Inspiration: Its Nature and Extent

by Edward Hoare

I need scarcely say that many persons, and some of them most excellent men, have entertained the idea of a graduated scale of inspiration, and hence the great importance of the question. Is it equal throughout? Or is it variable?

In attempting an answer to this question, it is essential that we observe the wide distinction between the authorship and the subject-matter of the book, for, if not, we shall soon get into confusion.

Now Christian brethren must not be startled by my stating that in the subject-matter there are the widest possible distinctions. It appears indeed to consist of three distinct classes of subjects, or rather three distinct kinds of matter.

In the first place, there are direct communications, communicated from heaven without the use of the mind of man. Of this class are the ten commandments, the words, ‘This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased,’ and the discourses of our Lord. Such words were not given by inspiration, for they did not pass through the medium of the human mind, but came direct from heaven. In them there was no inspiration, but communication.

There is a second large class of passages which were given by inspiration. The human mind was employed as the medium for conveying God’s will and purpose. This was the case with the prophets, the Psalms, and other similar passages. Here was inspiration, and the words so uttered were divine words, though given through the human medium, and not in direct communication.

But there is a third large class of passages in which there is neither inspiration nor communication. There are various sayings and doings of uninspired men, good actions and bad actions, good words and bad words, interspersed with miracles and other wonders of God’s hand. Now no one supposes that all these persons spoke by inspiration, and it is utterly unfair to quote such passages as inconsistent with the inspiration of Scripture, for no one asserts that they are inspired. It is utterly unfair, for example, of Mr. Coleridge to quote the language of Job’s friends, and to attack the inspiration of the book by the assertion that it is impossible to believe them to be inspired. Of course it is, for, if we believed them to be inspired, we should be flying in the face of the inspired book itself which records the divine communication, ‘Ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right’ (Job, xlii. 7.) We do not claim inspiration for those words, but for the authorship of the book which declares that the speakers spoke those words, and that in doing so they were wrong.

In the subject-matter then we have three divisions, direct communications, inspired writings, and the miscellaneous sayings and doings of uninspired men. But in addition to this there is the question of authorship, which is clearly totally distinct from the matter, and it is the inspiration of the author which makes the book the word of God. Whatever the matter be if the author is inspired the book becomes inspired scripture. The sayings of uninspired men may be put on record by an inspired author, and our Heavenly Father may have shown just as much mercy in directing His prophets to record the sins of bad men for our warning, as the actions of His chosen servants for our guidance and encouragement. Now, so far as the authorship is concerned, we find no distinction whatever. All alike is called ‘Scripture;’ all ‘the word of God;’ all is included in the statement, ‘Whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scripture might have hope;’ and all is stamped by divine authority in the words, ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God.’

III. Is it verbal?

I am now approaching a difficult subject, and I should be sorry to speak rashly. But at the same time, I must not speak with hesitation, for the more I have studied the subject the more firmly am I brought to the deliberate and fixed conviction that the whole book, including words as well as thoughts, is to be received by the believer as the word of God. Let me briefly state my reasons.

1. I can draw no other conclusion from the title given to it, viz. ‘The word of God.’ When I find it especially mentioned as God’s word; when I meet with such a passage as ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God,’ I find it hard to believe that the words are not included in the act of inspiration, and that the divine inspiration extends no farther than to the thoughts. If the expression were ‘the truth of God,’ or ‘the will of God,’ I could understand a reference to His mind without the necessity of applying inspiration to the language; but I cannot exclude the idea of inspired words from that book whose title is ‘the word of God.’