Note on Inspiration
In English, the word inspiration, usually, and not incorrectly, drops from the lips and pens of common people, and of accurate scholars too, as meaning "a breathing into."
The Church of England Prayer-book may fairly be quoted in this connection; viz., in proof of what both learned and unlearned mean by "inspiration."
"Almighty God, unto whom all hearts be open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid; cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love Thee, and worthily magnify Thy name, etc. See the Collect in the Communion Service.
The idea is simple, and, as stated here, is scriptural: we need not only the written word, but, also, the inbreathing of the Holy Ghost, if love and, holiness are to be perfected in us. Each believer is a temple of the Holy Ghost- truly: but who can read Rom. 8:26 and 27, and Heb. 4:12 and 13, without admitting that, the Scripture theory is, that the Holy Ghost does form desires and prayers; and does apply a word to the heart, in secret; and that this is not of, man but of God. See, also, Phil. 1:19, "through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ;" also 2:12, 13.
The address to God, as Inspirer and Hearer of prayer, is commonly known; and is not, that I am aware of, unscriptural.
Again, in Bunyan, we find this same idea. He describes one of his experiences, ere he found peace. A thought possessed his soul, which seemed breathed into him, concerning the Christ; the thought was Sell Him, sell Him, sell Him, sell Him." Which he endeavored to outspeak, and speak down by the words: "Not for a thousand worlds, not for a thousand worlds, not for a thousand worlds." But in vain; for the thought which Satan had breathed in (it was a Satan-inspired thought) could not be smothered by Bunyan’s words. Satan’s spirit was stronger than his. And are not fiery darts often spoken of as Satan-inspired, breathed into us by Satan.
The damsel possessed with a spirit of divination (Acts 16:6) was Satan-inspired.- So were the oracles of old. See also Acts 5:3; and 1 Cor. 7:5; 2 Cor. 11:14; 12:7; 2 Thess. 2:9, etc., etc. And what is witch craft (Gal. 5:20) as still practiced in the dark corners of the earth?
What, again, in the better sense, but inbreathing from Christ, does Matt. 10:19, 20 refer to? And who, that is Christ’s does not know what it is, when sometimes a light surprises the Christian on his road." How, when heavy and cast down, some new thought will come like a breeze o’er his soul,-thought about Christ and heaven; and how, when fully set upon some coming action, a thought of danger and warning will come over him, which, in the end, proves to have been of God.."
There is nothing’ superstitious in trusting to GOD and the word of His grace. And it is not soundness of faith to despise impression and do violence to impulses without first judging them in God’s presence by the word. If they are against His word, let them be despised.
I have no doubt that sober Christian men are quite correct in speaking of inspiration in the sense referred to; as a privilege of the believer; and yet, at the same time, dividing, as the intelligent do, between this and that fullest kind of divine inspiration, in which not only God breathes with the truth, but in which He adds quite ANOTHER THING; and that is infallible perfectness; so as to enable a prophet of old to say, and to say correctly, "Thus saith the Lord;" so as to enable a Stephen to be so full of faith and the Holy Ghost, when he was a-dying, that (as I suppose) all that he then said was not only divinely breathed into him, but divinely expressed by him. This is what people mean by plenary inspiration. All Scripture is God-inspired (2 Tim. 3:16).
2 Peter 1:15-21 brings before us a variety of things connected with this same subject -
(1) Apostolic handing down (2) of teaching, (3) concerning a special revelation, (4) communicated in a most wonderful vision, (5) when Christ was on the Mount of Transfiguration, (6) according with a more sure word of written prophecy, which (7) came through a direct movement of the Holy Ghost as to the speaker.
2 Peter 1:15-21: Moreover I will endeavor that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of His Majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to Him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with Him in the holy mount. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 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.