Quotes Regarding the Authority of Scripture
“Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not retract anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. May God help me. Amen.”
~ Martin Luther (1483-1546) before the Diet of Worms – April, 1521
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“To remain divided is sinful! Did not our Lord pray, that they may be one, even as we are one”? (John 17:22). A chorus of ecumenical voices keep harping the unity tune. What they are saying is, ‘Christians of all doctrinal shades and beliefs must come together in one visible organization, regardless… Unite, unite!’ Such teaching is false, reckless and dangerous. Truth alone must determine our alignments. Truth comes before unity. Unity without truth is hazardous. Our Lord’s prayer in John 17 must be read in its full context. Look at verse 17: ‘Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth.’ Only those sanctified through the Word can be one in Christ. To teach otherwise is to betray the Gospel.”
~ Charles H. Spurgeon, The Essence of Separation
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Question: Are the Scriptures a Complete Rule?
Answer: The scripture is a full and perfect canon, containing in it all things necessary to salvation: 2 Timothy 3:15,……It shows the credenda, – what we are to believe; and agenda, – what we are to practice. It gives us an exact model of religion, and perfectly instructs us in the deep things of God……The scripture is to be its own interpreter, or rather the Spirit speaking in it; nothing can cut the diamond but the diamond; nothing can interpret scripture but scripture; the sun best discovers itself by its own beams;…
~ Thomas Watson – A Body of Practical Divinity, Series of Sermons on the Shorter Catechism, “Of the Scriptures,” p. 25.
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“If your imaginary revelation is not according to this Word, it has no weight with us; and if it is according to this Word, it is no new thing….The Scripture alone is absolute truth, essential truth, decisive truth, authoritative truth, undiluted truth, eternal, everlasting truth.”
~ Charles Spurgeon (Sermon # 1890 – Delivered Sunday, March 7, 1886)
*For more from Charles Spurgeon, Spurgeon Morning and Evening daily devotionals are a great place to start! We also provide some of Spurgeon’s sermons.
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“We must stress that the basis for our faith is neither experience nor emotion, but the truth as God has given it: in verbalized, propositional form in the Scripture and which we first of all apprehend with our minds – though, of course, the whole man must act upon it.”
~ Francis Schaeffer, The Complete Works, Vol. 3, Book 3, The New Super-Spirituality, Crossway Books, p. 397
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“But here Reason may turn up her nose and say: ‘Why should God will these things to be done by means of words, when nothing is accomplished by such words, and the will is unable to turn itself in either direction? Why does he not do what he does without speaking a word, seeing he is able to do everything without a word, and the will of itself neither gains in strength nor effectiveness from hearing the word, if the inward movement of the Spirit is lacking, nor would it lose any strength or effectiveness through not hearing the word if the Spirit were present, since everything depends on the power and operation of the Holy Spirit?’ We shall reply: It has thus pleased God to impart the Spirit, not without the Word, but through the Word, so as to have us as cooperators with him [1 Cor. 3:9] when we sound forth outwardly what he himself alone breathes inwardly wherever he wills (John 3:8), thus doing things that he could of course do without the Word, though he does not will so to do. And who are we that we should inquire into the cause of the divine will [Rom. 9:20]? It is enough to know that God so wills, and it is becoming for us to reverence, love, and adore his will, putting a restraint on the rashness of Reason. Similarly, he could nourish us without bread, and in fact has provided a means of nourishing us without bread, as Matthew 4:4 says: Man is not nourished by bread alone, but by the Word of God, though it has pleased God by means of bread and together with bread brought to us from without, to nourish us with the Word inwardly.”
~ Martin Luther, Career of the Reformer III, Bondage of the Will, 33:154-55
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“Doctrine and life must be distinguished….I don’t scold myself into becoming good, but I fight over the Word and whether our adversaries teach it in its purity. That doctrine should be attacked – this has never before happened. This is my calling. Others have censured only life, but to treat doctrine is to strike at the most sensitive point,…
When the Word remains pure, then the life (even if there is something lacking in it) can be molded properly. Everything depends on the Word, and the pope has abolished the Word and created another one. With this I have won, and I have won nothing else than that I teach aright….”
~ Martin Luther, Table Talk 54:110 (#624)
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“The devil has no better way to conquer us than by leading us away from the Word and to the Spirit.”
~ Martin Luther, Table Talk 54:97 (cf. Bondage 33:154-155)
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