What They Said

“But because the scriptures of God are my only foundation and substance, in all matters of weight and importance, I have thought the two former testimonies sufficient, as well to prove my appellation reasonable and just, as to declare to your honours that with safe conscience you cannot refuse to admit the same.”

John Knox

“In the Scriptures God daily comes to his people, not from afar but nearby. In it he reveals himself, from day to day, to believers in the fullness of his truth and grace. Through it he works his miracles of compassion and faithfulness. Scripture is the ongoing rapport between heaven and earth, between Christ and his church, between God and his children. It does not just tie us to the past; it binds us to the living Lord in the heavens. It is the living voice of God.”

Herman Bavinck

“The Holy Scriptures, given by inspiration of God, are of themselves sufficient toward the discovery of truth.”

Athanasius

“If you come to Holy Scripture with growth in grace, and with aspirations for yet higher attainments, the book grows with you, grows upon you. It is ever beyond you, and cheerily cries, "Higher yet; Excelsior!" Many books in my library are now behind and beneath me; I read them years ago, with considerable pleasure; I have read them since, with disappointment; I shall never read them again, for they are of no service to me. They were good in their way once, and so were the clothes I wore when I was ten years old; but I have outgrown them I know more than these books know, and know wherein they are faulty. Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the book widens and deepens with our years. It is true, it cannot really grow, for it is perfect; but it does so to our apprehension. The deeper you dig into Scripture, the more you find that it is a great abyss of truth. The beginner learns four or five points of orthodoxy, and says, "I understand the gospel, I have grasped all the Bible." Wait a bit, and when his soul grows and knows more of Christ, he will confess, "Thy commandment is exceeding broad, I have only begun to understand it.””

Charles Spurgeon

"Let us suppose that the Lord Jesus Christ were now to come amongst us, and to teach in our Churches, as once he did in the streets and synagogues of Judea : should we not, if we knew him to be that veryJesus, listen to him with the deepest attention?  Should we not revolve in our thoughts the various subjects of his discourse, and labour to ascertain their true import?  If we could suppose him now addressing us from the cross, and appealing to his sufferings as an unquestionable demonstration of his love, and an irresistible argument for our adherence to him; should we not be melted to tears?  should we not be ready to exclaim, " What have we to do any more with idols ? " "Other lords have had dominion over us; but by thee only will we make mention of thy name."  Or, lastly, let us suppose that we saw the heavens opened, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God: let us suppose he spake to us now, as once he did from Mount Sinai, with thunderings, and lightnings, and earthquakes, and the sound of the trumpet waxing louder and louder; should we not tremble?  should we not be ready to engage, as the Israelites did, " All that the Lord hath spoken will we do, and be obedient?" Were we to hear him speaking to us in any of these ways, the word would not more certainly be his, than this word is which we now possess:  and therefore whatever sentiments of fear or love or gratitude we should feel on account of such revelations of his will, we ought to feel in reference to that sacred volume which we have in our hands:  whenever we look upon it, we should say, This is the word of Him who came down from heaven to instruct me; of Him who died upon the cross to save me; of Him who now sits enthroned in glory, and will hereafter fix my doom according to it."

Charles Simeon

"From the manner in which we habitually treat the Bible, we may learn what are our feelings and dispositions towards God;  for as we treat the word of God, so should we treat God himself, were he to come and reside among us, in a human form, as he once dwelt on earth in the form of his Son.  The contents of Scripture are a perfect transcript of the divine mind.  If, then, God should come to dwell among us, he would teach the same things that the Scriptures teach, and pronounce upon us the same sentence which they pronounce. We should therefore feel towards him as we now feel towards them. If we reverence, and love, and obey the Scriptures, then we should reverence, love, and obey God. But if we dislike or disbelieve the Scriptures, if we seldom study them, or read them only with indifference and neglect, we should treat God in the same manner. Never would he be a welcome Guest in a family where his word is neglected."

Edward Payson

"Scripture was written by the Holy Spirit that it might serve him in guiding the church, in the perfecting of the saints, in building up the body of Christ.  In it God daily comes to his people, not from afar but nearby. In it he reveals himself, from day to day, to believers in the fullness of his truth and grace. Through it he works his miracles of compassion and faithfulness. Scripture is the ongoing rapport between heaven and earth, between Christ and his church, between God and his children. It does not just tie us to the past; it binds us to the living Lord in the heavens. It is the living voice of God, the letter of the omnipotent God to his creature."

Herman Bavinck