His Word Today

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: ² preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” (2 Timothy 4:1–2 (ESV)

The Apostle Paul’s inspired words to his young protégé Timothy emphasized the importance of a fervent commitment to Sola Scriptura. What is the believer to do with this solemn charge from God in vs. 1? What behavior is expected from the “man of God” by this God-inspired revelation?

In examining today’s featured text (vs. 2), each phrase must separately be understood in order to comprehend how they fit as a whole. There are five commands to be obeyed. They are all aorist active imperatives. This means these commands are to obeyed wholeheartedly and actively.

First, preach the word (κήρυξον λόγον; keryxon logon). This command is to herald, publicly proclaim, and to announce the entire written word of God. There are no exceptions and no excuses. 

“Herald the word.” This is basic to the other four imperatives. The rendering “Preach the word” is entirely correct, if the verb preach be understood in its primary, etymological meaning (from the Latin praedicare): to proclaim before the public, and not in the weakened sense which today is often attached to it: “to deliver a moral or religious discourse of any kind and in any way.” The word employed in the original means proclaim (cf. Matt. 10:27); literally, herald, make known officially and publicly a matter of great significance. Of course, all preaching should be heralding (Rom. 10:14, 15). Paul calls himself a herald. By order of his Superior he made an authoritative, open, forceful declaration. He here commands Timothy to be a herald also.” ^[1]

“According to Scripture, then, “heralding” or “preaching” is generally the divinely authorized proclamation of the message of God to men. It is the exercise of ambassadorship.”^[2]

Timothy, followed a lengthy line of biblical preachers. Here is but a few examples.

Noah: “God will destroy the world. Turn away from your sins!” Or similar words (2 Peter 2:5; cf. 1 Peter 3:19).

Jonah: “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” (Jonah 3:4; Matt. 12:41; Luke 11:32).

John the Baptist: “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand!”; “Look, the Lamb of God, who is taking away the sin of the world!” (Matt. 3:1, 2; John 1:29).

The Healed Gerasene Demoniac: “God has done great things for me!” (Luke 8:39).

The Apostle Paul: “Jesus is the Christ!” (Acts 9:20); “Far be it from me to glory, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ!” (Gal. 6:14); “But now has Christ been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of them that are asleep!” (1 Cor. 15:20; cf. verses 55–58; 1 Thess. 4:13–18).

“The herald brings God’s message. Today in the work of “heralding” or “preaching” careful exposition of the text is certainly included. But genuine heralding or preaching is lively, not dry; timely, not stale. It is the earnest proclamation of news initiated by God. It is not the abstract speculation on views excogitated by man.”^[3]

Timothy, including preachers throughout church history and today, must always have the courage to preach the word in general, or the gospel in particular (2 Tim. 2:8, 9; cf. Mark 1:14; 16:15; 1 Thess. 2:9). In contrast to false teachers (2 Tim. 3:1-6) preaching is this open proclamation by one who brings God’s good tidings and peace (Nah. 1:15; Rom. 10:15).

Dr. J. Ligon Duncan writes, “Paul is telling Timothy what his prime
calling is. The minister’s task is to be a herald of God’s word, to publicly
proclaim God’s word, to herald the divinely authorized message of God. And Paul
piles up five imperatives in this little verse. Notice them: preach, be ready,
reprove, rebuke, and admonish. All of them are pointing to that one central
charge: Proclaim the word. Timothy is, above all things else, to publicly
proclaim the divinely authorized message–God’s message to man–and he’s to be
ready to do that in season or out of season…whether it’s convenient or not;
whether it’s popular or not; whether it’s welcome or not, he is to proclaim that
word in season and out of season.”

Dr. John Piper explains, “God exists to be worshiped—to be admired and treasured and desired and praised. Therefore, the Word of God is written primarily to produce worship. This means that if that Word is handled like a hot-dish recipe or a repair manual, it is mishandled. And the people will suffer. The Truth of God begs to be handled with exultation. And our hearts yearn for this and need it. Something in us starts to die when precious and infinitely valuable realities are handled without feelings and words of wonder and exultation. That is, a church starts to die, without preaching.”

“But, of course, this assumes something massive. To treasure the Truth, and to love the Truth, and be impassioned about the Truth, and to exult in the Truth, you have to know the Truth. So, it’s not enough to say that preaching is exultation. We must also say it is “expository exultation.” It is exultation in the Truth of God’s Word. And the exultation is in proportion to the Truth delivered.”

Pray for your pastor, and for yourself if you are a pastor, to always obey God’s command to preach the Word. May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

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^[1] William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the Pastoral Epistles, vol. 4, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 309.

^[2] Ibid., 309.

^[3] Ibid., 310.

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: ² preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” (2 Timothy 4:1–2 (ESV)

“Thus far in his epistle, the apostle has encouraged the young pastor not to be afraid of suffering for the gospel (chap. 1) but to present himself to God as one whom the Lord would approve even if such devotion brings Timothy pain (2:1–21). Therefore, the man of God must flee unrighteousness (vv. 22–26) even as difficulty attends faithfulness in these last days (3:1–9). Only by continuing in the faith once delivered to the saints and recorded in the God-breathed Holy Scriptures will Timothy or any other Christian withstand trials for the sake of the Savior (vv. 10–17),” explains Dr. R.C. Sproul.

Dr. Simon Kistemaker states, “Underlying the thought expressed in the opening paragraph of chapter 4 are the “grievous seasons” of departure from the faith, which were described in chapter 3. Though, in a sense, these seasons are certainly future (3:1; 4:3, 4), they must not be thought of as wholly separate from and unrelated to conditions present even now, while Paul is writing. The very fact that Paul admonishes Timothy to fulfil his ministry, reproving and rebuking whenever this is necessary, and remaining sober in the midst of all untoward circumstances, shows that future heresy is viewed as the outgrowth of present error. The coming apostasy is a further stage in the development of the already present deviation from the truth.”^[1]

The Apostle Paul’s inspired words to his young protégé Timothy emphasized the importance of a fervent commitment to Sola Scriptura. In examining today’s text, each phrase must separately be understood in order to comprehend how they fit as a whole.  

I charge you (Διαμαρτύρομαι; Diamartyromai) is a present middle indicative verb. It means to consistently, personally and truthfully warn and insist. This one-word statement in the Greek is a personal and earnest directive from Paul to Timothy. It borders upon being a command. The apostle issued a stern warning and admonishment to the young pastor.  

In the presence of God and Christ Jesus. The phrase in the presence (ἐνώπιον; enopion) is also one word in the Greek. This preposition means in sight or awareness of someone. This singular someone is God the Father (θεοῦ; theou) and Christ Jesus (Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ; Christ Iesou) the first and second persons of the godhead.

“Paul mentions (these two) witnesses to impress on Timothy the utmost seriousness of the charge, just as elsewhere he invokes God as a witness to emphasize the truth of His assertions (Rom.1:9; 9:1-2; 2 Cor. 1:23; Phil. 1 :8; I Thess. 2:5),” explains Dr. Sproul.

Who is to judge (μέλλοντος κρίνειν; mellontos krinein) is a present active genitive participle. The emphasis is upon the imminent return of Jesus Christ and His judgment. This conveys a divine accountability solely possessed by the Lord Jesus. Who will Christ Jesus judge?

The living and the dead. Christ Jesus will judge the living (ζῶντας; zontas). These are they who are presently and actively alive when Christ returns. He will also judge the dead (νεκρούς; nekrous) or the physically lifeless. The Lord Jesus will judge because Scripture proclaims Him to be the judge of all (Matt. 25:31-46; John 5:22-27; Acts 10:42).

Those whom Jesus Christ will judge include (1) believers and their works done for Christ (I Corinthians 3:12-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10), (2) the sheep and the goats judgment immediately following the Tribulation and prior to the Millennium (Matthew 25:31-33), and the spiritually dead at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15).

And by His appearing and His kingdom (ἐπιφάνειαν βασιλείαν; epiphaneian basileian). This refers to the return of Jesus Christ (Revelation 19:1-21), and His establishment of His rule and reign (Revelation 20:1-6).

“Though he could have, in 2 Timothy 4:1 the apostle does not list his own authority as the motivation for Timothy’s faithful teaching and preaching of the Word of God but rather the knowledge that Jesus will “judge the living and the dead.” All people will stand before the Savior to give a final account of what they did in their lives (Rev. 20:11–15), and if Timothy is going to be reckoned as a good and faithful servant, he must keep this truth in mind because it will spur him to action. Just as knowledge of final judgment encouraged Paul to remain faithful (2 Cor. 5:9–10), so too should it offer the same encouragement to Timothy and every other believer, no matter their particular vocation,” concludes Dr. Sproul.

This reminder by Paul to Timothy should also be regarded as the Lord’s reminder today to all believers in Christ. May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

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^[1] William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the Pastoral Epistles, vol. 4, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 307.

¹⁶ “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)

The following essay is by Dr. Hans Madeume. He is professor of theological studies at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Ga. The essay, entitled Inerrancy and Divine Accommodation was originally published September 2018 in Tabletalk Magazine.  

Christians have historically endorsed the doctrine of divine accommodation. This doctrine holds that since God is transcendent, He cannot communicate to us as equals in the language of pure, unfiltered, heavenly discourse. He is the triune Creator, whereas we are mere creatures. So, when God talks to us, He stoops to our level. For instance, God’s Word came to us in Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic, and now it is translated in countless other human languages. In fact, all of Scripture is accommodated to us. As John Calvin put it: “Who even of slight intelligence does not understand that, as nurses commonly do with infants, God is wont in a measure to ‘lisp’ in speaking to us? Thus such forms of speaking do not so much express clearly what God is like as accommodate the knowledge of him to our slight capacity.”¹ Accommodation is also entirely consistent with the doctrine of inerrancy, which says that the Bible teaches only the truth. God communicates to our finitude, but His Word is still utterly trustworthy.

However, some scholars reject inerrancy by appealing to accommodation. They want to relieve the dissonance that Christians sometimes perceive between an inerrant Scripture and theories from the natural sciences, or they invoke accommodation as a way to play down the hard ethical passages in the Bible (e.g., God’s command to Israel to slaughter people such as the Canaanites, Amalekites, and Midianites).² While they appeal to this doctrine of accommodation, they give it a radical new meaning: God speaks to us in and through the mistakes, in and through the fallible assumptions of ancient authors—in short, in and through their sin. To be sure, all biblical authors were sinners, just like us, but the Holy Spirit ensured that the inspired words of Scripture were miraculously preserved from any error or corruption (see 2 Peter 1:21). Yet, the revised understanding of accommodation implicitly denies this supernatural element. As one advocate puts it, “Accommodation is God’s adoption in inscripturation of the human audience’s finite and fallen perspective.”³ For defenders of this new view of accommodation, Scripture contains flawed statements that reflect primitive ancient Near Eastern views of the biblical authors.

This new take on accommodation assumes that Jesus, as a first-century Jew, inherited common Jewish assumptions about creation, the material world, geography, and history. In this way of thinking, the incarnate God believed many things that were false when compared with what we know today. One scholar reassures us that we can trust Jesus’ salvation message even if it is packaged within erroneous baggage from the ancient world.⁴ Unfortunately, this is not a convincing position, and it is important to see why.

This rethinking of accommodation implies that errors pervade the Bible. Readers must therefore decide on their own which bits are true and which bits should be discarded. But if that is the case, on what basis can we know what is and is not reliable in the Bible? What guides us in making that decision? It cannot be Scripture itself, since parts of it (perhaps much of it) are unreliable. This means that our Western, post-Christian assumptions end up being the lens by which we judge which parts of the Bible are dispensable. Followed through consistently, this new approach to accommodation is a recipe for disaster, for the extrabiblical assumptions of readers are often imperfect and temporal, constantly shifting with the winds of culture.

The proper response to this new conception of accommodation is to insist that Scripture contains not merely human words but the very words of God, perfect and eternal. As the prophet reminds us, “The grass withers, the flowers fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isa. 40:8). God’s Word is our final authority precisely because it reflects the character and trustworthiness of God.

In reality, what is being offered by proponents of revising accommodation is, at least implicitly, a doctrine of limited inerrancy. On this view, the Bible speaks infallibly only on salvation and thus can’t be trusted on matters such as geography, history, and science. Since Christianity is a historical faith, however, limited inerrancy rests on an artificial and mistaken distinction. Biblical Christianity is not an esoteric religion or an abstract set of ideas but is based on historical and material realities: God became incarnate in our world; the Messiah was born in Bethlehem; He lived in Nazareth; His biological mother was Mary; many witnessed His miracles; He was interrogated by the fifth prefect of Judea—Pontius Pilate—and convicted by the Sanhedrin; He was crucified on Golgotha; and He rose again. You cannot separate the salvific or spiritual component of our faith from the historical and the material. The two categories are inextricably bound together in the biblical story. J.I. Packer grasped these issues clearly:

Christ’s claim to be divine is either true or false. If it is true, His Person guarantees the truth of all the rest of His teaching (for a divine Person cannot lie or err); therefore, His view of the Old Testament is true. If His claim is false, there is no compelling reason to believe anything else that He said. If we accept Christ’s claims, therefore, we commit ourselves to believe all that He taught—on His authority. If we refuse to believe some part of what he taught, we are in effect denying Him to be the divine Messiah—on our own authority.⁵

I have no wish to ignore challenges to the traditional doctrine of inerrancy. They are many, and some of them are subtle. Nonetheless, any doctrine of accommodation that offers an erring Jesus should be rejected by orthodox Christians. As the God-man, Jesus is fully divine—if we cannot trust His words without reservation, then we threaten the very idea of divine revelation. Biblical religion is revelatory; the great things of the gospel are revealed from outside us. How can we trust God’s Word if we retain the freedom to sit in judgment over it? Jesus says, “Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). Following Jesus, then, we must ensure that our confidence rests on Scripture as God’s inerrant Word.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

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1. John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion 1.13.1 (emphasis added). ↩︎
2. For example, see Thom Stark, The Human Faces of God: What Scripture Reveals When It Gets God Wrong (And Why Inerrancy Tries to Hide It) (Eugene, Ore.: Wipf & Stock, 2011). For a more reliable approach, see Christopher Wright, The God I Don’t Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2016). ↩︎
3. Kenton Sparks, “The Sun Also Rises: Accommodation in Inscripturation and Interpretation,” in Evangelicals and Scripture: Tradition, Authority, and Hermeneutics, eds. Vincent Bacote, Laura Miguélez, and Dennis Okholm (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 2004), 112 (emphasis added). ↩︎
4. Denis Lamoureux, Evolutionary Creation: A Christian Approach to Evolution (Eugene, Ore.: Wipf & Stock, 2008), 173. See also Peter Enns, The Evolution of Adam: What the Bible Does and Doesn’t Say about Human Origins (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Brazos, 2012), 153n19. ↩︎
5. J.I. Packer, “Fundamentalism” and the Word of God (Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Fellowship, 1958), 59. ↩︎

¹⁶ “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)

The following essay is by Carl Truman, Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies at Grove City College in Grove City, Pennsylvania. The article, entitled The Sufficiency of Scripture, was published July, 2013.

The doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture lies at the heart of what it means to be a Protestant. Protestantism and Roman Catholicism share much in common in terms of basic theology, such as a commitment to the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation. When it comes to matters of authority, however, there are major divergences. One of these is on the matter of Scripture: is Scripture sufficient as an authority for the church or not?

Scriptural sufficiency is, of course, a doctrine that stands in positive connection to a number of other theological convictions, such as inerrancy, the extent of the canon, and the perspicuity or clarity of Scripture. All of these help to shape our understanding of sufficiency but are beyond the scope of this brief article. Thus, I will focus on the doctrine as generally understood by those who accept the Protestant confessional consensus on these matters, as reflected in the Second London Confession, the Three Forms of Unity, and the Westminster Standards.

What Does It Mean That Scripture Is Sufficient?

We do of course need to parse what we mean when we say that Scripture is sufficient. If my car breaks down or I am trying to work out who committed the crime in a particularly complex whodunit, I will not find the answer in the Bible. Nor will I find discussion of the human genome, the rules of cricket, or the wing markings of North American butterflies. In fact, the scope of Scripture’s sufficiency is neatly summarized in Question 3 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism:

Q. 3. What do the Scriptures principally teach?

A. The Scriptures principally teach, what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.

In other words, the Scriptures are sufficient for a specific task: they reveal who God is, who man is in relation to him, and how that relationship is to be articulated in terms of worship.

Even with this definition, however, we need to be precise concerning the nature of this sufficiency. In some areas, the Scriptures are sufficient for teaching principles but not for providing specific details. For example, while they clearly teach that the church should gather for worship on the Lord’s Day, they do not specify precise times and locations. Neither my local congregation nor the time of our services are mentioned anywhere in the New Testament. Scriptural sufficiency is not jeopardized by this lack; Scripture was never intended to speak with precision to such local details.

The last observation is perhaps obvious. A more subtle point about scriptural sufficiency can be deduced from Paul’s pastoral epistles. When Paul writes these, he is laying out his blueprint for the post-apostolic church. It is thus significant that he does not simply tell Timothy and Titus to make sure there are copies of the Bible available to the church. If Scripture in and of itself were sufficient to maintaining the truth of the faith, surely that is all he would need to have done. Instead, he not only emphasizes the importance of Scripture but also says that there is a need for officers (elders and deacons) and for adherence to a form of sound words (a tradition of creedal teaching). So to say that Scripture is sufficient for the church is not to say that it is the only thing necessary. Officers and creeds/confessions/statements of faith (agreed forms of sound words) also seem to be a basic part of Paul’s vision for the post-apostolic church.

Given these factors, there is a sense in which we might say that Protestants believe in the insufficiency of Scripture: we acknowledge that Scripture is insufficient for many of the details of everyday life, such as motorcycle maintenance and cooking curries. It is even insufficient for the day-to-day running and good health of the church: we need elders, deacons and forms of sound words. What it is sufficient for, however, is for regulating the doctrinal content of the Christian faith and the life of the church at a principial level. That is Paul’s point in 2 Timothy 3:16. In other words, to speak of scriptural sufficiency is one way of speaking about the unique authority of Scripture in the life of the church and the believer as the authoritative and sufficient source for the principles of faith and practice.

What Is Scripture Sufficient For?

We can elaborate this. First, Scripture is sufficient as the noetic ground of knowledge of God. This means that all theological affirmations are to be consistent with the teaching of Scripture. The statement “God is Trinity” is found nowhere in the Bible; but its conceptual content is there; that is why it should be affirmed by all Christians. By contrast, “Mary was conceived without original sin” is not a concept found anywhere in Scripture. Roman Catholics who affirm the notion thereby reveal their view that Scripture is not sufficient as the noetic basis for theology, but needs to be supplemented by the teaching magisterium of the church.

Second, Scripture is sufficient for Christian practice. At the level of behavior, Scripture offers principles which guide believers in their day to day lives. This can be a complicated area: the advent of Christ demands that the Old Testament law codes be read in the light of his person and work, and this issue is beyond the immediate scope of this short piece. But the principle of sufficiency is clear: given the redemptive-historical dynamic, Scripture provides fully adequate and sufficient general principles which can be applied in specific ethical situations. For example, the Bible may not reference stem cell research, but it contains principles that should shape our attitudes to such.

Third, at the level of the church as an institution, Scripture is again sufficient for the principles of both organization and public worship. In terms of organization, I have already noted the fact that Paul sees both office-bearers and creeds/confessions as vital to the ongoing health of the church. As to office-bearers, Scripture also describes the kind of men who are to be appointed. As to creeds, my first point above—that Scripture is sufficient as the norming norm of the content of doctrinal statement—is clearly relevant.

Fourth, in terms of public worship, Scripture is sufficient for establishing its elements: singing of praise, prayer, the reading and preaching of God’s Word, the giving of tithes and offerings for the work of the church, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper. As with creeds, Scripture is also sufficient to regulate the agenda and content of sermons, worship songs, prayers, what the money is spent on, who is baptized, and who receives the Lord’s Supper.

In short, one can tell a lot about how a particular church understands scriptural sufficiency by looking at her form of government, the content and emphases of corporate worship, and the way in which the elders pastor the congregation.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁶ “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)

The following essay is by Pastor Kevin DeYoung. The article, entitled The Sufficiency of Christ and the Sufficiency of Scripture, was for The Gospel Coalition and published October 29, 2013.

The big idea in Hebrews 1 is the point of all of Hebrews: The Son is superior to all others because in him we have the fullness and finality of God’s redemption and revelation.

We do pretty well understanding the fullness piece. Everything in the days “long ago” was pointing to Christ, and everything was completed in Christ. He is the fulfillment of centuries of predications, prophecies, and types. That’s the fullness part of the equation.

But just as important is the finality of Christ’s work. God has definitively made himself known. Christ has once for all paid for our sins. He came to earth, lived among us, died on the cross, and cried out in the dying moments, “It is finished!” We are awaiting no other king to rule over us. We need no other prophet like Mohammed. There can be no further priest to atone for our sins. The work of redemption has been completed.

And we must not separate redemption from revelation. Both were finished and fulfilled in the Son. The word of God versus the Word of God, the Bible verses Jesus, the Scriptures versus the Son—Hebrews gives no room for these diabolical antitheses. True, the Bible is not Jesus; the Scripture is not the Son. The words of the Bible and the Word made flesh are distinct, but they are also inseparable.

Every act of redemption—from the Exodus, to the return from exile, to the cross itself—is also a revelation. They tell us something about the nature of sin, the way of salvation, and the character of God. Likewise, the point of revelation is always to redeem. The words of the prophets and the apostles are not meant to make us smart, but to get us saved. Redemption reveals. Revelation redeems.

And Christ is both. He is God’s full and final act of redemption and God’s full and final revelation of himself. Even the later teachings of the apostles were simply the remembrances of what Christ said (John 14:26) and the further Spirit-wrought explanation of all that he was and all that he accomplished (John 16:13-15). “Nothing can be added to his redemptive work,” Frame argues, “and nothing can be added to the revelation of that redemptive work.”[1] If we say revelation is not complete, we must admit that somehow the work of redemption also remains unfinished.

A Silent God?

Does this mean God no longer speaks? Not at all. But we must think carefully about how he speaks in these last days. God now speaks through his Son. Think about the three offices of Christ—prophet, priest, and king. In the tension of the already and not yet, Christ has finished his work in each office. And yet, he continues to work through that finished work.

As a king, Christ is already seated on the throne and already reigns from heaven, but the inauguration of his kingdom is not the same as the consummation of it. There are still enemies to subdue under his feet (Heb. 2:8).

As a priest, Christ has fully paid for all our sins with precious blood, once for all, never to be repeated again. And yet, this great salvation must still be freely offered and Christ must keep us in it (Heb. 2:3).

Finally, as a prophet, God has decisively spoken in his Son. He has shown us all we need to know, believe, and do. There is nothing more to say. And yet, God keeps speaking through what he has already said. The word of God is living and active (Heb. 4:12), and when the Scriptures are read the Holy Spirit still speaks (Heb. 3:7).

So, yes, God still speaks. He is not silent. He communicates with us personally and directly. But this ongoing speech is not ongoing revelation. “The Holy Spirit no longer reveals any new doctrines but takes everything from Christ (John 16:14),” Bavinck writes. “In Christ God’s revelation has been completed.”[2] In these last days, God speaks to us not by many and various ways, but in one way, through his Son. And he speaks through his Son by the revelation of the Son’s redeeming work that we find first predicted and prefigured in the Old Testament, then recorded in the gospels, and finally unpacked by the Spirit through the apostles in the rest of the New Testament.

Scripture is enough because the work of Christ is enough. They stand or fall together. The Son’s redemption and the Son’s revelation must both be sufficient. And as such, there is nothing more to be done and nothing more to be known for our salvation and for our Christian walk than what we see and know about Christ and through Christ in his Spirit’s book.

Frame is right: “Scripture is God’s testimony to the redemption he has accomplished for us. Once that redemption is finished, and the apostolic testimony to it is finished, the Scriptures are complete, and we should expect no more additions to them.”[3] While God certainly illumines his word and may impress upon us direct applications from his word, he does not speak apart from the word. Or as Packer puts it, more tersely but no less truly, “There are no words of God spoken to us at all today except the words of Scripture.”[4]

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

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[1] Frame, The Doctrine of the Word of God, 227.

[2] Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, Volume 1: Prolegomena, gen ed. John Bolt, tr. John Vriend (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2003), 491.

[3] Frame, The Doctrine of the Word of God, 227.

[4] Packer, “Fundamentalism” and the Word of God, 119.

¹⁶ “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)

The commentary of today’s text is by John Calvin.

All Scripture; or, the whole of Scripture; Though it makes little difference as to the meaning. Paul follows out that commendation which he had glanced at briefly. First, he commends the Scripture on account of its authority; and secondly, on account of the utility which springs from it. In order to uphold the authority of the Scripture, he declares that it is divinely inspired; for, if it be so, it is beyond all controversy that men ought to receive it with reverence. This is a principle which distinguishes our religion from all others, that we know that God hath spoken to us, and are fully convinced that the prophets did not speak at their own suggestion, but that, being organs of the Holy Spirit, they only uttered what they had been commissioned from heaven to declare. Whoever then wishes to profit in the Scriptures, let him first of all, lay down this as a settled point, that the Law and the Prophets are not a doctrine delivered according to the will and pleasure of men, but dictated by the Holy Spirit.

If it be objected, “How can this be known?” I answer, both to disciples and to teachers, God is made known to be the author of it by the revelation of the same Spirit. Moses and the prophets did not utter at random what we have received from their hand, but, speaking at the suggestion of God, they boldly and fearlessly testified, what was actually true, that it was the mouth of the Lord that spoke. The same Spirit, therefore, who made Moses and the prophets certain of their calling, now also testifies to our hearts, that he has employed them as his servants to instruct us.

Accordingly, we need not wonder if there are many who doubt as to the Author of the Scripture; for, although the majesty of God is displayed in it, yet none but those who have been enlightened by the Holy Spirit have eyes to perceive what ought, indeed, to have been visible to all, and yet is visible to the elect alone. This is the first clause, that we owe to the Scripture the same reverence which we owe to God; because it has proceeded from him alone, and has nothing belonging to man mixed with it.

And is profitable. Now follows the second part of the commendation, that the Scripture contains a perfect rule of a good and happy life. When he says this, he means that it is corrupted by sinful abuse, when this usefulness is not sought. And thus, he indirectly censures those unprincipled men who fed the people with vain speculations, as with wind. For this reason, we may in the present day, condemn all who, disregarding edification, agitate questions which, though they are ingenious, are also useless. Whenever ingenious trifles of that kind are brought forward, they must be warded off by this shield, that “Scripture is profitable.” Hence it follows, that it is unlawful to treat it in an unprofitable manner; for the Lord, when he gave us the Scriptures, did not intend either to gratify our curiosity, or to encourage ostentation, or to give occasion for chatting and talking, but to do us good; and, therefore, the right use of Scripture must always tend to what is profitable. ⁽¹⁹²⁾

For instruction. Here he enters into a detailed statement of the various and manifold advantages derived from the Scriptures. And, first of all, he mentions instruction, which ranks above all the rest; for it will be to no purpose that you exhort or reprove, if you have not previously instructed. But because “instruction,” taken by itself, is often of little avail, he adds reproof and correction.

It would be too long to explain what we are to learn from the Scriptures; and, in the preceding verse, he has given a brief summary of them under the word faith. The most valuable knowledge, therefore, is “faith in Christ.” Next follows instruction for regulating the life, to which are added the excitements of exhortations and reproofs. Thus, he who knows how to use the Scriptures properly, is in want of nothing for salvation, or for a Holy life. 

Reproof and correction differ little from each other, except that the latter proceeds from the former; for the beginning of repentance is the knowledge of our sinfulness, and a conviction of the judgment of God. Instruction in righteousness means the rule of a good and holy life.

That the man of God may be perfect. Perfect means here a blameless person, one in whom there is nothing defective; for he asserts absolutely, that the Scripture is sufficient for perfection. Accordingly, he who is not satisfied with Scripture desires to be wiser than is either proper or desirable.

But here an objection arises. Seeing that Paul speaks of the Scriptures, which is the name given to the Old Testament, how does he say that it makes a man thoroughly perfect? for, if it be so, what was afterwards added by the apostles may be thought superfluous. I reply, so far as relates to the substance, nothing has been added; for the writings of the apostles contain nothing else than a simple and natural explanation of the Law and the Prophets, together with a manifestation of the things expressed in them. This eulogium, therefore, is not inappropriately bestowed on the Scriptures by Paul; and, seeing that its instruction is now rendered fuller and clearer by the addition of the Gospel, what can be said but that we ought assuredly to hope that the usefulness, of which Paul speaks, will be much more displayed, if we are willing to make trial and receive it?

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁶ “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)

“Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him” (Prov. 30:5).

‘The Scripture cannot be broken’ (John 10:35).

” Inerrant” simply means “without error,” or “true” in the sense that we normally speak of true sentences, true doctrines, true accounts, true principles. Were God to speak to us in person,” directly,” none of us would dare to charge him with error. Errors arise from ignorance or deceit; and our God is neither ignorant, nor is he a deceiver. Similarly, we dare not charge his written Word with error.” – John Frame

“The church has historically acknowledged that Scripture in its original manuscripts and properly interpreted is completely true and without any error in everything that it affirms, whether that has to do with doctrine, moral conduct, or matters of history, cosmology, geography, and the like.”- Gregg Allison, (Historical Theology p. 99)

“The purity of Scripture lies in the fact that it stands complete in itself, without either deceit or error: ‘The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times’ (Ps. 12:6).” — William Perkins (1558-1602, the “father of English Puritanism”): (The Art of Prophesying, p. 10).

Because God’s Word, the Bible, is inerrant, the Apostle Paul wrote it is therefore profitable and beneficial. For what? The Scriptures are profitable for teaching, reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.

What then is the purpose of the Scriptures profitability? What impact does this have upon the believer in Christ? Paul wrote “that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

The man of God (θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος; theou anthrpos) refers to the human being who solely belongs to God. This is a believer in Christ. While the term can technically be used for an official preacher of divine truth (I Tim. 6:11), in this context it includes all followers of Jesus Christ.

“The man of God (1 Tim. 6:11) is the believer. Every believer, viewed as belonging to God, and as invested with the threefold office of prophet, priest, and king, is here given this title.” ^[1]

The phrase may be complete (ἄρτιος ᾖ; artios e) means to presently and potentially exist as qualified and proficient. This is coupled with the word equipped (ἐξηρτισμένος; exertismenos) meaning to be completely adequately furnished in the past with evidence of this equipping continuing in the present.

The active completeness, along with the passive equipping, is for every good work (πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθὸν; pan ergon agathon). The Scriptures provide the believer in Christ with everything needed to accomplish God’s work in a godly way.

“To function properly in this threefold office the believer must become equipped (note the emphasis of the original; literally, “… that equipped may be the man of God”); yes, once for all thoroughly equipped (cf. Luke 6:40) “for every good work” (1 Tim. 5:10; 2 Tim. 2:21; Titus 3:1). Paul (and the Holy Spirit speaking through him) is not satisfied until the Word of God has fully accomplished its mission, and the believer has reached “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Eph. 4:12, 13). The ideal to be realized is glorious, indeed! The power to reach it is from God. Hence, let Timothy remain steadfast. Let him abide in the true doctrine, applying it whenever opportunity presents itself.” ^[2]

One author concludes, “The Scriptures are sufficient to equip us for a life of faith and service. The contents demonstrate God’s intention to restore the broken relationship between Himself and sinful humanity through His Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior through the regenerating work of the Spirit, applying the reconcilling work of Jesus Christ . No additional writings are necessary for this good news to be understood, nor are any other writings required to equip us for a life of faith.”

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

---

^[1] William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the Pastoral Epistles, vol. 4, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 303.

^[2] Ibid., 303–304.

¹⁶ “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)

“Is the ultimate, unquestionable authority for the church found in the Apostolic words of sacred Scripture or in the body of teachers who currently serve as overseers of God’s flock? That was the issue debated in the sixteenth century, at which time the Reformers determined that Scripture alone is the ultimate, authoritative revelation of God; the church does not have authority on an equal footing with Scripture,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.  

The phrase “All Scripture is breathed out by God” is one of the most important affirmations in the New Testament (NT) of the doctrine of verbal, plenary, divine inspiration. The Bible was breathed out by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21). Therefore, God is ultimate author and source of Scripture, not the church. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is the inerrant Word of God.

Because the Bible is the Word of God, the Apostle Paul explained the Scriptures are therefore profitable. The word profitable (ὠφέλιμος; ophelimos) means beneficial, useful and advantageous. Therefore, all God-breathed Scripture is beneficial, valuable, and useful for the believer. How does Scripture alone benefit the disciple of Jesus Christ?

Today’s text states Scripture, because God is its author, is therefore profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. An examination of these qualities would be wise.

First, Scripture is profitable for doctrine! Doctrine (διδασκαλία; didaskalia), doctrine means teaching and instruction. It is the content God teaches and what the disciple learns. Scripture is valuable in being the source of God’s written revelation.

Second, Scripture is profitable for reproof!  Reproof (ἐλεγμόν; elegmon) means to rebuke, refute, or reject. Within the context, Scripture is profitable for rebuking people of sin. Hebrews 4:12 states, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” In Psalm 119:9 we read, “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word” On pastor explains, “The Scripture contains both encouragement and warning, and this double aspect is always present”

Third, Scripture is profitable for correction! Correction ((ἐπανόρθωσις; epanorthōsis) means to restore to an upright or right state. It means to improve one’s life and character. Not only does Scripture provide valuable positive and negative instruction, but it also provides guidance regarding ethical behavior.

Fourth, Scripture is profitable for instruction in righteousness! The phrase instruction in righteousness (παιδεία δικαιοσύνη; paideia dikaiosynē) means to train, to bring under the commands and admonitions of God’s Word. This instruction is specifically concerned with righteousness, indicating a life of integrity, virtue, purity, and rightness before God.

American theologian Jonathan Edwards writes, “How thankful we should be to God. Hence, we may learn that all the Scripture says to us is certainly true. God knows… God cannot lie… God is very angry for sin. About another world. There is another world. Good men die. About Hell. The Scripture says there is a furnace of fire. God will not hear. No rest. Many are ready to think that it may be there is none. About Heaven. about the Day of Judgment: rise again. About the sorrowful, miserable condition man is in. About the way of salvation. Christ is the Son of God. No other Savior. He will save all that come to him. About the mystery of being ‘born again.’ Some are ready to say in their hearts there is no such thing. What we must be in order to go to Heaven —Therefore let all men that are not ‘born again’ consider these things. All these are not seeking their salvation.”

“Consider how much it is worth the while to go often to your Bible to hear the great God Himself speak to you. There you may hear Christ speak. How much better must we think this is than the word of men. Better than the word of the wisest man of the world. How much wiser is God than man. Here all is true; nothing false. Here all is wise; nothing foolish. This is the GREAT LIGHT God has given to the world. To make use of this is the way to walk in the Light… to have our souls filled with Light. If we neglect this we shall walk in darkness. We should value this more than the light of the sun. We see the light of the sun does a great deal of good… gives light… pleasant to see… ’tis comfortable… it gives life.”

“So, Scripture gives light… gives life. Should hear the Word: come to meeting. ’Tis the way to have God’s mercy, to seek God in His Word. There we may expect to meet with God. God will respect His own Word for the good of men: what great good has been done. God has often made it a means of great good. Conversion of many souls. Great joy of many. Many have been comforted in affliction… in death. This will be the way to be wise with the most excellent wisdom,” concludes Edwards.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁶ “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)

¹⁶ “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹⁷ For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”  (Romans 1:16–17 (ESV)

ONE HAMMER in the hand of an obscure Augustinian monk changed the world forever. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted his Ninety-Five Theses on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany calling his fellow professors to examine issues of supreme theological importance. Thus began the Reformation through which the light of God’s Word was brought out of the darkness to shine with clarity once more.

One of the central cries of the Protestant Reformation was this: “The just shall live by faith.” Luther’s development of the doctrine of justification by faith alone recovered the gospel that had been hidden during the Middle Ages.

And at the center of that gospel is the affirmation that the righteousness by which we are declared just before a holy God is not our own. It’s a foreign righteousness, an alien righteousness, a righteousness that Luther said is extra nos—apart from us. Namely, it’s the righteousness of Jesus Christ—that righteousness that’s imputed or counted for all who put their trust in Him.

Because of that affirmation Luther was involved in serious controversies—controversies that culminated in his being brought to trial before the princes of the church and even before the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Charles the V. And there at the Diet of Worms, summoned in Germany, Luther was called upon to recant his views. He answered his interlocutors by saying, “Revoco? You want me to say revoco? That I recant? I will not recant unless I am convinced by sacred Scripture or by evident reason. I cannot recant for my conscience is held captive by the Word of God. And to act against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me.”

In every generation the gospel must be published anew with the same boldness, and the same clarity, and the same urgency that came forth in the 16th century Reformation. The church has always done this in both the spoken word and in song—producing hymns that tell us of the great salvation that has been wrought by God alone through Christ alone.” — Dr. R. C. Sproul

Have a blessed Reformation Day.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁶ “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)

In 2 Timothy 3:16a, the Apostle Paul writes, “All Scripture is breathed out by God.” All Scripture (πᾶσα γραφὴ; pasa graphe) means the whole content of God’s Word. Scripture refers to the holy writings.

Notice the universal positive statement by the apostle. There are no exceptions regarding a particular group of writings which are identified as being Scripture. Therefore, the Bible does not become the Word of God, neither is there only a portion of the Bible identified as God’s Word, but rather God declares all Scripture to be His inspired Word.

Scripture means writing. The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia explains, “The term “scripture” is derived from the Latin “scriptura”. Almost invariably this word occurs with the definite article “the” indicating the authoritative written matter of the Bible itself.”

Paul used the Greek word graphe. Within this context, it refers to the Old Testament.  However, as the canon of Scripture was completed, it also came to refer to this passage, along with the entire New Testament. The crucial factor in this text is the usage of the word “all.” The clearest understanding is God inspired all and every separate part of Scripture.

The phrase “breathed out by God” is a single word in the Greek; (θεόπνευστος / theospneustos). It literally means divinely inspired.

Dr. William Hendriksen explains, “The word God-breathed, occurring only here indicates that “all scripture” owes its origin and contents to the divine breath, the Spirit of God. The human authors were powerfully guided and directed by the Holy Spirit. As a result, what they wrote is not only without error but of supreme value for man. It is all that God wanted it to be. It constitutes the infallible rule of faith and practice for mankind.”

“The Spirit, however, did not suppress the personality of the human writer, but raised it to a higher level of activity (John 14:26). And because the individuality of the human author was not destroyed, we find in the Bible a wide variety of style and language. Inspiration, in other words, is organic, not mechanical.”

Dr. Charles Ryrie defines biblical inspiration as “God’s superintendence of the human authors so that, using their own individual personalities, they composed and recorded without error His revelation to man in the words of the original autographs.”

Dr. Warren Wiersbe writes, “The Holy Spirit of God used men of God to write the Word of God (2 Peter 1:20–21). The Spirit did not erase the natural characteristics of the writers. In fact, God in His providence prepared the writers for the task of writing the Scriptures. Each writer has his own distinctive style and vocabulary. Each book of the Bible grew out of a special set of circumstances. In His preparation of men, in His guiding of history, and in His working through the Spirit, God brought about the miracle of the Scriptures.”

Dr. John MacArthur explains, “It is important to note that inspiration applies only to the original autographs of Scripture, not the Bible writers; there are no inspired Scripture writers, only inspired Scripture.  So identified is God with His Word that when Scripture speaks, God speaks (Romans 9:17; Galatians 3:8). Scripture is called “the oracles of God” (Romans 3:2; I Peter 4:11) and cannot be altered (John 10:35; Matthew 5:17-18; Luke 6:17; Revelation 22:18-19).”  

Dr. R. C. Sproul states, “Paul is saying that Scripture is “expired” or “breathed out” by God. This is not a mere quibble. It is obvious that for inspiration to take place there must first be expiration. A breathing out must precede a breathing in. The point is that the work of divine inspiration is accomplished by divine expiration. Since Paul says that Scripture is breathed out by God, Scripture’s origin or source must be God himself.”

Scripture alone is the believer’s final authority.  The church must remain committed to this truth. Why is a commitment to Sola Scriptura so necessary? What benefit does a commitment to Sola Scriptura present to the church? This is what we will examine in the days to come.

More to come. May all true believers in Christ remain committed to the doctrine of Sola Scriptura.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁶ “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)

For the next several days we will be examining the theological doctrine known as Sola Scriptura. What exactly do theologians mean when using this term?

The term Sola Scriptura was initially used by the 16^th Century Protestant Reformers. It means the inerrant Scriptures, the 66 books of the Bible, are the sole source of written divine revelation from God, which alone can bind the conscience. The Bible alone teaches all that is necessary for the sinners’ salvation from sin and is the standard by which all Christian behavior is evaluated. Therefore, no creed, council or individual may bind a Christian’s conscience. Additionally, the Holy Spirit will never speak independently, or contrary to, what is set forth in the Bible, and personal spiritual experience can never be a vehicle of revelation.

God clearly communicates His Word is the final authority in all matters. It is not to be tampered with in any way. Biblical texts declaring this include the following:

• Exodus 34:27 – “Then the LORD said to Moses, Write these words, for according to the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” 
• Deuteronomy 4:1-2 – “Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers is giving you. You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.”
• Deuteronomy 6:1-9. In vs. 4-9 it states: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ^You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.  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.  You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”   
• Deuteronomy 12:32 – “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.”
• Deuteronomy 32:1-4 – “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; and hear O earth, the words of my mouth. Let my teaching drop as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, as raindrops on the tender herb, and as showers on the grass. For I proclaim the name of the LORD: Ascribe greatness to our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He.”
• Joshua 1:1-9 – “After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant saying: Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people to the land which I am giving to them – the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
• Psalm 12:6 – “The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. You shall keep them, O LORD; You shall preserve them from this generation forever.”
• Proverbs 30:5-6 – “Every word of God is pure; He is shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.”
• Revelation 22:18-19 – “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”

More to come. May all true believers in Christ remain committed to the doctrine of Sola Scriptura.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁶ “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)

For the next several days we will be examining the theological doctrine known as Sola Scriptura. What exactly do theologians mean when using this term?

The term Sola Scriptura was initially used by the 16^th Century Protestant Reformers. It means the inerrant Scriptures, the 66 books of the Bible, are the sole source of written divine revelation from God, which alone can bind the conscience. The Bible alone teaches all that is necessary for the sinners’ salvation from sin and is the standard by which all Christian behavior is evaluated. Therefore, no creed, council or individual may bind a Christian’s conscience. Additionally, the Holy Spirit will never speak independently, or contrary to, what is set forth in the Bible, and personal spiritual experience can never be a vehicle of revelation.

Sola Scriptura is fundamentally opposed to relativistic individualism.  In a culture wherein the individual reigns supreme, and churches pander to “keep the customer satisfied,” the doctrine of Sola Scriptura states all individual ideas and behaviors must be in submission to, and aligned with, Scripture. This opposes those in the church, and the culture, who justify their sinful behavior, and consequently their disobedience to Scripture, with a self-centered perspective wherein the individual’s desires are preeminent.

The inherent problem with relativistic individualism in the church, especially as it pertains to Scripture, is the final authority does not rest with the Word of God but rather with the individual. This mean every doctrine and practice is evaluated by a final standard, which is the individual’s personal judgment of what is, and is not, biblical. The result is subjectivism and relativism. As one author writes, “The reformers appeal to ‘Scripture alone,’ however, was never intended to mean me alone.”

Dr. Keith Mathison, professor of systematic theology at Reformation Bible College, explains:

“In America during the eighteenth century, this individualistic view of the radical Reformation was combined with the rationalism of the Enlightenment and the populism of the new democracy to create a radical version (of authority) that has all but supplanted the Reformation doctrine of Sola Scriptura. This new doctrine, which may be termed “Solo Scriptura” instead of Sola Scriptura, attacks the rightful subordinate authority of the church and the ecumenical creeds of the church.”

Ethan Harris, in reviewing Dr. Mathison’s book The Shape of Sola Scriptura, states:

“Sola Scriptura, as defined by Scripture, is not a rejection of tradition or of the subordinate authority of the church. It is a rejection of relativistic individualism, the two-source view of revelation, and other views that are not founded on Scripture or are a distortion of the Biblical formula of interpretation and authority.”

Martin Luther held tenaciously to the doctrine of Sola Scriptura. Here is but a sampling of his perspectives on the subject from the book What Luther Says.

• “The Holy Spirit Himself and God, the Creator of all things, is the Author of this book” (1:62).
• “Scripture, although also written of men, is not of men nor from men, but from God” (1:63).
• “He who would not read these stories in vain must firmly hold that Holy Scripture is not human but divine wisdom” (1:67).
• “The Word must stand, for God cannot lie; and heaven and earth must go to ruins before the most insignificant letter or tittle of His Word remains unfulfilled” (1:68).
• “We intend to glory in nothing but Holy Scripture, and we are certain that the Holy Spirit cannot oppose or contradict Himself” (1:72).

John Calvin strongly emphasized the importance of a commitment to Sola Scriptura.  In the Institutes of the Christian Religion, he wrote:

“If true religion is to beam upon us, our principle must be, that it is necessary to begin with heavenly teaching, and that it is impossible for any man to obtain even the minutest portion of right and sound doctrine without being a disciple of Scripture. Hence, the first step in true knowledge is taken when we reverently embrace the testimony which God has been pleased therein to give of himself.”

More to come. May all true believers in Christ remain committed to the doctrine of Sola Scriptura.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁶ “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)

For the next several days we will be examining the theological doctrine known as Sola Scriptura. What exactly do theologians mean when using this term?

The term Sola Scriptura was initially used by the 16^th Century Protestant Reformers. It means the inerrant Scriptures, the 66 books of the Bible, are the sole source of written divine revelation from God, which alone can bind the conscience. The Bible alone teaches all that is necessary for the sinner’s salvation from sin and is the standard by which all Christian behavior is evaluated. Therefore, no creed, council or individual may bind a Christian’s conscience. Additionally, the Holy Spirit will never speak independently, or contrary to, what is set forth in the Bible, and personal spiritual experience can never be a vehicle of revelation.

Sola Scriptura means Scripture alone is the believer’s preeminent authority.  It is the final influence by which the Christian’s conscience is bound.  It is the believer’s understanding and commitment that anything besides Scripture including feelings, passions, church traditions and teachings, along with personal convictions are secondary to God’s Word being the ultimate authority within the believer’s life.  

Dr. Michael Horton writes, “Scripture not only has the final say, but it is the formal principle of everything we believe about doctrine and conduct.”

Dr. W. Robert Godfrey explains that “the Protestant position is that all things necessary for salvation and concerning faith and life are taught in the Bible clearly enough for the ordinary believer to find it there and understand.”

Dr. John MacArthur adds, “Sola Scriptura simply means that all truth necessary for our salvation and spiritual life is taught either explicitly or implicitly in Scripture.”

The Westminster Confession of Faith of 1646 states that:

“The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed, and obeyed, depends not upon the testimony of any man, or Church; but wholly upon God (who is truth itself) the author thereof: and therefore, it is to be received, because it is the Word of God. We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the Church to a high and reverent esteem of the Holy Scripture. And the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style, the consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole (which is, to give all glory to God), the full discovery it makes of the only way of man’s salvation, the many other incomparable excellencies, and the entire perfection thereof, are arguments whereby it does abundantly evidence itself to be the Word of God: yet notwithstanding, our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth and divine authority thereof, is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts.”

There were two causes for the 16^th Century Protestant Reformation: a material cause and a formal cause. The material cause was a dispute over the doctrine of justification by faith alone (Sola Fide). The formal cause was the disagreement over biblical authority (Sola Scriptura). The Reformers coined this phrase, Sola Scriptura, but certainly not this doctrine, when they rejected the two-source view of authority; meaning the authority of church tradition is equal to the authority of the Scriptures.  In his book What is Reformed Theology Dr. R. C. Sproul writes:

“Roman Catholics taught (and teach) that there are two sources of infallible special revelation, Scripture and tradition. Since they attributed this authority (Scripture) to the tradition of the church, they did not permit any person to interpret the Bible in a way that was contrary to this tradition. This is precisely what (Martin) Luther did, leading to his excommunication and the condemnation of this doctrine. The Reformers insisted there is only one written source of special revelation, the Bible. This is the sola of sola Scriptura. The chief reason for the word alone is the conviction that the Bible is inspired by God, while church creeds and pronouncements are the works of men. These lesser works may be accurate and brilliantly conceived, capturing the best insights of learned scholars; but they are not the inspired Word of God.”

God has established many institutions of authority. These include government (Romans 13), family (Ephesians 6:1-2), employers (Ephesians 6:5-9; Colossians 3:22-25; I Timothy 6:1-2), and the church (Matthew 18:15-20; I Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; Hebrews 13:7,17; I Peter 5:1-4). However, all of these authoritative structures are to be subordinate to the foundational authority of Scripture.  

The two-source tradition of authority arose in the sixth century through the writings of Basil and Augustine. It further entrenched itself in the twelfth century, and later still in the fourteenth century with the writings of William of Ockham. From the fourteenth century onward, two opposing views developed in the church: either Scripture alone is the preeminent authority which the church interprets or the church is a second source of authority supplementing biblical revelation. In the Protestant Reformation, we witness the Reformers embracing the former and the Catholic Church then, and later at the Council of Trent, committed to the latter.

In the Institutes of the Chistian Religion, John Calvin writes:

“Nothing therefore can be more absurd than the fiction that the power of judging Scripture is in the Church and that on her nod its certainty depends. When the church receives it and gives it the stamp of her authority, she does not make that authentic which was otherwise doubtful or controverted but, acknowledging it as the truth of God, she, as in duty bounds shows her reverence by an unhesitating assent.”

More to come. May all true believers in Christ remain committed to the doctrine of Sola Scriptura.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁶ “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)

Today’s essay contains thoughts from Scripture, and by various theologians and pastors, concerning the authority of Scripture.

“The authority of Scripture means that all the words in Scripture are God’s words in such a way that to disbelieve or disobey any word of Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God.” – Dr. Wayne Grudem

¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸ For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. ¹⁹ Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17–20 (ESV)

“Unless I am convinced by the testimonies of the Holy Scriptures or evident reason (for I believe in neither the Pope nor councils alone, since it has been established that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures that I have adduced, and my conscience has been taken captive by the Word of God; and I am neither able nor willing to recant, since it is neither safe nor right to act against conscience. God help me. Amen.” — Martin Luther

“We all therefore have to face this ultimate and final question: Do we accept the Bible as the Word of God, as the sole authority in all matters of faith and practice, or do we not? Is the whole of my thinking governed by Scripture, or do I come with my reason and pick and choose out of Scripture and sit in judgment upon it, putting myself and modern knowledge forward as the ultimate standard and authority? The issue is crystal clear. Do I accept Scripture as a revelation from God, or do I trust to speculation, human knowledge, human learning, human understanding and human reasons Or, putting it still more simply, Do I pin my faith to, and subject all my thinking to, what I read in the Bible? Or do I defer to modern knowledge, to modern learning, to what people think today, to what we know at this present time which was not known in the past? It is inevitable that we occupy one or the other of those two positions.” – Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

“The authority of Scripture is a key issue for the Christian church in this and every age. Those who profess faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are called to show the reality of their discipleship by humbly and faithfully obeying God’s written Word. To stray from Scripture in faith or conduct is disloyalty to our Master. Recognition of the total truth and trustworthiness of Holy Scripture is essential to a full grasp and adequate confession of its authority.” – Dr. James Montgomery Boice, Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy

“The Christian principle of biblical authority means, on the one hand, that God purposes to direct the belief and behavior of his people through the revealed truth set forth in Holy Scripture; on the other hand, it means that all our ideas about God should be measured, tested, and where necessary corrected and enlarged, by reference to biblical teaching. Authority as such is the right, claim, fitness, and by extension power, to control. Authority in Christianity belongs to God the Creator, who made us to know, love, and serve him, and his way of exercising his authority over us is by means of the truth and wisdom of his written Word. As from the human standpoint each biblical book was written to induce more consistent and wholehearted service of God, so from the divine standpoint the entire Bible has this purpose. And since the Father has now given the Son executive authority to rule the cosmos on his behalf (Matt. 28:18), Scripture now functions precisely as the instrument of Christ’s lordship over his followers.” – Dr. J.I. Packer  

“The veracity and authority of Scripture is basic to the Christian faith, but it is not a “given” in the modern world. Not only is it directly attacked by skeptics inside and outside of the church, it is undermined by claims of authority for other alleged “holy books” such as the Qur’an and the Book of Mormon. In our skeptical and multicultural world, it is necessary for Christians to draw a line in the sand when the authority of Scripture is challenged.” – Dr. John MacArthur

“Is the ultimate, unquestionable authority for the church found in the Apostolic words of sacred Scripture or in the body of teachers who currently serve as overseers of God’s flock? That was the issue debated in the sixteenth century, at which time the Reformers determined that Scripture alone is the ultimate, authoritative revelation of God; the church does not have authority on an equal footing with Scripture.”  — Dr. R. C. Sproul

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁶ “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)

The following essay originally appeared in the December 9, 2009 issue of Tabletalk Magazine. It is entitled The Inspiration of Scripture.

“The supreme judge by which all controversies of religion are to be determined…and in whose sentence we are to rest; can be no other but the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scripture,” says the Westminster Confession of Faith (1.10). One of the many biblical passages that support this statement is our passage for today’s study, 2 Timothy 3:16–17, where we read that the Scriptures are “breathed out by God.”

Scripture finds its origin in the mind and character of the Creator so much so that His very words have been “breathed out” for all to hear. When we breathe out in our speech we speak audibly, and when the Lord God Almighty breathed out in speech long ago, His Word was written down by the apostles and prophets.

Some have said that Scripture contains the Word of God, becomes the Word of God, or is a witness to the Word of God, but as orthodox scholars like B.B. War eld have shown throughout history, none of these conceptions do justice to the concept of inspiration taught in 2 Timothy 3:16. The Holy Spirit so superintended the writers of the Bible that the words they produced are the words of each particular author and at the same time the exact words of God Himself, with all the authority His speech carries.

This is why Jesus can say “Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35) and why Paul can exhort Timothy to continue in the Word of God that He has heard and to use it to correct and edify other believers (2 Tim. 4:1–2). This is why Scripture is the final authority for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness, and it is why Scripture is necessary to make us competent for every good work (3:16–17).

Paul’s statement is applicable not only to the Old Testament — even though some argue that the apostle only has the old covenant writings in mind here. Yet since the apostle never speaks about the Old Testament apart from the revelation of Jesus Christ, Paul’s conception of Scripture includes the gospel, which is proclaimed clearly in the new covenant writings. Therefore, the old and New Testaments together are the very breath of God, the only infallible and inerrant rule for faith and practice.

Coram Deo

Augustine comments that we can never let our failure to understand a specific biblical text make us think that somehow that text is uninspired. “When we are wrong because we haven’t understood it, we leave it in the right. When we have gone wrong, we don’t make out Scripture to be wrong, but it continues to stand up straight and right, so that we may return to it for correction” (ACCNT 9, p. 269). We do not judge the Word of God; it judges us.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!