The above quotation states a very important fact that should be considered seriously by all believers in Christ. And that fact is that the scriptures are inspired of God. The word inspired means "God breathed" which means that the Bible originated with God, not with men. Men were employed by the Lord in writing the scriptures, but the mind of God directed them in all that they wrote.

In order that we might understand what is meant by inspiration we will quote Deuteronomy 18:18: "I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I command him." This prediction of a new prophet was with reference to Christ, who said to his disciples, "I have many things to say, and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true: and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him." - John 8:26. In other words, he taught only the things which he had received from the Father.

There are people today who state that the Bible is a good book, but it is not an inspired book. Such a statement is impossible of proof; for if the Bible is not inspired, it is neither good nor truthful. That which is false cannot be good. The many claims of inspiration recorded in the Bible makes it impossible to believe it to be a good book without at the same time believing in its inspiration. In the four books of the law, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy the expression "And the Lord spake unto Moses," or its equivalent, occurs 150 times. The men who wrote the Bible knew whether they wrote by inspiration or used their own wisdom. If they were not inspired, they were the greatest falsifiers the world has ever known. It is rather difficult to believe that falsifiers could produce a book of such high morality as is contained in the Bible. The law of fruit-bearing operates in the moral world as well as in the material world, and inasmuch as an evil tree cannot produce good fruit, neither does a good tree produce evil fruit. Everything "brings forth after its kind"; therefore liars and deceivers could not have produced such a book as the Bible which condemns every sin and exalts every virtue.

In Job 32:8 it is stated, "There is a spirit in man; and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding." This harmonizes with Exodus 34:27 "And the Lord spake unto Moses, Write thou these words; for after the tenor of these words, I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel." All that Moses could know of the will of God was what God had revealed unto him. Paul's famed statement in Hebrews 1:1, 2 needs to be quoted just here. "God who at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake in times past unto the father by the prophets; hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son."

God's will, revealed to mankind by his chosen men, including Christ, is what is contained in the Holy Scriptures, and these scriptures came not with the authority of men, but by the authority of God. Jesus said, "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him: and the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, gave me a commandment what I should say, and what I should speak . . . whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak" - John 12:48-50.

What was true of Christ's inspiration, was likewise true of the apostles. Christ said of them, "He that receiveth you, receiveth me; and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me." - Matthew 10:40. And so Paul declared, "Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God;' that we might know the things which are freely given us of God. Which things also we speak, not in words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Spirit teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual." I Corinthians 2:12,13.

When a stenographer takes down dictation, she writes the words, but she is in no way the author of the letter. She is only the instrument used in getting the words written. Even so it is with the Bible. The inspired men wrote and spake as they were guided by the Holy Spirit. Peter declared that holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. -II Peter 1:21. With this divine book, we can turn the dials on the heavenly radio and hear the voice of God speaking from heaven. May we be as humble as the little child Samuel, who cried, "Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth."