Please Keep to a Safe Distance

People have an appreciation for moral excellence, as long as it is removed a safe distance from them.  The Jews honored the prophets from a distance.  This world honors Christ, from a distance. Peter wanted to be with Jesus, until he got too close.  Then Peter cried, “Please leave.” – R.C. Sproul, The Holiness of [...]

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The Basis of Semper Reformanda is Sola Scriptura

The Reformed doctrine of sola Scriptura, then, affirms that the Bible is the sole written authority for the faith and life of God’s people.  We respect and submit to lesser ecclesiastical authority, but we are not bound by it absolutely as we are by biblical authority.  This is the basis for the Reformation principle of [...]

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Scoffing at Inerrancy Misses the Point

For this reason [that the original manuscripts are unavailable] many scoff at the doctrine of inerrancy, saying it is a moot point since it cannot be verified or falsified without access to the original manuscripts.  This criticism misses the point altogether. We carry no brief for the inspiration of copyists or translators.  The original revelation [...]

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Infallibility and God’s Word

Infallibility refers to its [the Bible] indefectibility or the impossibility of its being in error.  That which is infallible is incapable of failing.  We attribute infallibility to God and his work because of his nature and character.  With respect to God’s nature he is deemed to be omniscient.  With respect to his character, he is [...]

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The Crucial Point of the Biblical Claim to the Authority of God’s Word

The mode or precise manner of divine inspiration is not spelled out.  The crucial point of the biblical claim to authority is that God is the source who breathes out his word.  It is clear from a study of the Bible itself that the authors’ individual styles remain intact.  The inspiration of the Bible refers [...]

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He Had to Go

The resentment of the Pharisees and Sadducees toward Jesus began as a petty annoyance, moved to the level of a smoldering rage, and finally exploded in vehement demands for His death.  They simply could not tolerate Him.  On the Sea of Gallilee the disciples were unable to find a category fitting for Christ; they could [...]

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They Are Not The Inspired Words of God

Though the Reformers distinguished between general and special revelation, they insisted there is only one written source of special revelation, the Bible.  This is the sola of sola Scriptura.  The chief reason for the word alone is the conviction that the Bible is inspired by God, while church creeds and pronouncements are the works of [...]

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God Alone is Infallible

The term sola Scriptura simply means “by Scripture alone.”  This slogan declared the idea that only the Bible has the authority to bind the conscience of believers.  Protestants did recognize other forms of authority, such as church offices, civil magistrates, and church creeds and confessions.  But they saw these authorities as being derived from and [...]

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God’s Holiness Refers to Two Ideas

God’s holiness refers to two distinct but related ideas.  First the term holy calls attention to God’s “otherness,” the sense in which he is different from and higher than we are.  It calls attention to his greatness and his transcendent glory.  The second meaning of holiness has to do with God’s purity.  The perfection of [...]

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Reformed Theology Emphasizes God’s Self-Sufficiency

Reformed theology places great emphasis on God’s self-sufficiency.  This characteristic is related to God’s acseity, the idea that God and God alone is the ground of his own being.  He derives his being nothing outside of himself.  He is self-existent.  In popular language we frequently refer to God as the Supreme Being and to ourselves as [...]

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