"Inspired"

Published:
December 13, 2024 (8 days ago)

The word inspired is used in different ways depending on the context. For example, we might say about an actor, “That was an inspired performance.” By that we mean there was heart, passion or enthusiasm and that it was moving. But in the theological realm, the word inspired means more than that. In fact, in Webster’s Dictionary, one of the descriptions of the word is “to cause, guide, communicate or motivate by divine or supernatural influence.” That’s what we mean when we say that the Bible is “inspired.” We believe the Bible was written by human authors who were “borne along” by God so that using their own personalities, they communicated what God wanted us to know. Sometimes we add the words, “verbal and plenary” to the word inspiration. That means that in the original manuscripts, the human authors used the right words, and those words were structured in such a way that the heart and mind of God came through with clarity. This matters. Since none of us were around in the first century, the way we begin to know Jesus is by reading what was written about Him. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John each gave us an account of the good news of Jesus the Christ. But, they did not all write the same thing in exactly the same style. Their own purpose and personality came through as God’s Spirit moved and guided them in their writing. As we consider Luke’s account this week, we’ll learn some of the ways that the only Gentile author of the Bible helped us answer the question, “Who is Jesus?”