The Human and the Divine

In this critical way the Scriptures are regarded by many in the great religious world, and this attitude of mind has led to their rejection in whole or in part by many professed religious teachers. When one begins to measure the Bible by his own standard of judgment, by his own likes and dislikes, by his own bias and prejudice, it is easy to see the final conclusion which will be reached—a rejection of all inspiration. This places the human above the divine and makes the creature a judge of the Creator. Faith has no part in this transaction. The question of inspiration, and for that matter the whole scheme of salvation, is reduced to the level of human reasoning, and man, by this process, resolves himself into his own savior.TOJ 60.1

The Bible must be accepted or rejected as a whole. Before its inspired statements, human reasoning must fall and vain imaginations be cast down. This sort of philosophy and similar reasoning will lead to the utter rejection of the teachings which have come to us through the gift of prophecy which God has set in His church.TOJ 60.2

When Samuel reached that place in his experience where “all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord,” it is very evident that each individual testimony he bore was not to be subjected to the divine test as to whether or not he was a prophet of the Lord. He had already given evidence of his prophetic call, and the fruit of his ministry proved him to be a true prophet of the Lord. His work was “established“: and thus it must be with the writings of anyone whom God has manifestly called to be His messenger. After he has given evidence of his divine call, when it is seen that word and work bear the divine credentials and are in harmony with the requirements of divine revelation, then his subsequent testimony is to be accepted as truth. Each individual utterance, each witness he bears, is not to be subjected to human scrutiny and human reasoning, but is to be received as the revelation of God to His church, unless there might be a rare instance where there is clear evidence that the prophet has apostatized, who, like the former prophet Balaam went “astray, ... who loved the wages of unrighteousness.” 2 Peter 2:15.TOJ 60.3