Today I want to share from Rick Renner's "Sparkling Gems From The Greek #2:
All Scripture Is Given by Inspiration of God
All scripture is given by inspiration of God…. 2 Timothy 3:16
In Second Timothy 3:16, Paul wrote these precious words about the
Bible: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God….” Today I want us to look
at the word “inspiration” to see exactly what the original language conveys to
you and me.
The word “inspiration” comes from the Greek word theopneustos, a
compound of two Greek words, theos and pneuma. The first
word, theos, is the word for God; the second half of the word
is pneuma, which comes from the Greek root pneu.
The root pneu communicates a dynamic movement of
air. For example, it can mean to blow, as to blow air. It
was actually used to portray a musician who blew air through an instrument
to produce a musical sound. There are also places where it is used to picture
the emitting of a fragrance. Furthermore, this root word could be used to
depict the projection of emotions.
But when the root pneu becomes pneuma, it carries an
additional range of meanings — including life, force, energy, dynamism,
and power. The Jews considered pneuma to be the powerful
force put forth by God to create the universe and all living things and
also the force that continues to sustain creation. In the Old Testament Septuagint, pneuma demonstrates moments when God would move
mightily upon a person, enabling him to do supernatural feats.
When this word pneuma is compounded with theos, the new
word is theopneustos, which literally means God-breathed and is
where we get the word “inspiration.” The word theopneustos is the
picture of God breathing His own substance into something. Just as a
musician would blow on an instrument to produce a distinct sound, God mightily
moved on those who wrote the Scriptures, causing them to temporarily become
instruments through whom He expressed His heart and will. They were the
writers, but God was the Great Musician who breathed upon them, His
instruments. Thus, the Bible is God’s message delivered through human writers
to us.
And just as the word pneuma can carry the idea of a
fragrance, the Word was breathed from God and thus carries His very
essence and fragrance within it. Since the word pneuma can also
portray the projection of emotions, we know that God projected the
totality of His emotions into the Word when He inspired its writing. Therefore,
the Word not only conveys an intellectual message, but it has God’s
heart in it as well. And the pneuma of God didn’t create the
Scripture and then depart from it. This power — the same pneuma power
that originally created and continues to sustain the universe — is still inside
God’s Word, upholding and empowering it to be just as strong as the day it was
given.
What does all this mean to you personally? You can know that as you
give the Word of God a prominent role in your life, that anointed Word, infused
with the heart of Almighty God Himself, will bring the music and the fragrance
of Heaven into your life and home and literally change the atmosphere.
Think about it — the Bible you own contains the very life, essence, energy,
and dynamic force of God Himself! If you’ll get hungry for more of
Him and determine to meditate on this truth long enough to tap into it, God
Himself will come pouring out of the Bible into your life and situation.
The power held inside the Word will blow mightily upon you and upon
the situations that surround you — and when that happens, everything will
change!
I LOVE this! When God spoke creation into existence, He did it with WORDS! He BREATHED those Words out and everything that we see came into being in a moment! WE have the same responsibility! We are to meditate on the Word of God (Joshua 1:8) until it become SO real to us that we will open our mouths in a declaration of faith that is God-breathed! Then HE will confirm that Word spoken with signs, wonders and miracles! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with a song that speaks of this very thing! Called "So Will I", this song reflects on the powerful BREATH of God! AMEN!
Shalom in Him!
