2. How was it possible for imperfect men to produce a record that is in reality God’s “word”?

² How, then, was it possible for these imperfect men to produce a record that is actually God’s message? They did not write of their own impulse, but were inspired by God. “All Scripture is inspired of God,” said the apostle Paul regarding the portion of the Sacred Scriptures available in his time.​—2 Tim. 3:16.

HOW THE BIBLE WRITERS RECEIVED THEIR INFORMATION

5. What part did direct dictation play in producing the Bible record?

⁵ Among the “many ways” used to convey God’s message to men on earth was direct dictation. (Heb. 1:1, 2) The dictated parts of the Bible include the Ten Commandments (also supplied in written form on two tablets of stone) and all the other laws and regulations in God’s covenant with the Israelites. Jehovah God transmitted this Law covenant through angels. (Acts 7:53) Thereafter Moses was instructed: “Write down for yourself these words.” (Ex. 34:27) Prophets besides Moses also received specific messages and these were later committed to writing. (For examples, see 2 Samuel 7:5-16; Isaiah 7:3-9 and Jeremiah 7:1-34.) These specific messages were usually spoken by God’s representative angel.​—Gen. 31:11-13.

6. Describe the nature of dreams, visions and trances, and their part in conveying God’s message to men.

⁶ Jehovah God at times made use of dreams, visions and trances to communicate his message to humans. (Num. 12:6; 1 Sam. 3:4-14; 2 Sam. 7:17; Dan. 9:20-27) In the case of dreams, or “night visions,” the sleeping person had a moving picture that conveyed God’s message or purpose superimposed on his mind. Others who saw visions were fully awake and had information pictorially impressed upon the conscious mind. (Matt. 17:2-9; Luke 9:32) Some visions were received after a person had fallen into a trance. Though conscious, he was so absorbed by the vision that he remained oblivious to everything else around him. (Acts 10:10-16; 11:5-10) Afterward, the Bible writers who received information by such means as dreams, visions or trances had to select words and expressions to describe in meaningful terms what they had seen.​—Hab. 2:2; Rev. 1:1, 11.

7. How did the Bible writers get the information for the historical sections?

⁷ A considerable portion of the Bible narrates history​—the experiences of individuals, families, tribes and nations. How did the Bible writers get this information? At times they witnessed the very happenings they recorded. But often they had to draw on other sources, consulting already-existing historical accounts, genealogies or even people who were in position to supply reliable information, firsthand or otherwise. This called for extensive and careful research on the writer’s part. Ezra, a priest and skilled copyist, used some twenty documentary sources to compile the two books of Chronicles. The physician Luke, writing about his Gospel, remarked: “I have traced all things from the start with accuracy, to write them in logical order.” (Luke 1:3) Historical material (as contained in Genesis and the book of Job) about man’s beginning and earlier events, conversations in the invisible heavens and the like, were revealed by God either to the writers or, initially, to others. If made known to persons other than the writers, it must have been transmitted verbally or in written form until such time as it became part of the Bible record.

8. What was the source for many of the wise sayings and much of the counsel found in the Bible?

⁸ Besides history, the Bible contains an abundance of wise sayings and counsel. The writers drew on their own and others’ experience, doing so against a background of study and application of the Scriptures available to them. Time and again we read in the Bible statements illustrating this. Regarding what he had seen as to God’s care for his servants, the psalmist David declared: “I have been young, and now I am old; but I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging their bread.” (Ps. 37:25, An American Translation) The wise writer of Ecclesiastes, David’s son Solomon, concluded from what he observed: “With a man there is nothing better than that he should eat and indeed drink and cause his soul to see good because of his hard work. This too I have seen, even I, that this is from the hand of the true God.” (Eccl. 2:24) The arranging of material based on human experience required the writer to put forth diligent effort. This is evident from Ecclesiastes 12:9, 10, where we read: “The congregator had become wise, he also taught the people knowledge continually, and he pondered and made a thorough search, that he might arrange many proverbs in order. The congregator sought to find the delightful words and the writing of correct words of truth.”

THE ROLE OF GOD’S SPIRIT

9. Does the fact that much human effort was involved in Bible writing mean that the Sacred Scriptures are God’s message in a limited way only?

⁹ Since so much human effort was involved in Bible writing, does this mean that the Bible is God’s Word only in a limited way? Are only the divinely dictated sections God’s message? No, for all, not just some parts of the Bible, are inspired by God. This is so because Jehovah God, by means of his active force or spirit, guided the Bible writers. Acknowledging this, the psalmist David declared: “The spirit of Jehovah it was that spoke by me, and his word was upon my tongue.”​—2 Sam. 23:2.

10. Illustrate just what is meant by the expression ‘word of God’ as it relates to Biblical material.

¹⁰ The “word” of God upon David’s tongue was, not a single “word,” but a composite message. This is clear from the way the Bible uses the term “word.” For instance, one of the prophet Elisha’s attendants said to Israelite army chief Jehu: “There is a word I have for you, O chief.” (2 Ki. 9:5) That “word” proved to be God’s message. It designated Jehu as God’s choice for the kingship over the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel and commissioned him to execute judgment against the royal house of Ahab. (2 Ki. 9:6-10) Similarly, with obvious reference to a message and not a single “word,” we read at Jeremiah 23:29: “‘Is not my word correspondingly like a fire,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘and like a forge hammer that smashes the crag?’” No single “word” can have such a devastating effect, but a forceful message when enforced can. How did God use his spirit to put such powerful messages into the minds of the Bible writers and ensure that they continued to be His “word”?

11. How is it that Bible prophecy does not ‘spring from any private interpretation’?

¹¹ Regarding the part that God’s spirit played in connection with prophecy, the Bible tells us: “No prophecy of Scripture springs from any private interpretation. For prophecy was at no time brought by man’s will, but men spoke from God as they were borne along by holy spirit.” (2 Pet. 1:20, 21) This means that Bible prophecy was not the result of the writer’s own analysis and interpretation of current human events and trends and what he thought these would lead to. Rather, the writer had his mind stimulated by God’s spirit and was moved to express the inspired message, generally in his own words. So the words were those of the writer, but the message was that of Jehovah God.

12. What part did God’s spirit play in guiding the recording of past events.?

¹² But was not the material that became part of the Bible often written years after the events described had occurred? Yes, this is true, for example, of the accounts about Jesus’ earthly ministry. Nevertheless, God’s spirit was responsible for producing an accurate record. This is evident from Jesus’ words to his disciples: “The helper, the holy spirit, which the Father will send in my name, that one will teach you all things and bring back to your minds all the things I told you.” (John 14:26) So, then, God’s spirit was responsible for accurate recall of the information that was included in the Bible record.

13. What evidence is there that God’s spirit guided the selection of material that was included in the Bible?

¹³ By means of his spirit, Jehovah God also saw to it that what was recorded suited his purpose, providing essential instruction for those desiring to be and to remain his approved servants. He guided the selection of material to be included. That is why the apostle Paul could say: “All the things that were written aforetime were written for our instruction, that through our endurance and through the comfort from the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Rom. 15:4) And with specific reference to the experiences of the Israelites in the time of Moses, he remarked: “These things went on befalling them as examples [“types,” Authorized Version, margin], and they were written for a warning to us upon whom the ends of the [Jewish] systems of things have arrived.”​—1 Cor. 10:11.

14. Did Jehovah God “stage” events involving the wrongdoing of the Israelites so that these things could be recorded for a warning to Christians? Explain.

¹⁴ We are not to conclude from this that God was in every case acting as a great “Dramatist,” deliberately staging events that would provide examples from which his servants in later times could draw lessons of warning and encouragement. No, but as in the events the apostle referred to, the Israelites reacted to the circumstances according to their own choice and desires when they fell victim to murmuring, idolatry and fornication. God did not move them to do so. (1 Cor. 10:1-10) Since the Israelites were God’s covenant people, the fact that they yielded to temptation adds force to the warning the apostle thereafter gives: “Let him that thinks he is standing beware that he does not fall.”​—1 Cor. 10:12.

15. How does the letter of Jude show that God’s spirit guided the selection of material?

¹⁵ So, rather than cause many of these events to happen, Jehovah God simply let many situations develop according to their natural course and then caused the writers to record what God knew would be of value in the future. That the selection of material for the Bible record was indeed guided by God’s spirit is well illustrated in the case of the disciple Jude’s letter. Jude originally intended to write about the salvation that spirit-anointed Christians hold in common. However, under the influence of God’s spirit, he discerned that fellow believers needed something else in order to cope with the situation they were then facing. Explaining the reason for departing from his original intention, he wrote: “Beloved ones, though I was making every effort to write you about the salvation we hold in common, I found it necessary to write you to exhort you to put up a hard fight for the faith that was once for all time delivered to the holy ones. My reason is that certain men have slipped in who have long ago been appointed by the Scriptures to this judgment, ungodly men, turning the undeserved kindness of our God into an excuse for loose conduct and proving false to our only Owner and Lord, Jesus Christ.” (Jude 3, 4) What Jude thereafter set forth under the direction of God’s spirit was just what fellow believers needed in order to resist corrupting influences.

16. Did the Bible writers at times take the initiative in setting forth material? Explain.

¹⁶ Does the fact that God’s spirit guided the selection of material for the Bible account mean that those involved in writing took no personal initiative as regards the subject matter of their writing? No, often they did have goals in mind and wrote accordingly. They answered certain questions or tried to clarify points that had given rise to misunderstandings. An example of this is the apostle Paul’s second letter to the congregation at Thessalonica. Some in that congregation had wrongly concluded that the presence of Jesus Christ in kingly power was at hand. Then, too, there were those who had not taken to heart his previous counsel about ‘working hard and walking decently as regards people outside the congregation.’ Paul’s second letter came to grips with this and revealed the proper Christian view on these points. (1 Thess. 4:10-12; 2 Thess. 2:1-3; 3:10-15) Since Bible writers like Paul were responsive to the leading of God’s spirit, what they wrote was in full harmony with God’s purpose and therefore dependable.

HUMAN OPINIONS​—WITH OR WITHOUT DIVINE BACKING?

17, 18. How should we understand the apostle Paul’s statements about ‘giving his own opinion’?

¹⁷ But what of those times when Bible writers seemingly expressed their own opinion? Take, for instance, the following statements of the apostle Paul: “To the others I say, yes, I, not the Lord . . .” “Now concerning virgins I have no command from the Lord, but I give my opinion.” “She [a widow] is happier if she remains as she is [that is, unmarried], according to my opinion. I certainly think I also have God’s spirit.” (1 Cor. 7:12, 25, 40) Just what did Paul mean by these statements?

¹⁸ The apostle could not quote a direct teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ on the points under discussion and therefore expressed his “opinion.” However, he wrote under the direction of God’s spirit and so his opinion had divine guidance and expressed God’s own view. This is confirmed by the fact that the apostle Peter grouped Paul’s letters along with the rest of the Scriptures in saying: “Consider the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul according to the wisdom given him also wrote you, speaking about these things as he does also in all his letters. In them, however, are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unsteady are twisting, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.”​—2 Pet. 3:15, 16.

19. In what respects is the Bible God’s message?

¹⁹ So it can be seen that the Bible as a whole is God’s “word” or message in that everything was recorded under the direction of his spirit, to serve his purpose and present matters factually. Whenever the Bible quotes the statements of men or relates what they did under certain circumstances, the Bible context makes it clear whether their course should be imitated or avoided, their reasoning be accepted or rejected.

20. Explain how a person may use the Bible in such a way as to attribute the views of imperfect men to God.

²⁰ Take the book of Job as an example. Extensive sections of that book deal with wrong views expressed by Job’s three companions and at times even by Job himself. Such wrong conclusions and misapplication of facts clearly were not inspired of God. By way of illustration, Job’s companion Eliphaz wrongly charged God: “In his holy ones he has no faith, and the heavens themselves are actually not clean in his eyes.” (Job 15:15) Jehovah God later reproved Eliphaz and his companions for their misrepresentations. Eliphaz was told: “My anger has grown hot against you and your two companions, for you men have not spoken concerning me what is truthful as has my servant Job.” (Job 42:7) While Eliphaz and his companions obviously were not inspired of God, the writer of the book of Job was guided by God’s spirit in making an accurate record of their statements. This record serves to identify and expose wrong reasoning about God’s permission of wickedness. Therefore, as a whole it is God’s inspired word or message. Nevertheless, this shows that we must exercise care when quoting certain portions from the Bible. If taken out of their proper setting, out of context, something that is in reality the view of imperfect men can be wrongly attributed to God.