What does inspired mean?
Answer: Inspired describes the way God used the Bible writers to write down what he wanted them to write. (It doesn’t mean “perspired.”) It doesn’t mean dictated; that is, God didn’t say the words out loud while the writers copied them down.
Inspired means that God guided the writers, helping them to write everything he wanted them to write, so that all the words in the Bible would tell us what we need to know.
He gave the writers the ideas and the desire to write; then he guided them so that every word they wrote was what he wanted.
Key verse: The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God. It is useful to teach us what is true. It helps us to know what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and helps us do what is right. (2 Timothy 3:16)
Related verses: 2 Peter 1:16-21
Related questions: Who wrote the Bible – God or his followers? Why do we say the Bible is God’s Word? How do we know that God wrote the Bible?
Why are there four books about Jesus in the bible?
Answer: The Gospels are the books in the Bible that tell us about Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection. God used four books because each book tells the story of Jesus from a unique point of view.
Each one shows us something different about Jesus. When we read all the Gospels, we see the whole picture. It’s like seeing a house from all four sides.
The four stories about Jesus are all named after their writers: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Matthew and John knew Jesus, went places with him, and were his close friends; they were two of Jesus’ original twelve disciples.
Matthew was a tax collector; Mark was a friend of the twelve disciples; Luke was a doctor; John was a fisherman.
Key verse: Jesus did many other things as well that aren’t recorded here. And if all of them were written down, the whole world wouldn’t hold all the books! (John 21:25)
Related verses: Luke 1:1-4; John 20:30-31; 21:24-25
Related questions: Who wrote Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John?
Note to parents: If this question arises, open your Bible and show your kids where the four Gospels are.