(c) As representative of contemporary Jewish thought it is enough to cite Philo and Josephus. The former explicitly affirms the inspiration of Moses, speaking of iiini as 'that purest mind winch received at once the gift of legislation and of prophecy with Divinely inspired wisdom' {Beocpo- prjTip <7o<piif, dc Cottgr. Erud. c. 24, ed. Mangey, i. 538) and as KaTawneivffeli vr' Ipuros ovpaviov (dc Vita Mos., Mangey, ii. 145). To Isaiah and Jeremiah 'as members of the prophetic choir,' he expressly ascribes inspiration {tov Trpo^jjriicoC eitKnirrris xopo'". 8s KaTaTTi/ewrffels ev6ovai.wv avftpdiy^aTO, de Conf. Ling. c. 12, Mangey, i. 411). Josephus is equally explicit. Vying witli PhUo in reverential esteem for the OT, he bases this esteem on the belief that the authors of the various books AATote under the influence of the DiA-ine Spirit (Ant. IV. viii. 49, III. v. 4, x. ii. 2; cf. c. Apion. i. 7).
No belief of later Judaism was more universal or constant than this acceptance of the OT Scrip- tures as inspired. 'Die heilige Schrift ist ent- standen dui'ch Inspiration des heiligen Geistes, stammt also von Gott selbst ab, der in ihr redet.' This statement of Weber's (Lehrcn d. Ta/mnd, p. 78) is amply justified by the passages he cites, as, e.g., ' He who affirms that the Thora is not from heaven, has no part in the future world' (Sanh'x/. X. 1). Bousset {Die Belijjion d. Judcntums, p. 125) reaches the same conclusion : ' Die heiligen Schrif t- en sind naoh spatjiidLschem Dogma inspiriert.'
This belief in the inspiration of the OT was the natural and inevitable result of the phenomena it l>resented ; and was not, as has sometimes been suggested, the mere reflexion of the vague idea tliat all ancient writings, especially if poetical, were inspired.* Moses is represented as speaking face to face with God and as receiving the Law from Him. The prophets demand attention to their words by prefacing them with the announce- ment, 'Thus saith the Lord.' In Ex 4"'-'-, Is 59=', Jer I'"" tlie equipment of the prophet is de- scribed by the expression, ' I have put my words in thy mouth.' From these two phenomena it was • Cf. Hatch, UibhcH Led. p. 51.
a necessary inference that at any rate the Law and the Prophets were inspired. Prof. Sandajr (Insp. p. 128) justlj' remarks that ' the prophetic inspira- tion seems to be a type of all inspiration. It is perhaps the one mode in wliich the most distinctive features of Biblical inspiration can be most clearly recognized.' It must, however, also be borne in mind that among the Jews themselves it was the Law, rather than the Prophets, Avhich satisfied, and perhaps suggested, their idea of inspiration. Latterly they went so far as to say that, had the Law found in Israel recipients wortliy of it, nothing beyond would have been required. Tlie Law itself was a perfect and complete revelation, and neither Propliets nor Hagiographa were indispensable (see passages in Weber, Lehrcn d. Talni. p. 79). The response of conscience to the Law confirmed the traditional accounts of its origin, and the belief in its inspiration was inevitable. Possibly it was the belief that the whole OT was normative that prompted the usage by which even the Prophets and tlie Psalms were cited in the NT as ' the Law ' (see Jn 15^ 10»*, 1 Co 14=i, Ro S'^).
The inspiration of the NT stands on a somewliat different footing. The supreme instance of inspira- tion is our Lord Himself (Lk 4"'=') ; and He is also its source to His followers. At His Baptism, Jesus was formally called to, and equipped for, His ministry; and His equipment consisted in His receiving the fulness of the Holy Spirit. Undei' the influence of this Spirit all His works were done and all His words spoken. ' He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God, for he giveth not the Spirit by measure ' (Jn 3^) ; ' My teaching is not mine, but his that sent nie ' (7'*) ; ' as the Father hath taught me, I speak the.se things ' (8^). And it is His words, spoken under the influence of the Divine Spirit, that form the nucleus of the NT Canon. They were the first portion of that Canon to be recognized as authoritative, and however difficult certain writings found it to gain access to the Canon, the words of our Lord were from the first, and universally, regarded as Divine by all Christians.
But those whom He appointed to be His wit- nesses and to explain to the world the significance of His manifestation, required above all else tlie inspiration of the Author of salvation. Tliis was emphatically and reiteratedly promised to them. The presence of the Divine Spirit was promised not only to prompt and support them on critical occasions, as when tliey were summoned before magistrates (Mk 13", Mt 10», Lk 12"), but as tlie Spirit of truth He was promised as the vei-y substi- tute of Christ Himself : ' He sliall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you' (Jn 14* 16''). This promise cannot be understood as meant to assure the disciples that they would be able to recall every word their Lord had said ; as little as this assurance is con- veyed to all Christians by the words of St. John (1 Jn 2=0, 'His anointing teacheth you concerning all things.' At the same time it was meant to encourage them to believe that their sympathy with their Lord and their acceptance of His Spirit would give them a sufficient remembrance and understanding of His teaching.