Solid Ground The Inerrant Word of God in an Errant World

by Gabriel N.E. Fluhrer (Editor)

Many evangelicals are questioning the authority of the Bible and the glory of its Author. Here eight leading pastor-scholars seek to restore that glory by arguing for the inspiration and inerrancy of the Word.

Genres: Theology

155 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Greg Kerr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book came into our church library as a donation, and as the librarian, I decided to be the first one to check it out. I have read, listened to and admired the preaching and teaching of most of the men who contributed to this anthology on the inerrant Word, and was not disappointed. It is my intent to read the other 3 ( I believe) books in this series this year.

[Todd Wilhelm · Rating 4 out of 5]

"What, then, is the Word of God? It is his creating Word. God speaks and it is done. He commands and it stands fast. God breathes out his Word, doesn't he? What is a word? It is a vocalized breath. Thus the Word of God is the vocalized breath of God. It is the very power of God to salvation to all who believe (see Rom. 1:17). And the preacher is called to preach the Word that comes from God, his inspired and inerrant Word.

We see this in spectacular fashion in the book of Acts again and again. We see references to the Word of God multiplying (cf. Acts 6:7; 12:24). Fascinatingly, we're not just told that the church spreads - we're told that the Word spreads. This is because the spread of the church is so totally dependent on the spread of the Word. The Word multiplies the church, if we can put it like that. The Word brings forth fruit because it is from God and has the power of God. This is what we see in times of revival."

-Edmund P. Clowney, page 146

"According to Isaiah (Isaiah 55), the Word of God really does something in the world. The only Word that can fulfill that promise is a clear and accessible Word. Furthermore, any attack on the perspicuity of Scripture is really an attack on God himself. If Scripture is not clear, then God is not clear. If his Word cannot be understood, then either God does not want us to know him (which would make him a liar) or else he is not an effective communicator. It is not just our doctrine of Scripture that is at stake in this discussion, therefore, but also our doctrine of God.

Martin Luther pointed out that if the meaning of Scripture is not clear, then God has given us the Scripture in vain. "If Scripture is obscure or ambiguous." Luther said, "what point is there in God giving it to us? Are we not obscure and ambiguous enough without having our own obscurity, ambiguity, and darkness augmented for us from heaven?""

-Philip Graham Ryken, page 121

[J. Alfred · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Greatest Hits type collection of sermons preached on the Bible itself at the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology over the years. The list of pastors/authors is sort of like a Who's Who of recent, intelligent Calvinism: Packer, Boice, Sproul and so on. It is a strong collection, if you're into that sort of thing: they affirm the need for and power of the faithful preaching of the Word.

[Mark A Powell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is the Bible the infallible Word of God or merely a guiding text to be consulted? As the line between these distinctions increasingly blurs, Fluhrer has compiled selected addresses from 30 years of the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology that home in on this issue. There is some repetition here, and occasional dry spells, but the premise of Scripture’s inerrancy and trustworthiness is vital and worthy of sustained reading. Contributions from Phillips and Dever were highlights.

[Rich Weber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could have been better. Should have been better. Packer, Boice, Duncan -- all very good essays. But the last several were quite disappointing. I hoped for much more from Dever, Ryken, Clowney. Still, a good read. Would have given 3.5 stars if Goodreads gave me the option.