Biblical Inspiration and Biblical Preservation – Part 1 – Biblical Inspiration

 Temple Baptist Church - 1-26-2025

2 Timothy 3:10-17

 

Introduction:

 

2 Timothy 3:10-17 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, (11) Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. (12) Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. (13) But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. (14) But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; (15) And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (16) All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (17) That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

 

A. Every few years, I preach a series on the Bible.

 

1. I know that our people are well versed in the Scriptures, but we have young people growing up that need to know what we know.

 

2. Also, because of the constant "chipping away" of doctrinal truth through false teaching and peer pressure. We adults need re-enforcement.

 

3. What I will preach over these weeks will be what the Bible says and teaches about the Bible. This series will not be about opinion; it will be about God's truth.

 B. In 2 Timothy, the key verse is chapter 2, verse 15:

 

1. "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." Here, Paul is admonishing young Timothy to study the Word of God! IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE BIBLE SAY, STUDY THE BIBLE.

 

2. Thank God Timothy did not go join a liberal church nor did he go off to some liberal Bible College. He sat under God's man who both told him to study the Word of God for himself and also mentored him in the faith.

 

3. As your pastor, I tell you to study the Word of God! As I begin this message on Biblical Inspiration, I want you to know that I have not consulted one commentary or anyone else's sermon on the subject. What I am doing today is strictly Bible based.

 

4. Most people never study a biblical subject for themselves because it is much easier to just look at what someone else has said on the subject.

 

5. What is Inspiration? “Given by inspiration of God” is only two words in the Greek Inspired” comes from a root word θεόπνευστος – theopneustos - heh-op'-nyoo-stos which means to “breathe in” and “God” is θεός – theos - theh'-os which means diety or divinety.

 

6. Divinely Breathed in! The Word of God is a divinely infused living Word of God.

 

C. The word "inspiration" is used only twice in your King James Bible. Thus, we have a First Mention Principle found in the Old Testament and a Last Mention Principle found in the New Testament. The First Mention and the Last Mention ALWAYS confirm God's teaching on the subject. These two mentions are all that you need to understand inspiration.

 

First Mention - Job 32:8 But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

 

Last Mention – 2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

 

1. Old Testament: Inspiration gave Adam Physical Life.

 

a. The First Mention of Inspiration is found in the Old Testament -

 

The First Mention Principle: "God indicates in the first mention of a subject the truth with which that subject stands connected in the mind of God." 

 

1) The Old Testament word "inspiration" speaks about what God did in man. He inspired understanding in the spirit of man. The spirit of man is that part that is God-conscious. We are not just the highest form of animals. We are made in the image of God, a trichotomy (three that make up one): body—world conscious, soul-self-conscious, and spirit-God conscious.

 

2) When God created Adam, He created him both male and female. This speaks of both creation and procreation or reproduction. In the day that God made Adam, Eve was already in him because God would never create another man. In the future, Adam and Eve would procreate through the birth of children.

 

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

 

Genesis 5:1-2 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; (2) Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.

 

3) How did God inspire Adam? I do not know how far that I will get this morning, but I want to look at the word "inspiration" for a few minutes. I want you to know what the Bible says concerning Biblical Inspiration.

 

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

 

In creation, God breathed into Adam the "breath of life." God has never "inspired" any other human being.

 

In the Inspiration of the Scriptures, God gave us His inerrant, infallible Word and has never inspired it again. I said this because so many enemies of the King James Bible accuse Bible believers of teaching double inspiration.

 

4) Jesus Christ, the Word of God, spiritually inspires through Adam every child ever born since Adam. We have the light of God that tells us of a great Creator.

 

John 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

 

5) When God gave Adam’s body life, He breathed both out (expiration) and into Adam (inspiration). God breathing out is called expiration, but inspiration is to infuse or to force breath into someone. Physically, we breathe in (inspiration) and we breathe out (expiration). When we die, we expire! Not breathed out which is breath. God infused life into both Adam and the Scriptures!

 

6) God infused, through inspiration, the very life of God into Adam's nostrils and Adam became a "living soul." God has never again done such because it is no longer required. Life is now procreated and, therefore, preserved in our children through Adam.

 

7) God breathed life into a dead body and the result was eternal life in Adam. Now, with the First Mention of inspiration in mind, let us go to the New Testament

 

2. New Testament: We find Biblical Inspiration in gives us the Word of God.

 

2 Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

 

2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

 

3. The Inspired Word of God gives to us eternal Spiritual Life. that gives Spiritual Life.

 

a. Paul, writing to Timothy: 2 Timothy 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

 

b. Jesus speaking to Nicodemus: John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

 

c. Paul speaking to the Roman Church: Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

 

d. Peter speaking to the dispersed Jews: 1 Peter 1:23-25 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. (24) For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: (25) But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

 

Conclusion: The inspiration of God is a one-time act in both man and the Word of God. “The faith once delivered” is referred to in Jude 3. We have the inerrant, infallible, inspired, and perfectly preserved Word of God which we will look at next week. You cannot have divine inspiration with divine preservation.

 

1. In creation, God breathed into Adam the "breath of life." God has never "inspired" any other human being.

 

2. In giving us the Word of God, God "inspired" the human authors of the Word of God to write as thy were moved by the Holy Ghost. God has never inspired man to do so again.

 

3. Inspiration is an act of God in giving us the complete canon of Scriptures, both verbally and plenarily in the completed canon of Scriptures.

The Doctrine of the Bible - Part 1 - What Is All of the Fuss About?

Temple Baptist Church - 1-19-2025

Genesis 1:1-5

 

Introduction: 

 

Genesis 1:1-5  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.  (2)  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.  (3)  And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.  (4)  And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.  (5)  And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

 

Genesis 1:31  And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

 

Psalms 33:9  For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

 

A.  This morning, I will begin preaching a series that I started last week on “Sound Doctrine.”  I will begin with the “Foundation of our Faith,” the King James Bible.

 

B.  The intellectual and worldly crowd will ask the question: “What is all the fuss about?”  This, in itself, shows the absolute ignorance of today’s “Christendom” concerning the most important “Foundation” that we have, the Word of God.

 

C.  If you believe right about the King James Bible, you will be mocked as “ignorant and unlearned.”  You will be called by some “stupid.”  Which, by the way, cannot be fixed, therefore you cannot FIX me this morning so quit trying!  Others will call you legalistic, cultic, or divisive.

 

1.  In this very familiar text in Genesis, we find the foundation of our faith!  God … God said … it was very good … and IT STILL STANDS!

 

Psalms 33:6-8  By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.  (7)  He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.  (8)  Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.

 

2.  Look around you this morning.  What God spoke in creation still continues to stand this morning!

 

Psalms 19:1-4  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.  (2)  Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.  (3)  There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.  (4)  Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,

 

3.  What God said is still VERY GOOD!

 

2 Peter 1:21  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

 

4.  What God said still IS profitable! 

 

2 Timothy 3:16-17  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  (17)  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

 

5.  What God said will ALWAYS remain settled.

 

Psalms 119:89  LAMED. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

 

6.  What God said will ALWAYS be incorruptible. 

 

1 Peter 1:23-25  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.  (24)  For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:  (25)  But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

 

7.  Call me what you want this morning, but I am a Bible believer!!!  I have the RIGHT BIBLE!  The Authorized King James Bible!

 

D.  The “end game” of these religious intellectuals is not to malign Bible believers but to destroy your confidence in what God says so that you will have to rely upon what man says and especially what they say.  Here is their end game:

 

1.  The destruction of THE FOUNDATION OF THE FAITH, your Bible!  Psalms 11:3  If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

 

2.  The destruction of God’s people. 

 

Hosea 4:6  My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

 

3.  And ultimately, the destruction of the authority of the local church. 

 

1 Timothy 3:15  But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

 

E.  I believe these things are what the FUSS is about.  All that we believe about God, the LORD Jesus Christ, salvation, doctrine, the local church, our children, and the souls of men are at stake this morning!

 

Jude 3  Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

 

F.  Now, here is where “the rubber meets the road” concerning your Bible.  You either have the Word of God or you have the Word of Man!  It is one or the other.  It cannot be both.

 

1.  There are those who believe that the Original Autographs were perfect in their inspiration, but our Bible today is only a translation with the copyright of man.

 

2.  Copyright defined:  Copyright is the legal ownership of intellectual property with the right to control its reproduction and distribution.

 

3.  A copyright means that man is the originator who owns its reproduction and distribution. 

 

4.  If the Bible is God’s Word, then He is the owner and controls the reproduction and distribution.  If the Bible belongs to man, then he or they control.

 

5.  Either the Bible, by Bible I mean the Authorized King James Bible, is the perfect, infallible Word of God or

 

6.  The Bible is unperfect and, therefore, the reader cannot have complete faith in it because it only contains the Word of God or part of the Word of God!

 

G.  And this pastor will FUSS about it!  But I will not debate it!  Everyone can believe what they want but, if you challenge the King James Bible, you challenge God, not this pastor.

 

H.  In our text, we find that God SPOKE and what God said was very good.  This means that you cannot improve on it. 

 

Genesis 1:31  And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

 

J.  Now, let us look at another verse that shows the progression of revelation.  In the First Mention of any subject, God states His mind on that particular subject and then, through the continuity of the Bible, will continue to give more “light” on that subject.

 

Psalms 33:9-11  For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.  (10)  The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.  (11)  The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

 

1.  He spake!

 

2.  What He spake stood fast!

 

3.  And what He spake standeth forever!

 

4.  What God says will always be there from a time (the beginning) and to every generation (to us)!

 

Psalms 12:6-8  The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.  (7)  Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.  (8)  The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.

 

Ecclesiastes 3:14  I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

 

K.  There are three Sentinels of the Scripture: one at the beginning, one in the middle, and one at the end of the Bible.

 

Deuteronomy 4:2  Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

 

Revelation 22:18-19  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:  (19)  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

 

Proverbs 30:5-6  Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.  (6)  Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

 

L.  Now, why all the FUSS?

 

1.  Because everything we know about God comes from the Bible.

 

2.  Because everything we know about Creation comes from the Bible.

 

3.  Because everything we know about Jesus Christ comes from the Bible.

 

4.  Because everything we know about the Gospel and salvation come from the Bible

 

5.  Because everything we know about eternal life and our eternal home come from the Bible.

 

6. Because everything we know about living our lives for Jesus Christ come from the Bible.

 

7.  Because everything we know about the Bible, the King James Bible, MUST BE RIGHT!

 

8.  I said all that to say this:  “If you do not agree with me, just leave me alone!”  Things that are different are not the same, therefore, either one Bible is right, or all bibles are wrong.  I BELIEVE THE BIBLE!