What role does the Holy Spirit play in relation to the authorship of the Bible? The Holy Spirit is the one who transmitted the Word of God to the apostles and inspired writers. God the Father is the Author (John 12:48–50). The Word was given to Christ, who taught it to the apostles (John 17:8, 14, 18). Christ promised to send the Holy Spirit to them to “teach [them] all things and bring to [their] remembrance all things that [Jesus] said to [them]” (John 14:25–26), and He would “guide [them] into all truth” (John 16:12–13). The apostles were immersed in the Holy Spirit on Pentecost (Acts 2:1–4). They spoke and wrote by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16). The word “inspiration” means “breathed out,” indicating that the words of the Scriptures were breathed out by the Holy Spirit. The very words written by the inspired writers came to them through the Holy Spirit.

There are some people in the religious world who claim that non-Christians cannot grasp God’s Word without assistance from the Holy Spirit. However, the Holy Spirit does not operate directly upon men today, either separate from or in conjunction with the written Word of God. Saving faith and spiritual growth are possible solely through the Word of God. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Sanctification or spiritual growth in the avenue of holiness comes about by the Word of God (John 17:17). Passages such as 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16–17; and 2 Peter 1:3–11 all show us that the written Word is sufficient in and of itself to provide all the spiritual guidance needed to be a faithful Christian.

Those who insist that we must have assistance from the Holy Spirit to understand the Word of God answer the question, “Can we grasp God’s Word apart from the Spirit?” in several ways.

First, they answer, “Yes,” in that an unbeliever can understand the basic content of the Scriptures. I agree with this answer—and more so, I believe the unbeliever can make the proper application of God’s Word without such divine assistance.

Second, they answer, “Yes, but only to a degree,” in that the unbeliever’s preunderstanding of the Bible affects their ability to comprehend it. I agree with this but do not limit it to unbelievers. Those who claim to be believers can also have a preunderstanding that is wrong—such as taking the promises of the Holy Spirit given only to the apostles and applying them generally to all Christians—which prevents them from a precise understanding.

Third, they answer, “No,” in that the unbeliever can understand the Bible’s basic message but will reject it. That is not entirely true, because the Scriptures themselves are entirely sufficient to produce faith in the unbeliever (Romans 10:17). For instance in the Parable of the Sower, the same seed is cast onto four types of soil. The seed that “fell by the wayside” was devoured by birds before it could germinate. (Luke 8:5) The seed that “fell on  rock” (Luke 8:6) and the seed that “fell among thorns” (Luke 8:7) each produced a plant that later withered or was choked out. The seed that “fell on good ground” produced abundantly. In explaining the parable, Jesus said that the seed represents the Word of God. (Luke 8:11). The soils represent the hearts of those who hear the Word. The heart described as the “wayside” reject the Word out of hand. The next two types of hearts are obedient until temptation or the cares of the world turn them away from God. The hearts described as the “good ground” are those who become faithful and productive Christians. The proponents of the false concept that the Holy Spirit directly aids in our understanding of the Scriptures use 1 Corinthians 2:14 to support their  idea that a “natural man” cannot understand “the things of the Spirit of God.” They misunderstand the “natural man” to be an unbeliever. Paul is actually using the phrase in reference to a man absent of inspiration. The “natural man” is the one who would try to discern God’s will without inspiration. Today, we can understand the Word of God because the Scriptures were given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit to the writers, and we can have the same understanding through the written Word that they gained through inspiration (Ephesians 3:3–5).

Dear Heavenly Father:

Words cannot describe my feelings of gratitude and love for You. You have given me all that I have, and You have seen to it that nothing I needed was held back from me. You gave me life; You gave me of your time and You even gave to me that which was most precious of Yours. You made sacrifice after sacrifice for me, not out of a sense of obligation, but because You loved me and wanted for me to have the best.

I thank you Father, for Your love and Your care for me, even though at times I was grossly undeserving of it, and rarely loved You in return. I turned my back on You and did not appreciate Your sacrifices, or Your love. But You, Dear Father, never gave up on me. You put up with all the abuse You received from me and You were patient while I was in open defiance and rebellion against You and Your teachings. But now, Dear Father, through Your careful, patient and tender-loving care of me and through Your teachings, You have changed my life and shown me how me to become a child worthy of You. I therefore pray, that one day, I will become the kind of man that You would be proud to have as a son.

Dear Father, You have completely forgiven me of all that I have done against You and even built for me a place in Your house. You have received me back into Your life and blessed me once more with a family and a brotherhood. Father, surrounded by the evidence of Your love, I stand amazed that You have chosen to do all this for such a undeserving and unworthy child as I am. I hope and pray, Dear Father that I will never forget, nor take for granted Your love and concern for me; that I will always be mindful of You and that I will be ever grateful for Your wonderful expression of paternal loving-kindness toward me.

Finally, Dear Father, I pray that I can be the kind of father to my children that You would have me to be and that they will come to know You and to love You as I do. I pray that they will come to a knowledge of, and understanding of Your Word; that they can truly be in fellowship with You and know You as I do. Dear Lord, You have given so much to me and I pray that I will give myself wholly to You and that I will never again forsake You. Father, I love You with all my heart, all my soul, and all my mind. I pray that my worship this Father’s Day will be to you a sweet savor and that it will be done in spirit, as well as in truth. Dear Father, as I close this letter, I want you to know that I will dedicate each and every day of my life to You and that truly every day, to me, will be Father’s Day.

In Love and Awe of You,

Your Humble and Obedient Child