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There are seven occurrences of pneo in the N.T., every one referring, in the English, to
the "wind blowing", although we must remember that more than one word is translated
"wind" in the A.V.
Pnoe: "A rushing mighty wind" (Acts 2: 2).
"He giveth to all life, and breath" (Acts 17: 25).
These are the only occurrences of pnoe.
Pneuma: "God hath not given us the spirit of fear" (II Tim. 1: 7).
This word has at least fourteen distinguishable usages in the N.T., as, for example,
"God is spirit", "The Holy Spirit", "The gifts". It is however outside our subject to
pursue these subdivisions here.
Pneumatikon: "Now concerning spiritual (gifts)" (I Cor. 12: 1).
Pneumatikos: "Spiritually discerned" (I Cor. 2: 14).
Ekpneo: "He gave up the ghost" (Luke 23: 46).
Empneo: "Saul, yet breathing out threatenings" (Acts 9: 1).
Kapnos: "Vapour of smoke" (Acts 2: 19).
Hupopneo: "And when the south wind blew softly" (Acts 27: 13).
The word has entered into our language in such words as pneometer, pneumatic and
pneumonia, in each case the primitive idea of "breathing" being retained. The words
"inspiration" and "inspire" are used with this primitive idea of breathing, as well as in the
doctrinal sense. "Inspire" is used as the opposite of "expire", and we speak of the
"inspiratory" organs, which draw in air during respiration. The Apostle asserts that
"The sacred letters", "All Scripture", are "breathed by God". In this passage it is not the
writers that are in view. Holy men of God were indeed moved by the Spirit of God
(II Pet. 1: 21), but Paul, in II Tim. 3: 16, is speaking of "the writings" themselves.
What has been written, pasa graphe, "All scripture", is nothing less nor more than what
"God breathed". They are inspired words. It follows that such Scripture must be
inerrant, infallible, authoritative, perfect.
Having learned this momentous fact, we defer consideration of its consequences until
the next article.