I. Verbal Inspiration

Of "making many books there is no end" (Ecclesiastes 12:12), but only one book is "God breathed," theopneustos (2 Timothy 3:16). Writers, "being led [phero] by the Holy Spirit, spoke from God" (2 Peter 1:21), not "in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words" (1 Corinthians 2:1, 4, 13). The psalmist wrote, "The Spirit of Yahweh spoke by me, and his word was upon my tongue.

At times Spirit inspired men did not have to think what they would speak or write, for it was given to them "in that hour what" to say or write (Matthew 10:19). They were "not the ones speaking, but" it was the "Father’s Spirit" speaking or writing (Matthew 10:20). In those situations, they were "filled with the Holy Spirit," and on occasion spoke "in other languages, as the Spirit was inspiring them" (Acts 2:4).

At times Spirit inspired men did think of what they would speak or write. "The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem" were not directly given, but were "pondered and sought out," with the result that Solomon "set in order many proverbs" (Ecclesiastes 1:1; 12:9). "The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, … words of truth (Ecclesiastes 12:10). The result was supervisory verbal inspiration over Solomon’s words in Ecclesiastes, Proverbs, and the Song of Solomon (1 Kings 3:12; 4:29; 10:24; Ecclesiastes 12:10).

Similarly, supervisory verbal inspiration characterized "Luke, the beloved physician" (Colossians 4:14). Doctor Luke engaged in careful research before writing a word, "having traced the course of all things accurately from the first" (Luke 1:3).

God allowed "the beloved physician," in writing the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts, to use words from the medical profession. The very first word written by the doctor in the Gospel of Luke, Epeideper ("Forasmuch," Luke 1:1, ASV), was used by Hippocrates (the father of medicine, 460-337 B.C.) and Galen in medical works.

Luke’s word (and so, the Spirit’s word) epecheiresan ("have taken in hand," Luke 1:1, ASV), was also a medical term used by Hippocrates: "As many as have taken in hand [epecheiresan] to speak or write concerning the healing art."

Luke’s word (and so, the Spirit’s word) diagesin ("narrative," Luke 1:1, ASV), was used 75 times by Dr. Galen in referring to the writings of Hippocrates. In diagesin we see the word "diagnosis."

Luke’s word (and so, the Spirit’s word) autoptai ("eye witnesses," Luke 1:2, ASV), is the medical term for "autopsy."

William Kirk Hobart, MEDICAL LANGUAGE OF ST. LUKE, found 480 medical terms in Luke-Acts, all of which became words of the Spirit.

A professor in one "our universities" (?) teaches young preachers against Spirit controlled, verbal inspiration, because Paul was not "able to remember whom he had baptized at Corinth." When Paul wrote that he had "baptized any other" (! Corinthians 1:16), every word of Paul was also the Spirit’s word (1 Corinthians 2:13). Paul was teaching that the one the baptizing is not important; he was condemning "preacheritis."

As God allowed Solomon’s "pondered and sought out" words to become the Spirit’s words, and as he allowed Luke’s traced out words to become the Spirit’s words, so God, in his infinite wisdom, was allowing Paul’s words to become the Spirit’s words.

II. "Clashes and Jars"

The professor in one of "our universities" (?) also damages the faith of young preachers by referring to "differences" in Matthew’s and Luke’s accounts as "clashes and jars."

1. Matthew 8:5 and Luke 7:3. The professor sees a clash because Matthew (*:5) reported that "a centurion came to Jesus," while Luke (7:3) reported that the "centurion … sent elders of the Jews to" Jesus. The centurion came to Jesus, but not in person; he sent the elders on his behalf to make a request. Such an action is called "the law of the agent."

The law of the agent was also practiced in John 4:1-2: "Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (though Jesus himself was not baptizing, but his disciples)."

The law of the agent was also practiced in John 19:1: Pilate therefor took Jesus, and scourged him." However, Pilate never laid one lash on Jesus, but he allowed the soldiers to beat him (Matthew 27:27:31).

The law of the agent is also a legal maxim: Qui facit per alium, facit per se, "What one does through another, he himself, does."

2. Matthew 9:18 and Mark 5:23. Another apparent "clash" is that Jairus told Jesus, according to Matthew 9:18, "My daughter is even now dead," but, according to Mark 5:23, he said, "My little daughter is at the point of death."

This apparent clash is because of a faulty translation. Jairus, being away from home, on the road to meet Jesus (Matthew 9:23; Mark 5:35-39; Luke 8:41), could not have known that his daughter had died after he had left home, and so was "even now dead."

However, he could have known, when he left his house, that his daughter was "at the point of death" (Mark 5:23). But, away from the house, he could not have said, "My daughter is even now dead" (Matthew 8:18).

The arti ("now," or "even now," or "just now") in Matthew 9:18, plus the parallel passages in Mark 5:23 and Luke 8:42), demand that the translation of Matthew 9:18 be "My daughter is now dying."

III. Mark 16:9-20

The professor also teaches young preachers that verses 9-20 of chapter 16 are not part of Mark’s Gospel. The principal reason why critics reject the verses is because the "two oldest Greek manuscripts … omit verse 9 to the end" (ASV, margin).

But, as far as is known, the "two oldest Greek manuscripts," from the first century, are not in existence, while the two oldest now in existence were made in the fourth century.

More over, one of the alleged "two oldest" has a blank column with enough space left that would accommodate verses 9-20. This would indicate that, for some reason, the copyist stopped his work before he had finished. This implies "the presence of 16:9-20 in Mark" (Bruce M. Metzger, THE TEXT OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, 15f).

Moreover, the so-called "two oldest Greek manuscripts" cannot be depended on for accuracy. Their combined testimony leaves the Bible contradictory and the reader confused in

To be specific, the alleged "two oldest Greek manuscripts" attribute a passage that Matthew quoted from Zechariah (11:12-13) as being from Isaiah (Mark 1:2).

The two manuscripts mistakenly name a certain high priest "Abiathar" in Mark 2:26, instead of "Ahimelach" (1 Samuel 21:1-8).

The two manuscripts say mark 6:22 that Herodias, the dancing girl, was the daughter of Herod. This mistake forces Mark to contradict Matthew 14:6.

Bruce Metxger (THE TEXT, 228) says that verse 8 of Mark 16 is not a fitting conclusion to the Gospel. It is a "melancholy statement of the women who were afraid," and he cannot believe

However, Metzger speculates that "the last leaf of the original copy [of Mark 16:9-20] was accidentally lost before other copies had been made." But the indestructibility of God’s word is affirmed in both the Old (Isaiah 40:8) and the New (1 Peter 1:25) Testaments.

In Jonesboro, Arkansas, back in the 30’s, G. C. Brewer, in a tent debate, used Mark 16:16 to prove that salvation follows baptism. Ben Bogard, Brewer’s Baptist opponent, said that Brewer was using a text that was no part of the Gospel of Mark. In his reply, brother Brewer walked over to Bogard’s table with a pocket knife, and asked him, in the sight of thousand people, to cut Mark 16:9-20 from his Bible. Mr. Bogard refused to do so, and was embarrassed.