Mechanical Dictation vs Verbal Plenary Inspiration

[AdamL]

How did God inspire the writers of Scripture?  Did he dictate every word and the writers acted as scribes or were the writers given freedom in writing the inspired words of God?

[Ukulelemike]

Well, I have always viewed it this way: I believe the Lord used the talents and abilities of the writers to convey His message...BUT, in foreknowledge, He GAVE them exactly the writing styles He wanted them to have, to ensure that their writing styles and abilities wrote exactly what He wanted them to say.

I view it as sort of, How does God ensure that "all things work together for good to them that love the Lord...", without everyone being merely puppets on a string? Simply, by His foreknowledge, He knew/knows every single decisions and action everyone would make through all time, and arranged the results around that, to eventually bring about his desired end. He knew Adam would sin, so he already had the rememdy in place-He didn't MAKE them sin, but he KNEW they would, so the Messiah was already in place.

So the Lord gave each man the writing style and ability to properly convey exactly the message, even the words, that He wanted them to write, then breathed those words to them and they wrote with the tools He gave them.

[No Nicolaitans]

Were the writers dictated to, or did they have freedom in their writing?

Yes. 

In some cases, it is plainly seen as dictation; such as, God told Jeremiah (several times) to write the words that he had spoken unto him in a roll, book, etc.

In a couple of places, Paul plainly says that he is the one who is speaking...not the Lord; however, the Holy Spirit included Paul's thoughts in the scriptures. I have no problem with that...Paul obviously had "the mind of Christ", and his thoughts were so in line with God AND THEREFORE inspired by God, that God included them as scripture.

This is maybe too basic on my part, but the key is the fact that they were all inspired.

(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:

Please...no one take this the wrong way, but...

If you take that first part of that verse and remove "inspiration of", you see that "all scripture is given by God". In other words, there is no other source...it came from God. The writers were "inspired of" God to write what they wrote.

The Bible is God's word; therefore, the Bible is also God's actual words. They wrote exactly what God wanted them to write...whether through direct dictation or being "moved" to write what they did...which I personally still consider dictation. God breathed it into them...even the few places where Paul gave his own thoughts...God "moved" him to do so.

Edited March 8, 2017 by No Nicolaitans
no space between two words

[Orval]

I believe that if we move backward from where we are today we must agree that for anything to be supernaturally inspired and preserved it must have been overseen by God himself.  Therefore whether all the writers wrote on their own or were dictated to, God, through the Holy Ghost, made sure the words were exactly as God wanted.  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth; Is it not written in your law I said; is not my word like a fire.

 

I whole heartedly agree with NN.   

[John Young]

21 hours ago, Ukulelemike said:

So the Lord gave each man the writing style and ability to properly convey exactly the message, even the words, that He wanted them to write, then breathed those words to them and they wrote with the tools He gave them.

Amen!

Just as a pen does not stop being a pen so to the man does not stop being a man but the Holy Ghost is what moves Holy men to write His Holy word. As long as one walks in and is led of the Spirit then it is the Spirit motivating those actions, though that person, as a willing vessel, is fully conscious and aware of those actions he is performing. He is freely writing the word of God as he is also moved to accurately portray everything he is moved to write. At times this also entails NOT writing things as well.

Romans 15:4-6 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:1-12 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant....4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11 but all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. 12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

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 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

Revelation 10:4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.

Edited March 9, 2017 by John Young