From Dr Briggs’ General Introduction to the Study of Holy Scripture, published by Scribner’s 1899. You can read it on Google or archive.org where they let you download it. Google has stopped a lot of that, but that’s a sick company anyways.
1. Biblical Study is the most important of all studies, for it is the study of the Word of God, which contains a divine revelation of redemption to the world. Nowhere else can such a redemption be found save where it has been derived from this fountain source or from those sacred persons, institutions, and events presented to us in the Bible.
2. The Bible is the chief source of the Christian religion, Christian theology, and Chris tian life. While other secondary and subsidiary sources may be used to advantage in connection with this principal source, they cannot dispense with it.
3. For the Bible contains the revelation of redemption ; the Messiah and His kingdom are the central theme ; its varying contents lead by myriads of paths in converging lines to the throne of the God of grace.
4. The Bible is the sure way of life, wisdom, and blessedness.
While all that Dr Briggs writes is true, its amazing how little of the Bible is understood even by devout readers. People quibble over the smallest lines of the Bible as though that matters: i was reading Max Younce and he writes ad infinitum about why Martin Luther is wrong and after a while I began to get bored and wonder, Who cares? I don’t understand the point of nitpicking Rev. Luther apart when he was right on so many things. Ok, he got a few things wrong, but let us admit, he opened an important dialogue between the faithful and the established Church that has been profound in its affect throughout Western Civilization.
Younce instead berates Luther for infant baptism because “that’s not in the Bible” and who said that infants go to hell if they are not baptised? I am not sure Younce is right there, I can find arguments back and forth on that one, but why does it hurt to baptise a little baby and then later on when they are older, make a reaffirmation themselves? Why is that so bad? I don’t understand that and perhaps I am not vigorous enough on the point to even be arguing, but I think so much of Christianity has taken this turn — arguing over little things when the big thing, fighting Satan, is forgotten.
It’s like dismissing someone because he goes to the Church across the street and you go to the one up the hill. Well la-di-da. As long as you’re a Christian, believe the Word of God, and the important tenets of the Bible, like the Ten Commandments, the Lords Prayer and of course that Christ was the SON of God & died on the Cross and rose again — sort of like a general Creed, well then you’re good.
If you tell me that lying is ok and telling one friend you don’t believe and another you do, well then buddy, you got some problems you need to work out and perhaps you and prayer ought to get together more often so you can sort these things out.
Which reminds me of a friend who is an Evangelist and holds a high bar for anyone saying that they are a Christian. I do not think he’s wrong, someone has to remind people of the actual literal WORD and I think he’s doing a good job there, but on the other hand, is it good to fill people with fear and dread? Doesn’t that scare them away?
I do not think so. I really do think Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom and if you Fear the Almighty you’ll find that Life all fits together for you. You’ll measure up because you want to Count and be there at the end. If instead you think He’s some amiable boob that just let’s everything pass and doesn’t give a darn…well then while it’s not in the Bible, but Poor Richard’s Almanack, Hell really is paved with pathetic intentions.
Just don’t let them be yours.
In my anguish... 