Chapter 2 - The Word of God
speak partly as the voice of God (in preaching), and partly as the voice of the people (in praying): 'If you take out the precious from the vile, You shall be as My mouth' (Jer. 15:19); 'And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. Then all the people answered, "Amen, Amen!"'
(Neh. 8:6).
Preaching the Word is prophesying in the name and on behalf of Christ. Through preaching those who hear are called into the state of grace, and preserved in it. God has 'given us the ministry of reconciliation ... Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though
God were pleading through us; we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God' (2 Cor. 5:18, 20); 'God from the beginning chose you for salvation, through sanctification by the Spirit, and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel' (2 Thess. 2:13, 14);
'The gospel is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes' (Rom. 1:16); 'Where there is no revelation the people cast off restraint' (Prov. 29:18); 'How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?' (Rom. 10:14).
II. THE WORD OF GOD
The Word of God alone is to be preached, in its perfection and inner consistency. Scripture is the exclusive subject of preaching, the only field in which the preacher is to labour. 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them' (Luke 16:29); 'The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat [that is, they teach the doctrine of Moses, which they confess].Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do' (Matt. 23:2-3).
The Word of God is God's wisdom revealing from heaven the truth which is according to godliness. 'But the wisdom, which is from above is first pure . . .' (James 3:17); 'Paul, a bondservant of God ... according to ... the acknowledgement of the truth which accords with godliness' (Titus 1:1). The exceptional qualities of the Word, both in its nature and its effects, evoke our admiration.
The Nature of Scripture The excellency of the nature of Scripture can be described in terms of its perfection, or purity, or its eternity.
Its perfection consists either in its sufficiency or its purity. Its sufficiency is such that as the Word of God it is so complete that nothing may be either added to it or taken from it which belongs to its proper purpose: 'The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul' (Psa. 19:7); 'Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it, nor take away from it' (Deut. 12:32); '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' (Rev. 22:18-19).
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, Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, Purified seven times'
(Psa. 12:6).
The eternity of the Word is its quality of remaining inviolable. It cannot pass away until everything it commands has been fully accomplished (Matt. 5:18).
Effects of Scripture The exceptional character of the influence of Scripture lies in two things:
1. Its power to penetrate into the spirit of man: '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'
(Heb. 4:12).
2. Its ability to bind the conscience, that is, to constrain it before God either to excuse or accuse us of sin: 'There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy' (James 4:12); 'The Lord is our judge,
The Lord is our Lawgiver, The Lord is our King; He will save us' (Isa.
33:22).
The Word of God is in the Holy Scriptures. The Scripture is the Word of God written in a language appropriate for the church by men who were immediately called to be the clerks or secretaries of the Holy Spirit: 'for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit' (2 Pet.
1:21). We speak of it as canonical Scripture because it is, as it were, a canon, that is a rule or line used by a master workman, by the aid of which the truth is first discovered, and then examined: '. . . and as many as walk according to this rule' (Gal. 6:16). Consequently the supreme, final determination and judgment of all controversies in the church ought to be made by it.
The sum and substance of the message of the Bible can be summarised in an argument (or syllogism) such as this: