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The Majesty of the ible

Bible, as when He speaks nothing less than

The Larger Catechism

with aWesome power,

wonderful, Le., causing

speak simply of the

tend

not only to grab our

wonder,

awe

and

majesty of the Bible,

attention, but also strike

adoration, because this

whereas the Confession of

us with awe

and

fear of revelation is

Faith

expands

the

idea

to

God, before the incomprehensible to the

the majesty of the style

description

and

display of

human mind, since God's

in which

the

Bible was

the splendor of His

thoughts are so infinitely

written.

The

divine

majesty, Isaiah 2:19,

2L

higher than ours. What

majesty of the style in

The Bible reveals great

the Bible reveals is a

which the Bible was

things, Hosea 8:12. It

is

mystery, in that none of

written shines forth no

full of wisdom ... yet not

its message would have

less from

the

simplicity

the wisdom of this world,

occurred

to

the human

than

the

weight of

nor of the princes of this

mind, without the

expression and revelation of

that consummate

God.

boldness in

The Purity

of

commanding all

the

ible

without

The divine

distinction,

both

authority of the

the

highest and

Bible is seen in

the lowest. - the purity of its

Francis Turretin, Institutes

world, that come to

doctrines. t is Holy

of

Elenctic Theology,

VoL

1,

nothing: but we speak the Scripture precisely

pg 64. Although some

wisdom of God in a

because its puri ty excels

Biblical passages have

mystery, even the hidden

all other compositions,

more plainness, while

wisdom, which God

since it

is

God-breathed.

others are written

in

a

ordained before the world

Everyone that weighs

loftiness of style,

unto our glory. Which

the subject-matter of it

nevertheless, a definite

things also we speak, not

may behold therein the

majesty characterizes the

in

the words

which

man's

displays of the glory of

entire Bible, because

wisdom teach, but which

the holiness of God. -

throughout

its passages it the Holy Spirit teaches, 1 Thomas Ridgeley,

reveals

the

sovereignty

Corinthians 2:6-13. God s

Commentary

on

the Larger

and

gloriOUS

splendor of

Word is wonderful, Psalm

Catechism, Vol. 1,

pg.

40.

the High and Holy One,

119:129.

In other words,

It is absolutely pure in

who inhabits eternity, and

the Bible has too milch

and of itself - The words

who is majestiC in

majesty of style, sublimity

of the Lord

are

pure words;

holiness. Such expression

of doctrine

and

too much

as silver tried in a furnace

of God's sovereignty and

divine wisdom in it to

of earth, pUrified seven

majesty, interspersed

have been invented by

times , Psalm 12:6. Thy

throughout

the entire men. Its contents are

word

is

very pure: therefore

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Thy servant loves it

Psalm 119:140.

Being impeccably pure,

it lays open the vile and

detestable nature of sin,

to render it abhorred

by

us. .

I t

also presents

to

our

view various

instances of the divine

vengeance, and shows us

how the wrath of God

is

revealed against the

unrighteousness of

sinners, to make them

afraid

of

rebelling against

Him. - Moreover, the

Scripture warns sinners of

that

eternal ruin which

they expose themselves to

in the other world .. Nor

does Scripture ever give

the least indulgence or

dispensation to sin, or in

any

of its doctrines, lead

to licentiousness. And it

.not only reproves sin in

the life and outward

behavior of men, but also

discovers its secret

recesses in the hearL.and

guards against its first

motions, tending thereby

to regulate the secret

thoughts of men. - The

Scripture . .leads us to the

practice of Christian

virtues

for

better motives,

and

considers us not

barely

as

men, but as

Christians, under the

highest obligations to the

blessed Jesus, and

constrained to a virtlloUS

life by His condescending

, love, expressed in all that

He has done and suffered

for our redemption and

salvation. - Ridgeley, Vol.

. I pg. 41f.

How does the purity of

the Bible argue for its

divine authority? 0 .

Man who is prone to sin,

naturally blinded and

prejudiced against divine

truth and holiness, could

never compose a book

which is so consonant to

the divine perfections,

and contains such a

display of God's glory,

and is so adapted to make

us holy. - 2) It is plain

that the world without

Scripture could not attain

holiness. - Ridgeley, Vol

1.,

pg. 43.

The Consent of ll

the

Parts

of

the Bible

The Bible is completely

harmonious. It contains

no contradictions or

inconsistencies. This

exact and harmonious

consent of all the parts of

the Bible proves it to be

of divine origin and

divine authority. Not only

is there perfect unity

between the Old and New

Testaments, but perfect

unity also exists between

the particular books of

the Bible.

Now nothing

preserves the boo1;s of

Scripture from such

inconsistency and

contradiction as are

found

in

all other

compositions, except that

they were written by

divine inspiration. This

will appear, if we

consider that the

penmen

were in themselves as

liable to mistake as other

men.

Had

they been left

to themselves,

they would

have betrayed as much

weakness, confusion

and

self-contradiction as any

other writers have done.

- But they were

taken

from mean employments,

and made use of by God

as penmen

of Scripture,

that we might,

in

their

lack of human learning,

see more of the divinity

of the writings which they

were employed to

transmit to us. Besides,

they lived

in

different

ages

and

places, and so

could not consult

together what to impart;

and yet we find ...that

they all agree together.

The harmony, of their

writings, therefore, is an

evident proof that

they

were inspired by the same

Spirit,

and

consequently

that these writings are the

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Word of God. Ridgeley,

revealed in the Word, for put us upon adoring

and

VoL I, pg. 44.

the authority of God worshiping Him as God.

Not only do the

Himself speaking

It may also, by a just

Westminster Standards

therein, because God has consequence, be said to

teach us that the Bible

spoken whatsoever is in

give all glory to Him,

manifests itself to be

the

the written Word. As

when it represents the

Word of God because of simple historical emptiness

and

even

the consent of all the

students, then, we must

nothingness of all

parts of the Bible, it also

hold that the Confession

creatures as compared

teaches us that the

(and Catechisms) teaches

with

Him,

and

thereby

inspired books of the

that God is in such a

recommends Him as all

Bible are not human

sense the author of

alL Ridgeley,

VoL

I, P

writings, I, 3, but they

Scripture that He speaks

5l.

I

have God (who is truth

all that stands written in

How does this point

I

itselD for their author,

it; and all that stands

testify to the divine

1,4. The original

written in it is, therefore

authority of the Bible?

manuscripts of the Bible

true. Benjamin

B.

Had the Bible been a

I

are immediately inspired

Warfield,

Shorter Works

invention of human

by God, 1,8, and are

in

VoL n pg. 578.

beings, or had the autho

fact

the

very Word of

The Scope o the

falsely pretended to hav

God, Larger Catechism

Whole Bible:

To Give

received it by divine

Q.

4, so that they are His

AU Glory

to

God

inspiration, its great

own revealed will, XXI, l.

The exaltation of God

purpose would have bee

The Westminster

and the humiliation of

to the exaltation of man

Confession of Faith even

man comprise the

They would have written

speaks of its purpose of the Bible

as

the Bible

in such

a way

many . .incomparable

deSigned by God; and

that is agreeable to their

excellencies,

and

the

everything in the Bible

sinful inclinations

and

entire perfection thereof,

advances that purpose,

self centered desires, th

1,5, whereby the Bible

Isaiah 2:10 22. Not only

tends to indulge in,

abundantly evidence

does

excuse, or down play sin

itself to be

the

Word of

Scripture .. occasionally

And their Bible certainly

God, infallibly true and

ascribe adorable

would

not

have set forth

divinely authoritative.

perfections to God; but

the holiness of God and

Therefore, because of

every part of it displays

His fiery anger against a

the

divine authority of His glory

in

so

illustrious sin. In their doctrine of

the

Bible manifested in

a manner, as gives ground

salvation, they would

the

consent of all its parts

to conclude, that the

have made it easy to

and its entire perfection,

great design of it is to

obtain, and in the

a Christian believes to be

raise in us becoming

obtaining of it, man

true, whatsoever

is

apprehensions of Him, to

surely would have

6' THE COUNSEL of ChaIcedon

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February/March, 1998

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received some credit.

They would have created

a religion in it that makes

man

independent of God,

in

some sense, for his life

and

salvation.

The Light and Power o

the Bible

to

Convince

and Convert Sinners,

and to Comfort and

Build Up Believers

Unto Salvation

The effects of the Bible

testify to its divine

authority, for it

accomplishes what only

God can do. It is sharper

than any two-edged

sword, pierCing to the

soul itself and generating

faith and piety in the

hearts, minds and lives of

its hearers, as well as

invincible firmness in its

professors, and always

victoriously triumphs

over the kingdom of

Satan and false religion.

- Francis Turretin, Vol. I,

pg.

64.

The Bible verses

making this point are

many. He mightily

convinced the

Jews

... showing

by the

Scriptures that

Jesus

was

the Christ, Acts

18:28.

For

the Word of God is

living,

and

powerful,

and

sharper than

any

tow-edged

sword, piercing even to the

dividing asunder of

soul

and

spirit, and of the joints

and

marrow, and is a

discerner of the

thoughts

and

intents of the heart,

Hebrews

4:12.

Of His

own will He

begat us

with

the

word

of truth,

James

1 : 18.

The Law of the Lord

is perfect, converting the

soul;

the testimony of the

Lord

is

sure,

making wise

the

simple;

the statutes of

the

Lord are right, rejoicing

the

heart;

the

commandment of the Lord

is

pure,

enlightening the

eyes,

Psalm

19:7-9.

For

whatever

things were

written aforetime were

written for our

learning;

that we, through patience

and

comfort of the

Scriptures, might have

hope, Romans

15:4. And

now, brethren, I commend

you to God,

and to

the

words

of

His

grace,

which

is

able

to build you up, Acts

20:32. These passages

give us ample evidence to

believe the Bible the

Word of God, because

they describe things the

Bible does in us and to

us, which things only

God

is

capable of doing.

The Summary By

A A

Hodge

The internal marks of

a divine origin in the

Bible are such as - 1) .

The phenomena it

presents of a supernatural

intelligence: in unity of

design developed through

its entire structure,

although it is composed

of sixty-six separate

books, by forty different

authors, writing at

intervals through sixteen

centuries; in its perfect .

freedom from all

the

.errors incident to the ages

of its production,

with

regard to facts or

opinions of whatever

kind; in the marvelous

knowledge it exhibits

of

human nature under all

possible relations ancl. .

conditions; in the original

and luminous solution it

affords of many of the

darkest problems of

human history and

destiny. 2). The

unparalleled perfection of

its moral system:

in

the

exalted view it gives of

God, His law

and

moral

government; in

its exalted

yet practical and_

beneficent system of

morality, set forth and

effectively enforced; in its

wondrous power over the

human

conscience;

and in

the unrivaled extent and

persistence of its

influence over

communities of men. -

ConfeSSion o Faith, pg.

36.

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