THE GREEK WORD FOR INSPIRATION

THE GREEK WORD FOR INSPIRATION

qeopneustoV

The actions of God leading to the writing, preservation, and collection of His words to His people into the Bible. The English word inspiration comes from the Latin word in spiro which mean "to breath in." Inspiration, then, is the influence of the Holy Spirit upon individuals for the purpose of producing an authoritative record of persons, teaching and events. "Breathed in" words that were "breathed out" by God.

 

"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 Pet. 1:21

 

 

2 Tim. 3:16 - Theopneustos from Theos plus pneo.

Therefore, "God-breathed" would be a literal rendering.

Probably no Greek term could have more strongly asserted Scripture to be the direct product of God. For the "Breath" of God in the Bible is a symbol of His almighty creative word cf. Psa. 33:6; Gen. 2:7. "And breathed into his nostrils the breath of life." Ps. 33:6 "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth." Therefore His word is living.

Hence when Paul asserts that Scriptures is "God-breathed," he is placing Scripture in the same category as the "heavens" and the "spirit" of man. All three are in a real sense "God-breathed," that is, the direct product  of Almighty God.

Viewed etymologically, "inspired" is a poor English term for the Pauline idea. "Out-spired" would be more accurate if there were such a word. For the idea is not that Scripture was something written by men into which God breathed some divine property, but rather Scripture is something that God "breathed-out" as the very word of God.

However, the term "Inspiration" is so firmly entrenched in our theological language that it cannot be set aside. The better course is to adopt the term and then define it in accordance with the Greek word in its Biblical context.