Sermon Central
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Divine Revelation And Inspiration Series
Contributed by Ron Freeman, Evangelist on Dec 2, 2023 (message contributor)
Summary: To establish that the “word of God” was given to the apostles through divine revelations and recorded by them through divine inspiration. We’ll explore if the truth of God has been preserved during its translation from Greek into our English language.
INTRODUCTION
Outline:
1. The Process of Divine Revelation
2. The Process of Divine Inspiration
3. The Process of Human Translation
Introductory Remarks.
1. Our lesson today discusses the process of: “Divine Revelation and Inspiration.” In truth, we can only say these two processes, revelation, and inspiration, are the work of the “Hands of the Father, the Lord, and the Holy Spirit.” Human translations were done entirely through the hands and minds of uninspired men and women. We believe the translation process was void of biased interpretations and religious influences. After many years of study, writing, preaching, and teaching the “word of God,” I genuinely believe (for the most part) that premise is true. However, not every Interlinear New Testament translation followed a “word-for-word” translation of Greek to English in their “Interlinear glossing.” Some clauses, phrases, and sentences were translated without the "definite article" preceding them, changing the sentences' meaning. Therefore, this lesson is vitally necessary to correctly inform you, the reader, of these discrepancies in the human Translation of the Sacred Text. We don't know why this is so – but sadly, it is so!
2. First, we will consider the process of divine revelation of the word of God. “Revelation” means to: “Uncover, reveal, or to make known." Who "Knoweth the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways are past finding out. For who hath known the mind of the Lord...to whom be glory forever. Amen,” Romans 11:33-36. What God has done through “revelation” is to have made known His divine will and way, which had been kept secret since: “The world began. But hath in due times manifested His word through preaching, which is committed unto me (and the other apostles) according to the commandment of God our Saviour,” Titus 1:1-3. His word was manifested through “revelation unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit,” Ephesians 3:1-7; Galatians 1:11-12.
3. Second, we will discuss the process of divine inspiration in recording the word of God. “Inspiration" means "the breathing forth of the word of God,” Matthew 4:4. We can be sure of the authenticity of the “word of God” recorded by the hands of the apostles because it was done through the “inspiration of God,” 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Holy men of God: “Spoke and wrote as the Spirit gave them utterance and recollection,” 2 Peter 1:20-21; Acts 2:1-4. Peter further explained: "If any man speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God," 1 Peter 4:11. God's divine truths were revealed and recorded through the process of divine inspiration: through the hands of the apostles, Galatians 6:11; Ephesians 3:3-4; Hebrews 13:22; 1 Peter 5:12. Referring to these first two processes: the revelation and inspiration of the “word of God.” The Psalmist David wrote: “The word of the Lord is right, and all His works are done in truth,” Psalms 33:4. And, “Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven,” Psalms 119:89.
4. Lastly, we will investigate the process of human translations of the word of God. This last process was done without “divine guidance.” It was accomplished through the hands of men and women who were uninspired. They came from many backgrounds, educational standings, and religious beliefs. Their pledge during the Translation of the Greek Text into our English language was to do so without any “interpretations.” The Englishman’s Greek New Testament, of the Greek Text of Stephens 1550, in its Introduction, has recorded these words: “Thus we have endeavored to furnish the English student with all he may require both as to the Text of the New Testament and possibly all he required for its word-for-word Translation. The interpretation (of the sacred Text) we have endeavored to avoid,” Page V. [Words in parentheses are mine]. Still, another, The Greek-English Interlinear ESV New Testament, makes this promise in its Preface: "The ESV is an 'essentially literal' translation that seeks as far as possible to reproduce the precise wording of the original Text, and the personal style of each Bible writer. As such, its emphasis is on ‘word-for-word’ correspondence while fully considering differences in grammar, syntax, and idiom between current literary English and the original language. Thus, it seeks to be transparent to the original Text, letting the reader see as directly as possible the structure and exact force of the original (word)," Page XIX-XX. It is our aim in this lesson to test this epistasis. With this brief introduction, let’s consider the first point of this lesson.
BODY OF LESSON
I THE PROCESS OF DIVINE REVELATION
A. To begin our discussion of the word "revelation," we must define what it means in the scriptures. To have a clear understanding of how the Bible uses this word to convey an understanding of the word of God to the readers.
1. The word “revelation” in Gr., is apocalyptic, which means a disclosure: —appearing, coming, enlightening, manifestation, being revealed, or revelation. The disclosure of truth, instruction, and divine enlightenment concerning heavenly things before unknown — especially those relating to the Christian System — given to redeem the soul of humanity by the Father and the glorified Christ through the revelations of the Holy Spirit, 1 Corinthians 2:10. Paul wrote,
