November 6, 1995 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - Many Modernists claim that Paul's writings were not given by inspiration of God and that he did not know that he was writing Scripture. Consider an excerpt from a book by Edgar Johnson Goodspeed (1871-1962), a Bible translator who worked on the Revised Standard Version and who also produced his own translation called the American Translation of the New Testament (1923):

"Paul did not expect his letters to be preserved or collected, still less to be regarded as Holy Scripture"(Goodspeed, The Formation of the New Testament, 1926, p. 11).

That this is nonsense is evident from the following Bible facts:

1. Jesus Christ said Paul wrote by inspiration.

"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come" (John 16:13).

Christ promised that the Holy Spirit would give the Apostles "all truth." This, of course, is a prophecy of the divine method whereby the New Testament would be formulated. The writers of New Testament Scripture did not write their own descriptions of the events of Christ's life, nor did they create their own doctrine. They wrote revelation by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. That is what the Lord Jesus Christ promised, and that is good enough for me.

2. Paul said Paul wrote by inspiration.

"But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ" (Galatians 1:11,12).

"Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commanding of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith" (Romans 16:25,26).

"But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. ... Now we have received, not the spirit which is of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual" (1 Corinthians 2:10,12-13).

"If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord" (1 Corinthians 14:37).

Words could not be plainer. There is no doubt that the Apostle Paul DID understand that he had been given revelation by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that the things he was writing were the very words of God. He called his own writings "the commandments of the Lord." That is good enough for me.

3. Peter said Paul wrote by inspiration.

"And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction" (2 Peter 3:15-16).

The Apostle Peter called Paul's writings "scripture." That is good enough for me.