Those brackets around Romans 16:24

There are a few places in the Bible where there are brackets around verses. One of those places occurs in Romans 16:24 — Those brackets indicate, according to the editor’s footnote in the margin, “Early mss do not contain this v.” That is, this verse is absent in the oldest Greek manuscripts of Romans. How […]

When Scripture speaks

The Apostle Paul is fond of quoting from the Old Testament — particularly in the book of Romans. In that theological treatise, the apostle quotes the Old Testament directly over 60 times. And over half those quotations appear in three chapters — Romans 9-11. As Paul lays the foundation for God’s sovereignty in salvation in […]

Warfield on inspiration

The inspiration of Scripture is a reference to the divine authorship of Scripture — the Bible has God as its singular source and authority. It comes from God. Perhaps no theologian wrote as carefully or extensively on the topic of inspiration as B. B. Warfield. In his classic work, Inspiration and Authority, he writes this […]

God’s inspired Word

We speak often of the Bible as “God’s Word.” It originates in Him. He is the author and source of Scripture. It was written by men in their own languages and vocabulary, and out of their education and background. But it was not their message and idea. It has its source in God. Perhaps no […]

Scripture is authoritative

In “If I Were in Charge of the World,” Judith Viorst’s popular child character Alexander opines, If I were in charge of the world There’d be brighter night lights, Healthier hamsters, and Basketball baskets forty-eight inches lower. If I were in charge of the world You wouldn’t have lonely. You wouldn’t have clean. You wouldn’t […]

Sermon: Sola Scriptura

“Sola Scriptura: the Foundation of the Reformation” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 November 5, 2017 The passage before us this morning is well known to us: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good […]

As it is Written

Everyone has phrases he tends to use repeatedly. Sometimes the words are “filler” when we don’t know what to say, other times they are affirmations that we tend to make in the same way. For instance, I tend to use the word “absolutely” and “precisely” when giving positive affirmation of a statement. Or when seeing […]

What does the Scripture say?

A few days ago I backed my car out of my driveway. As is too often the case, I had tried to do too much before I left the house and hadn’t left myself enough time to get where I was going. So as I put the car in reverse and simultaneously buckled my seat […]

A godly man is a lover of the Word

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from The Godly Man’s Picture. He loves the consolatory part of the Word — the promises. He goes feeding on these as Samson went on his way eating the honeycomb (Judges 14:8, 9). The promises […]

How do the Scriptures have divine authority?

Wednesdays with Watson is a weekly reading taken from my favorite Puritan writer, Thomas Watson. This week’s selection is taken from A Body of Divinity. How does it appear that the Scriptures have a Jus Divinum, a divine authority stamped upon them? Because the Old and New Testament are the foundation of all religion. If their […]