We can imagine that some of our readers will read the title of this article with some

misgivings, and we hasten to explain our meaning so as to avoid giving unnecessary pain

or anxiety to those who love the Word of God. To say what we do not mean will help us

to make clear what we do mean by the title. We do not mean to suggest the slightest

distrust in the Word of God. We rejoice to be able out of a full heart to say that we

believe "All Scriptures is God-breathed." We believe that not only is Scripture inspired

in its general outline, but that divine inspiration extends to the very language and choice

of individual words and phrases.

What do we mean then by the limitations of Scripture? We mean that the Scriptures

nowhere claim that they contain the record of all God's purposes and ways, but that such

glimpses of those unfathomable depths and infinite heights are given us as our finite

capabilities will allow. If I turn to the writings of men I find that many of them deal with

subjects which go entirely beyond the inspired limits of Scripture. Revelation starts with

God as Creator, "In (the) beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Gen.i:1).

Man's theology is not content with this, it must probe into that over which God has

drawn a veil.  Man's theology and philosophy come to us and say, "God never had a

beginning." Within the limits of human experience and reason that which never had a

beginning does not exist. In vain we attempt to conceive otherwise. The blessed fact

we would point out is that God Himself has never burdened our minds with such a

statement. He Who on earth could say, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye

cannot bear them now," has also, in the wider scope of the complete Scriptures, given us

just so much as we are capable of understanding here.

Have we never felt when searching the Scriptures upon some theme the desire for

some further explanation which God has been pleased to withhold? Is there no truth in

the words of Zophar the Naamathite, "Canst thou by searching find out God?" Do we not

need the rebuke of Job xxxvi.26, "Behold, God is great, and we know Him not, neither

can the number of His years be searched out." Canst thou find out the Almighty unto

perfection?  In the highest revelation given to us are there not "unsearchable riches"?

Are we not endeavouring to get to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge?

Did not the apostle, when concluding the revelation of God's ways with Israel, rightly