ANCIENT WORD, CHANGING WORLDS
The Doctrine of Scripture in a Modern Age
By Stephen J. Nichols & Eric T. Brandt. Crossway. 171 pages. £10.79
ISBN 978-1-4335-0260-6
In the light of the recent reigniting of the Scripture debate, this small volume is a highly welcome addition. Nichols and Brandt offer an excellent guide to all who are new to the nature of Scripture, and an excellent refresher to those who need a brush-up.
What distinguishes the book is the authors’ use of key historic writings on Scripture. Through the course of the book we are introduced to passages from the Reformed ‘Canon’, with excerpts from Calvin, Hodge, Berkouwer, Murray, Young, Packer and many more (as well as some liberal writers). These helpfully put modern debates in an historic context, besides being a great invitation to read these men. Nichols and Brandt skilfully bring the reader through the history of the Bible debate in the 20th century, always alert to the significance of the issues they trace. The core of the book (three of six chapters) treats inerrancy, and deals with it clearly but with depth.
Finally, a chapter on hermeneutics makes for a really satisfying volume.
Three appendices add further usefulness to the book, though to my mind it’s a great shame that the ‘further reading’ appendix doesn’t catalogue the great classic historic works on Scripture, and it’s a real disappointment that the book lacks an index. These points aside, this is a marvellous volume, and a must- read for all Bible students and those in pastoral ministry wanting to reappraise God’s Book as they bring it to their people. Highly recommended.
