4. Do prophetic writings have to be original to be inspired?

Prophets search for the best words to describe the ideas shown them by God. Often, Bible writers borrowed from each other. The Synoptic Gospels -- Matthew, Mark, and Luke -- are so smiliar and contain so much verbatim copying that, for centuries, scholars have debated which author wrote first and who copied from whom! Interestingly Paul quoted contemporary authors to better identify with his Grecian audiences. (See: Acts 17:28 where he references Aratus and 1 Corinthians 15:33 where he quotes Menander). JTL21 5.1

It is important to note that originality is not the key to inspiration; rather, a prophet must first be chosen by God before they can relate divinely inspired messages to the people. Throughout the entire process, they are under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Christ is the originator of all truth. What matters most is the authenticity of the message, and not its originality. JTL21 5.2