Today, we continue on the series of the Bible. This will take some time as there are many aspects to this topic, so stay with us and I believe that this series will be beneficial to all.
'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.' (2 Peter 1:21)
The Holy Spirit moved or bore the human writers to produce the Bible. The use of the same verb in Acts 27:15 illuminates our understanding of what is meant by 'bearing' or 'moving' the human writers. Just before the ship that was taking Paul to Rome was wrecked on the Island of Malta, it ran into a fierce storm. Though experienced men, the sailors could not guide it, so they finally had to let the wind take the ship wherever it blew.
In the same manner as that ship was driven, directed, or carried about by the wind, God directed and moved the human writers He used to produce the books of the Bible. Though the wind was the strong force that moved the ship along, the sailors were not asleep and inactive. Similarly, the Holy Spirit was the guiding force that directed the writers who played their active roles in writing the Scriptures.
But this verse also makes another important point. It declares that the wills of the human authors did not direct the writing of the Bible. The same verse, 'moved' or 'bore', appears in the latter part of the verse as well. Thus prophecy was not borne of the will of man. The Spirit did it, not the will of man. This statement bears in an important of the inerrancy of the Bible.
Man's will, including his will to make mistakes, did not bring the Scriptures; rather, the Holy Spirit, who cannot err, brought us the Scriptures. To be sure, the writers were active in writing, but what they wrote was directed, not by their own wills with the possibility of error, but by the Spirit who is true and infallible.
To sum up, 2 Peter 1:21 states that God used men and gave us a completely truthful Bible.
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