Here is William Burt Pope’s Summary of his treatment of the credentials of divine revelation from pp. 98-99 of the first volume of his 3-volume systematic theology, A Compendium of Christian Theology. The full 3-volume systematic theology can be accessed here.
These three credentials of Miracle, Prophecy, and Inspiration
ought to be united: they mutually give and receive strength, and
are strongest when they are combined. The miracle is of course most
demonstrative to the extant generation of beholders, the prophecy
is of course demonstrative only to the generations who come
afterwards. The present generation in the midst of which miracles
are wrought cannot hand down to us in the fullest degree the
evidence of their senses; we who behold the fulfilment cannot
send back to those who heard the prophecy our vision of
accomplished prediction. Inspiration embraces the two in one: it
records the fact of the miracle, and, as inspiration, makes it present
to every age; while, as inspiration, its record of a prophecy
makes the fulfilment as if it were already come or were already
past to those who hear it. This may be made plainer by applying
it to the narratives of our Lord’s mission. Throughout the holy
Gospels Jesus is found working miracles and uttering prophecies.
When His works and His words were alike approaching their
close, He predicted the coming of a miraculous power which
should provide for the permanent record of the whole: He
promised the Spirit of inspiration Who was not only Himself to
abide with His disciples but also to cause the Lord’s words to
abide with His Church. Certainly the Saviour when He gave
this assurance uttered a prophecy, which was fulfilled from the
Day of Pentecost onward; while the prophecy predicted a miraculous
effusion of the Holy Ghost Who was to be a Memory within
the disciples’ memory, and a special expositor of their Master’s
words. And the fulfilment of the prophecy was the Spirit of
inspiration through Whose influence and superintendence the Four
Gospels were written. But these three are more or less united
throughout the history of the Bible: they have never been
disjoined since the construction of the Biblical Library began.
Strictly speaking, it was prophecy which commenced, miracle
abundantly followed, and in due time inspiration provided one
permanent record. The three have kept pace through all the ages
of revealed truth; and they ended together, when their common
work was done. Yet they have not ended. In the Bible miracle,
and prophecy, and inspiration abide: but in some respects the
greatest is inspiration; for it really absorbs the two others, and
gives continuance and permanence to the whole.
