To J. C. Ryle, the inspiration of the Scriptures was 'the very keel and foundation of Christianity', the underpinning without which Christians had no warrant for doctrine or practice, 'no solid ground for present peace or hope, and no right to claim the attention of mankind'. He deliberately placed a paper on Inspiration at the beginning of 'Old Paths', his 'Plain Statements on Some of the Weightier Matters of Christianity', and it is this which is republished here. But is all Scripture inspired? Are the very words and expressions used by the writers from God, or does inspiration mean something less than this? Ryle was convinced that the very words are from God, and that only this view makes sense of what the Bible itself claims. Here he eloquently defends this position, answers objections, and applies the truth to the conscience of the reader.
