The Authority and Sufficiency of ScriptureWrite a talk outline for a concerned home group who are struggling to find a way through the current debate on the battle between tradition, reason and the bible. Does the whole of scripture have to be taken literally? Isn’t it open to interpretation? How do so many people conclude so many things from the same piece of writing?                2 Tim 3v16+17: ‘All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.’                The apostle Paul, in his second pastoral letter to his young charge Timothy sets out a clear statement about the character of scripture and its usefulness¹.  As we come to explore this area of Scripture, how scripture sits with tradition and human logic, how we come to interpret it and use it, this will be our key verse.                The questions you are asking regarding the Bible are not new. In the 39 articles we find a clear statement and break from the Catholic Church and their tradition;                Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required by of any man, that it should be believed by an article of the faith. In the name of Holy Scripture we do understand those canonical books of the Old and New Testament, of whose authority was never any doubt in the church²                The questions you are asking are not just old either;                This is part of the problem with continually insisting that one of the absolutes of the Christian faith must be a belief that “Scripture alone” is our guide. It sounds nice, but it’s not true …….the problem is that we got the Bible from the church voting on what the Bible even is…..when people say all we need is the Bible, it is simply not true³.                When we come to think about these questions, there are four avenues that we will travel down and hopefully by addressing these areas we will also answer the questions of interpretation and the battle with reason, logic and tradition. I am unashamedly speaking from an evangelical position that affirms the Bible as God’s word and is as Paul says to Timothy the way you can be thoroughly equipped for everything in the Christian life. But I hope that as we go through the material the Bible will speak for itself and show how central it is to the Christian faith. 1.       The Clarity of ScriptureThis doctrine states that the teachings of the Bible are able to be understood by all who read it, seeking God’s help and being willing to follow what it teaches⁴. We can hold to this position because this is the way that the Bible talks about itself, in the psalms the writer refers many times to the scriptures, or the law of the Lord;The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. Psalm19v7Your word gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.Psalm119v130Tyndale, famously responded to the Catholic bishop regarding the Bible; ‘If God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy who drives the plough to know more of the scriptures than you do’. One of the great drivers of the reformation was getting the Bible into the hands of the ‘ordinary people’; because through the work of the Holy Spirit and our own endeavor we can understand what the writers wanted us to understand. Jesus quoted scripture freely in his converse with both the educated teachers of the law and the common people of Palestine.Since the reformation though; this doctrine has taken another big hit since the arrival of post modernity. This is the world view that followed on the heels of modernism and became popularized in the 1960s. It is marked by disillusionment with the ideals of modern thought and therefore rejects any idea of universal or absolute truth⁵. This includes the idea that it is impossible to ascertain meaning from texts in history and therefore calls into question the very doctrine of scripture and that we can understand what the writers of for example the gospels wanted to tell us about Jesus.This; I fear is where the idea that meaning is determined by the reader comes from. The contextualization of meaning was put forward by many philosophers including Wittgenstein;The context of the reader is everything, it completely determines the interpretation of the text and it is impossible to deposit any unifying meaning.⁵The problem with this approach however, is that the very people that proclaim it fall into their own trap; If words have no ultimate meaning, surely those who believe that should remain silent. Is it really possible to express this idea in words whilst at the same time denying those very words the possibility of meaning? If we are to escape complete silence, surely it is more credible to believe that meaning is possible, that communication [whether written or spoken] can occur.⁵So, when we come to study the Bible there is some responsibility on the reader. We can know truth; we can find out meaning and interpret the Bible correctly. The bible makes it clear that it is clear, even to the simple, unregenerate sinner. A quick note here is to answer the question about taking the bible literally. G.K. Chesterton was asked this question and responded; ‘The Bible says that Herod is a fox – that does not mean that he has a bushy tail and pointy ears. It also says that Jesus is a door – that does not mean that he is wooden, flat and swinging on hinges’⁵. We do take the Bible literally, but we must read things in context, look at the author’s intent in writing, and note where he is using metaphor and where he is relaying historical events.2.       The Necessity of ScriptureThis doctrine states that the bible is necessary for knowledge of the gospel, for maintaining spiritual life and for certain knowledge of God’s will⁴.  It is true to say that general revelation does exist in the world, we can know things about God, that he is creative, kind, possibly even relational but without special revelation, without the Bible, we can never know the gospel;14How 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? 15And 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!” 16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says; “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.Jesus, quoting Deuteronomy 8v3 says ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’. Our spiritual life can only be sustained by through the words of God found in Scripture.This is hugely relevant again in our post modern world, when you ask the question, how do we know anything for definite when our knowledge is not omniscient? How can anything be certain? Well Grudem responds well to this;Christians who take the Bible as God’s word escape philosophical skepticism about the possibility of attaining certain knowledge without finite minds….for people who are not omniscient, the Bible is necessary for certain knowledge about anything.⁶This applies directly to the questions that you are asking. Where do we go for answers when we have tradition, reason and logic? Well, we must go to Scripture because it is necessary. We can not know anything for certain unless it has been revealed to us from an omniscient mind. And this is what the Bible claims directly to be – the revelation of God himself.3.       The Authority Of ScriptureThis doctrine states that all the words of scripture are God’s word in such a way that to disbelieve or disobey any word of scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God⁶.  This is where we must turn to our text in 2 Timothy. Paul describes all of scripture as ‘theopneustos’, breathed out by God. God’s word comes by the breath of God’s spirit, and is effective and acting⁷.The bible also says in 2 Peter 1v21: ‘no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit’. We cannot divide God and his words. Who he is and what his word says are inseparable, so calling into question the authority of God’s word is calling into question the very authority of God. To this you may easily say James; you have just used the Bible to prove its own authority. Surely, that is a circular argument? Well, yes it is but God’s words are self attesting, they cannot be proved to be God’s words by appeal to any higher authority⁶. If we appeal to a higher authority, then that becomes the authority!  The thing is that actually everyone refers to a circular argument as you always hold to one thing as the highest authority. For example; if reason is the way you decide things then my reason is my ultimate authority because it seems reasonable to me to make it so!In answer to the circular argument claim, it could be said that the authority of scripture is more like a spiral. The world around us gives greater assurance and a deeper conviction that the Bible is the only true authority⁶. It is not that the world around us sits in judgment on the bible and attests its authority, but that increasing understanding of scripture and increasing understanding of the world around us supplement one another in a harmonious way, each confirming the accuracy of the other.The question then is how we apply this authority to the questions that we ask. Well, the authority of Scripture means we must sit under it, more than that we must base everything that we do upon it. It is our highest authority, because it says that it is and also it proves that it is as we live it out. Reason, logic and tradition are all man made constructs that will fail, but because God and his word cannot be divided we can trust the utterance of an all powerful, all knowing, all loving creator God.Calvin says it better than I ever could; God alone is a fit witness of himself in his word. The testimony of the Spirit is more excellent than all reason. The Spirit must penetrate into our hearts to persuade us that [the scriptures] faithfully proclaim what has been divinely commanded.⁹                4.       The Sufficiency of ScriptureThis doctrine states that scripture contains all the words of God he intended his people to have at each stage of redemptive history, and that now it contains everything we need God to tell us for salvation, for trusting him perfectly and for obeying him perfectly⁸.If we go back to 2Tim 3v17, it say that all scripture makes the man of God; ‘competent, equipped for every good work. Psalm 119v1 says that if we walk in God’s law we can be ‘blameless’ and in v9 that a young man can remain pure by guarding his way by the word of God.Simply put, the Bible is all we need. It is enough for us; it contains everything that we need for the Christian life. Why? Because it says it does! This is why we must also have clear thinking on Scripture’s authority, clarity and necessity. For without these when I come to make a decision I may doubt that the Bible is clear, relevant or trustworthy. But with these doctrines in place I can see that the ‘forever-stuff’ of God’s word is the very place I need to go. I can have absolute confidence that the bible tells me what God requires me to do or think in any area and on those parts where it remains silent, they belong to him – Deut 29v29.Practically, this shows itself with an encouragement to search the bible for answers and an encouragement to be content with scripture in issues such as guidance. We do not have to wait for another word, or direction and any that we are given must be weighed up by the truth of scripture. Again, you may have an objection and say that the Bible was written 2000 years ago, how is it relevant to me today, surely it is out of date and we must use new ways of finding out what God wants. Well, it has been said that to say something that is always relevant, you must say something that is eternal, and that is exactly what the Bible again claims for itself;89Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.                In an attempt to fulfil my bible doctrine chapter as good as Grudem I have included my own diagram!  Bibliography1.       D.A. Carson et al. New Bible Commentary, pg 1309. 2.       The thirty nine articles. www.anglicanonline.org.uk3.       Rob Bell. Velvet Elvis. Pg 67.4.       Wayne Grudem. Bible Doctrine. pg51.5.       Amy Orr Ewing. Why Trust the Bible. Pg 236.       Wayne Grudem. Bible Doctrine. P337.       Marcus Honeysett. The Word of God Works.8.       Wayne Grudem. Bible Doctrine. Pg589.       John Calvin. The Institutes of Christian Religion. p79, I.VII.4

The Cross Centered Life by CJ Mahaney

The Cross Centered Life by CJ Mahaney 

This is a book review about a really little hardback from America that has a lot to say to us all in England;            

‘Sometimes the most important truths are the easiest to forget. It’s time to get back to the starting point of the Christian life—the cross of Christ. Jesus’ work on your behalf must be the central motivation for your life and faith—the main thing.’

This is Mahaney’s motivation for writing the book, that its readers may discover that the cross is the central thing in our life, it is the way we start our christian life, the way we end it and the way we live it out in the middle. He says in his inroduction that some may find it surprising that he teaches a 9 year old boy about God’s wrath toward sin. He goes onto to say that he finds it surprising that any loving person would withold this truth from any person they love. Quoting Jerry Bridges he says ; ‘the gospel is not only the most important message in all of history, it is the only essential message in all of history’.

Clearly, the message of the cross is Mahaney’s passion and he communicates how it should motivate our whole life very well indeed. The book is short, very short, its possible to read the whole thing in 2hours but it is packed with great application on the truth’s of the Christian gospel. He tackles what the gospel says to legalism and how the cross rescues from the performance trap. He encourages the reader with what the cross does to shame and guilt. He challenges what we base our faith on, feelings or the objective finished work of Jesus.

At every corner he encourages and rebukes us as we see that the cross really is the way to live the Christian life and J Knox Chamblin sums this up when he says; ‘the spirit does not take his pupils beyond the cross but ever more deeply into it’. In the last chapter he talks of finishing the book and putting it on a shelf and never reading it again but he says ‘never let the message of the cross slide into second or third place…never lay it aside…never move on’.

As i thnk about these things in the context of students and working with them the message of the book has such great insight. Studentdom is based on the latest things, getting their first, experiencing new ways of doing things, and this is especially true within christian circles.  We all want to be exciting and visonary and fresh and this is true but it should never be to the expense of the timeless gospel that saved us and will continue to save for generations to come. We must hold unswervingly to  the truth about Jesus found in scripture, it is our only hope, he is our only Saviour, the cross is our only way to be right with the God who made us.

The end of the book finishes with how it started, just like our christian life should at the foot of the cross recognising God’s forgiveness and mercy;

‘ I understand who I am and where I deserve to be. i deserve God’s wrath. Honestly, I deserve to be in hell. But instead I am God’s child. I’m forgiven and loved by Him. I’m going to heaven……I don’t know what tommorrow holds, but I know this: Because of the cross I’ll be doing much better than I deserve. That’s why, for the rest of my life, I want only to move deeper into the wonderful mystery of God’s love for me’.

J

Thoughts from the office……… 2 Peter 3: ‘But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men’. I am using bible references because I think that is the best way to understand these eternal things rather than my own limited thoughts. So Peter seems pretty convinced that there is a future judgement to come and that the ungodly will be destroyed. This would fit with the teaching of Jesus that Peter was probably listening to in Mark 9: If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where ” ‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’Everyone will be salted with fire’. Jesus is being vey loving here as he warns us severely agaoinst the dangers that we face. Again he seems to warn us again in Matthew 13: ‘”As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear’. I must say that Jesus teaching about hell does not sit comfortly with me, it is a hard truth to accept sometimes but the Lord Jesus, the most loving man ever seems to take it very seriously and lets his disciples know about it. I just want to stick closely to the teaching of my King and Saviour, who becasue of his great love for me means that I do not have to experience hell myself