The Holy Spirit and the Bible
One of the unique roles of the Holy Spirit has to do with the writing of Scripture. The Spirit is the one who inspired the authors of the Bible. Peter explains to us how the Holy Spirit was behind the writing of the Bible. 2 Peter 1:20-21 says, “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” Peter tells us that the prophecies of the Old Testament did not have their origin in humans. Rather, they were from God. And the member of the Trinity who was at work in giving people the prophecies was the Spirit. Peter wants us to understand that the prophets didn’t come up with these great ideas about God on their own. Instead, the Holy Spirit gave words to men and carried them along, ensuring that God’s message came to people. This is why we have such a high regard for the Bible. It doesn’t merely record human philosophy or human history. It records the words of God given to us. As such, it is intended to be believed and obeyed.
In 2 Timothy 3:16, Paul tells us that all Scripture is “God-breathed.” The Bible is the word of God breathed out to give us life. In these words from Paul, we should probably notice a parallel with the creation of Adam in Genesis 2. In Genesis 2, Adam is created when the breath of life is breathed into him by God (Genesis. 2:7). As we had our beginning when God breathed life into us, so the Bible’s origin comes from God’s life-giving breath. Both humans and Scripture are of divine design. As we have seen, the word “Spirit” and the word “breath” are closely related. This points to the fact that the Spirit was the one at work in the creation of the Bible. From the Old Testament to the New Testament, Scripture comes through the inspiration of the Spirit.
There are several instances in the Bible where the writing of Scripture is directly credited to the Spirit. In David’s final words, he reflects on the fact that the Spirit spoke through him as he composed psalms and prophecies (2 Samuel 23:3). Even more intriguing are Peter’s words in Acts 1:16. When the disciples reflect on the treachery of Judas, they find a prophecy about it in the Old Testament. And Peter refers to the fact that in this prophecy “the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas.” In two places the author of Hebrews when quoting the Old Testament credits the Holy Spirit as the author of the words, not the human author. The Bible portrays the words of the Bible as having their origin in the Holy Spirit.
The Illumination of the Holy Spirit
The work of the Spirit in regards to the Bible doesn’t end at inspiration. The Holy Spirit is also active as people read the Bible. We call this work the illumination of the Holy Spirit. Paul explains this to us in 1 Corinthians 2:14, “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Notice what Paul says here. The person without the Spirit, a person who is not a Christian, cannot accept the Bible. Why? Elsewhere, Paul tells us that all humans are completely overcome by sin. Because of the sin that enslaves us, we cannot accept God’s message without God’s help in overcoming our sinfulness. Paul’s point is not that the Bible is nonsensical to non-Christians. Non-Christians can read the Bible and understand its meaning. Rather, Paul is saying that without the internal work of the Spirit no human will accept the Bible as true. However, when we become Christians, God gives us his Spirit, and his Spirit guides us into understanding and accepting the Bible.
- What is your initial reaction to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- How did you come to faith? Were you aware of the role of the Holy Spirit? Explain.
- Read about Paul’s conversion (Acts 9). How was the Holy Spirit involved?
- “The Spirit of God allows us to receive the truth of God.” In your own words, explain how this works.
- What is your role in helping someone pursue God? What is their role? What is God’s role?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
This topic is adapted from the Chapter a Day Bible Reading Plan.
