2 Timothy 3:16 reads, "All Scripture is giving by inspiration of God." Donald Macleod in his work, A Faith to Live By, gave some important comments on the doctrine of inspiration of Scripture as described by Paul in this text. I've paraphrased Macleod's comments.
First, this does not mean that God breathed into the bible. It means that God breathed out the bible. Once Paul was in prison for preaching Christ. While there he wrote the Colossian letter. The letter he wrote was “breathed out by God.” We can say the same thing about Psalm 23. Now the important thing was not Paul or David, but the Scriptures! Through them God breathed out the words he wanted us to have. His message was being communicated, breathed out and written down.
Secondly, because God breathed out the bible, inspiration is completely independent of our feelings. The Bible is not inspired only when you are inspired by it. God’s word is not inspired only when you have joy, or when you are moved by it, or when it really hits home. No, even when this book, as far as our experience goes, is dry or boring to us it is still God-breathed. Yes, because of human blindness in sin we cannot understand it apart from the grace of God’s Spirit; yet it is still God’s own God-breathed book even in human darkness. And yes, there are times we really experience Christ being revealed to us in Scripture…yet before that event, and after that event the bible is still God’s written word.
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