"I know the Bible is inspired because it inspires me"
About this Quote
Moody grounds the authority of Scripture in lived experience rather than in academic proofs. To say he knows the Bible is inspired because it inspires him is to claim that its divine origin shows itself in its effects: it awakens conscience, comforts the afflicted, calls for repentance, and produces a durable change of heart. The test is not a syllogism but a life. Inspiration is known by what it does, not only by what is said about it.
That perspective fits the world of Dwight L. Moody, the 19th-century American evangelist who preached to crowds in Chicago, Boston, London, and beyond. He was a populist communicator, suspicious of arid theological hairsplitting and the rising biblical criticism of his day. In an era of rapid urbanization and social upheaval, Moody emphasized conversion, character, and practical piety. He told stories of gamblers reformed, families reconciled, and the poor uplifted through missions and Sunday schools. Such fruits, he believed, were the Bible proving itself. The line echoes Scripture’s own logic: by their fruits you will know them, and all Scripture is God-breathed. Yet Moody’s twist is pastoral and pragmatic. He invites ordinary hearers to test the book by its power to move and remake them.
There is a vulnerability here. Critics can call it circular or merely subjective, as inspiration becomes whatever inspires. But Moody’s claim is not that any stirring text is sacred; it is that this particular book consistently produces a distinctive moral and spiritual transformation that aligns with the character of Christ. The argument democratizes access to truth. You do not need mastery of ancient languages to weigh the Bible’s claim; you can begin by reading and seeing what it does in you and your community. For Moody, inspiration is not an abstract doctrine to be defended first; it is a reality encountered, and only then explained.
That perspective fits the world of Dwight L. Moody, the 19th-century American evangelist who preached to crowds in Chicago, Boston, London, and beyond. He was a populist communicator, suspicious of arid theological hairsplitting and the rising biblical criticism of his day. In an era of rapid urbanization and social upheaval, Moody emphasized conversion, character, and practical piety. He told stories of gamblers reformed, families reconciled, and the poor uplifted through missions and Sunday schools. Such fruits, he believed, were the Bible proving itself. The line echoes Scripture’s own logic: by their fruits you will know them, and all Scripture is God-breathed. Yet Moody’s twist is pastoral and pragmatic. He invites ordinary hearers to test the book by its power to move and remake them.
There is a vulnerability here. Critics can call it circular or merely subjective, as inspiration becomes whatever inspires. But Moody’s claim is not that any stirring text is sacred; it is that this particular book consistently produces a distinctive moral and spiritual transformation that aligns with the character of Christ. The argument democratizes access to truth. You do not need mastery of ancient languages to weigh the Bible’s claim; you can begin by reading and seeing what it does in you and your community. For Moody, inspiration is not an abstract doctrine to be defended first; it is a reality encountered, and only then explained.
Quote Details
| Topic | Bible |
|---|
More Quotes by Dwight
Add to List
