Holy Spirit 11 — William MacDonald

The Holy Spirit and the Inspiration of Scripture

To the inspiration of the scriptures the Holy Spirit is the one who inspired the scriptures 1st Corinthians 2 13 which we looked at in detail. We didn't look at 2nd Peter 1 21. Would you look at that for just a moment, please?

2nd Peter chapter 1 verse 21 Says knowing this first. That no prophecy of the scriptures of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man. But holy men of God speak as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

The Meaning of “No Private Interpretation”

The usual interpretation of this verse is That no one has a right to interpret the scriptures according to his own personal way of thinking. No prophecy of the scriptures of any private interpretation.

But that isn't really what it means. This doesn't refer to the way you interpret the scriptures. It refers to the way in which the scriptures were originally given. The rest of the verse goes on to prove that.

When it says no prophecy of the scriptures of a private interpretation it means when Isaiah Jeremiah Amos Malachi Matthew John when they wrote they weren't giving their own private interpretation of things.

They weren't using their own wisdom in what to write down. They were speaking writing as the Holy Spirit moved them. Now, of course, it is true that no prophecy of the scripture that we don't. Individuals don't have a right to interpret it apart from the Holy Spirit.

Oh, that's true. But that's really not what the word is saying here. This has to do with how the scriptures were originally given and the Bible that we have in our hand doesn't Doesn't consist of men's interpretation of things.

They were moved By the Holy Spirit and they speak accordingly. Now we believe in the verbal plenary Inspiration of the scriptures. When we say the verbal inspiration of the scriptures We mean that the very words those men wrote down were the words of God.

No question in the world about that and we saw that this morning when we were reading in 1st Corinthians 2 13. It uses that not in the words which man's wisdom teaches but words which the Holy Spirit teaches.

Comparing spiritual things with spiritual. When we say the plenary inspiration of the scriptures we mean that the Bible is inspired from Genesis through Malik through revelation all scripture is given by inspiration of God.

Inspiration Extends to Every Word

Just to show you how thorough the Inspiration of the scriptures is turn to Matthew chapter 5 and verse 18. Matthew chapter 5 and verse 18. There you read these words. The Lord Jesus is speaking. He says but verily I say unto you till heaven and earth pass away.

One jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law till all be fulfilled. One jot and tittle what would we say today? One dotting of the I. One crossing of the T. A Jot and a tittle weren't even letters in the Hebrew alphabet.

They were marked. They were strokes. They were very very minor. When you think of a capital E and Then think of a capital F the difference between a capital E and a capital F. Just that stroke at the bottom of the E.

And the Lord said not one jot or tittle would pass from the law shall all be fulfilled. I want to tell you that inspiration to the very Minutest degree in the scriptures, isn't it? Not one jot or tittle would pass until all be fulfilled.

Then even the singular and the plural of words is inspired in the Bible. Galatians chapter 3 verse 16. I think this is thrilling when you see this in the Word of God. Paul makes a big point here between singular and plural.

It says in verse 16 of Galatians chapter 3. Now to Abraham and his seed. Where the promise is made he saith not into seeds as of many that as of one and to thy seed which is Christ. A Difference in the English between of one letter.

Adding that plural F to a word and that shows you the minute detail in which the Word of God is inspired. Now it's all inspired to the same degree. All the scriptures inspired, you know, that's one of the problems with a red-lettered New Testament.

Some of you may have it don't feel badly if you do. Publishers published a New Testament with all the sayings of Christ in red letters. Well, that's all right. But it creates the impression it might create the impression in people's mind that what's in red letters is More inspired than what isn't and that isn't true.

Is it what Paul writes in? The epistles is just as much the Word of God as what you see in red letters in your Testament. And because the Word of God is inspired it's Infallible there are no errors in the Word of God.

It's absolutely trustworthy some men today say Trustworthy in matters of faith and morals, but not in other matters. I say it's trustworthy in all matters that you can possibly think of. BH Carroll said it's foolish to talk about degrees of inspiration.

He says all the Bible is the Word of God when I was a boy. I found a thousand contradictions in the Bible. I marked them. I Had nearly a thousand more contradictions then than I have now. I now have a half dozen in the Bible.

I cannot explain Satisfactorily to myself. I think if I had a little more sense I could explain them. That's what he said. That's very good, isn't it when he ever when he was a boy he had a thousand contradictions in the Bible today.

He has only about six and he says if I had a little more sense, I think I could explain those six. I think we want to mention that inspiration when we hear about the Spirit of God inspired the scripture.

Inspiration and the Truthfulness of Biblical Records

Inspiration doesn't guarantee the truth of what for instance Satan says in the Bible. It guarantees the authenticity of the record, but if Satan tells a lie in the Bible doesn't mean it's true. Does it if man says something in the Bible?

It isn't true. It's inspired because God wanted it to be in the Bible. Even if it isn't true, for instance the book of Ecclesiastes the book of Ecclesiastes Represents Solomon's search for meaning to life under the Sun the the expression under the Sun is found 29 times in the book of Ecclesiastes.

Now a lot of his conclusions under the Sun aren't true at all. He says, you know man dies and goes into grave and the dog dies and goes into grave and man has no advantage over the Dog, well, that's not true.

It's not true at all, but that man's wisdom under the Sun dear friends. You have to get above the Sun to get true wisdom. But I'm glad it's in the Bible. I'm glad it's part of the inspired Word of God because God is saying McDonald don't go through that dreary search for meaning under The Sun.

Solomon the wisest and richest man who ever lived went through that search and he couldn't find it. Don't think you can find it. So I'm grateful for the book of Ecclesiastes. But just remember not everything in it is true.

It represents man's search under the Sun incidentally the cult love Ecclesiastes because they don't put the key in the door. That's why that's why they love it. Now here's a problem when we speak of the inspiration of the scriptures.

Preservation Through Copies and Transmission

We're thinking of the original documents the original documents as they were written down by the various men Moses the Pentateuch. But you know, we don't have the original documents today as and that presents a problem to some people they say well.

You believe in the inspiration of a book and you don't have the original document. No problem. There are so many copies of the Old Testament and So many copies of the New Testament. Handed down transmitted down through the centuries.

It's just as good as if we had the original document. Let me put it this way. Supposing there were a fire back in Philadelphia and the Declaration of Independence were burned. Would we be any the loser just because the original copy was perfect, but we'd know everything that was in it.

Wouldn't we we know everything that was in it and that's true of the sacred scriptures. Let me just give you some little facts about that. The book of Isaiah we've had for centuries, you know, is that the right book of Isaiah?

That's the way it should be. Well, not too many years back. They found the Dead Sea Scrolls and in the Dead Sea Scrolls among them. They found a copy of the book of Isaiah. Oh so they were going to cut they were going to take this copy of the book of Isaiah that they just found and Compare it with what they had assembled as the true book of Isaiah down through the years.

It represented a hundred pages of manuscript the book of Isaiah and a Jewish scholar Found 13 problems. There were 13 words in The Dead Sea Scroll Isaiah that seemed to be a little different. From the written they didn't affect any doctrine, of course of the faith 13 words.

Let's think of that a few years passed and he said That in his considered opinion he was hasty on 10 of those 13 problems. They were all small problems problems like this the difference in the spelling the British spelling of judgment J-u-d-g-e-m-e-n-t and the American spelling of judgment j-u-d-g-m-e-n-t.

What was comparable in the Hebrew things like that? The difference is between Isaiah has we have it and Isaiah as it was in the Dead Sea Scroll copy. Only 13 Changes that this scholar thought of and he says it.

Well, I was a little hasty about 10 of them. I Want to tell you that's marvelous when a copy can be transmitted down through the centuries and only Three I would like anybody in the room to typewrite a hundred pages of manuscripts.

And have only three type of graphical errors in it. I'd like to see it. I don't think anybody in the room could do that. I Know something about editing and copywriting and all the rest, but I want to tell you we make more mistakes.

What about the New Testament? Scholars today will tell you that the New Testament the text of the New Testament as we have it today is 99 and 9 10th percent pure the thing of that. One tenth of one percent and that one tenth of one percent represents very minor Problems not one of those things represents a doctrine of the Christian faith.

What does that mean? It means I can hold this book up before you tonight and say that is the Word of God. And I really believe it with all my heart the differences are minor and they have nothing to do with doctrine.

Accepting the Bible by Faith

Somebody says to me, how can you prove that the Bible is the Word of God? Well, I want to tell you something. There are many evidences that the Bible is the Word of God and it would take more than the time we have tonight to go over.

But let me just suggest this to you. You accept the Bible by faith and then God proves to you that it is the Word of God. Years ago Billy Graham many years ago Billy Graham was down in Southern, California.

He was at a conference at Forrest Home. And he was up there in the hills and he was about having a duel with God. He had been hearing all these doubts and denials about the Bible and He was beginning to be a little bit affected by those doubts and denials.

Let me just read it to you the way he tells it in August of that year I'd been invited to Forrest home conference that are high in the mountains outside, Los Angeles. I remember walking down a trail. Tramping into the woods and almost wrestling with God.

I dueled with my doubts and my soul seemed to be caught in the crossfire. Finally in desperation, I surrendered my will to the Living God revealed in Scripture. I knelt before the Bible and said Lord Many things in this book.

I do not understand but thou has said the just shall live by faith. All I have received from thee I have taken by faith here and now by faith I accept the Bible as thy word. I take it all. I take it without reservations.

Whether there are things I cannot understand I will reserve judgments until I receive more light if this pleases thee. Give me authority as I proclaim thy word and through that authority Convict men of sin and turn sinners to the Savior and within six weeks he started the Los Angeles crusade and that's when Billy Graham started to say the Bible says and He noticed a new authority in his preaching.

And that was the beginning of the great ministry. How did it happen? He accepted the Bible by faith. That's what we have done. You can't argue people into the kingdom of God. But you can get them to read the Bible and find that they're dealing with living materials and They will find that he who has felt the force of it is not likely to doubt the source of it.

So that's true. Once you felt the force of the Bible. You're not likely to Deny the source of it, but having said that let me say this. It's possible to believe in the inspiration of the script be a hundred percent clear about the scriptures and Yet when we come to a verse in the scripture, we don't like we explain it away.

Explaining Away Difficult Biblical Commands

So this is one of the sins of evangelicalism. How do we explain it? And we say Number one it couldn't mean that literally you ever heard that we come to some verses. Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth.

Where moth and rust doth corrupt where thieves break through and steal. Lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust is not corrupt. Where thieves do not break through and steal? They have to have prudence don't you have to have common sense don't you.

And We take that verse of scriptures and we wring the meaning out of it. So there's not enough left to make soup for a sick grandpa. We do one of the sins of the saints. A second. Rationalization we've never done it that way.

Tradition as an Excuse for Disobedience

That's what we say. We come to a word of God and It's really not the way we've done it and that's what we say. We've never done it that way and you know, that's exactly what the Jews did in the time of the Lord.

You read about that in Matthew chapter 7 verses 9 through 13. Matthew 7 just let me tell you the story there if you want to turn to it. Matthew 7 verses 9 through 13. The law of God said honor your father and your mother that your days may be long upon the earth.

The Jews developed a tradition. Here's a Jewish father and he comes to his son and his son. I'm bankrupt. I have nothing. Can you help me out? All that son had to say was Corbin. It's all you ever say just a word Corbett and that meant dad.

Anything that I might have given you at this time has been dedicated to the Lord. It didn't mean the Lord would ever get it. You had to say that all you had to say was Corbett. Anything that I might give you to help you out of your financial distress at this time been dedicated to the Lord.

He said to them here. By your traditions you make void the law of God. Isn't that what he said. Matthew chapter 7 verses 9 through 13. No, I don't have the right reference there, but anyway. It's mark.

It's mark chapter 7. Sorry about that mark chapter 7 verse 9. Just let's read it verse 10. But Moses said honor thy father and thy mother and whoso curse of father or mother let him die the death. But he say if a man shall say to his father or mother it is Corbin.

That is to say a gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me. He shall be free. He suffered no more to do art for his father as mother. Making the Word of God of none effect through your tradition and we do that we come to some hard verse of Scripture and may say Corbin and the verses of Scripture that we like the least are those that have to do.

Biblical Teaching on Money and Prosperity

With money the most sensitive part of modern man's anatomy is his pocketbook. The hardest job the Holy Spirit has is to cut the nerve between a man's brain and his wallet. Do you know that Jesus talked more about money than he talked about heaven and hell.

He talked more about money than he talked about personal salvation. You don't like it. The church doesn't like it. Everybody ought to be profit nothing too good for the people of God. Live high off the hog.

It's not what you read in the New Testament. Explanation number three, I know that's what it says in the Bible, but in my case God wants to make an exception. Isn't that sweet. Here's a girl who falls in love with an unsaved policy.

Making Personal Exceptions to Biblical Commands

Look my friend you can't marry that fellow. He's unsaved and you're a believer. I know that's what the Bible says, but in my case God wants me to marry him so I can lead him to Christ. We make void the Word of God with excuses like that.

The Cultural Argument Against Biblical Authority

Number four that was just for Paul's day or the days of the early church. This is the cultural argument and it's very very strong today. But I want to tell you something if you use the cultural argument at all, you can get rid of anything in the Bible.

If you use it with regard to women's place in the church. You can get rid of baptism and the Lord's Supper for the same argument. This is just for Paul's day. We do that men do that. Number five God knows I have to live doesn't he?

The Cost of Discipleship and Obedience

When the stern demands of Jesus discipleship are pressed upon people I say a young man said that this virgin wants God knows I have to live doesn't he virgin said I don't grant that. We have to obey God.

Who said we had to live? Six you have to be prudent. You have to use common sense. If you put common sense above the Word of God it becomes rat poison. The Word of God is supernatural sense not common sense.

It's above common sense. Number seven those scriptures reveal Paul's prejudices. Paul was a male chauvinist. Paul was a woman hater and those scriptures reveal his present presence. Yeah. Well, then if you if that's true, you don't have the Word of God.

If that's true the Bible is not the Word of God the inspired Word of God. Number eight. I can hardly believe that anybody would say that you shouldn't do it if it would offend somebody. You shouldn't obey the Word of God if it would offend somebody yes do it whether it offends people.

Rejecting Convenient Excuses for Ignoring Scripture

Or not. Number twelve those teachings are just for the kingdom. Oh, that's convenient. Anything you don't like. Relegate it off to the kingdom, but God is not deceived by all of these things. At the coronation of a British king or queen the but the Bible is presented to him or to her with this word.

We present you with this book the most valuable thing the world affords. Here is wisdom. This is the royal law. These are the living oracles of God. Wonderful, isn't it? There's just one more point on that little outline there.

The Holy Spirit Transforms Believers into Christ’s Image

And that is this the final ministry. I don't say this is a final one, but final one in this outline. The Holy Spirit transformed believers into the image of Christ. I think that's a nice note. To end on 2nd Corinthians chapter 3 verse 18.

It says but we all With unveiled faith. Beholding us in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory. Even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Let's go over it. Just take the verse apart and put it together again, but we all all believers with unveiled faith.

What's an unveiled faith. A faith where there's nothing between the soul and the Savior no unconfessed sin. Perfect communion between God and the believer unveiled faith beholding as in a glass. What is the class the glass is the Bible?

What do you behold in the Bible the glory of the Lord? What happens when you go to the Word of God not for an occasional glance? But for a concentrated gaze. Beholding as in a glass of glory the Lord what happens are changed into the same image.

What does that mean? It means we become more like Christ. That's what it means. From glory to glory. What does that mean means from one degree of glory to another it's a progression. It's an upward climb.

How did that marvelous change take but takes place even as by the Spirit of the Lord? This is the secret to becoming like the Lord Jesus Being occupied with him. The gaze it's the gaze That sanctified it's the look that fades, isn't it?

You take that look of faith to the Lord Jesus Christ. He saved us. I tell you it's the gaze That sanctified we all with unveiled faith beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are Changed into the same image from glory to glory.

Even as by the Spirit of the Lord, may we all go forth from the conference With this prayer in our hearts to be like Jesus. To be like Jesus. All I want To be like him. Shall we pray father we would pray this all through life's journey From earth to glory.

All I want To be like him. May this be the great ambition of our souls day by day. But as we go to the Word of God and feed on the Word of God and behold the glory of the Lord. The Holy Spirit will have his wonderful way in Transforming us into his image we ask in his worthy name Amen.