Last week Andrew McGowan, Principal of the Highlands College, delivered the annual Eliza Ferrie lecture at the Presbyterian Theological Centre, Burwood. He sketched the life and impact of Charles Spurgeon. One of the points he made stuck with me. Spurgeon insisted that one must accept the truth of the Bible as a presupposition. The moment evangelicals make the Bible’s truth conditional on being able to prove it to be true then they are little different from liberals. Both put the Bible on trial.
Paul’s words from 1 Thessalonians 2:13 came to mind:
And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.
Spurgeon saw no need to defend the Bible. To him the Word of God is like a lion. Let it loose it can look after itself. It is not for us to put God’s Word on trial. Rather, it is God’s Word that puts us on trial. There may be scholars who extol the virtues of higher criticism. But the highest criticism occurs when God’s Word examines our lives. So we read in Hebrews 4:12-13:
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Posted August 12, 2008
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