Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
Martyn Lloyd-Jones Monday – Is the Bible Totally Trustworthy?

Martyn Lloyd-Jones Monday – Is the Bible Totally Trustworthy?

Last updated on: June 5, 2006 at 5:26 pm by Adrian Warnock

Martyn Lloyd-Jones Monday – Is the Bible Totally Trustworthy? 2006-06-05T17:26:00+01:00 Adrian Warnock

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

T4G Article II

“We affirm that the authority and sufficiency of Scripture extends to the entire Bible, and therefore that the Bible is our final authority for all doctrine and practice.

We deny that any portion of the Bible is to be used in an effort to deny the truthfulness or trustworthiness of any other portion. We further deny any effort to identify a canon within the canon or, for example, to set the words of Jesus against the writings of Paul.”

_____________________________

Today I want to quote what Lloyd-Jones has to say regarding the EXTENT of the truthfulness and trustworthiness of Scripture; i.e. does “verbally inspired, inerrant, infallible, and totally sufficient” extend to the whole of Scripture?

You must gird yourselves and your loins with truth. If you do not, you are defeated. And I am asserting and maintaining that truth can be known, that there is an authority. It is not reason, it is not feelings, it is not the Church, any church. It is the book called the Bible . . . .

We all therefore have to face this ultimate and final question: Do we accept the Bible as the Word of God, as the sole authority in all matters of faith and practice, or do we not? . . . Do I pin my faith to, and subject all my thinking to what I read in the Bible? Or do I defer to modern knowledge . . . It is inevitable that we occupy one or the other of those two positions . . . Either my foundation is one of sand that gives way beneath my feet, and I do not know where I am, or else I stand on what W. E. Gladstone called ‘The Impregnable Rock of Holy Scripture’

Why should we return to the Bible, why should we believe it? The first answer, says the Doctor, is that the Bible itself claims that it is this authority. Now there is the stumbling point for many. But, says Lloyd-Jones,

“No man in and of himself can ever arrive at a knowledge of God. This is the whole basis of the New Testament teaching, as it was the whole basis of the apostolic teaching. I cannot understand how anyone can hold any other view who has read the first two chapters of Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians. The Apostle lays down the following as his fundamental position: For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. Then he goes on: For it is written he is quoting from the Old Testament I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? That is to say, where is the man who relies on modern knowledge and science and learning, and on his own ability and on what the philosophers are saying? Then Paul continues: Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? How? Paul answers, “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom by philosophy, by learning, by knowledge and understanding and human reason the world by wisdom knew not God. It had failed to find Him; but when the world had failed, it then pleased God by the foolishness of preaching by what the world regarded as the foolishness of the thing preached, the foolishness of the Gospel and the message of the Gospel to save them that believe. The Apostle states there the whole position; and there is no answer to it.

But people have often asked why, if God intended to send his Son, the Messiah, did He wait so long to do so?

God sent His Son into the world with His message after He had given the world a full opportunity to deliver itself . . . There is no question but that the flowering period of the human intellect in so many senses was reached in that great era of Greek philosophy which preceded the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. There you have man’s ability and thinking at its very best and highest; but it proved quite unable to rise to a knowledge of God . . .

The world by wisdom knew not God : and the reason for that is obvious . . . Paul says that the princes of this world did not know and did not recognize our Lord. We speak wisdom, says Paul, “among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought. Human wisdom, even in its princes, its greatest men, is inadequate; it will never bring us to the truth. It is because God is what He is! And the moment you realize that truth, you see how man can never possibly arrive at a knowledge of Him. How can the finite encompass the Infinite? How can mortal man arrive at a real knowledge of the immortal God, the God who says, “I am that I am, the God who is from eternity to eternity absolute in every respect, the God who is light and in him is no darkness at all ? . . .But when we realize that man is not only finite but also sinful, and fallen, and unclean, and twisted, and perverted, the position becomes still more ridiculously impossible . . .

We are therefore in this position, that by all our efforts we can never arrive at this knowledge of God. Well, then . . . If I am to gird my loins about with truth, how can I find it? There is but one answer . . .God must give it [to] us. It is high, I cannot attain unto it, says the Psalmist (Psalm 139:6) But God, if He so chooses, can give us the knowledge which we desire. And the whole message of the Bible from beginning to end is just this, that He has done so . . . God has done this very thing! That is the whole glory of the message, that is the good news of the Gospel of salvation; God has been pleased to give us this revelation. That is the message of the whole Bible; that is what it is proclaiming from beginning to end. In the beginning God . . . It is an authoritative statement. How does Moses make the authoritative statement? It was given to him. So you find the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews saying that it is through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God. We know it by faith ; it was given; it is a revelation.

Such is the claim of the Old Testament; and the Old Testament in this matter is as important as the New Testament. The two go together, the one leads to the other . . . the Bible is the result of God disturbing men by the Spirit, giving them the message and then enabling them to deliver it in speech or in writing. And the Apostles, writing in the New Testament, about these very things, fully confirm what the Old Testament claims.

But over and above the testimony of the Apostles Paul and Peter to the Old Testament writings, we have our Lord’s own attestation of them . . . He accepts the entire Book [Old Testament] . . . And so He began to take them through the Scriptures Moses and the prophets . . . The Scriptures testify of me (John 5:39) . . . He teaches plainly the authority of the Old Testament . . .

The Old Testament Scriptures are authoritative because they are the Words of God. When you come to the New Testament the same holds good. There is the towering figure of our Lord Himself, with all that He says about Himself, and what He claims for His teaching. He does not hesitate to speak with authority; and the people recognized it. They said that he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes (Matthew 7:29) . . . Before Abraham was, I am, He says. That is His claim everywhere. He commands them to listen because of the unique authority that belongs to His Person, and therefore to His teaching. That anyone could read the Scriptures without noting these claims would indeed be inexplicable were it not that we know how sin blinds, and how sin fills us with such prejudice that we cannot see. The crime today is that people are sitting in judgment, not only on the Scriptures, but also on the Lord of the Scriptures! They say that He was wrong i

n His belief in the Old Testament and that He was a child of His age. They do not hesitate to say that he was wrong in certain claims which He made for Himself. People who speak thus abandon all authoritative utterance, for there is no alternative. The supreme and only authority is the One who is the Son of God and who has come out of the eternal bosom. He was with God. He has looked into the face of God. And He has come on earth and He has revealed God. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he that declared him (John 1:18). And what do we know apart from this revelation?

This is the beginning of the matter, the foundation, the base minimum, the absolute. We either take everything from this, or we have no authority at all. You either submit completely to it, or else one man’s opinion is as good as another’s and that means that you have no authority at all. Before you can ever succeed in girding your loins about with truth, you have to come to God’s Word as a little child, or, to use the stronger word that Paul uses, you have got to come to it as a fool. If any man seemeth to be wise in this world, he says, “let him become a fool that he may be wise (1 Corinthians 3:18); which means Let him say he knows nothing, let him say that his philosophy is of no value to him, let him agree that the world by wisdom knew not God and cannot know God, and that therefore he knows nothing, and is prepared to bend his knees and to look up and receive the divine revelation . . . If you want to be girt about with truth you have to come as a little child, acknowledging not only your weakness and insufficiency and inability and complete impotence; you have got to realize that the Spirit of God must work upon you and enlighten you and cleanse your understanding and give you an anointing before you can receive the revelation that God has graciously been pleased to give us.

_________________________________________

All emphasis is mine.

All excerpts for this post were quoted from:

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, An Exposition of Ephesians 6:10-20 The Christian Soldier, The Scripture of Truth, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1977, chapter 15, pp. 207-220.

Previous Post

June 5, 2006

Panoramic London from the London Eye

Next Post

June 5, 2006 Links for June 5, 2006

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 1 and 2 Corinthians 1 and 2 Thessalonians 1 and 2 Timothy 1 John 300 Leaders A Life of Joy Abortion Acts of the Apostles Adrian on radio Adrian on TV Adrian's Story Albert Mohler Amazing Grace Arminocalvinist Spectrum Assurance Atonement Atonement Series Attributes of God Barnabas Best of the Blog Bible Bible Software Bible Translation Biblical Inerrancy Billy Graham Bob Roberts Books C. J. Mahaney Calvinism Cessationism Charis Warnock Charismatic Spectrum Charles Simeon Charles Spurgeon Church Leadership Colossians Complementarian - Egalitarian Spectrum Complementarianism Conferences Culture Daniel Debates Deuteronomy DGM08 DGM13 Discernment Doctrine Don Carson Ed Stetzer Eddy Leo Ephesians ESV Bible Translators Interview Evangelism in a Post-Christian World evolution Exodus Expository Preaching Ezekial Faith and Feelings Family Florida Galatians General Genesis Get Wisdom - Proverbs sermons Gifts of The Holy Spirit Gifts of the Holy Spirit 2006 Global Faith Forum Godly Attitudes Gospel Gospels Grace Greg Haslam Grudem vs Piper: The Baptism Debate Healing Heaven Hell and Rob Bell Hebrews Henry Tyler Henry Warnock Holy Spirit Holy Spirit Baptism Hope Reborn Hugh Palmer Irresistable Grace Isaiah J. I. Packer Jack Hayford Joel Joel Warnock John John Lanferman John MacArthur John Newton John Owen John Piper John Smyth Jonathan Edwards Josh Harris Justification Justin Taylor Kenneth Ulmer Leadership Leadership Lessons from 1 & 2 Samuel Lex Loizides Liam Goligher Lig Duncan Limited Atonement Lou Fellingham Mark Dever Mark Driscoll Martyn Lloyd-Jones Matt Chandler Mental Health Missionary Methods: St Paul’s or Ours? My Story N. T. Wright Nehemiah NWA08 NWA09 NWA10 Opinion OT History Books Pentateuch Personal Personal Revival Philippians PJ Smyth Podcast Politics Preaching Prophecy Proverbs Psalms Raised With Christ Reformed Charismatic Regeneration Relationships Resurrection Resurrection & Salvation Revival Rice Broocks Rich Man and Lazarus Rick Warren Rob Rufus Roland Allen Romans Sam Storms Sanctification Series Sermons Sermons on Philippians Serving Jesus at Work Sexuality Sin St Paul Steve Chalke Strange Fire Suffering T4G T4G Statement TAB09 Tamasin Warnock Teamwork Terry Virgo The Atonement Debate - Chalke book The Soulwinner The Spirit-Filled Church The Traitor Within Theologcial Spectrums Theosis Tim Challies Tim Keller Titus TOAM06 TOAM07 TOAM08 TOAM09 TOAM10 TOAM11 Todd Bentley Tope Koleoso Total Depravity Video Water Baptism Wayne Grudem Worship

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 May 2025 April 2025 January 2025 November 2024 October 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 August 2023 May 2023 April 2023 February 2023 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 August 2021 May 2021 April 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 January 2019 December 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 June 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 June 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who said, "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Job Isaiah Solomon David

Books by This Author Books by Adrian Warnock

See All Titles »