theirs records, one cannot avoid the conclusion that these three books do unmistakably present Jesus of Nazareth as the Hebrew Messiah, who is none other than God entering the world by miraculous conception and virgin birth. Such are the claims of these unique books. In this connection, let me say that I am not asking the reader to accept my interpretation of the facts as they are presented in the four gospel records. I am simply asking him at this point to read these narratives with an unbiased mind and, for the sake of investigation, accept now the plain story as presented in these four books. At a later time in this investigation we shall see indisputable evidence that these records of His life are positively the result of the inspiration of the Spirit of God.

Never man spake as did this one (John 7:46). "And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these words, the multitudes were astonished at his teaching: for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes" (Matt. 7:28,29). Jesus of Nazareth stands a peer above all generations of all nations.

He promised His disciples the absolute and complete inspiration of the Holy Spirit after His departure (Matt. 10:16-20; John, chap. 16). The Apostles, thus commissioned, according to the Acts of the Apostles, waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit to guide them into all the truth. On the first Pentecost after the resurrection of Christ, the Holy Spirit came and spoke through the Apostles.

2 And when the day of Pentecost was now come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them tongues parting asunder, like as of fire; and it sat upon each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:1-4).

The Apostle Paul, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, claimed for himself and for others in the gospel ministry the complete and absolute inspiration of the Spirit of God. "But unto us God revealed them through the Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For who among men knoweth the things of man, save the spirit of the man, which is in him? even so the things of God none knoweth, save the Spirit of God. But we received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God; that we might know the things that were freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Spirit teacheth; combining spiritual things with spiritual words " (I Cor. 2:10-13).

The Apostle Peter claimed for the writers of the Old Testament the inspiration of the Holy Spirit: "And we have the word of prophecy made more sure; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawn and the day-star arise in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation. For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit" (II Pet. 1:19-21). Here Peter claimed that the men of God who spoke of old were moved or borne along by the Holy Spirit. The writer of Hebrews claimed that God spoke to the fathers through the prophets, but that in these last days He has spoken to us in His Son. "God, having of old time spoken unto the fathers in the prophets by divers portions and in divers manners, hath at the end of these days spoken unto us in his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds" (Heb. 1:1,2).

The Apostle Paul claimed the absolute inspiration of both the Old and New Testaments in the following statement to Timothy: "But abide thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a babe thou hast known the sacred writings which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness: that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work" (II Tim. 3:14-17). In this passage the apostle urged the young man Timothy, his co-worker, to abide or remain in the things which he had learned, since he knew of whom he had learned them. He knew the persons who had taught him from childhood and what their lives were. He could therefore be assured that his instructors had taught him that which had been written by God. The apostle reminded the young minister that from childhood he had known "the sacred writings which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." The "sacred writings" which he had been taught and which he knew were undoubtedly the writings that were current among the Jews of that day and time, and that were the thirty-nine books constituting our Old Testament--these, the apostle affirmed, were able to make Timothy wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. They foretold Him, and the prophets pointed to Him, as the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

Moreover, the apostle affirmed that "Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness; that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work." In the King James Version verse 16 is rendered, "All scripture is inspired of God and is also profitable ..." The translation appearing in the Revised Version is by far the more preferable, even though the rendering in the King James Version is grammatically correct. So is that of the Revised Version. In verse 15 Paul, in speaking of the Old Testament, called it "the sacred writings." He did not claim that every writing is profitable for teaching. In verse 15, he asserted that the "sacred writings"--the Old Testament--were able to make Timothy wise unto salvation through faith in the Messiah, and that there were other writings which are also profitable for growth in the Spiritual life. What other writings were in existence at the time of Paul's making this statement? The answer is that nearly all of the New Testament had been written by this time. The only books still unwritten at this time were the Gospel of John and his three Epistles, the Epistle of Jude, and the Revelation. Peter recognized that the writings* of Paul were scripture and placed them on par with the Old Testament writings (II Pet. 3:16). Thus it becomes quite evident that in II Timothy 3:16,17 Paul was referring to the books of the New Testament and placed than on a level with the Old. Moreover, he claimed that they also are profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God might be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.

That Paul was not simply talking about the books of the Old Testament in this passage is clear from the fact that they were able to make him wise unto salvation through faith in Christ, but were not sufficient to prepare him to make him perfect unto every good work. If they had been, there would not have been any need for an additional revelation. But the writings referred to in the sentence, "Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching ... that the man of God may be complete furnished completely unto every good work," does fit the man of God completely unto everything that is good. These writings therefore must be the New Testament Scriptures.

From these scriptures and from others we see that the Apostles whom Jesus of Nazareth called into His service were, according to their statements, fully inspired of God and delivered not their own messages but those that were given them by the Holy Spirit. Such are the claims of the writers of the Bible. By no manipulation of the facts can we change the testimony of the Scriptures regarding themselves.

VI. PROOF OF THE INSPIRATION OF THE ENTIRE BIBLE

Thus far in our investigation we have noticed the testimony of the Scriptures to themselves. The unanimous claim of all the biblical writers is that they spoke under the power and influence of the Spirit of God and that their messages were not their own but that they were given to them by the Spirit. Are these claims spurious? Or are they on the other hand, accurate and to be relied upon? We shall answer these questions by noticing some facts that are apparent to all. When these considerations are examined by an unbiased mind, one comes to the conclusion that the claims of the biblical writers are correct. In the limited space that we have, we can take note of only a few of the very many proofs of the divine inspiration of the Holy Scriptures.

From the first chapter of the Book of Genesis to the last word of the Revelation the careful student observes this most remarkable phenomenon: the reserve with which all the biblical writers gave their message. For instance, in Genesis 1:1, we have the sublime statement, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Volumes are couched in the seven words of the original text in which this thought is expressed. Unlike "the seven tablets of creation" of the Babylonians, this statement is pregnant with meaning. Philosophers, theologians, and scientists have endeavored to search out the method and means employed by the Almighty in His creation of the universe. But they have sought in vain. Men always, when they record their deeds or accomplishments, give rather full and detailed accounts in order that others might appreciate what they have wrought. Not so with the biblical writer, as is evident to everyone.

The second verse of the Scriptures is expressed by one who was super humanly restrained: "But the earth became a desolation and a waste" (literal translation). Men have become curious as to how the earth which was made perfect ("The Rock, his work is perfect ..." [Deut. 32:4]) became a desolation and a waste. Certain leading scientists are seeking the answer to that question. They realize that there have been great convulsions in nature from time to time. The scriptural authors recorded the bare facts in a way such as no uninspired authors have written.

I could continue throughout the books of both the Old and the New Testaments, calling attention to such marvelous, cryptic, brief statements which reveal the presence of a guiding, yet restraining, hand upon the biblical writers; but these will suffice.

An investigation of the Scriptures brings the conviction that they are accurate and truthful accounts of the things which they narrate. For instance, whenever the Scriptures speak upon any subject of scientific investigation, it will be found that these utterance, spoken in popular language for the edification of the great masses, are accurate and trustworthy. For example, the archaeologists have, by faithful, scientific labors, brought to light many of the things which are recorded in the Scriptures. There has never been unearthed any evidence which throws discredit upon any of the biblical accounts. On the contrary, all archaeological discoveries confirm the statements of the Scriptures. In the spring of 1937 I had the privilege of talking with the late Sir Flinders Petrie, when I visited him in his study at American School of Oriental Research in Jerusalem. In the course of our conversation I asked him if He had discovered anything that throws discredit upon the Scriptures. His reply was that there had not been found anything that caused him to doubt their accuracy. In this connection, he made an observation to this effect: The armchair professors in universities and other institutions of learning who have never gone to the field and done the actual digging are the ones who are questioning the biblical record; but those who have done the real work and have brought to light the past are convinced of the accuracy of the Scriptures.

To this testimony of Sir Flinders Petrie I wish to add what the late Robert Dick Wilson, Ph.D. one of the greatest philologists in the Old Testament field, had to say in reply to the question, "Professor, what do you try to do for your students?" To this Dr. Wilson replied, with quiet earnestness: "I try to give them such an intelligent faith in the Old Testament Scriptures that they will never doubt them as long as they live. I try to give them evidence. I try to show them that there is a reasonable ground for belief in the history of the Old Testament. I've seen the day," he went on, "when I've just trembled at undertaking a new investigation, but I've gotten over that. I have come now to the conviction that no man knows enough to assail the truthfulness of the Old Testament. Whenever there is sufficient documentary evidence to make an investigation, the statements of the Bible, in the original texts, have stood the test."

In addition to this utterance of Dr. Wilson's, I wish to call attention to the first paragraph of his conclusion (chap. 7) of his volume, A Scientific Investigation of the Old Testament: "But the time has come to conclude this summary of evidence for the defense in the case of the critics against the Old Testament. We hope that the evidence adduced will be sufficient to show that the general reliability of the Old Testament documents has not been impaired by recent discoveries outside the Old Testament. The literary forms are in harmony with what comparative literature would lead us to expect. The civil, criminal and constitutional laws agree with what the civilization of the ancient nations surrounding Palestine would presuppose; while the ceremonial, moral, and religious laws are differentiated from those of others by their genesis in a monotheistic belief and a divine revelation. The use of writing in the age of Moses and Abraham is admitted by all and the existence of the Hebrew language in the time of the Exodus is assured by the glosses of the Tel el Amarna letters, as well as by the proper names on the Egyptian and Babylonian monuments. The general correctness of the Hebrew text that has been transmitted to us is established beyond just grounds of controversy. The morphology, syntax, and meaning of the language of the various books conform with what the face of the documents demands. The chronological and geographical statements are more accurate and reliable than those afforded by any other ancient documents; and the biographical and other historical narratives harmonize marvelously with the evidence afforded by extra-biblical documents.

What Dr. Wilson said related to the Old Testament, the field in which he spent his entire life; but the New Testament is just as accurate and trustworthy. An investigation of the introduction of Luke's record of the life of Jesus of Nazareth shows conclusively that Luke did special research as a scientist.

1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to draw up a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us, 2 even as they delivered them unto us, who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, 3 it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus; 4 that thou mightest know the certainty concerning the things wherein thou wast instructed (Luke 1:1-4).

Among the investigators in the New Testament field who have done exact scientific research is the late Sir William Ramsay. As he tells us in the preface to one of his volumes, he went to the field as a rationalistic doubter, accepting the critical analysis of the Scriptures. He began and prosecuted his work in the true scientific spirit. One fact after another was brought to light by his patient and painstaking labors. As the evidence piled up more and more he continued his investigations. He then was forced by the logic of facts to abandon the critical hypothesis and to accept the conservative, orthodox position regarding the Scriptures as being accurate in all details. Whenever the Scriptures are allowed to give their message without any distortion of facts or forcing upon the language a meaning contrary to the data, they will be found to square perfectly with known ascertained facts and data.

A perusal of the Scriptures impresses the candid reader with the unique and unheard-of manner in which the biblical writers portrayed their characters--real men and women of flesh and blood. All secular writers, both ancient and modern, idealize their heroes and heroines, while they present, as a rule, their lesser characters as villains or persons of inferior parts. This is not the case with the biblical writers. Abraham is the hero in the Book of Genesis. Nevertheless, he is represented true to life. The same thing applies to Jacob, Gideon, David, and hosts of others. This faithful delineation of character which we find in the Old Testament appears likewise in the New.

Why was it that scriptural writers set forth the failures, shortcoming, and sins of the great men of God with the same candor and frankness as they did those of the enemies of God? There is but one answer to this question, one explanation of this phenomenon, which is the fact that the biblical writers were inspired by the unerring Spirit of the truth who never "whitewashes" anything or anybody but presents all things and all people in their true light.

God made of one man every nation to dwell upon the face of the earth. We are all therefore His offspring, as the Apostle Paul declared (Acts 17:22-31). The scriptural message is addressed to all people. When God called Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees, He made it known that he and his descendants were to be the repository of His truth, and He assured Abraham that in him and his seed would all the families of earth be blessed. The truth of God's message was, as is seen by a careful study of both the Old and the New Testaments, committed to Israel, as the chosen nation, to deliver it to the entire world.

That the message of the Scriptures is universal is evident from the fact that the moral law of God is written in the very fiber of the souls of all men. This is seen in Paul's statement in Romans 2:13-15:

13 For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified; 14 (for when Gentiles that have not the law do by nature the things of the law, these not having the law, are the law unto themselves; 15 in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness therewith, and their thoughts one with another accusing or else excusing them).

The Gentiles who do not have the written law of God can, in a very limited way, by nature do the things of the law, it being written upon the tablets of their hearts.

A practical demonstration of the universality of the message is shown by the fact that, when it is delivered to peoples of all nationalities and is embraced by them, it lifts them up from the low level of sin and degradation to the high plane of righteousness.

It is a well-known fact that many of the Hebrew people developed the spirit of exclusiveness--even some of the prophets and spokesmen of God. For instance, Jonah, when he was called to go to Nineveh, refused and fled in the opposite direction. The Apostle Peter would not go to the Gentiles until he was forced to do so by the performance of a miracle (Acts 10). An examination of the Scriptures shows that the biblical writers were lifted above national prejudices and that they delivered their messages to mankind. The universality of the gospel is therefore an evidence of its divine inspiration.

Even to the casual reader it becomes abundantly evident that the scriptural writers had the correct idea concerning God, the universe, man, his nature, the history of the race, the outlook into the immediate and distant future, and the life beyond this one. A glance at these various subjects as presented in the Word and a comparison of them with the same teachings found in the writings of the wise men of other nations show that there is a vast gulf separating the biblical writers from all other men.

Note, for instance, the conception of God found throughout the Scriptures. He is presented as the creator of all things, the preserver and controller of the universe, the one in whom men--all nations--live and move and have their continual being; and He is the one who provides all man's necessities. In Genesis 1:1 we read, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Here, as we have already learned, God existed in eternity of the past. He put forth the creative act, the result of which was the bringing into existence of the material universe. David, in a very pictorial manner, declared that the heavens are the work of God's fingers (Ps. 8:3). Isaiah, in that matchless passage--chapter 40--set the Almighty forth as the great chemist who compounded the various elements out of which the hills and mountains are composed. Here he used the figure of metonymy, thinking of the whole in terms of a part. Moreover, he presented Him as the great architect who measured the limitless expanse of space. He created all the heavenly bodies and is guiding them in their various orbits as they move on their way throughout the years. On account of His diligence there is not one lacking (Isa. 40:12,13,26). Before Him, or in His sight, the nations are no more than the fine dust of the balances or a drop of water in a bucket. He is the one who has carried out His will in the heavens, in the earth, in the seas, and in all deeps (Ps. 135:6). God is the one who has made of one man every nation to dwell upon the face of the earth, having determined their appointed seasons and the bounds of their habitations that they should seek Him (Acts 17:24-27). The Almighty is represented therefore as being transcendently above nature and likewise immanent in it. The Apostle Paul declared that there is "one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all" (Eph. 4:6) All modern thought, except the crassly irrational, is more and more coming to this point of view regarding God and His relation to the world.

The scriptural writers had the proper understanding of man. They diagnosed his case most accurately. Their writings are a mirror into which man may look and see himself as he really is. The men of God who wrote the Scriptures give us glimpses as to man's original state of innocency and of his subsequent disobedience and fall. Their accounts of the present condition of the human heart and its need of regeneration are set forth clearly and graphically. The psychology of the Scriptures has proved itself over and over again to be in accordance with the facts of human nature. Although the biblical writers did not use modern terminology, their utterances reveal the fact that they thoroughly understood the mind of man and its functioning under various motives.

No man can be honest with himself and with his Maker and at the same time deny that the feelings and emotions of his very innermost being are other than those that are set forth in the Word of God.

The sacred writers certainly understood the fallen nature of man. They had the proper evaluation of sin and iniquity. They presented man in his fallen, depraved condition and his need of the saving grace of God. They traced all the evil in the world to Satan and the corrupt nature of the human heart. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9). The Lord Jesus declared, "For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, railings: these are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not the man" (Matt. 15:19,20). No pagan religion nor system of philosophy has ever been able to fathom the depths of the human heart, diagnose man's case, and prescribe a remedy for the disease of sin. An examination of all the classical writers, both theological and philosophical, shows that the biblical writers are the only ones who had the proper estimate of sin in all its hideousness and in its results in the lives of men.

The biblical writers, contrary to the usual practice of men, frequently went counter to the generally accepted view of the philosophers and religious teachers, together with the scientists, of their time. Whenever they spoke on any matter that was subject to scientific investigation, they spoke accurately, though they did use popular language--for the benefit of all. For instance, the ancients believed the earth was flat and the heavens a vault above it, while they thought that the stars were holes in it through which the light was shining. They even professed to know the number of the stars. On the other hand, the biblical writers, as I have noted before, spoke contrary to the wisdom of their time and gave facts. Whenever the occasion demanded that they speak upon any theme, which is now a matter of scientific investigation, their utterances are found to be absolutely accurate when viewed in the light of modern discoveries. Wherever we have been able to check the accuracy of the Scriptures, regardless of the field, they have proved to be correct. To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him? (Isa. 40:18).

The prophets were spokesmen for God and discoursed concerning matters past, present, and future. At this point in our investigation, however, I wish to call attention only to the accuracy of a few of their utterances as they foretold the future.

Moses, the great lawgiver, for instance, outlined the checkered history of Israel from his day until the time when the disobedient Chosen People will come back into fellowship with God, which prediction will be fulfilled in what I believe to be the not-distant future. This forecast is found in its original draft in Leviticus 26. It was spoken to Israel at Mount Sinai in the second year of the Exodus. In the fortieth year of their wanderings in the wilderness, Moses--just before his death--delivered his final orations to that generation which had arisen in the wilderness. These addresses constitute the Book of Deuteronomy. Chapter 28 is Leviticus, chapter 26, expanded.


Footnote:

* Any writing regardless of the author or the content, was scripture in the first century, because scripture meant at that time that which is written.

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