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The Inspiration and Canon of the Scriptures.
No.1.
pp. 216, 217
The philosopher and the sceptic say "What is Truth?" The believer who has tasted
that the Lord is gracious replies: "God's Word is truth". Even the sceptic may agree to
this proposition but would ask "Has God spoken?" and if so, where is it to be found?
When deal with what is called "natural religion" we shall discover that "day unto day
uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge" (Psa. 19: 2); but our quest is
for something higher--a revelation of God Himself to man concerning Himself, His
purpose and man's failure; His grace and man's response. This the Christian has
discovered in that collection of writings called "The Scriptures", or "The Bible", and it is
with a view to establishing their inspiration and consequent truth and authority that we
devote this series of studies.
As these studies are intended to help the believer, we will not spend time attempting to
prove that which has already been accepted. We trust that those who read these article
are already resting for eternal peace on the finished work of Christ.
"It is enough for the disciple that he be as his Master" (Matt. 10: 24, 25).
What therefore is viewed as "Scripture" by Christ, will be "Scripture" to His disciples.
Here is His challenging statement:
"For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed Me, for he wrote of Me. But if
ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe My words?" (John 5: 46, 47).
To adopt the attitude of the Higher Critic is to reject Christ. But there is something
more.
"He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words, hath One that judgeth Him: the
word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken
of Myself: but the Father which sent Me, He gave Me a commandment, what I should
say, and what I should speak" (John 12: 48, 49).
It is evident therefore that to set aside the testimony of Christ, is to set aside the
testimony of Him that sent Him, and to do so is to overthrow the faith, leaving all men
without hope and without God in the world.
We now take our investigation a stage further. We consider in detail just how far the
testimony of Christ extends.
(1)
The Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms (Luke 24: 44).
The O.T. as a whole. This is the ancient threefold division of the O.T. (Proofs and details come
later under the heading: "The Canon of the O.T.".)
(2)
Individual writers and prophets.