Some Thoughts

Today we discussed (or rather, I gave a talk on) The Doctrine of the Word of God II. The main idea of the class, (following up on our recognition of the Origin (and thus, the Authority and Inerrancy) of the Word of God from last week,) was that Scripture (as the Word of God), is completely reliable, clear, necessary, and sufficient, so we can trust it, we can understand it, we need it–and we need it alone.

• The Origin of Scripture (last week) is God, so the Word of God carries his authority. The original manuscripts were inerrant and infallible–the “only rule for faith and life.”
• The Reliability of Scripture means that we can trust our copy of the Bible (provided it’s one of the more accurate translations, such as the KJV, NKJV, NASB, RSV, or ESV). Many years have passed since the original writing but our copy, in relation to the originals, is reliable–so we can trust that what we read today is the same as what was written then, and is thus the reliable Word (and Will) of God for faith and life.
• The Clarity (or “Perspecuity”) of Scripture means that the Bible is understandable. It “it makes wise the simple,” (Psalm 19:7 [show] [7]The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
  ; 119:130) it is to be taught diligently to our children, discussed at home and abroad, and meditated on from morning until night (Deut. 6 [show] "Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the rules that the LORD your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, [2]that you may fear the LORD your God, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. [3]Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. [4]"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. [5]You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. [6]And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. [7]You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. [8]You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. [9]You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. [10]"And when the LORD your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you--with great and good cities that you did not build, [11]and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant--and when you eat and are full, [12]then take care lest you forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. [13]It is the LORD your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear. [14]You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you-- [15]for the LORD your God in your midst is a jealous God--lest the anger of the LORD your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth. [16]"You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. [17]You shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies and his statutes, which he has commanded you. [18]And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may go well with you, and that you may go in and take possession of the good land that the LORD swore to give to your fathers [19]by thrusting out all your enemies from before you, as the LORD has promised. [20]"When your son asks you in time to come, 'What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the LORD our God has commanded you?' [21]then you shall say to your son, 'We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt. And the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. [22]And the LORD showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes. [23]And he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in and give us the land that he swore to give to our fathers. [24]And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day. [25]And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us.' (ESV)
  ). It is clear, so we can understand it (though some parts are more difficult to grasp than others. Difficult doesn’t mean impossible).
• The Necessity of Scripture means that we need to read Scripture or hear about it from others for knowledge of the gospel (by which we must be saved). (Rom. 10 [show] Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. [2]For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. [3]For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. [4]For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. [5]For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. [6]But the righteousness based on faith says, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) [7]or "'Who will descend into the abyss?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). [8]But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); [9]because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [10]For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. [11]For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame." [12]For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. [13]For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." [14]How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? [15]And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" [16]But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?" [17]So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. [18]But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for "Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world." [19]But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, "I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry." [20]Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, "I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me." [21]But of Israel he says, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people." (ESV)
  :5ff). We don’t need Scripture know God as our Creator (Psalm 19:1 [show] The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
  ; Acts 14:16-17 [show] [16]In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. [17]Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness." (ESV)
  ; Romans 1:18-23 [show] [18]For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. [19]For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. [20]For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. [21]For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. [22]Claiming to be wise, they became fools, [23]and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. (ESV)
  ; Romans 2:14-15 [show] [14]For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. [15]They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them (ESV)
  ), but it’s only “by and with” the Scriptures (illumined by the Holy Spirit) that we come to know him as our Redeemer.
• The Sufficiency of Scripture means that the Word of God [contains] everything God wants us to know about himself, about mankind, about his way of dealing with men, about salvation, about God’s covenants with men, about the purpose of history and the future, and about the moral requirements for the catholic (i.e., universal) church, etc. We may not add anything to the Words of God for the church; Scripture alone is “morally binding on the conscience” of the church. We need no Book of Mormon, no Koran, no Science and Health with a Key to the Scriptures, no writings of men who claim to be the returned Messiah (like Sun Myung Moon), or even the words of Kenneth Hagin/Copeland. (This does not mean that God doesn’t give us direct instructions for us as individuals–such as being called to missionary work in a particular place, or being called to pastor a certain congregation, or even to strike up a conversation with a specific stranger. These instructions can be valid, if they are weighed against the “more sure word” of scripture [2 Peter 1:9 [show] [9]For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. (ESV)
  , in context] and found to be “good” [1 Thess. 5:20-21 [show] [20]Do not despise prophecies, [21]but test everything; hold fast what is good. (ESV)
  ], but are not as certain or as authoritative as the written word, nor are these specific instructions to be morally binding on the conscience of the church-universal. Nevertheless, once found to be “good,” these instructions become morally binding on the individual as a matter of conscience. This same method of “weighing” is used of congregational prophecies as well. [1 Cor. 14:29-33 [show] [29]Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. [30]If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. [31]For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, [32]and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. [33]For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, (ESV)
  ])
• However, Scripture is none of these things without the active work of the Holy Spirit illuminating to our minds and hearts, and bringing us to the conviction of all these perfections of the Word of God.

The illustration I closed with was that Bible is like the North Star for all of thought and all of life. It’s reliable because it’s permanent, unchangable by the hands of man–it always points North. It’s clear (though if clouds obstruct your view, don’t look away–rather, keep looking and eventually the clouds will pass), and it’s universally visible for guidance. It’s necessary because if we don’t have a point of reference for our travels, we’ll wander aimlessly and end up in the wrong “port.” It’s sufficient because all we need is a single point of reference in order to chart our course [update: ok, so we need two for 'triangulation.' But cut me some slack; it's just an analogy]. Yet, despite all of these things, we can have a clear view of true north and seaworthy vessel, but we won’t get anywhere without wind. Without the work of the Holy Spirit, none of the above perfections will be understanable, or helpful to us.

The application is that we can find answers to all our questions about life and living, doctrine and ethics, what (and how) to think and what (and how) to live. We had only 45 minutes today; we covered everything but (again) had little time for class discussion. We really need about 1.5 hours per class. (Maybe even 2.) I hope it was encourgaing, and helpful; instructional and inspirational; informative and reformative. Next session: The Doctrine of God (Part I)…

(This outline, with minor revisions, was lifted almost directly from Grudem’s Systematic Theology; which was written for this very purpose. Though, in the future I think a better place to begin is with The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God.)