Theories of Inspiration (Bibliology)
1. Definition: Inspiration means that the Holy Spirit
influenced the writers of Scripture in such a way that rendered their writings
an accurate record of the revelation of God as He intended.
a. The
Intuition Theory – makes inspiration largely a high degree of insight by
the writers of Scripture. Thus, the
inspiration of Scripture is almost like an artistic ability possessed by the
writer. This view is largely held by
left-wing liberalism.
b. The
Illumination Theory – maintains that there is an influence of the Holy
Spirit upon the writers of Scripture, but involves only a heightening of their
normal ability. There is no special
revelation of truth or guidance in what is written, but rather an increased
sensitivity to discover truth.
c. The
Dynamic Theory – emphasizes a combination of divine and human influences
upon the process of inspiration and the writing of the Bible. The Spirit of God works by directing the
writer to the thoughts or concepts and allowing the writer’s own distinctive
personality to come into play in the choice of words and expressions.
d. The
Verbal Plenary Theory – insists that the Holy Spirit’s influence extends
beyond the direction of thoughts to the selection of words used to convey the
message. The work of the Holy Spirit is
so intense that each word is the exact word that God wanted used at that point
to express the message while still allowing the distinctives of the individual
writers to come through in the Scripture.
This view represents a conservative orthodoxy.
e. The
Dictation Theory – teaches that God actually dictated the Bible to the
writers with no regard to the writers’ individual style or personality.
