Verbal Inspiration of Scripture
The belief that God guided biblical authors so completely that the biblical text itself is divinely inspired, not merely its ideas. Verbal inspiration asserts that specific words reflect divine guidance.
Real World
The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy (1978), signed by over 300 evangelical scholars including J.I. Packer, formally codified verbal inspiration as doctrine, directly influencing how millions of American evangelicals treat the Bible's precise wording today.
Exam Focus
Contrast verbal inspiration with plenary inspiration in 'compare' questions — examiners reward precise use of these distinct terms.
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