THE HOLY SCRIPTURES by H. A. St. John

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Dec 16, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 48.

THE HOLY SCRIPTURES.

By H. A. St. John

1. "Thy word is truth." John 17:17. No higher compliment could be given the Scriptures than to call them the truth. And to be called thus by Christ, a teacher sent from God in a pre-eminent sense, is the highest encomium possible. The writings of men may contain much truth, but we cannot enter upon their study with assurance, or absolute certainty, that all is truth. But the Holy Bible is pure, unadulterated truth. It can be believed and trusted with the fullest assurance. Its purity is such that it is likened unto silver "purified seven times." Ps. 12:6. No alloy or dross is here.

2. "Given by inspiration of God." 2 Tim. 3:16. This can mean nothing less than that the Holy Spirit of God, the executive of the Godhead, moved holy men to write, so that the things written, whether history, or prophecy, or precept, or doctrine, are the inspired truth of God.

3. "And is profitable." 2 Tim. 3:16. This word of pure truth, thus inspired of God, is highly profitable to man in many ways. It is the infallible source of sound doctrines. Justifiable reproof must be drawn from the word of God. The reprover should be able to put a Thus saith the Lord between himself and the reproved. The word of God is profitable for correction. It not only reproves the erring, but reveals the way by which the wrong may be corrected. It does not leave the reproved under the sense of guilt, without help, but it points to the remedy for sin, and to the promises of pardon full and free. And the reprover should associate these promises with the reproof. Then the Scriptures are profitable for instruction in righteousness. All the instruction needful in that which is of the first and highest importance, is here found.

4. Will thoroughly furnish "unto all good works." 2 Tim. 3:17. This divine utterance was once the watchword of Protestantism and reform. It should be still. As the Bible thoroughly furnishes the man of God unto all good works, it follows irresistibly that those doctrines and ceremonies and works, of whatever name or nature, or however antiquated, that have not their basis in the clearly-revealed word of God, are not good. The observance of Sunday, or Lent, or Christmas, or Ash-Wednesday, or Corpus-Christie, or Feast of all Souls, or Feast of all Saints, and a host of other doctrines and observances of to-day, are not so much as hinted at in the Scriptures, hence are not good, but evil.

5. "Make thee wise unto salvation." 2 Tim. 3:15. The science of salvation takes the precedence of all other sciences. A person may become wise in the science of mathematics, or philosophy, or astronomy, or all the sciences combined, and with all this wisdom miserably perish in a few years. But he that becomes wise unto salvation, though he be sadly deficient in all other wisdom, will secure eternal life, when all true science may be studied throughout eternity with immortal strength and vigor. Hence we should, first of all, become wise unto salvation, then if we secure but little besides in this world, we will have a grand and never-ending opportunity to learn in the world to come. But if we do not become wise unto salvation, in a few brief years we will lose all we may have gained here, with life itself. How foolish that would be!

6. "Search the Scriptures." John 5:39. Here the Saviour enjoins the duty of searching the Scriptures. How eternal life may be obtained is revealed in the Scriptures, hence, truly it is in them we have eternal life if we ever have it at all. But to simply think we have eternal life in the Scriptures, and not study and obey them, will result in our being sadly deceived at the last.

7. Noble to search the Scriptures. Acts 17:11. The great apostle to the Gentiles designates the Bereans as more noble than the people of Thessalonica, because "they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so." It is not a noble trait to receive new things because they are new, or because they are professedly drawn from the Scriptures; nor is it noble to reject a thing because it is new, and contrary to our education or way of thinking. The noble way is to receive the new doctrine for investigation, and bring it to the searching test of the Holy Scriptures. Nothing could please the apostles more, or any sincere preacher of the gospel, than for their hearers to resort to a search of the Scriptures. Then, as at Berea, many will believe.

8. It is a light to our path. Ps. 119:105. Nothing will answer as a substitute for it, as a guide to our footsteps. A light supposes darkness. Darkness covers the earth, and gross darkness the people; hence the great need of a lamp for our feet, and a light to our path. The word of God is all we need in this respect.

9. Its entrance gives light. Ps. 119:130. The Bible cannot give light if simply in our libraries, on our tables, or in our pockets. It must abide in us richly. It is highly commendable in the sight of Heaven to seek for truth as for hid treasure, and to become rich in this way.

10. It is a girdle. Eph. 6:14. The truth of God serves its first purpose in our behalf when used as a girdle. It binds in strong consistency the armor of God to the Christian warrior.

11. It is the Christian's sword. Eph. 6:17. We say the Christian's sword. None but the Christian has a right to take this sword as an implement of aggressive warfare. The word of God must first be used as a girdle, as the rule of life, before we are divinely authorized to take it as the sword of the Spirit. When once our feet are in the paths of obedience, we will have great need of this sword in fighting the battles of the Lord.