Hodge and Warfield's inspiration analogy: God as organ builder, tuner, and organist

 

Archibald A. Hodge and Benjamin B. Warfield offer this analogy to explain the divine influence over the human authors of Scripture in their classic 1881 essay Inspiration:

Each sacred writer was by God specially formed, endowed, educated, providentially conditioned, and then supplied with knowledge naturally, supernaturally, or spiritually conveyed, so that he, and he alone, could, and freely would produce his allotted part.  Thus God predetermined all the matter and form of the several books largely by the formation and training of the several authors, as an organist determines the character of his music as much when he builds his organ and when he tunes his pipes as when he plays his keys.  Each writer also is put providentially at the very point of view in the general progress of revelation to which his part assigns him.  He inherits all the contributions of the past.  He is brought into place and set to work at definite providential junctures, the occasion affording him object and motive, giving form to the writing God appoints him to execute (p. 15).