Were Paul's letters dictated word-for-word by God or inspired by the Holy Spirit?
Paul's letters were inspired by the Holy Spirit, not dictated word-for-word. Every word the Apostle writes is Holy Spirit inspired, and the clarification is that he wrote as the Spirit moved him, not by mechanical dictation. This means the inspiration is real and complete without reducing Paul to a passive scribe.
Les explains that every word the Apostle Paul writes is Holy Spirit dictated or inspired, but then corrects himself: 'I shouldn't use the word dictated, but inspired. He moved, He wrote as the Spirit moved.' This distinction matters because it shows the letters are fully inspired by the Holy Spirit without being a mechanical word-for-word dictation. Les connects this to numerical patterns in Scripture, noting that every letter has a value and if you take out one word, it falls apart, underscoring divine superintendence over the text. He then transitions to 1 Corinthians 15, the great resurrection chapter, where Paul notes Christ was seen by 500 brethren, then James, then all the Apostles, and last of all by Paul himself as one born out of due time.
More Questions
Why is every word Paul wrote inspired by the Holy Spirit?
Because Scripture's numerical pattern falls apart if one word is removed, every word Paul writes must be Holy Spirit inspired.