The Writing of Scripture

We believe that the thirty-nine books of the Old Testament and the twenty-seven books of the New Testament are the infallible Word of God dictated word by word to the soul and spirit of the writers by the Holy Spirit to become the only true Living Word of God (Read our article: The Canon of Scripture). The whole Bible has no copied portions; all of it is given by the Holy Spirit as the Living Word to each of the writers; the writers did not copy from each other, they wrote down what the Holy Spirit dictated to them, and that is why the Bible is called the Living Word. No human opinion, knowledge, or feeling is involved in the process of Scripture writing. The writers of their own will were under complete control of the Holy Spirit while they wrote the Scripture. We believe in a very personal God-human relationship between the soul and spirit of the writers of Scripture and the Holy Spirit. Every word in the Scripture is directly from God, dictated word by word by the Holy Spirit to the soul and spirit of the writers. Our view is not a pure mechanical dictation view of Scripture; instead, it is a God-human relationship view where the human element is the willingness of the writers to obey and listen to God and allow God to use them to write Scripture. We believe in a very personal relationship between the soul and spirit of the writers and the Holy Spirit. Every word is dictated by the Holy Spirit Himself, which dwells within the heart of the writers. Furthermore, there is a word-by-word translation process between what the Holy Spirit speaks in the writers' understanding and their human language when the Holy Spirit dictates the Scripture to the writers. Hence, the Scripture is one hundred percent dictated by God.
(Read more on this topic in our article: Bible Dictation).

Holy Spirit Dictated Versus Holy Spirit Inspired

So, what do we really understand by Holy Spirit dictated and what is the difference between Holy Spirit dictated and Holy Spirit inspired?
Dictated: The Holy Spirit works straight to give the understanding; the Holy Spirit speaks directly to the soul and spirit of the writer, then from the soul and spirit, the understanding goes to the heart and from the heart into the head. When Holy Spirit dictated, the writer will have only one understanding to write down. The dictation from the Holy Spirit works directly to the writer's understanding, to give the words to write down then that understanding (the words written down) when meditated on by someone else, that meditation will guide the heart by the Holy Spirit to understand.
Inspired: The Holy Spirit gives the understanding to convince the heart of the person and becomes understanding in this way, different from Holy Spirit dictated. Inspired is understanding in the heart and from the heart to the head; the meditation of the Word gives the understanding; in this case, there is no direct communication between the Holy Spirit and the soul and spirit of the writer.
In conclusion, in the case of “Holy Spirit dictation,” the Holy Spirit is the giver and the receiver at the same moment. In the case of “Holy Spirit inspired,” the Holy Spirit is the giver, and the soul of the believer is the receiver.

Two main points need to be emphasized regarding the Word of God, the Bible.

1. The composition of Scripture is done by the will of God alone, and the Lord used willing men full of the Holy Spirit to do His work. Men by themselves alone cannot write Scripture. The writers must allow the Holy Spirit to dwell in them and be completely under the control of the Holy Spirit to dictate Scripture word by word. All of the disciples chosen to write Scripture have asked the Holy Spirit to dwell in them and use them. The willingness of these disciples to be one hundred percent under the control of the Holy Spirit is the key of these disciples to be chosen to write Scripture. (Read our article: Holy Spirit Baptism for a Christian).

   "For we did not follow cleverly devised fables, when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory, when there was borne such a Voice to him by the Majestic Glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: and this Voice we ourselves heard borne out of heaven, when we were with Him in the holy mountain. And we have the word of prophecy made more sure; to which you do well that you take heed, as unto a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts: knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation. For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spoke from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit." -- 2 Peter 1:16-21 (ASVh)

   "Every Scripture God-Breathed is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. That the man of God may be complete, having been fully equipped toward every good work." -- 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ASVh)

   "For I make known to you, brothers, [] the gospel which was preached by me, that it is not after man. For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ." -- Galatians 1:11-12 (ASVh)

2. The Bible is not just words dictated by God to the writers, but it is alive and everlasting, and it is the only true Living Word of God. If God-breathed to the ground and made man alive and the human race endures until now, how much more His breath that is in His Word to be alive and have life and power in itself? You are just a piece of clay that received God's breath, and yet you are alive. His Word carries much more than you carry your own life. What you think has power on earth cannot compare to the power of His Word. The Word has life and power in itself and can go further and further; life has no end in the Word. If God can give life, His Word shall be the place that life can flow. God never has an ending, and His breath cannot be limited. Man cannot make the Word live; only the Holy Spirit can make the Word alive. The Bible is the Living Word because it is from the Lord through the Holy Spirit dictated every word to have that living life in the Word. (Read our article: The Trinity of God).

   "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him; and without Him was not anything made that has been made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness; and the darkness has not overcome it." -- John 1:1-5.

   "But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." -- Matthew 4:4.

   "For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaks through you." -- Matthew 10:20.

   "I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread which I will give is My flesh, for the life of the world." -- John 6:51.

   "Jesus answered and said to her, Every one that drinks of this water will thirst again; but whosoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." -- John 4:13-14.

   "For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden before Him: but all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." -- Hebrews 4:12-13 (ASVh)

In conclusion, we believe that the Bible is God's only true Living Word. The words of the Bible were dictated one hundred percent to the soul and spirit of the writers by the Holy Spirit; the Bible is unique, flawless, unalterable, unchanging, and eternal.