Tag: The Doctrine of Scripture

This Is the Word of the Lord: Becoming Confident in the Scriptures by Daniel R. Hyde: A Sound and Basic Defense of Scripture

DETAILS:
Publisher: Christian Focus Publications
Publication Date: January 17, 2023
Format: Paperback
Length: 121 pg.
Read Date: February 26, 2023

As yearly surveys and our own experience shows, we are living in a time of famine of the true Word of God. The ancient prophet Amos spoke of such a coming famine in his day: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord God, when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord’ (Amos 8:11). How true is this still? We are living in that day. This is why when we find the Word, we need to mine it for its riches, cultivate it for its food, and drink from it like a well in the desert. Sadly, Amos says in those days that ‘they shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord, but they shall not find it’ (Amos 8:12). This describes our time. The apostate church blindly wanders from the sentimentality of Protestant Liberalism to the so-called authoritative and immovable word of Rome or Orthodoxy, to the relativistic Emerging Church, to the skeptical Bart Ehrman, to the happy Joel Osteen, and the list goes on. There is a lot of searching but no finding. Yet in the Word written, our searching turns to resting as the silence of our hearts is filled with His living voice.

What’s This Is the Word of the Lord About?

Very simply, the book is Hyde’s response to that quotation—that’s the book’s thesis—everything else is the details. The primary concern of the work is to build and establish the reader’s confidence in the Scriptures—and that from that confidence the reader would build their life, faith, and sanctification on those Scriptures.

He covers topics like the revelation, inspiration, authority, canonicity, sufficiency, and perspicuity of Scripture—largely the typical points focused on in books about the Doctrine of Scripture. His last chapter, “Experiencing the Word,” tackles something I haven’t often seen in this kind of book, however. He calls his reader to “consider how the presence and power of the Spirit works causing us to experience the Word.” This is done particularly “to effect my recognition of in my life,” “to effect my reception of the Savior,” and “to effect my realization of sanctification.” Knowing everything in the previous nine chapters is all well and good—but if it remains an intellectual exercise, it’s pointless—the element of the Scriptures impacting your life—causing you to see your sin, need of a Savior, and resulting in sanctification (roughly the outline of the Heidelberg Catechism, to the surprise of no one), is essential.

So, what did I think about This Is the Word of the Lord?

As much as I appreciated the tone and urgency Hyde displays through the book, his obvious earnestness, the much-needed emphasis in the last chapter, and the overall soundness of every point he makes…I found the book to be adequate. But not much more than that.

Perhaps I’ve just read too many books written on this level for this general purpose, so it feels like so much of a retread for me.

I liked it but wanted and expected more. Hyde generally delivers that for me, but here he didn’t. Would I recommend this to anyone wanting a good foundation in the doctrine of Scripture? Absolutely. But for me, it fell a little flat.

3 Stars

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The Doctrine of Scripture: An Introduction by Mark D. Thompson: A Strong and Helpful Entry this Series

By HCNewton

On May 22, 2022

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

The Doctrine of Scripture:
An Introduction

by Mark D. Thompson

DETAILS:
Short Studies in Systematic Theology
Publisher: Crossway
Publication Date: April 26, 2022
Format: Paperback
Length: 185 pg.
Read Date: May 15, 2022

The Christian doctrine of Scripture is an integrated account of the word of the living God given to us in written form through the conscious, creative, yet faithful agency of human servants especially prepared for this work, and attended at every point by the Holy Spirit. As a doctrine, it does not arise from isolated and unusual “proof texts.” Instead, it emerges from a broad and deep biblical theology and is ultimately anchored in the being and character of the triune God. At its center is Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word, who himself appealed to the written word, both endorsing and fulfilling the Old Testament and, through the commission he gave to his apostles and the promise of his Spirit, authorizing the New Testament.

What’s The Doctrine of Scripture About?

This seventh volume in the Short Studies in Systematic Theology series addresses (as the title states), the doctrine of Scripture.

Thompson grounds his discussion in Christ’s view of Scripture—how he uses it, refers to it, and points people to that. If that’s his view, then those who follow him ought to share it. From there, he discusses God’s speaking to his people as depicted throughout Scripture—as He is a communicative God, we ought to rightly esteem and study that communication—starting with the spoken word and then the record of it—as well as the rest of the written revelation given to us. He then explains the attributes—or character—of Scripture: clarity, truthfulness, sufficiency, and efficacy. The book then closes with some guidance and encouragement for how the believer ought to use scripture—how we are to be discipled by it.

Highlights

I typically like to address highlights in a book like this—sadly, I don’t think I can really point to any. I can’t point to a chapter or two, or line of argumentation, or anything that I thought was more valuable, made a bigger impact on me, or anything else. It’s a strange feeling, really. Each chapter was equally strong—it’s not often you find a book like that.

I guess the strongest part of the book was Thompson’s approach—he kept it centered on Christ. Nothing against other books on the Doctrine of Scripture or Sola Scriptura, etc.—but few of them focus on Christ this way.

So, what did I think about The Doctrine of Scripture?

How a person responds to the word of God, spoken by Jesus or written in the Scriptures, has serious consequences. The most articulate confession of the nature of Scripture and the strongest affirmations of its authority mean nothing if a person is not willing to live under that authority with repentance and faith. In contrast Jesus once exclaimed, “Blessed . . . are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Luke 11:28).

This is one of the better entries in the series—it covers all the basics in clear, comprehensible terms, and then goes a little further, prompting the reader to further reflection and study.

A book this good deserves more than that sentence as an evaluation, but there’s not much more to be said. If you’re looking for a capable, accessible, and useful introduction to the Doctrine of Scripture—or a refresher on the essentials on this vital topic, you will be well served to give this a read.

4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.