IT was a characteristic of the Lord’s teaching that astonished those who heard Him, that He spake as one having authority, and not as the scribes. These latter had their judgment, their opinions; still they were after all fallible, and might be wrong. Our Lord admitted no such question as to what He slake. His utterances were no opinions, but truth and only truth: truth that they were responsible to God about from the moment they heard it, just because it was such. “If I say the truth, why do ye not, believe Me?” was His own appeal on one occasion; and He then adds, “He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God,” (John 8:46, 4746Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. (John 8:46‑47).)
Let us examine this briefly, as it applies to us in this present day. Scripture of course, to us of the present day, alone takes this place of absolute authority. None upon earth now, nor since the apostles’ days can apply as his own, the statement, so like the Lord’s, “he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us,” (1 John 4:66We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. (1 John 4:6)). This, all Protestants will allow. And the Word asserts for itself in the most definite way, its own sufficiency and supremacy to the exclusion of everything else. Thus the apostle Paul, taking his final farewell of them at Ephesus, commends them “to God, and the word of His grace; which,” says he, “is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified.” (Acts 20:3232And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. (Acts 20:32)). And this same Paul, writing to one afterward at the same city of Ephesus, says furthermore of it, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, fur instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works,” (2 Tim. 3:16, 1716All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:16‑17)).
This is true of “all Scripture.” Many will ask me, however in the present day, how I know what is Scripture, and how far “all Scripture” extends, As to that, there is no difficulty: our Lord’s words have already supplied us with the answer. Upon His own showing, “He that is of God hears God’s words,” or as He puts it in another place,” He that will do God’s will, shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God.” (John 7:1717If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. (John 7:17)). A book is put into my hand as the Word of God. Do I receive it upon the authority of the, Church (as some say) the appointed keeper of it? Do I believe it because “the voice of the Church” declares it such? If that is so, I believe the Church indeed, but not the Word itself. On the other hand Scripture itself teaches me, that “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God,” (Rom. 10:1717So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)). Thus, when I listen to it, God gives His gracious witness, and if. I am willing to do His will, I know of the doctrine, that it is of God.
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.” There is another question. What is inspiration? and how far is scripture God-inspired? Well, inspiration is, in effect, what the apostle Peter says of prophecy: “Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” They were not only “moved.” They were not “moved” and then left to their human wisdom as to how they spake. They spake as they were moved. The apostle Paul tells us how far this inspiration extends, even to the very words used. “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth” (Cor. 2:13.)
Thus “all scripture” in the fullest sense — every word of it, — is God’s. Of course translations may be imperfect for the translators are not inspired; manuscript copies may differ for the same reason. But when we get what actually apostles or prophets or inspired writers in general wrote, we get the very words of the Holy Ghost — of God Himself. Truth therefore, absolutely pure, that I can rest my soul upon with the most undoubting assurance, is what I find in scripture; and not simply, as some would have it, in points of “religious interest” alone, but upon whatever He has been pleased to speak about.
Thus though I fully recognize that Scripture is not designed to teach me what people dignify with the proud name of “science,” yet I am sure its science in every point is perfect as all else. For instance the account of creation is a Divine account, not the best that Moses could give me, according to the light men had at that time. All true science must be in accordance with it, therefore all that is not in accordance with it is not true.
Complete verbal inspiration is what scripture asserts there for itself. He whose word it is, has not left us to disentangle truth from error in what He has given. If it were so, instead of its having authority over me, I should have to exercise my judgment upon it; and this is actually just what men are doing.
One more thing before I close. The perfection of the word is found also in this, that it is able to “furnish thoroughly to every good work.” Nothing is there in my whole walk, private or public, that does not come under its notice. It is a matter of concern to God, whether a woman should have her head covered in prayer or not (1 Cor. 11) I refuse then, distinctly and absolutely, submission to any human rules or regulations, which are proposed, with whatever good intentions, to supplement the word of God. It is provided for my entire governance. I dare not accept the thought of its not being able to furnish me thoroughly unto every good work. I refuse subjection to every other word, just because that word covers every point of conduct.
May you and I, reader, be subject to it indeed, refusing every other authority, only that God Himself may have supreme control in all things.