Many years ago, Dr. Harold Lindsell authored a book entitled The Battle For The Bible” (Zondervan Publishing House, 1976). In the first chapter, Dr. Lindsell—former editor of Christianity Today and past professor at Fuller Theological Seminary—makes a candid confession. Dr. Lindsell traces the history of Fuller Theological Seminary, founded in 1947 on the conviction that the Scriptures are inerrant and infallible. Dr. Lindsell said that over the years, because of the influence of liberalism and Neo-Orthodoxy, some faculty members were retained who did not believe that the Bible was without error. Eventually, the seminary bent to pressure and adopted a new doctrinal statement that contained a denial of Scriptural infallibility.
Here are the words of Dr. Lindsell: “Fuller Seminary grappled with the problem and resolved it by changing its statement of faith to conform to the new reality. It used to profess belief in an inerrant Bible. It no longer does” (pp. 22-23).
Charles E. Fuller founded Fuller Theological Seminary. He believed, preached, and stood for an inerrant Bible. Independent, fundamental churches believe in a Bible that is infallible, inspired, and without error. But, just as many seminaries have succumbed to “higher criticism,” so it is possible that any church or school, in one brief generation, can surrender its foundational beliefs. Because of that ever-present danger, I believe there is a need, always, to be reminded of the subject of The Holy Spirit and the Word of God.
As to the third person of the Godhead, what was His role in giving us the written Word of God as we know it today? He did play an active and important role. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost; and the written Word, in like fashion, was born of the Holy Spirit’s supernatural work. So, consider: the Holy Spirit and Revelation, the Holy Spirit and Inspiration, the Holy Spirit and Illumination, and the Holy Spirit and Preservation.
- The Holy Spirit and Revelation: The Holy Spirit has always authored Revelation: “The Spirit of the Lord spake by me and his word was in my tongue.” (II Sam. 23:2) “And as for me, this is my covenant with them saith the Lord: My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth.” (Isaiah 59:21) “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son.” (Hebs. 1:1,2) God’s Word is inerrant and infallible because it is the Revelation of God to man through the Holy Spirit.
- The Holy Spirit and Inspiration: Inspiration is that process whereby God’s Holy Spirit superintended the writing of Scripture so that using the individual personalities, characteristics and vocabularies of the more than 40 writers of the Bible, the product is infallible and inerrant—a divine, God-breathed Bible. It is a “more sure Word of prophecy” (II Pet.1:19-21) that was “given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (II Tim.3:16,17) So, inspiration of the Spirit assures us that the Bible is not just the thoughts of the human writers, not a product of a genius like Shakespeare, but a book given by God’s Spirit for doctrine (setting forth the right way); for reproof (warning us when we have gotten off the right way); correction (telling us how to get back on the right way); and instruction in righteousness (telling us how to stay on the right way).
- The Holy Spirit and Illumination: By His Spirit, God illumines and enlightens the mind of the reader of Scripture so that every believer, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, can understand that which otherwise would not be understandable. I Cor. 2:10-12: “God hath revealed them to us by His Spirit…even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.”
- The Holy Spirit and Preservation: His Spirit has inspired writers to pen the Book infallibly, and He has also sovereignly preserved the Book throughout the centuries against all onslaughts and attacks of the Devil—including burning, banning, scoffing, criticizing, and denying. Thomas Paine (1737-1809), in Age of Reason, predicted that “Fifty years and the Bible will be forgotten.” (But the press on which his rantings and railings were published was used for many years to print Bibles). Col. Bob Ingersoll, a militant infidel, lectured on the mistakes of the Bible, setting out to put the Bible out of business; yet Bob Garry, a Bible teacher, later used Ingersoll’s desk on which he wrote hundreds of Bible lessons. Infidel David Hume sneered, “Methinks I see the twilight of Christianity,” but Robert G. Lee said: “The trouble with Hume in his fuming was that he could not tell what time of day it was. What he thought was sundown going on midnight was sunup going toward noonday.” Lee further said, “The first meeting of the Auxiliary Bible Society of Edinburgh was held in the very room in which Hume died.”
“Century follows century—there it stands. Empires rise and fall and are forgotten—there is stands. Dynasties succeed dynasties—there it stands! Kings are crowned and uncrowned—there it stands. Despised and torn to pieces—there it stands. Storms of hate swirl about it—there it stands! Atheists rail against it—there it stands. Profane, prayerless punsters caricature it—there is stands. Unbelief abandons it—there it stands. Thunderbolts of wrath smite it—there it stands. Flames are kindled about it—there is stands.” (copied)
To the glory of God—there it stands!
“For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth shall pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law , till all be fulfilled.” (Matt. 5:18)
YOU and GOD 