Who Is Superior To The Scripture?
As the New Year begins, perhaps it is most relevant to go back to the beginning of last year and and the year before to review again the first Newsletter for 2004. The issues are the same, they have not changed, they have not become less important, but have become more pertinent in today's religious world. Where do those who claim to be Christians, place the authority for their beliefs? Is the authority found in the Scripture, is it placed in the mouths of their teachers or is it assumed to be the possession of themselves?
"A truly Christian worldview begins with the conviction that God Himself has spoken in Scripture. As Christians, we are committed to the Bible as the inerrant and authoritative Word of God. We believe it is reliable and true from cover to cover, in every jot and title (cf. Matt 5:18). Scripture, therefore, is the standard by which we must test all other truth-claims. Unless that axiom dominates our perspective on all of life, we cannot legitimately claim to have embraced a Christian worldview. "Judeo-Christian ethics" per se are not what make a worldview Christian. Admiration for the Person and moral teachings of Christ does not necessarily make one's point of view Christian either. A truly Christian worldview, simply put, is one in which the Word of God, rightly understood, is firmly established as both the foundation and the final authority for everything we hold true. When we begin with a right view of Scripture, the Bible itself ought to shape what we believe from start to finish. It should govern how we behave. It should frame our entire perspective on life. In other words, if we simply start by affirming what the Bible says bout itself, the rest of our worldview should fall into place, with the Bible as the source and touchstone of all we believe. So this is the crucial, foundational starting point in developing a Christian worldview." — John F. MacArthur, Think Biblically! "Embracing The Authority And Sufficiency Of Scripture," Crossway Books, Wheaton, Illinois, 2003, p. 21. READ ABOUT WHAT THIS DOCTRINE MEANS ON THIS WEBSITE Sola Scriptura - The Rule Of Faith And Practice A.A. Hodge 1823-1886 The Inspiration Of The Bible A.A. Hodge 1823-1886 The Doctrine Of Scripture John F. MacArthur 1939 Our God-Breathed Bible John F. MacArthur 1939 The Authority And Inspiration Of The Scriptures Benjamin B. Warfield 1851-1921
"What do we mean when we say Scripture is sufficient? We mean that the Bible is an adequate guide for all matters of faith and conduct. Scripture gives us every truth we need for life and godliness. Or to borrow words from the A.D. 1647 Westminster Confession of Faith, 'The whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man's salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men.'" "Do you want more evidence that evangelicals are losing confidence in the sufficiency of Scripture? You will see it in the rise of evangelical mysticism—the belief that Christians need to listen to God speaking directly to them through strong impressions in their mind, a voice in their head, or other mystical means. Some evangelicals have become obsessed with Satan and demonic powers. They imagine that they can command demons merely by speaking to them. All such mysticism is in reality nothing more than dabbling with the occult. It stems from a loss of confidence in the sufficiency of Scripture. Those who aren't convinced the bible is a sufficient revelation of truth will be continually looking elsewhere for more 'revelation' and new mystical experiences. In doing so, they open the door wide to the worst kinds of demonic deception." — John F. MacArthur, Think Biblically, "Embracing the Authority And Sufficiency Of Scripture," Crossway Books, Wheaton, Illinois, 2003, pp. 22, 23. READ ABOUT WHAT THIS DOCTRINE MEANS ON THIS WEBSITE The Sufficiency Of Scripture - Part 1 The Sufficiency Of Scripture - Part 2 John F. MacArthur 1939 The Work Of The Word - Part 1 The Work Of The Word - Part 2 John F. MacArthur 1939
"When God designed the redemption of mankind, his great wisdom appears in that he pitched upon his own, his only-begotten, Son, to be the person to perform the work. He was a redeemer of God's own choosing, and therefore he is called in Scripture, God's elect (Isa. 42:1). The wisdom of choosing this person to be the redeemer, appears in his being every way a fit person for this undertaking. It was necessary that the person that is the redeemer should be a divine person. None but a divine person was sufficient for this great work. The work is infinitely unequal to any creature. It was requisite that the redeemer of sinners should be himself infinitely holy. None could take away the infinite evil of sin, but one that infinitely far from and contrary to sin himself. Christ is a fit person upon this account." —Jonathan Edwards, The Wisdom Of God Displayed In The Way Of Salvation READ ABOUT WHAT THIS DOCTRINE MEANS ON THIS WEBSITE The Principle Of Single Meaning Robert L. Thomas Useful Directions For Reading And Searching The Scriptures Thomas Boston 1676-1732 The Importance And Advantage Of A Thorough Knowledge Of Divine Truth Jonathan Edwards 1703=1758 Proper Biblical Interpretation John F. MacArthur 1939 The Duty Of Searching The Scriptures George Whitefield 1714-1770
Does it really make a difference to Christians whether their teachers speak false doctrine and teach falsely about what the Scripture says about those doctrines? Does it matter to Christians whether their teachers claim revelations that they have not been given, claim conversations with God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit which have not occurred? Do Christians really believe that the Scripture has authority over the claims of false teachers? Apparently many of these elements are of no concern to multitudes of people who call themselves Christians, and they follow, without questions, their favorite false teachers even though the Scripture describes those teachers in minute detail and declares their ultimate destruction. What does the Scripture say about false teachers and what does it say about those who deliberately follow and defend those teachers. The Scripture is not silent and those who claim to be Christians should listen closely, unless they wish to be deceived to the point of believing that they have obtained a salvation which they have not. READ ABOUT WHAT THIS DOCTRINE MEANS ON THIS WEBSITE Avoiding Spiritual Counterfeiters John F. MacArthur 1939 Beware The Pretenders - Study Guide - Part 1 of 6 articles on apostates John F. MacArthur 1939 Pharisees and Sadducees J.C. Ryle 1816-1900 Christ's Warnings Of False Prophets Martin Luther 1483-1546 Why Do I Criticize "God's Anointed"? On Doctrine Giving And Receiving - Seed faith taken to the limit On Doctrine The Gospel Of Inclusion - The gospel created by Carlton Pearson On Doctrine Open Theism - The God who isn't quite able. Gary E. Gilley Open Theism's Attack On The Atonement John F. MacArthur Open Theism Master List Of Articles On Doctrine Website The Prayer Of Agreement - Matthew 18:19 On Doctrine
Does the Scripture matter in the lives of those who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ or is it something to be taken or discarded at will? For many who claim to be Christians, the latter seems to be the course to follow and what the Bible says has little effect on their beliefs. The Bible has an even lesser effect on what they believe in relation to their favorite teachers. When presented with obvious contradictions in what their teachers say, versus what the Bible says, many Christians embrace the words of their teachers, never dealing with the difficulties that are revealed, preferring to accept the false doctrines, immoral lives and illegal actions of their favorite teachers, instead of the direct words of God. Many Christians, when presented with the proof of the false character of their leaders, go so far as to claim that those who reveal the false character of those leaders are the guilty parties, because they are said to be judgmental, unkind, unloving and divisive. Ignorance of the Scriptures can be pointed to as one reason for their beliefs, but it is suspected that the main reason is that they prefer sin to righteousness, false doctrine to that which is true, and in the process reveal the troubling reality that just possibly, they may have deceived themselves into believing they are in the faith when they are not. READ ABOUT WHAT THIS DOCTRINE MEANS ON THIS WEBSITE The Wrong Cargo. The Wrong God John F. MacArthur The Wrong Jesus Christ. The Wrong Faith. John F. MacArthur Morality Continues To Decay - Barna Research On Line, November 3, 2003 Barna Research
"The word "deliverance" is not a part of Christian vocabulary but really should be. The fact that it isn't is a serious failure on our part because the word opens to us a category of truth that pointedly clarifies God's redemptive purpose. As I read Psalm 91 earlier in the service, do you remember that three times as the Deliverer who will deliver His people? In fact, deliverance may be the best, it may be the most comprehensive, and it may be the most clarifying word to explain God's gracious powerful work in our lives in spite of its infrequent use. I have searched some theology books looking even in the subject index at the back of the book to find any discussion of deliverance and have found it very rare." —John F. MacArthur READ ABOUT WHAT THIS DOCTRINE MEANS ON THIS WEBSITE Deliverance: The Neglected Doctrine - Sermon 1 Deliverance: From Error to Truth - Sermon 2 - Part 1 Deliverance: From Error to Truth - Sermon 3 - Part 2 Deliverance: From Sin To Righteousness - Sermon 4 - Part 1 Deliverance: From Sin To Righteousness - Sermon 5 - Part 2 Deliverance: From The Temporal World To The Eternal Kingdom - Sermon 6 John F. MacArthur 1939 or E-MAIL ON DOCTRINE at: ondoctrine@ondoctrine.com
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