Tag Archives: Bible

Self-Attesting Scripture

by therev2011

“Modern skeptical historians are saying we must leave it. All our information about Jesus is supernaturalistic, they are saying; therefore, all our information about Jesus is uncertain. We can never disentangle the real Jesus from the beliefs of his earliest followers. The only Christ we really know is the supernatural Christ of Jesus’s earliest followers. We can never rediscover the portrait of the real Jesus. Are you afraid of skepticism like that? I am not afraid of it a bit. It is easily refuted by a mere reading of the Gospels. I beg you just to read the Gospels for yourselves, my friends, and then ask yourselves whether the person here presented to you is not a living, breathing person. The extreme skepticism of the day will always be refuted by common sense.” -J. Gresham Machen, The Person of Jesus: Radio Addresses on the Deity of the Savior

Bible Man

by therev2011

“If we follow the Lord Jesus Christ, we are following the supreme Bible Man. Don’t ever be ashamed of being thought of as being tied to Holy Scripture. Don’t ever be ashamed of exalting Holy Scripture. You’re following in the steps of Jesus who bound himself to the Word of God, and insisted by his obedience to fulfil what was written of him.” -Alec Motyer, A Christian’s Pocket Guide to Loving the Old Testament

Paul and 2 Timothy 3:16

by therev2011

“Paul sees the whole Bible as the Word of God: (1) He reminds Timothy of what he has inherited, ‘… from childhood (lit., infancy) you have known the holy Scriptures (lit, sacred writings)’ (2 Tim. 3: 15), what we call ‘the Old Testament’. But (2) he has already pointed Timothy to what he now possesses in principle, ‘you have carefully followed my doctrine… continue in the things which you have learned… knowing from whom you have learned them’ (2 Tim. 3: 10, 14) Paul is referring, of course, to his own inspired writings, but his words cover in principle the apostolic scriptures of the New Testament. Then (3), bringing Old and New together, he teaches that ‘all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine (teaching the truth), for reproof (correcting errors in thought and conduct), for correction (redirecting the course of life), for instruction in righteousness (educating the believer— from infancy, v. 14, to graduation, v. 17).’” -Alec Motyer, A Christian’s Pocket Guide to Loving the Old Testament

Inspiration is Not ‘Polish,’ but ‘Breath’

by therev2011

“The words ‘given by inspiration of God’ (v. 16) are (rightly) reduced in NIV, ESV to one word, ‘God-breathed’. Divine inspiration is not a subsequent ‘polish’ or ‘enhancement’ given to an originally human production. The Scriptures began as truth God himself ‘breathed out’ and which was then brought to the Church through his chosen agents, and through them received its genuine human colorations without losing anything of its divine origin and quality.” Alec Motyer, A Christian’s Pocket Guide to Loving the Old Testament

‘Law’ is Broader than ‘Commandments’ in the OT

by therev2011

“We must be very careful over that word because in our common use it means regulations, prescriptions, bits and bobs to be obeyed. ‘Law’ suggests a narrow focus on rules, legislation, even on restrictions and prohibitions, but, in the Bible, ‘law’ means ‘teaching’. It has its regulatory, legalistic component, but basically it means an imparting of the truth that the Lord wishes to share with His people. Proverbs 4: 1– 2 is a good illustration: ‘Hear, my children (lit., sons), the instruction of a father… Do not forsake my law.’” -Alec Motyer, A Christian’s Pocket Guide to Loving the Old Testament