Morgan County republican., 1913-07-17

written, ana insisted tnat the uaOl.
tions OF the fathers and the church
we're OF eqral authority, to anything
in the Bible. To meet this claim Of
the church, Luther and his co-adjut-
ors. may I say. invented the theory
Of the inspiration OF the Bible--what
was written--and denied the inspira-
ton OF the traditions. 1.-The Bible,
the Bible alone is the religion Of the
protestant" was their slogan of war.
From this beginning the dogma of
inspiration grew to such extremes
that the dot over the i, and the cross
on the t, were all inspired Of God.
SO bitter has been the fight between
these contending parties tina, ex.
tremes have been developed on both
sides. The Roman church has gone
to the other extreme, and now con-
tends that the Pope is infallible in
his decisions on church matters, and
that his word is the end of the quest
for truth. Out OF this contention has
developed all the theories known to
history Of inspiration. 1t shall be
our purpose in this lecture to seek a
rational solution OF this much mis-
understood subject.
II we will turn to Gen. 2:7 we will
find it said, "And Jehovah God
formed man Of the dust Of the ground
aud br<afhed into his nostrils the
breath OF life and man became liv-
ing SOUL" This word "breathed" is
the same as our word inspired. In
another scripture Job 80 :S it is said
the bresth OF the Almighty giveth un.
dersanding. Here "bre0h" is the
same as inspiration. In = third scrip
ture, 2nd Timothy, 3:16, it says,
Every scripture inspired breathed ]
Of God is also profitable, etc. These
scriptures are the most direct and
clear utterances we have on the SUBJ
ject of inspiration in the Bible, and
will suffice for our text.
II we will seek a definition of these
scriptures from their surroundings
where they are used, we shall find
three phases of meaning the writer's
have put into them. Tha, in Gen,
the source OF life, God breathed in
to his nostrils the breath OF life-soul.
Life comes from God, through breath
(inspiration). In job 1928 there is
an additional phase OF the word
breathe 1.-The breath of the Almighty
giveth them understanding" Is thi,
understanding the result OF another
"breathing" or the result OF the kind
J OF life-soul-of the first breathing
To be fair with the text it seems the
writer is holding in comparison the
inanimate things Of nature and man
, He says days should speak and mul.
tltude Of years should teach wisdom
but there is spirit purpose ir
l man, and the byrdM OF the AImight,
giveth understanding. This under
standing of man must be the nativ,
inherent power that belongs to th'
ego, and not subsequent breathing
OF God. This inspiration OF Coo
seems here to be the common pos
session Of all, the product OF th'
breath iof the Almighty, and no,
special gift of one rather than anoth
er, but to those who had life or soul
: In other words it seemed that Go,
expected those Of his creatures VII,
had received this breath OF life, 4
{ have understanding to know wisdor
9 as set forth in the things that wer
l. made, and to use that wisdom I
, their betterment as God had intend
IS ed. There is no evidence that thes
n had been specially fitted by anothe
Il breathing, to lift them above the DO,
t sibility OF mistakes. Elihu does ne