2/8/13 Truth
for Life
Learning the Faith
“Once for all delivered to the saints”. (Jude 3)
Session 2
The Glory of the Bible
“Is Anyone Out There?”
“Hundreds of the worlds space scientist are spending vast sums from their
nations’ treasuries trying to make meaningful contact with imagined rational
beings living in deep space. It is an extremely questionable undertaking for
many reasons, but the insatiable thirst for a word to us from another world drives
them on in a pursuit that has to date yielded nothing.” Reymond (3)
The Glory of the Bible
“And God spoke all these words, saying….”
Exodus 20:1
1 2/8/13 The Doctrine of the Word
Westminster Confession of Faith
ò  The Necessity of Scripture 1:1
ò  The Authority of Scripture 1:4
ò  The Self-Authentication of Scripture 1:5
ò  The Clarity of Scripture 1:7
ò  Sufficiency of Scripture 1:6
ò  The Finality of Scripture 1:8-10
The Necessity of Scripture
WCF Chapter 1
1.  Although the light of nature, and the works of creation and
providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and
power of God, as to leave men unexcusable; yet are they not
sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of his will,
which is necessary unto salvation. Therefore it pleased the Lord,
at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal himself, and
to declare that his will unto his church; and afterwards, for the
better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the
more sure establishment and comfort of the church against
the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan and of the
world, to commit the same wholly unto writing: which maketh
the Holy Scripture to be most necessary; those former ways of
God's revealing his will unto his people being now ceased.
Why is the Bible
Necessary?
1.  The Inadequacy of General Revelation
ò 
ò 
Adequate to reveal the glory of God in many ways.
ò 
Psalm 19:1 “The heaven's declare the glory of God.”
ò 
Luke 12:24,27 “Consider the ravens….Consider the lilies”
Inadequate to reveal the way of life.
2.  The Cessation of Special Revelation
ò 
Reymond – “cessation” is not new in the history of revelation.
ò 
400 years between between Jacob’s death-bed prophecy (Gen 49) and God speaking
to Moses (Ex 3).
ò 
400 years between Malachi and Christ
2 2/8/13 What is the Bible Necessary
For?
ò Salvation
ò  “….to give that knowledge of God, and of his will, which
is necessary unto salvation.”
ò  John 20:30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the
presence of the disciples, which are not written in this
book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing
you may have life in his name.
ò  2 Timothy 3:15 and how from childhood you have been
acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to
make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
What is the Bible Necessary
For?
ò The Life of the Church
ò  “and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the
church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of
Satan and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto
writing…”
ò  2 Timothy 3:16 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.
The Authority of Scripture
WCF Chapter 1:4
•  “The authority of the Holy Scripture,
for which it ought to be believed, and
obeyed, dependeth 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.”
3 2/8/13 The Authority of Scripture
ò  THE critical issue of theology.
ò  “The framers of the Confession….were acutely
aware that the primary issue in religion is that of
authority. ‘What is your authority for saying what
you do?’” (Reymond, 55)
ò  The question of authority is directly connected
to the issue of origin. Whose words are these?
All the words in Scripture are
God’s Words
ò OT: “Thus says the Lord”
ò “All Scripture is breathed out by God…(2
Timothy 3:16)
ò For no prophecy was ever produced by
the will of man, but men spoke from
God as they were carried along by the
Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:21)
The “Great Divide”
ò  1 Cor 2:14 The natural person does not accept the things
of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is
not able to understand them because they are spiritually
discerned.
ò  John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them,
and they follow me.
ò  1 Thess 2:13 And we also thank God constantly for this,
that when you received the word of God, which you
heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but
as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in
you believers.
4 2/8/13 But how do we KNOW the Bible is
God’s Word?
ò  We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the
church to a high and reverent esteem for the Holy
Scripture. The heavenly character of its content, the
efficacy of its doctrine, the majesty of its style, the
agreement of all its parts, the scope of the whole (which
is to give all glory to God), the full disclosure it makes of
the only way of man's salvation, its many other
incomparable excellencies, and its entire perfection, are
arguments by which it gives abundant evidence that it is
the Word of God. Nevertheless, our full persuasion and
assurance of its infallible truth and divine authority is
from the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness
by and with the Word in our hearts. (WCF Ch. 1)
How can we KNOW?
ò  The Testimony of the Church:
ò  The Nature of the Text
ò  The heavenly character of its content,
ò  the efficacy of its doctrine,
ò  the majesty of its style,
ò  the agreement of all its parts,
ò  the scope of the whole (which is to give all glory to God),
ò  the full disclosure it makes of the only way of man's
salvation,
ò  its many other incomparable excellencies, and its entire
perfection, are arguments by which it gives abundant
evidence that it is the Word of God.
ò  The Witness of the Spirit –
ò  “Nevertheless, our full persuasion and assurance of its
infallible truth and divine authority is from the inward
work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the
Word in our hearts.”
ò  What sort of certainty does the Holy Spirit give?
ò  Of what facts does he make us certain?
ò  How does he do this?
5 2/8/13 Psalm 19:7-11
The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple;
the precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the LORD is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the LORD are true,
and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
How to receive the Scriptures.
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