Theological glossary · FaithLogic

Inspiration (of Scripture)

The Holy Spirit's superintending of the biblical authors so that their writings are God's word — 'breathed out by God'.

Latin inspiratio, 'a breathing into'; renders Greek theopneustos, 'God-breathed' (2 Tim 3:16).

2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20–21 ('carried along by the Holy Spirit'); 1 Thessalonians 2:13; the frequent 'the Holy Spirit says' formula (Acts 1:16; Hebrews 3:7).

Held from the start; models range from mechanical dictation (rejected by the mainstream) to 'concursus' or 'organic' inspiration — God working through the personality, research, and style of each author so the result is fully human and fully divine.

Distinguished from illumination (the Spirit helping readers understand) and from general religious insight; inspiration concerns the origin and nature of the text itself. 'Plenary verbal' inspiration holds that it extends to all parts and to the words, not just the ideas.

The mechanism; whether inspiration guarantees inerrancy or only infallibility 'for faith and practice'; how the human and divine authorship relate.

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