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THE KING’S BUSINESS
today we must be sure o f what they wrote, as they are not here to speak for them selves. Now let us notice 2 Tim. 3:16, “Every writing is God-breathed.” Let me say that for our present purpose we .need not trou ble in the least whether we take the Authorised or the Revised Version, because in both cases the reference is to the Old Testament, which is said to be God- breathed. Personally, I think the Revised Version is incorrect,,and that the Author ized is correct; and if proof o f it is needed, we shall find in tbe Greek that this partic ular form o f construction, two adjectives connected with “and” without a verb, will be found nine times, and the Revised Ver sion has rendered it eight times just as it is in the Authorized Version. Why the translators should render the ninth differ ently is .only known to themselves, but whichever we adopt, the thought is : “ Every writing is God-breathed.” I do not know exactly what that means, but I do know what it says, that God, somehow or other, breathed into these writings, and therefore we are concerned with words. Now, lest I should go one step beyond what seems to be true, let us look at 1 Cor. 11:13. I beg you to notice this, because, as Dr. Forsyth says, the chapter is classic for the apostolic view o f inspiration. Mark this | " Words which the Holy Ghost teach- eth.” , Could anything be more definite and clear than that? Not the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but the words which the Holy Ghost teacheth. And so I suggest that there is an intimate connection, a nec essary connection, between thoughts and words. Whether it be for our own thought, or for intercourse between man and man, thoughts must be expressed in words. And this is what Bishop Westcott says in his fine essay on Inspiration: “ Thoughts are Wedded to words as necessarily as soul it to body.” And thus when we speak of the media o f the Bible, we are concerned' with words. But some one says: Does not that mean “verbal inspiration?” Well, you can cab it verbal inspiration if you like, you can
call it plenary inspiration if you prefer, so long as you do not call it dictation. When I dictate a Tetter to my secretary, I do not inspire her. It is mechanical dicta tion, and I expect her to reproduce exactly what I tell her. But in Scripture it is not mechanical dictation, it is inspiration; and whether we call it verbal or plenary, the phrase is not intended to say how God does it, but how fa t it has gone It means that inspiration extends to the form as well as to the substance, that it reaches to the words as well as to the thoughts, in order that we may be sure o f the thoughts; for how are we to know God’s thoughts if we do not know His words ? But another says:- “ The letter killeth, the spirit giveth life.” It does; but St. Paul in that phrase is not concerned at all with the letter o f inspiration as opposed to the spirit. That is an entirely false idea o f the passage. That is doing what I Jiave already warned you against; it is taking a text without a context and making it a pretext; and we must not do that, whether on one side or the other. But again some one says: “We want the inspiration o f the thoughts, not o f the words.” Well, I would ask; What is your theory o f inspi ration? What do you really mean by the inspiration o f the thoughts? If there is any inspiration or authority in the thoughts, surely it must be expressed in the words, and the objections that are raised to the inspiration o f words are just as valid against the inspiration o f thoughts. To show that I am not going too far in saying this, let us notice 1 Cor. 14:37, “ If any man think himself to be spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things I write are the commandments of the. Lord.” There is the human—“ the things that I write;” words. “ The commandments o f the Lord” —there is the Divine inspiration and author ity behind- Now I venture to say that the use o f the Bible today is a wonderful confirmation of this view. W e use. it as our authoritative court o f appeal, and we rest upon its words as our warrant. If I may be permitted a personal reference^ I would say that the
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