The Inspiration of the Prophets
Sabbath School Class—Life as Discovery and Hope
January 31, 2009
Larry R Evans
Introductory Reflections
Last week we introduced the subject of “The Gift of Prophecy and the Remnant Church” with a report from George Barna which indicates that we can no longer assume that our society is primarily Christian. The rise of world religions and the trend for the majority to be eclectic makes the “sure word of prophecy” and the appointment of prophets by God even more relevant albeit less popular in some circles. As a continuation of this context I share some excerpts from the journal called, The Scientific American.
“Last weekend I traveled to Edinburgh to attend a small workshop on religion. The group consisted of a multidisciplinary group of scholars—psychologists, biologists, political scientists, philosophers, and anthropologists—each of whom were studying the natural (that is, Darwinian) foundations of religious belief and behavior. The meeting took place at a marvelously opulent hotel near Waverly Station on Princes Street, with distant glimpses of the castle and the Old Town district. Each morning, about ten of us, still bloated with wine and food from the evening before, sat around an enormous lion-pawed walnut table in a Victorian suite while the bitterly cold Scottish winds rattled the windowpanes and rushed down the flue of the chimney, where a coal fire quietly warmed us. Here, we hatched out a variety of ideas related to the evolutionary puzzle of religion. . . . Fortunately, the past decade has seen tremendous and quite rapid developments in the naturalistic study of religion. Topics such as God, souls and sin are no longer being treated as “outside science” but rather as biologically based emanations of the evolved human mind, subject to psychological scrutiny like any other aspect of human nature. And I can only hope that soon these scientific discoveries will translate to real world intervention strategies in the reconciliation of spiritually based social conflicts. . . . As the resident psychologist, I reiterated my empirically based argument that belief in the afterlife is more or less an inevitable byproduct of human consciousness. Since we cannot conceptualize the absence of consciousness, even non-believers are susceptible to visions of the hereafter . . . . This research committee in Edinburgh is one of three I’m currently serving on to investigate the evolutionary bases of religion. Another is the “Explaining Religion” project (EXREL) with its hub at Oxford University led by anthropologist Harvey Whitehouse. And there’s even a new sub-discipline in evolutionary biology called “Evolutionary Religious Studies” being spearheaded by David Sloan Wilson at SUNY-Binghamton. All of these projects promise to infuse new life into the tired old religion versus science debate by injecting actual data into the discussions (Scientific American, January 19, 2009,
“Is Religion Adaptive? It's Complicated--A group of Darwinian theorists discuss religion in Edinburgh, Scotland, by Jesse Bering.
I would like to state clearly that I am and have been an advocate of the continuing dialogue between science and religion. Certain questions relevant to this week’s study do come to mind as I read the article. Can we approach the study of religion or spirituality as simply a natural emanation of biology coming from an involved mind and expect to understand the dynamics involved? Would that approach even be scientific? How are God’s messengers chosen? How do we discern God’s will when different assumptions claim to speak for Him or about Him? How does this process differ from a scientific analysis? What impact do beginning assumptions have upon the conclusions drawn? Is it wrong to have a bias? Do we have one when we study this lesson and if so should we? Is it important to be aware of the biases we have?
I used to do some personal flying. The need to lay out a flight plan was one of the things stressed in the training program. You can be ever so careful in all your calculations—weight, fuel, wind, distance, etc. but if these are all built around a wrong starting point you are bound to arrive at a wrong destination. I’m afraid the scientists in the above research project are beginning from the wrong starting point. This week we are laying more of the foundation for our understanding regarding the gift of prophecy and how it can help us in our walk with God and the plan He has for us.
Reflective Quiz
1. Every word of Scripture is inspired but this is not the case regarding the writings of Ellen White. False[2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:20,21]
2 Tim 3:16-17
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (NIV)
It might be helpful to briefly define some terms: revelation, inspiration and illumination. (For a more complete treatment of these terms see The Gift of Prophecy by Gerhard Pfandl, p.50f)
Revelation: The word refers primarily to God’s disclosure of truth through words, acts, or any other means. The focus is on “the content of truth.” An example would be Daniel 7 – the revelation is what Daniel saw.
Inspiration: This word refers to the method of communication between God and human beings. This includes dreams (Num 12:6) and at times “face to face” (vs 7,8) Note
2 Peter 1:21
21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (NIV) [Greek suggests similar to a ship being borne along by the wind.]
Illumination: This is the enlightenment the Holy Spirit provides to help us understand God’s Word. The scientists referred to in our introduction will have a difficult time understanding God’s Word because of their assumptions. Note how Scripture says we must approach God’s Word if we are to understand it.
1 Cor 2:14
14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. (NIV)
In brief, “the reader and interpreter of the Scriptures must be led by the same Spirit that inspired the Scriptures.” (Pfandl, p.50)
With this background, why am I saying our answer to the question is false?
First some questions:
Is every word of the Bible inspired—the question says every word of Scripture is inspired. Are they really?
Are there different levels of inspiration – the Bible vs Ellen White?
Seventh-day Adventists have a high view of Scripture but they have never subscribed to verbal inerrancy. Note this statement from Ellen White:
“The Bible is written by inspired men, but it is not God's mode of thought and expression. It is that of humanity. God, as a writer, is not represented. Men will often say such an expression is not like God. But God has not put Himself in words, in logic, in rhetoric, on trial in the Bible. The writers of the Bible were God's penmen, not His pen. Look at the different writers.” {1SM 21.1}
Pfandl suggests that when it comes to the inspiration of the Bible there are two different models that God used:
1. Prophetic Model – God communicated with His prophets through dreams and visions. (Num 12:6; Isa 1:1; Jer )
2. Research Model – In this model the Holy Spirit guides writers in their research, reading, and interviews and then directs them in the selection and presentation of their material. (Pfandl, p. 53) [Lk 1:1-4; 1 Cor 1:10,11]
There are two broad schools of thought when it comes to understanding how inspiration worked among the prophets:
1. Verbal Inspiration which focuses on the actual words of the Bible rather than the author. Here the specific words are chosen from the vocabulary and experience of the writer. While it is not the same as dictation (another theory) it nevertheless believes that the words of the original writings is what is inspired.
2. Thought Inspiration –The focus here is on the writer. Primarily the thoughts not the specific words of the Bible are inspired (1 Thess 2:13) except when the words of God or the angels are quoted. (Jer 29:30,31). The writer receives the vision, dream, or thought and put it down in writing in his own words. The Holy Spirit insures that the words used that the words used convey God’s truth correctly. This is the position Seventh-day Adventists take.
2. The apostles were aware that what they wrote was given by divine authority. True
1 Cor 2:12-13
13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. (NIV)
3. A physical manifestation of some kind is needed to confirm that the Lord is speaking. False [Dan 10:7-9, 17,18; Rev 1:17; Gn 15:1-6; Ex 10:21;11:1;12:1; Gn 37:5; 41:16-37]
Physical manifestations did take place:
Dan 10:7-9
7 I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; the men with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. 8 So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. 9 Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground. (NIV)
Eye witnesses carefully observed and recorded what Ellen White experienced while invision:
Utterly unconscious
Did not breathe
Muscles became rigid
Coming out of vision all seemed dark.
Not all communication from God, however, resulted in physical manifestations:
Ex 10:21
21 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness will spread over Egypt--darkness that can be felt." (NIV)
Gen 37:5
5 Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. (NIV)
4. Not all that is attributed to Jeremiah was written by him. True [Jer 36:1-4]
36:1 In the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2 "Take a scroll and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah and all the other nations from the time I began speaking to you in the reign of Josiah till now. 3 Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, each of them will turn from his wicked way; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin. 4 So Jeremiah called Baruch son of Neriah, and while Jeremiah dictated all the words the LORD had spoken to him, Baruch wrote them on the scroll. NIV)
It was the practice in both the Old Testament and the New Testament to use literary helpers.
Ellen White also used literary assistants:
“With formal schooling ending at the age of nine, she recognized her own limitations as a writer. “I am not a grammarian. I will try, if the Lord will help me, at forty-five years old to become a scholar in the science.” 3SM, p.90
“After my husband’s death, faithful helpers joined me, who labored untiringly in the work of copying the testimonies and preparing articles for publication.” 1SM, p.50
5. A sign of a false prophet is if he or she incorporates thoughts or wording from pagan authors. False [Acts 17:27,28; Titus 1:12]
Acts 17:27-28
27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' (NIV)
This is a quote from Cilician poet Aratus who wrote that we are the offspring of Zeus. (Greek mythology) Supreme ruler of all Greek gods and husband to Hera.
It is said that the library of Ellen White consisted of about 2,000 books. She was an avid reader. Note her statement in the introduction of the Great Controversy regarding her reading of history as it relates to her own writing.
Note Ellen White’s statement:
“The great events which have marked the progress of reform in past ages are matters of history, well known and universally acknowledged by the Protestant world; they are facts which none can gainsay. This history I have presented briefly, in accordance with the scope of the book, and the brevity which must necessarily be observed, the facts having been condensed into as little space as seemed consistent with a proper understanding of their application. In some cases where a historian has so grouped together events as to afford, in brief, a comprehensive view of the subject, or has summarized details in a convenient manner, his words have been quoted; but in some instances no specific credit has been given, since the quotations are not given for the purpose of citing that writer as authority, but because his statement affords a ready and forcible presentation of the subject. In narrating the experience and views of those carrying forward the work of reform in our own time, similar use has been made of their published works. {GC xi.4}
It is not so much the object of this book to present new truths concerning the struggles of former times, as to bring out facts and principles which have a bearing on coming events. Yet viewed as a part of the controversy between the forces of light and darkness, all these records of the past are seen to have a new significance; and through them a light is cast upon the future, illumining the pathway of those who, like the reformers of past ages, will be called, even at the peril of all earthly good, to witness "for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ." {GC xii.1}
Prophets of all ages did refer to other sources. Originality is not a distinguishing sign between true and false prophets. The selection process, however, is critical.
Conclusion
The inspiration of God’s messengers is real. It is important, however, not to confuse our personal illumination with the prophets inspiration or revelation. Our illumination does not make us prophets. At the same time if we wish to illumined by the Holy Spirit we must be led by the same Spirit that inspired the Scriptures. Independent analysis of Scripture or true religion will not yield correct assumptions. The Apostle Paul stated it well, “The man without theSpirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor 2:14, NIV)
The underlying challenge with this lesson is not so much to question the dynamics of how religion works or how it has “evolved” but rather how we can be led by the Holy Spirit as we enter into our own study of God-revealed messages with a mind and a heart open to His leading.
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