Insignia of Clergy. See Vestjients.
Inspiration (Lat. a breathing into), a term em- ploved to designate the divine origin of Holv fccnpture (q.'v.).
I. Definition. — 1. The word " inspiration" " is some- times used to denote the excitement and action of a fer- vent imagination in the poet or orator. But even in this case there is generally a reference to some supposed divine influence, to which the excited action is owing. It is once used in Scripture to denote that divine agen- cy by which man is endued with the faculties of an in- telligent being, when it is said 'the inspiration (iTCC3, breath, as in Gen. ii, 7) of the Almighty giA-eth him un- derstanding (Job xxxii, 8). But the inspiration now to he considered is that which belonged to those who \vrote the Scriptures, and which is particularly spoken of in 2
INSPIRATION
Tim. iii, IG, and in 2 Pet. i, 21 : 'All Scripture is given bv inspiration of (ioil ;' ' Holy men of God spake as they were moved by tlie llolv Ghost.' These passages re- late specially to the OKI Testament, but there is at least equal reason to predicate divuie inspiration of the New Testament."
2. The (ireek expression SitoTTvivaroQ (2 Tim. iii, 16) signifies a divine action on the perceptions (" Nemo vir magnus sine aliquo afilatu tlivino untiuam fuit," Cicero, pro A rchia, c. 8). The breath of God is used as a ma- terial expression for his power (as in Svvafxic vi/ldTov f.)r TTi'H'na uyiov, Luke i, 35 ; xxiv, 49). In this sense, also, the classics speak of a ^euTvi'suaTOi; iyo(pir] (Phocyl- ides, \-2i),^tu-iTvtvaT0i I'wiiooi {Vhitarch, Be pUtc. pM- lonw, 2; comp. iiTTo Trvaufxarog ayiov fkriopu'oi tXdXr- aav uyioi ^(ov dv^pwTroi, 2 Pet. i, 21). The neutral form, in the sense of" God-inspired," is used by Nonnus (Puniphr. er. Jo. i, 27), and applied to Scripture by Ori- gen (Horn. 21, in Jertm. vol. ii, de la Rue : " Sacra volu- mina spiritus plenitudinem spirant").
3. A psj-chological definition of the relation of this di- vine, consequently passively received perception to hu- man spontaneity, is given by Plato in his doctrine of the divine \iavia, the hi^toq ilvai. This position is the root of the divinely implanted tendency to knowl- edge which has not vet attained a clear consciousness (Zeller, Grkch. Phil, ii, 1G6, 275 ; Brandis, ii, 428). Of this, in so far as it includes the idea iii the form of beau- ty, artists and authors say: oh rex^rj ravra to. icaXd Xcyovai TToii'iiiaTa, aW iv^boi ovtsq Kai Kanxopivoi {Ion. 533). Ou yap rexvi] ravra X'tyovcnv, aWa Sftiq. cvvafiH {ib. p. 534). This gives rise to the fiavriKl), which requires the Trpo<t)r)Trii; for its interpreter {Tinue- us, 72). This doctrine of Plato concerning inspiration has had great influence on the Jewish and Christian doctrine. Philo admits it, and derives from it the in- compatildlity of divine and human knowledge {Quis re- rum d. h. i, 511, :Man',^) ; ort piv tpuiQ tTriXnpxpei ro Srtl- ov, Cvtrai rl) av^^.^^Kivov ■ on 0 'cKtivo Cvei, roir' avi- ax^i Kai di'arEXXti. Yet he does not limit the divine in- fluence to the insi)iration of the sacred books, and does not hesitate to ascribe to himself an occasional BtoXi]- irrna^ai {De Cherubim,\, 143). Some of the Greek fa- thers also describe the state of inspiration as purely pas- sive (.Justin, Cohort, c. 8 : Oori yap (puffti ovre dripuj- irivy ivvoiq. ouro) jXiydXa Kai Bila yivwOKHV dvbpw- ■Koir cvvaroir, dXXd ry dv^^tv iiri rout; dylovg dv- Spai; rrjviKavra KanXSroixTtj Jwof i^t, olg ov Xoyiov tSe- J]ai re-x^nc, dXXd Ka'^apovg iavrovQ r>) rod ^tiov izvsv- jiaroQ trupauxtiv tvepytitf, 'iv avro ro ^tlov t^ oi>pa- vou Karibv rrXiiKrpov, ojffjnp bpyuviij, Ki^dpaq rivug ?) XvpuQ roig CiKaioig dudpdai xpf^HH'ov, ti]v rwv ^fiiov ill-iXv diroKoXviprj yvioaiq. Athenag. Legat. c. 9 : ?Jo- /Jii^w vpaq oliK dvoi'iTovg yeyorivai ours rou M<oii(Tc'wc oi'TE roil 'Haaiov Kai roJi' XotKuiv 7rpo<pr]Twp, o'l Kar tKTraaiv ruiv tv atlroUc; Xoyiapojv Kivijiravrog avrovq Tov Btiou TTfiuparoi:, it ivijxovvro i'^((pujvi]aav, cvy- Xp)](japivov rov rrvivparog, iomi Kai avXrirt)g auXhv iiiTzvivaai). We tlierefore find at an early time the notion of a literal inspiration (Iren. iii, IG, 2 : " Potuerat diccrc jMattlu-eus: Jcsu generatio sic erat. Sed praj- vidcns Spiritus S. depravatores et pnemuniens contra fraudulentiam cornm, per Matthajum ait: Christi gen- eratio sic erat." Clemens, Co/iorM,71, ed. Pott.: 'E$ o>v ypappanov [he means the iipu ypdufxara, 2 Tim. iii, 14 J Kai auXXajiiou ruiu iipwv rag ^vyKf^uvag ypa(pdg b alirbg diioXov^iog ' AirbirroXoc SrioTrvii'iarovg KaXtl. (Jrigen, I/om. xxi in Jer. : '• Secundum istiusmodi cxpo- sitioiies decct sacras litteras credere nee unum quidem apicem habere vacuum sapientia Dei"). Yet all these ex- pressions represent rather the general religious impres- siDU than the settled dogma; hence we find the ante-Ni- cenc fathers recognising some of the heathen books as nispired, c. g. the Sibyllian books (Theoph. ad Autol. 2, 9), wliilst at the same time they expressed views ex- cluding the idea of all parts of Scripture beiuL' enuullu inspireiL ^ •'
012 INSPIRATION
4. The definition which Dr. Knapp gives of inspira- tion is one which most will readily adopt. He says : "It may be best defined, according to the representa- tions of the Scriptures themselves, as an extruor^Miary divine agency upon teachers while giving histruction, tchether oral or written, hy which they were taught what and how they should tcrite or speah." The nature, per- manence, and completeness of this inspiration are mat- ters upon which orthodox believers have differed, (See below.)