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Know this first of all, that there is no prophecy of scripture that is a matter of personal interpretation, for no prophecy ever came through human will; but rather human beings moved by the holy Spirit spoke under the influence of God.
~2 Peter 1:20-21
There are two different sources from which the Church draws the truths revealed by God. “This supernatural revelation, according to the belief of the Church, is contained both in unwritten tradition, and in written books, which are therefore called sacred and canonical because, ‘being written under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, they have God for their author and as such have been delivered to the Church.’”* The first, then, is Sacred Tradition: “Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours (2 Thess 2:15).” The second is Holy Scripture.
Holy Scripture, it is said, was written under the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit. How can this be? Does “inspiration” mean that God simply dictated, stating word for word what He intended to gradually communicate to man, while a scribe diligently scribbled down all that He uttered? The idea, while intriguing, is preposterous. What do we mean, then, when we say that Sacred Scripture is an inspired book?
First, it is important to note that the books of Holy Scripture are, indeed, not the products of human intelligence, nor were they composed by mere human industry, for “God is the author of Sacred Scripture (CCC 105).” Nonetheless, it was “as true authors that they consigned to writing whatever God wanted written, and no more (CCC 106)”. The books of Holy Scripture were “transmitted by the sacred writers to the human race” from God, and “are His own oracles and words.” The Holy Spirit worked through the sacred writers; he “so influenced their minds” that they did both understand what God wanted written, and only what God wanted written, and then faithfully determined to write down these things. It was only through the Holy Spirit that the sacred writers were able to aptly and inerrantly express them.
Thus, through “this mysterious working of God and man together”, God reveals himself to mankind through the sacred writers. He “spoke first by the Prophets, then by His own mouth, and lastly by the apostles.” Thus, the books of Holy Scripture are truly the Word of God, and are therefore perfect: “Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him (Proverbs 30:5).”
