THE SCRIPTURES
6
`Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory? And beginning at Moses and all the
prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself' (Luke 24:26,27).
`These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which
were written in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning Me' (Luke 24:44).
We pass from this most emphatic testimony to that of other witnesses to the same truth.
HOW SCRIPTURE WAS GIVEN
`All Scripture is given by inspiration of God' (2 Tim. 3:16).
`Scripture' is graphe, something `written'; `given by inspiration of God' is theopneustos, `God-breathed'. In
other words the written Word is the Word that God spoke, no interval being allowed for the imaginings of men.
HOW SCRIPTURE CAME
` ... 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' (2 Peter 1:20,21).
`Private interpretation' is the rendering of idias epiluseos, `of its own unfolding'. Prophecy did not originate in
the mind or the will of man. The writers were `moved' by the Holy Ghost, `moved' as irresistibly as was the ship in
Acts 27:15, where the same word is used - `We let her drive'.
In both of these basic passages, the thought of the Spirit is emphasized. So we read elsewhere:
` ... This Scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before
concerning Judas' (Acts 1:16).
` ... That it might be fulfilled which was spoken of (by hupo) the Lord by (through dia) the prophet' (Matt. 1:22).
`But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all His prophets, that Christ should suffer, He
hath so fulfilled' (Acts 3:18).
It is not our present purpose to do more than supplement our declaration with a brief `reason for the hope within
us', and what has been brought forward must suffice. `Thy Word is truth'.
For a more elaborate treatment of the subject, dealing not only with the question of Inspiration, but of the Canon
of Scripture, together with an examination of a series of alleged inaccuracies, the reader is directed to a series
published in The Berean Expositor Vols. 20-29, entitled The Volume of the Book, and now available as a book.
CHAPTER 3
THE RIGHT DIVISION OF SCRIPTURE
l.
THE DECLARATION.
We believe all Scripture to be inspired and profitable, but we also realise that while all Scripture is written for
our learning, all has not been written to or about us. We see the need to distinguish between dispensations, to avoid
confusing law and gospel, kingdom and church. In other words, we believe it fundamental to all true interpretation
of Scripture to put into practice the injunction of 2 Timothy 2:15, viz., rightly to divide the Word of truth.
2.
SCRIPTURAL GROUNDS.
`Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word
of truth' (2 Tim. 2:15).
`And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that ye may
approve things that are excellent (margin - that ye may try the things that differ)' (Phil. 1:9,10).
3.
AN EXPANSION AND APPLICATION OF THIS IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE OF INTERPRETATION.