Two titles are here given to the Scriptures: (1) Holy Scriptures, Hiera

grammata = 'Sacred letters' (the reader will call to mind the hiero -glyphics

of Egyptian monuments).  (2) Scripture, Graphe = 'Writing'.

Hieros stands for that which is sacred, revered, related to God.  The

neuter, to hieron, indicates a sacred place, the temple or sacred thing, the

sacrifice (1 Cor. 9:13).  Hiereus is a priest.  Grammata indicates a letter

of the alphabet (Gal. 6:11), or a letter (Acts 28:21), but among the Jews it

had a special significance, meaning the Holy Scriptures themselves.  'How

knoweth this man letters, having never learned?' (John 7:15).  As the word

hieros gives us the word 'priest' (hiereus), so grammata gives us the

companion word, 'scribe' (grammateus).

Graphe is practically an English word, having been in use in our

language for a great while.  It occurs in such words as photography,

geography, graphic, etc., and the meaning, 'something written' is latent.

While graphe could, of course, refer to anything written at any time by

anyone, it assumes a special meaning in the Word of God, and when used

without qualification always means 'The Scriptures', i.e. the Writings par

excellence.  So gegraptai -- 'It is, or hath been, written' is a phrase that

indicates that the Scriptures are referred to.  We trust that no more need be

said to stress the fact that we are dealing, not with thoughts, ideas, or

even spoken words, but something written.  As will be seen in the sequel this

is most important.

The Old Testament abounds in references to writing and to books.  Moses

wrote all the words of the Lord in a book (Exod. 24:4).  So did Joshua (Josh.

24:26).  Over and over again appeal is made to the written law (Exod. 31:18;

Deut. 28:58; Josh. 8:31).  The foundation of our faith is written testimony.

What does Scripture say as to the way in which the subject matter of

these holy writings was given?  Paul answers in one word, theopneustos.

Theos is the Greek word for 'God' and is too well known to need comment here.

Pneustos is the third person singular, perfect passive, of pneo, 'to

breathe'.  This also gives us pneuma which is usually translated, 'spirit'.

The close association of pneuma with breath is seen in our words 'pneumatic'

and 'pneumonia', while to inspire, to respire, to perspire and to transpire

are all processes of breathing either in or out by nostril, pore or cell.

Let us now put together the two parts of Paul's great utterance.  All

Scripture that is written, is given by inspiration of God, that is, God -

Now if what is written is what was breathed by God, there is no

interval for the prophet or the writer to give a vision of his own heart.

However intelligently the writer might co -operate with the divine Spirit, or

however mystified he might be by the words given him to write, when it was a

question of the making of Scripture, and the receiving of the oracles of God,

the writers ceased to act merely in the capacity of thinkers, theologians or

philosophers, they became instruments.  Thus while personality is stamped

upon every page of Scripture, Moses differing from Isaiah, Paul from Peter,

Matthew from Luke, yet all its writers were instruments in the hand of God.

The reader of this Analysis may never see the actual words written by the

author that later appear on its pages, neither will the printer nor the proof

-readers.  The manuscript will be turned into typescript, to save the time

and temper of the compositors, and the typescript into the printed page.

Each stage will have had its peculiar characteristics, yet each will convey

the same thing.  It would be but a quibble to say that the author did not