God has communicated with mankind in a variety of ways: visions, dreams, and speech. But God also communicates with us through his inspired written Word which we call the Bible or the Scriptures. The Bible makes bold its claim that it is inspired.

The Inspired Scriptures

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

The scriptures are said to be inspired or 'God-breathed.' In other words the Bible proceeded from the mouth of God, it is the very Word of God. Just as in creation God breathed into man and he became a living soul, the Bible is 'God–breathed' and therefore the living Word of God. The Hebrew epistle makes this statement:

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)

The Inspired Prophets

After Jesus was raised from the dead, he spoke with two of his disciples on the road to Emmaus and said:

"How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself." (Luke 24:26-27)

It was to the written Word of God that Jesus directed the attention of the disciples. What the prophets had written about the Lord was not their opinions, but what the Holy Spirit had revealed to them. Two quotations from Peter are most helpful on this point:

"Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow." (1 Peter 1:10-11)

"Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. 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." (2 Peter 1:21)

We can confidently affirm that the Bible is the inspired Word of God.