Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-04-11
scRlpTuRAL INSPIRATION.
Editor Dcseret News.

/ tne} 90 not look upon lNt lilhlN w
/ ords as infalnble. They contain COM
munlcated revelation the truth OF when
I is 90 be tested by every known test OF
| truth 10 is not the Bible. but Christ
/ Himself that exercises supreme au-
/ thority over the Church and as long as
| there were living Apostles OF Christine
New Testament was not compiled Inc
! oral testimony of Peter and John was
/ NJ more Importance than the RECORDS
/ which We have OF their testimony Al
] ter their death permanent record was
/ made of their teachlngs-a record Ia the
| main correct but not necessarily in-
/ f8lible. nor ~ absolute authority, nor
Of nature to- preclude such further
/ revelation as God might choose TO give
] at other times and To- other people.
/ As TO the Old Testament the very
/ names applied to 70 ia the new are sus-
/ gestIye of the peculiar dignity OF the
/ books of the Bible They are cated
THE Scriptures they must be ill'
/ flied" (Mark i4. ig) and should b''
| carefully searched John 8. SD. The
! language OF the old Testament Is often
| attributed 20 God Himself as in He'd.
| /. 6. G., 2: ~: g. z. etc. Peculiar em-
/ phass also Is laid ON the scrptural
| revelation as a written one. tMatt 4.
4. 2. iW II is said also 90 have been
| written for the instruction, warning
| and comfort of those that were 20 come
| after Olom 4, %. 4 Cor 9. lO. christ
| and the Apostles conceived the Old Ies-
! lament scriptures TO Dee in a high sense
/ inspired OF God. and always spoke or
| them with the utmost reverence.
As 20 the inspiration OF the New Tes-
| lament. the Apostles were promised the
| special help of the Holy Spirit In their
! work and they report that these prom
/ ises were fulfilled IL rs true that they
| were not promised special ala when
| writing any more than when they were
| speaking but II % not necessary 20
/ decide whether the special inspiration
of the Apostles was q general and uni
form one, or whether 10 was more or
less occasional, being impaired when
particularly needed At all events the
| Apostle 20 the Gentlles. plainly co.
ordinates his written and oral instruc-
lions as Of equal authority. q
Thess. 2. 49,. and there Is sometimes
"a special mention that the Apostles
were moved by the Holy Ghost as II
they were not always, or, at least, not
equally. under this power. (Acts 4, 50
II the Apostles had NOT been special
Is inspired, they would not have ot-
| tanned to more than was distinctly
promised TO all believers, and the Holy
Ghost Is repeatedly said TO have fallen.
not only on leading men ike stephen,
but on multitudes of believers acts
S; II, 10: Az 10. S, 70. 81. But IL Is
clear that there was a distinction ac-
corded 20 the Apostles They were 10
speak and act with authority (Acts 2;
"a. etc, 4. IS: 6. IA 10. l-29. and IN
other places).
IL Is not necessary. either, 20 regard
those books OF the New Testament
which We're not written by Apostles as
| less inspired than those that were writ
ten by them: for the promise Of special
inspiration TO guide the Apostles did
not exclude others from receiving IN
spiration IN the same degree. Thus,
stephen was a man "ful Of faith and
of the Holy Ghost (ACts 6: 8; Z. 90.
He did miracles. and preached with ir-
r1fethla power CActs G: 500. So also
PHILIP and Barnabas. who, likewise,
were not Apostles. and in the Acts
prominence Is given 90 the labors OF
| Barsabas Silas, ApOn0s, Titus limo
thy. Mark, and Luke. while OF the
Apostles themselves, only Peter. Paul
John and the Two Jameses, are men
toned.
In general, the writer's OF the books
OF the New Testament, except Paul
and John, do not claim special inspira-
ton in their writings, and In certain
b passages q Cor Z; G. TO- 10, %, Cor.
ii: IL. Rom 9: Gal %, Paul apparently
, | dlsclaims inspiration with reference TO
certain OF his written instructions;
while. on the other hand, there is no
doubt that he received and elsewhere
recorded special direct revelations.
We know. however. that these men
were faithful witnesses Of what they
saw and heard. and this is what they
always claim 20 be, apart from me
? peculiar inspiration which they enjoyed
< They were conscious and responsible
, IN the act Of writing and used In the
:. main. their own style Of language
They ala not act as mere machines
e even when they We're elated and quick.
e aned by the Spirit so that the scrip
lures are the work az man, as well as
the work Of God. Dean Burgons opn-
ion is therefore untonGble, as going Toe
far. when he says.
e the Omega Of it, Is hlled
g to overlooking with the Holy
F, Shirt Of God. the books Of &c, and the
sentences Of It. and The words Of it, anc
D the syllables OF it-aye, and the very
y letters OF g." inspiration and Inter
e probation. p. 7d)
=, He compares the inspired writer's e
u musical instruments. each OF which
gives forth its own music, Dul
am OF which were made by one artih
n Ger. This comparison might Doe accept
70 ed that God uses men. while He dods
n not merely initiate them but the hu
+, man language used In the scripture by
Gods agents is also the language of th'
70 minds whose expression lt rs. represent
n ing the mental states OF the writers
4 No fhNfW
hearts. In some cases, indeed, we may
u well believe that God spoke the very
3 words that are recorded yet the writ
crs were witnesses and active agents
not merely passive channels through
m which the divine communication Nigh
pass
'- While therefore we hold that IN,
vs. Bible is a sacred record and that To-
n writers were inspired, not only IN thei
.s writings but also I'm their speaking ant
in their daily lives also. yet va
IL also hold that 70 Is not verbal
D. Isl inspired book that couI'
IN be followed 20 salvation by simple
D. study OF the text Itself in the Bibl'
60 Is not the inspiration itself bat onl
the record of the inspiration that ha.
come down 70 as: and this record /
m confcssedlv incomplete and possibly en-
~ . r0neous I'm certain respects, and ever
thought its general trustworthines'
and Importance as a divine recon,
.e ore fully accepted by the Latier-ddl
10 [ saints. they take a middle ground be-
, tween the theory OF absolute verbal in
SEPARATION and the theory that as mer
PIT witnesses. the writers OF sacred history
.n had no need OF special inspiration. Fo
n the utteranccs ~ men are more likel
to DE correct than their conduct, an'
the written words OF such witnesses al
these. must be worthy OF the highes
F" crelence
n a certain New Testament passage 4
r much quoted by the defenders OF th
I absolute correctness and verbal inspir
alton of the scriptures IL Is this "Al
!. scripture is given by Inspiration OF God
end o. profitable for doctrine. for ne
,. proof Tor correction for instruction u
Righteousness" % Tim 9: 49, But th
'l revised version gives he meaning thus
90 I Every scripture inspired Of God Is als
BE- . profitable" etc. showing that th
AroafIo docs not here declare tina