Br. James Slighter argues that:
"Inspiration is seen again, and only once, in the Old Testament in Job 32:8: "But there is a spirit in man: and the Inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding." There it is also a noun, in Hebrew neshamah, and the passage is parallel to II Timothy 3:16. It is also once more the Breath of God which was given to Adam and which gives us understanding. It is the Bible, the Breath of God, which Gives man all the understanding which he can possibly have.
Job 32:8 has not been demonstrated to be parallel to 2 Timothy 3:16.
Do these two verses (2 Timothy 3:16 and Job 32:8) use the same original-language word in the same exact sense concerning the same exact subject that would indicate that they should be considered real parallel passages? Henry A. Virkler noted: “It is important, though, to distinguish between verbal parallels and real parallels.
Verbal parallels are those that use similar words but are discussing different ideas (the similarity is more verbal than real)” (
Christian’s Guide to Critical Thinking, p. 38). Henry Virkler observed: “
Real parallels are those that speak of the same idea or same event” (
Ibid.). Perhaps describing a similar matter while using a different term, John Beekman and John Callow wrote: “
Pseudo concordance is the reoccurrence of the same word in a text but with different senses. Several occurrences of the same word in its different senses gives the appearance of real concordance within a document while in fact there is only pseudo concordance” (
Translating, p. 152). John Beekman and John Callow added: “True concordance within a document occurs when the word is used several times representing only one of its senses” (p. 153). John Beekman and John Callow noted: “
Real concordance within the text of a document is the deliberate reoccurrence of the same word with the same sense” (p. 154).
James Sire asserted: “When two or more unrelated texts are treated as if they belonged together, we have the fallacy of collapsing contexts” (
Scripture Twisting, p. 58). James Sire defined and explained the reading error
collapsing contexts as follows: “two or more verses which have little or nothing to do with each other are put together as if one were a commentary on the other(s)” (p. 156). James Sire noted: “If two or more texts talk about the same subject in a similar way, then when we study them together we are not collapsing the contexts” (p. 62). Does the use of the same English word “inspiration” to translate two different words in two different verses in different contexts prove that these two verses are real parallels both about the same subject or idea--the giving of the Scriptures by inspiration to the prophets and apostles? Is there real or true concordance between the use of inspiration at Job 32:8 and its use at 2 Timothy 3:16?
Is it clearly demonstrated that the assertion (Job 32:8) made by Elihu would be the first mention of the same subject of the giving of the Scriptures as the verse in 2 Timothy 3:16 is? KJV defender David Sorenson asserted: “The only place in the Bible where the word
inspiration appears in the context of Scripture is 2 Timothy 3:16” (
God’s Perfect Book, p. 43). In a footnote, David Sorenson noted: “The word
inspiration also appears in Job 32:8, but the context there clearly is not of Scripture, but of a man’s spirit being inspired or enlightened by God” (
Ibid.). KJV-only author D. A. Waite acknowledged that the word ‘inspiration’ “is used once in the Old Testament (Job 32:8) in a different sense” (
Fundamentalist Mis-Information, p. 45). KJV-only author Phil Stringer claimed: “The word inspiration did not exist before God invented it for the New Testament” (
Unbroken Bible, p. 60). KJV defender Bruce Lackey wrote: “We will be safe in ignoring Job 32:8 in this discussion [about inspiration], because it simply records the statement of one of Job’s critics, Elihu” (
Why I Believe, p. 13). Bruce Lackey added: “Even if we were to take Elihu’s statement as being truth, it would have nothing to do with the inspiration of scripture” (
Ibid.).
Does Elihu actually define the meaning of inspiration at 2 Timothy 3:16? Would a possibly more obscure or less clear use of an English word be properly considered the key to understanding a clearer use of that same word?
Has it been soundly demonstrated that the Hebrew noun used in Job 32:8 has the exact, same meaning as the Greek adjective used in 2 Timothy 3:16? The Greek adjective at 2 Timothy 3:16 is actually translated in the KJV by five words [“given by inspiration of God”], not by one word [inspiration]. How would this adjectival participial phrase [“given by inspiration of God”] be identical to a noun? Do these KJV-only authors avoid sound consideration of how the same Hebrew word translated “inspiration” at Job 32:8 is translated in over twenty other verses in the KJV’s Old Testament? Could any of the other verses where the same Hebrew word is used contribute to understanding its use at Job 32:8? Does Job 33:4 where Elihu used the same Hebrew word again and where it is translated “breath” support the new KJV-only interpretation of Job 32:8? Would presenting one result of “the inspiration of the Almighty” [“giveth them understanding”] actually provide Elihu’s clear and complete definition of it? Even if it supposedly was Elihu’s definition, does that prove it to be God’s definition? Are all the words stated by Job’s three friends and Elihu identified as being revelation directly from God or are all their words accurately recorded by inspiration of God as they had stated them regardless of whether they were right or wrong in some of them? Do the Scripture anywhere identify Elihu as being a true prophet of God who was given direct revelation from God?