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Book Recommendations Related to CTF 2024 and the Holy Scriptures

Unknown · 2024-02-17 · 451 words · 3 min

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Summary

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Serious engagement with the Reformed doctrine of Scripture is served by reading both classical confessional expositions and dedicated works on inspiration, infallibility, and inerrancy.

Two teachers discuss book recommendations for those preparing for or following up on a conference treating the Holy Scriptures, with particular focus on expositions of the relevant confession chapter and works on the doctrine of Scripture. Recommendations span classical Reformed confession commentaries, treatments of divine inspiration and inerrancy, and a sixteenth-century disputation on Scripture by William Whitaker. The conversation is a brief supplementary resource guide rather than an expository sermon.

Key quotes

a disputation on Holy Scripture by William Whitaker — it's just a helpful book that looks at what the reform thought as far as what they viewed how they viewed scripture but also even some helpful interpretive principles as well
there's General overviews and then there's specific treatments on specific doctrines — when you consider scripture you consider divine inspiration you consider infallibility you consider inerrancy so there's a myriad of works on each of those subjects
I found it pretty accessible even though it was written in the 1500s and it's free online as well

Applications

  1. Read an exposition of the first chapter of the London or Westminster Confession to ground your understanding of Scripture in the confessional Reformed tradition.
  2. Work through William Whitaker's 'A Disputation on Holy Scripture' for classical Reformed engagement with Scripture's authority and interpretive principles.
  3. Distinguish between general overviews of Scripture and specific treatments of individual doctrines — inspiration, infallibility, and inerrancy — and pursue each deliberately.

Questions this sermon answers

What commentaries explain the first chapter of the Westminster Confession on Scripture?

A. A. Hodge's exposition of the Westminster Confession, Robert Shaw's commentary, and Chad Van Dixhoorn's more accessible 'Confessing the Faith' all treat chapter one carefully.

Is there a good Reformed book on Scripture written before the modern period?

William Whitaker's 'A Disputation on Holy Scripture against the Papists,' written in the 1500s, examines how the Reformers viewed Scripture and its interpretive principles, and is freely available online.

What are the main doctrines to study when studying the doctrine of Scripture?

The speakers identify divine inspiration, infallibility, and inerrancy as the key doctrines, each with its own body of literature.

so

Book Recommendations Overview

yeah around this topic of chapter one and of the Holy scriptures what book recommendations do you have for people who are coming if they want to prep or follow up like what are your top couple of books that you use when you teach through this um yeah well I think that

Confession Commentary Recommendations

Dr renan's exposition of the second London Confession of Faith would be helpful uh chapter one obviously of the Holy scriptures so there he'll speak or writes concerning the historical context and does expound the actual confession itself I also like um a a hodj his exposition of the Westminster Confession of Faith again very similar in chapters one or chapter one with reference to the confessions so I think a a hodj is very good in chapter one uh Robert Shaw another Presbyterian that has a commentary on the west Miner confession and then Chad Van dixhorn has a a a simpler more accessible um exposition of the Westminster Confession called confessing the faith and we didn't actually steal the title from the conference or for the conference from that book it just was a happy accident but but those are some good things written on that on on chapter one and then

Books on the Doctrine of Scripture

in terms of books on scripture you know there's a lot of them there's um many of them and that's not preacher talk for I don't want to answer the question but you know there's there's General overviews and then there's specific treatments on specific doctrines so you know when you consider scripture you consider divine inspiration you consider infallibility you consider inherency so you know there there's a myriad of works on each of those subjects if I could add to that if anybody is particularly eager uh

William Whitaker's Disputation

one book that I found very helpful that that was written um in the 1500s by a man named William Whitaker it's called a disputation on Holy Scripture against the papists and it's uh just a helpful uh book that looks at what the reform thought as far as what they viewed how they viewed scripture but also even some helpful interpretive principles as well uh that he he gives and so I'm sure the first 275 Pages the people can gloss over that part of it but starting around authority of scripture could be could be pretty beneficial for the people and I found it pretty accessible even though it was written in the 1500s and it's free online as well so a disputation on Holy Scripture by William Whitaker good yeah and we'll link these into video notes and get on the resources section on the website as well so right yeah

Study notes

Theological terms

  • Authority of Scripture
  • Divine Inspiration
  • Inerrancy
  • Infallibility

People cited

  • A. A. Hodge×2
  • Chad Van Dixhoorn
  • Robert Shaw
  • William Whitaker×3