The relationship of the Holy Spirit with the holy book, the Bible, lies at the heart of the authority of Scripture.
Through the ages, Christians have confessed that the Bible was inspired in its origin. The Holy Spirit was integral to the message spoken by the human writers, as attested in 2 Peter 1:21, “Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
The Apostle Paul put it pointedly when he wrote, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches” (1 Cor. 2:12–13).
Oversight
Not only was the Holy Spirit active in the writing of the Bible, but He has also overseen its transmission across the centuries. Its transmission included the use of numerous languages so that God’s revealed truth has a worldwide reach.
This can only be accounted for through the Spirit’s activity in translation. As believers are blessed to hold in their hands the Bible written in their own heart languages, we can only deduce that the Spirit of truth has been active in the production and preservation of God’s written Word for such a diverse assortment of languages.
The Holy Spirit has not only been involved in the process of the Bible becoming available in uncounted languages and dialects, but He is also essential to its interpretation and understanding.
We know biblical truth through the enlightening and enabling work of the Holy Spirit. So it is written, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (1 Cor. 2:9–10).
Application
Not only has the Holy Spirit been actively involved in the origination of the Bible, as well as its translation, transmission and interpretation, but the presence of the Spirit is also essential to its application.
In short, we confess that the Spirit who illuminates our understanding of God’s truth in Scripture also inspires and enables our practice of that truth in daily life. God announced this truth through Ezekiel the prophet, “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them” (Ezek. 36:27).
We have a Bible due to the Spirit’s inspiration. We understand it by the Spirit’s illumination. We live it out by the Spirit’s enablement.
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