Derek Prince - Who Wrote The Bible
To begin with the issue of authority, if you stop and consider it you’ll realize that the word authority comes directly from the word author. In other words: The authority of any work is the authority of the author. it’s the author who gives authority to whatever he produces. So we need to know who is the author of the Bible, who is the author of Scripture? The Bible clearly answers this question in 2 Timothy 3, verse 16. It says: All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be complete thoroughly equipped for every good work.
So if you want to be complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work, the source of it all is Scripture. And Paul says: all Scripture is given by inspiration of God. The Greek word is God-breathed. And the word for breath and the word for spirit are identical. So it means all Scripture is inbreathed by the Spirit of God. In other words, the authority behind all Scripture is the authority of the Holy Spirit. He is ultimately the author. He used many different channels and many different instruments, but behind them all is the authority of the Holy Spirit who is God Himself. So when we confront the Scripture we confront the authority of God Himself.
Now it says all Scripture is inspired, not some. Some people would weed out the passages they consider inspired from those they don’t consider really authoritative. But that is not in line with Scripture because the Holy Spirit Himself says: All Scripture is inspired by God and all Scripture is profitable. In other words, there’s no books that you can leave out and say they’re not important. Books like Ezra and Nehemiah are very important. The Song of Songs is very important. The prophet Nahum is very important. Don’t just focus on a few well known passages of Scripture and think that they are all that matters because that is not correct.
And if you want to be equipped, you have to be equipped by the whole Scripture. And it will take you many years but it’s progressive. You can move on from strength to strength, as you meditate on, and study and apply the Word of God. And remember that Jesus said building on His foundation is hearing and doing the Word of God. Not just hearing, but hearing and doing. And then as regards the interpretation of Scripture, there is only one authorized interpreter and that is the author. Out there somewhere you can find quite a number of books that have my name on them. I’m the author. If you’re not quite certain what they mean I’m the best person to consult because I know what I meant. I may not have said it as clearly as I should have done, but I do know what I meant.
And if you want to know what any passage of Scripture means consult the author. He’s the only one who is authorized to interpret Scripture. Peter says in 2 Peter chapter 1, verses 20–21: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation... No individual can say: Well I know, this is what it means. The only one that’s authorized to interpret is the Holy Spirit. And then he goes on: for prophecy never came by the will of man but holy men of God spoke as they were moved or borne along by the Holy Spirit. Again Peter points out what Paul has pointed out. The authority behind the Scripture, the source of inspiration, is the Holy Spirit.