The evangelistic method of Jesus and the apostles was not to urge people to seek direct experiences with God; instead they went about preaching and teaching the Scriptures (see, for instance, Mark 1:14-15). And Jesus did not say that once we have spiritual life we live by direct mystical experience with God; rather, we 'live ... on every word that comes from the mouth of God' (Matthew 4:4). 'All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every food work' (2 Timothy 3:16-17). That includes the 'good work' of growing in the knowledge of God and likeness of Christ. So in Scripture the normative method of meeting God is through Scripture.
Donald S. Whitney, 'Unity of Doctrine and Devotion', in The Compromised Church, ed. John H. Armstrong (Wheaton, IL.: Crossway Books, 1993), p.95
"The Bible in its entirety is God's written Word to man, free of error in its original autographs, wholly reliable in history and doctrine. Its divine inspiration has rendered the Book "infallible" (incapable of teaching deception) and "inerrant" (not liable to prove false or mistaken). Its inspiration is "plenary" (extending to all parts alike), "verbal" (including the actual language form), and "confluent" (product of two free agents, human and divine). Inspiration involves infallibility as an essential property, and infallibility in turn implies inerrancy. This threefold designation of Scripture is implicit in the basic thesis of Biblical authority." The following quotes help provide a definition of "Inspiration: "...the mysterious process by which the divine causality worked through the human prophets without destroying their individual personalities and styles, to produce divinely authoritative writings." - Norman Geisler The following is an excerpt from Conversion: A Series of Sermons by B. F. Manire. Jonah went down four time: Down to Joppa, down in the vessel, down in the sea, and down in the fish's belly. No one ever disobeyed God and went up." "It is a distressing sign indeed when the people of God reach the place where they look with DISDAIN upon anyone who questions a practice." They (speaking of miracles) are only a part of the total picture of Jesus' ministry, only one aspect of the unique authority which Jesus displayed. Indeed they are far from being at the centre of Jesus' mission; he was very much more than just a miracle worker. Faith based on his miracles alone would be too shallow: this is a regular theme of the Fourth Gospel, and it may well be the reason for his reticence in allowing the report of his miracles to spread too widely. He had more to accomplish than merely to go down in history as a nine-days' wonder. The following is an excerpt from the Ketcherside-Porter Debate on Orphans Homes and Bible Colleges: The spirit of organization permeates the consciousness of people in general. We speak and write much about "organizing the church," and speak of the church as an organization. There is grave danger, and much evidence that we are coming to think of the church as something like human organization." "Paul to the Ephesians says, "Unto him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations forever and ever. Amen" (Eph. 3:21). Glory that is to be ascribed to God, and so justly due by all intelligences of earth and heaven --all his glory -- is to be in Christ, and in his holy church, Glory, then will never reach the divine and majestic Creator who sis on the throne of heaven,except it be ascribed through Jesus Christ in the church of his love. He can not be glorified in any institution or society." |
Nathan Battey
We would like to share some worth-while quotes from various authors to make you pause and consider different aspects of what God's Word teaches. Archives
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