How did the Bible writers get the exact information?

God gave them the knowledge. Don't know how...but that doesn't matter.

Joseph Botwinick

 

2Pe 1:21 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.

I don't know how better to answer than this.

 

2 Peter 1:21- 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.

'Nuff said.

 

It's very simple. Verbal (every word) plenary (of the whole Bible) inspiration. The writers received knowledge through the revelation of the Holy Spirit.

There is an interesting play on words in Luke 1:3, where Luke says, "having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first...." The Greek word translated "from the very first" is anothen (sorry to the kind young gentlemen who showed me how to do the Greek font--I can't find where I saved that info!). This word can also be translated "from above" (for example, in John 3:31). So Luke is saying, "I learned what I'm going to tell you from good human sources/from God in Heaven!"

Only if you do not believe in verbal plenary inspiration does the source of the facts of Scripture become a problem. Then you have to do things like invent a source document for the Gospels called "Q," which has no manuscripts and no references to it in all of church history with the possible exception of one very hazy statement in Eusebius, I believe it is, about a Hebrew version of Matthew.

Or, with no external (historical) data you can postulate multiple authors for the Pentateuch or for Isaiah, all much later in history so you are not embarassed by the accuracy of Moses and the fulfilled prophecies of Isaiah. What an ignorant way to get around the facts of the Bible. And they call us Fundamentalists ignorant!

 

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit doesn't require the writer to physically be there to write about it. Luke speaks of talking to eyewitnesses of the events he wrote about, but he was still inspired.

 

I think that for events like Jesus temptation or what He went through in the garden while the disciples were sleeping, it would have been something He told them about afterwards.

Other events, such as the LORD and Satan's discussions in Job, would be direct revelation of the event by God to the writer.

 

As best as I can determine, God used a variety of ways to reveal Himself in the Scriptures. The writers sometimes were eyewitnesses. Sometimes they relied on eyewitnesses. Sometimes direct revelation. Sometimes they relied on other writings.

For instance, the book of Jasher. It is cited as a source in Joshua 10:13 (the story of Joshua's long day), and in II Samuel 1:18. The Book of Jasher is still in existence and can easily be found by Googling. It parallels the Pentateuch, but fills in some blanks. As an example, it tells how Abram, son of a pagan, came to know about Jehovah. He was taught as a child by Noah and Shem.

No one makes claims for inspiration for Jasher, and some may question the validity of the book itself. I found it fascinating.

Tom B.

 

In addition to the Book of Jasher, the bible makes reference to other sources including:

1) book of the Acts of Solomon (1 Kings 11:41)
2) book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel (1 Kings 14:19, ...) - may be a reference to 1&2 Chronicles
3) book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah (1 Kings 14:29, ...) - may be a reference to 1&2 Chronicles
4) book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah and Israel (2 Chronicles 16:11, ...) - may be references to the two above books or 1&2 Kings
5) book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel and Judah (2 Chronicles 27:7, ...) - may be reference to the book above or the other two books above that or 1&2 Kings
6) book of the Chronicles (Nehemiah 12:23, Esther 2:23) - may be a reference to all of the above or 1&2 Chronicles
7) book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia (Esther 10:2)

[ February 15, 2006, 12:07 PM: Message edited by: Gold Dragon ]

 

It isn't much of a leap to postulate that Moses likely did not author the last section of Deuteronomy describing his death and the Israelite reaction to it.

 

In 2 Peter 1, Peter says that they were "eyewitnesses" and heard God speak, and gave us what He said.

In Luke 1, Luke says that he "investigated everything carefully from the beginning" (NASB) and put it down in order.

Hebrews 1 says that God revealed himself to men in "different ways and times" (KJV: "sundry times and diverse manners."

The theologians speak of inspiration as God moving men, inspiring them. Yet the Bible reflects the humanity of the writers. Inspiration did not happen by dictation or any type of hypnotism. God worked through them:

In the same event of writing, God was the primary cause, humans were the secondary cause.

 

He just did it, it's a faith issue.

 

Brother Ruben,
I think your question is a good one and one worth pondering. The writers got their information through various means including dreams, direct revelation, oral traditions, written traditions, interviews with eyewitnesses, and direct eyewitness.

All of these processes are a part of the doctrine of inspiraton and theologians call the result "confluence". That is, the Bible is the result of fallible men writing using, at various times, natural and supernatural means. It is also the result of God through the Holy Spirit superintending the writing so that the final result is infallible and inerrant; the Word of God, even the words of God.

This is an important matter, not one that we should dismiss with a wave of the hand. It is important that we define the doctrine of inspiration carefully because the results of misdefining or misunderstanding it can be tragic.

 

Sometimes the eyewitnesses merely remembered the events they had seen. Other times they used records preserved from the past, such as oral traditions and written documents. Sometimes God revealed the thing directly as necessary.

 

Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.


Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

 

Mosos didn't write the pentateuch. The pentateuch was probably compiled at Moses' behest, but he did not write them. For exxample, Gen 1 and Gen 2 were written by different authors. The writing styles in Hebrew are noticeably different (that is much less clear in English translations). The authors were writing down accounts that had prior been handed down from generation to generation.

As for the other books of scripture, each book has its own unique story. Some were written by the person, and otherw were written by someone several years, or even decades, later.

Sometimes yes, and sometimes no. Luke, for example, wasn't there, but he apparantly spoke to, or read the accounts of, people who were. Also, note that Luke is a physician, and his gospel is a private letter, written from one physician to another physician. Understanding that, and understnading that Luke and Theophilus (the recipient of that letter) were educated men, shed a different light upon the Gospel and Acts when reading them.

For the most part, I agree with JB,'s answer: God gave them the knowledge. Don't know how...but that doesn't matter.

 

Sir, it does matter to me! Lest the events would turn into hearsay and pure pigments of imagination. </font>[/QUOTE]Do you need some kind of evidence to prove the Bible was inspired by God, or should we accept that by faith? Why does it matter to you how God did something when it doesn't seem to be a concern of Scripture itself? Why would you question whether or not it was real or a pigment of some man's imagination?

Why are you doubting?

Joseph Botwinick