Evangelical Protestants: What, if anything, BESIDES scripture is inspired by God?

Question

2 Timothy 3:16-17 is often quoted to justify the doctrine of sola scriptura: "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."

What does "inspired" (literally, "breathed") mean? Is it only scripture that God inspires, or does he inspire teaching, writings, or other works besides scripture? If only scripture is inspired and scripture was completed in the first century, does God no longer inspire teaching, writing, or other works?

Answer 1

"Profitable" is miles away from "sole source of Christian truth". Of course Scripture is profitable - or "useful", as some biblical translations render it. A stove is "useful" but without the rest of the kitchen you can't accomplish much with it. Everything Jesus said was the Word of God from the moment He said it, because He is God. His teaching didn't become the Word of God when some apostle later wrote it down, nor did it become the Word of God when the bishops of the Catholic Church gathered the 73 divinely inspired texts into a book. The teaching Christ gave to His Church would still be the Word of God even if none of it ever got written down. Therefore it is obvious that those parts of His teaching that may not have been written down, but which were passed on solely through the teaching of Christ's Church are the Word of God, just as surely as the Bible is. This unwritten portion of God's holy Word is called Apostolic Tradition.

Answer 2

There were two things or entities that God had inspired in the Bible: the first one was man himself and this happened when God breathed into the nostrils of man, and man became a living soul. But when man fell because of over-reaching, what was left was the second one and that was and still is the Bible.

Through believing the Word of God and the finished works of Christ for the fallen humanity, man again did partake of that divinity . . . of being inspired. That's when man became born again. That's when he is empowered once again to be able to stand against the attacks of the enemy - that is when he has done everything to stand.

When we say that the Scripture is the only inspired entity, it could mean that the Scripture is the only infallible proof, the be-all and end-all reference most specially in matters spiritual. (Of course moral, ethical, social, cultural, political and other concenrs are likewise covered by the Bible.) This is surely belief stuff.

Now, this may sound eccentric, but either one believes that "Heaven and earth will pass away but my words (Christ's) will never pass away" or one believes none at all in the Scripture's inspiration.

Answer 3

This is a really great question and it's very close to where I am at right now as a Christian.

I have spent time in a lot of different kind of Christian Churches (as a musician, and part of a drama ministry) and almost all of the 'prophetic' people/ministries I have run into seem to be awash in fakery and grandstanding. I want to say that before you read the following.

I think Prophecy (real Biblical Prophecy) is the Key to Scripture. I think Jesus came to raise up a Prophetic Community. I think that's exactly what He did. All the Apostles were Prophets, and there were many other prophets in the First Church. In fact, there were more prophets (Biblically speaking: inspired by the Holy Spirit) running around in the 1st Century than at any time before or since. That's what the Gospels and Acts are all about. Especially look at Matthew 5, John 1&2 & Acts 1& 2.

I believe and teach Sola Scriptura. 'Inspired', 'God Breathed' etc. all have to do with Prophecy. You have to remember when you read the NT that you're dealing with a text in a language that was not central to the culture of the writers. It's all about the Hebrew Roots. If you want to understand what prophecy is you have to go back to the Old Testament. But if you want to understand how prophecy works in individuals and in communities then look and pay close attention when the Apostles (esp: Paul) & Jesus are talking about the 'Spirit'.
What does this mean? A prophet is one who is inspired by the Spirit of God. One who has the 'Spirit' is a prophet. There's really no other way to look at it in ancient Jewish culture. A prophet speaks God's Word to humanity, and acts to promote God's will. Prophecy is the ideal relationship that God actually wants for all of us. Prophecy was how the first Christians understood Jesus and what He said, and how they understood themselves and what was happening to them.

So, are we prophets today? I think a lot of people are prophet 'wannabes', I think there are people that actually function prophetically that don't even have 'prophetic ministries' or think of themselves in those terms. In fact, I think thinking of yourself as a prophet might be the surest way to prevent yourself from ever becoming one. I don't think we are prophets. I think we have lost prophecy. The surest proof of this is that in the 19 centuries since Christ the Bible has not grown any longer. Remember 'Scripture is 'God Breathed'? That means the writers of the OT & NT were Prophets, and were functioning prophetically when they wrote what we have in the Bible today.

So what happened? Christianity expanded into the Gentile world. Philosophers who had no understanding of Prophecy converted to Christianity and interpreted the Scripture in terms of Neo-Platonism. In short: Philosophy replaced Prophecy. We've been groping around to recover it ever since.
I DO think that the Spirit still functions in people. And I think that Prophecy can and will be recovered. But when I look around the World today, I don't see Prophets in the Biblical sense.

Answer 4

God inspires all things.Accept sin. God inspires men to invent for the comforts,advancement of technology and knowledge of men and women. Without God men can not do anything.

Answer 5

There is an answer for everything for spiritual living in the Bible.

I do believe that He inspires people to do other things to His glory.

There is a young female artist who makes paintings that she dreams about before she paints them. They are Christian paintings.

God puts the thought in some peoples mind to walk up to others and minister to them, even though they might rather walk by and not create a scene.

Maybe God inspired you to ask this question.

God is with you always, urging you on.

Answer 6

Man

Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Answer 7

the concern is that it relatively is oftentimes interpreted different procedures. This sentence, by making use of itself, could be interpreted by way of fact the guy announcing that they in no way used the word "he stole funds," or it relatively is interpreted by way of fact the guy stating that they in no way reported that a definite guy or woman (male hence) stole funds. And in case you're taking it the 2nd way, is the funds the only factor being insinuated that he stole? It relies upon on the emphasis. in case you positioned the emphasis on "I," then it relatively is interpreted as announcing that somebody else stated that he stole funds. in case you positioned the emphasis on "in no way," then the meaning is that the guy in no way stated anybody stole funds. having stated that, in case you positioned the emphasis on "stated," then the implication ought to be which you concept he stole funds, yet in no way stated it. or in line with probability you positioned the emphasis on he, wherein case you stated that somebody else stole funds. Or the emphasis could be on "stole," wherein case you're starting to be stated that he "borrowed" funds or "gained" funds or gained the income another trend. finally, you're able to positioned the emphasis on "funds," indicating which you stated he stole something different than funds. it relatively is comparable to "female without her guy isn't something." it relatively is written "female, without her guy, isn't something." Or it relatively is written "female: without her, guy isn't something." And so i could interpret it in context. grew to become into something stolen different than funds? Are there different suspects? Is the guy i'm speaking to a means suspect? Are there any recordings of the guy i'm speaking to stating "he stole funds"? In different words, what context clues am i able to convey at the same time? till i be attentive to the context, i won't be able to precise interpret. i visit be attentive to I easily have the final interpretation upon observing each and every of the context and then consulting people who've the authority to precise interpret it by way of fact they have an excellent broader awareness of the area than I do. And it relatively is between the justifications why Sola Scriptura would not artwork.

Answer 8

I'm not an evangelical; but here's your answer

It is saying that scripture is the final authority, by which all other things must be judged... in other words..if it doesn't agree with scripture, it isn't right.

1Jn 2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

Answer 9

Hey, if all scripture is inspired by god, does that include Poe? Nabokov? Virginia Woolf? Nietzsche???!!!

Answer 10

they won't get it. you will only get caught up in circular reasoning with them.