What does it mean that the Bible is inspired by God?

The Bible describes its own writings as "God-breathed" (2 Timothy 3:16): God is their source, though human writers wrote them under the Holy Spirit's guidance (2 Peter 1:21). The text does not say exactly how this worked, and Christians disagree about what it implies, for example whether it means the Bible has no errors at all.

What the text says

Where readers differ

The words it turns on

• θεόπνευστος theopneustos (θεόπνευστος)

  'God-breathed', from theos (God) + pneō (to breathe). It appears only in 2 Timothy 3:16. The best reading is that Scripture is breathed *out* by God, the way spoken words are breath.

  Drift: English 'inspired' comes from Latin inspirare, 'to breathe into'. Today it usually means 'creatively stirred', as in an inspired poet or performance. That suggests the writers were moved to write, while the Greek says the writings come from God's breath. Some translators also read the Greek grammar as 'every God-breathed scripture is also useful'. This reading is less common, but it is grammatically possible.

• φέρω pherō (φέρω)

  To carry or bear. In 2 Peter 1:21 the writers were 'carried along' by the Holy Spirit. The same verb describes a ship driven by the wind in Acts 27:15 and 27:17.

  Drift: Translations like 'moved by the Holy Spirit' can sound like an emotional stirring. The Greek picture is of being borne along toward a destination.

• γραφή graphē (γραφή)

  'A writing'. In the New Testament it means sacred Scripture, mainly the Hebrew Bible, sometimes extended to apostolic writings (2 Peter 3:16).

  Drift: Readers today usually picture the bound 66-book (or 73-book) Bible. The first readers of 2 Timothy would have thought first of the Jewish scriptures.

• רוּחַ ruach (רוּחַ)

  Breath, wind, spirit. In Hosea 9:7 'the inspired man' translates ish ha-ruach, 'man of the spirit', meaning a prophet. The idea of God's breath or Spirit at work in speech runs from the Old Testament into the Greek theopneustos.

  Drift: English splits one Hebrew word into 'breath', 'wind' and 'spirit', which hides how closely Spirit and breath are linked.

What the Bible doesn't say

Key verses

1. 2 Timothy 3:16

   All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

   The only place the word 'God-breathed' (theopneustos) appears, and the main source of the doctrine.

2. 2 Peter 1:21

   For no such prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

   Describes how it happened: human beings spoke from God, 'carried along' by the Holy Spirit.

3. 2 Timothy 3:15

   From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

   Shows what 'Scripture' first meant (Timothy's 'sacred writings') and its purpose: wisdom for salvation.

4. 2 Peter 1:20

   Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation.

   Says prophecy did not come from human will or human initiative.

5. John 10:35

   If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and the Scripture cannot be broken—

   Jesus: 'Scripture cannot be broken.' Scripture has authority.

6. Matthew 5:18

   For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

   Jesus says even the smallest letter of the Law will last until all is fulfilled.

7. 2 Samuel 23:2

   The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; His word was on my tongue.

   An Old Testament writer says the Spirit spoke through him and God's word was on his tongue.

8. 2 Peter 3:16

   He writes this way in all his letters, speaking in them about such matters. Some parts of his letters are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

   Puts Paul's letters alongside 'the other Scriptures'.

9. Luke 1:1

   Many have undertaken to compose an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us,

   Shows the human side: a writer who researched carefully and wrote in his own way.

10. 1 Corinthians 2:13

    And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.

    Paul calls his teaching 'words taught by the Spirit'.

11. Galatians 3:16

    The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say, “and to seeds,” meaning many, but “and to your seed,” meaning One, who is Christ.

    Paul builds an argument on one word being singular, which shows how closely he read the wording.

12. Hosea 9:7

    The days of punishment have come; the days of retribution have arrived—let Israel know it. The prophet is called a fool, and the inspired man insane, because of the greatness of your iniquity and hostility.

    Calls a prophet the 'inspired man' (ish ha-ruach, 'man of the spirit'), the Old Testament idea behind inspiration.