Taking God At His Word: Why the Bible Is Knowable, Necessary, and Enough, and What That Means for You and Me

The book was written in an interesting manner (from my perspective) but I thought the content was pretty good. I liked how he included a lot of different passages to talk about scripture. Having previously learned a lot of this before, I was looking for a book that could help with doubts about scripture or doubts about the Christian faith and how to approach scripture when in that place.

Overall, I felt like it was a good, short read that got straight to the point. It was a good reminder of who God is and how important his Word is.

Kevin DeYoung aims at this book to get readers to take God's word seriously. DeYoung does not attempt to do anything new or novel, instead he drives his point clearly from scripture in every chapter. The reader is brought to attention on 4 main points that DeYoung wants to bring across strongly:

1) God's Word is Enough
2) God's Word is Clear
3) God's Word is Final
4) God's Word is necessary

DeYoung first makes the call for christians to take God's word not only seriously, but also passionately, desiring to want more of God's word. Following which, DeYoung makes the points that God's Word to us in scripture is something that is God's word, written by man, yet without error.

The following 4 chapters are what I think is the meat of the book. They show convincing how scripture makes this exact 4 points and how preachers and christians should, no must, regain their trust and confidence on the Word of God alone. I felt that the chapter on `God's Word is Enough' was exceptionally well written and a good reminder for all christians in this generation that is so quick to want to move "beyond" the Word of God.

In the last 2 chapters, DeYoung shows us how we should take God at His Word -- just as how Christ took God's Word. DeYoung shows time and again how Jesus himself shown full confidence in God's Word, how He has never wavered from it and how we too can emulate Christ in this. DeYoung then encourage the readers to stick on with the simple teaching of Sola Scriptura, inviting readers to think thoughtfully over their own history with God's word, the ability and origin of the Word of the Lord and the practicality of it.

Lastly, DeYoung ends off with 30 books that he recommends for Christians to continue to pursuit on this topic.

What is good about this book is that it is exceptionally clear, and does not bog you down with needless details, DeYoung does not beat around the bush and drives you straight to scripture allowing you to see for yourself if that's what is clearly said in Scripture and the appendix provided does point the reader to very good and recent resources that will surely help to deepen the reader's conviction on the Word of God.

What could be improved though, is perhaps a chapter on cultivating better bible reading habits. Sure the reader most likely be convinced that we must take God at His Word, but how should I do it? Perhaps every a short guide on it, will be good. In the end, the reader is built up in his confidence on God's Word, but if not applied, it will just remain as an apologetics for the sufficiency of the Word of God, but not sink down to bear fruit in the reader's life.

Rating: 4/5

Disclaimer: I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Introduction

Few issues are as important as the doctrine of Scripture. From the issue of biblical illiteracy, and to the continual assault on the authority and sufficiency of the Bible—the Church over the course of its 2014 years has risen to meet challenges to the doctrine of Scripture by showing the importance of its message—the Gospel. In his new book Taking God At His Word: Why The Bible is Knowable, Necessary, and Enough, and What That Means For You and Me, Pastor and popular author Kevin DeYoung writes to help his readers “believe what the Bible says about itself, to feel what we should about the bible, and to get us doing what we ought to do with the Bible” (20). He aims not to provide an apologetic defense of the Bible or provide Bible study principles, or even to get into all the philosophical, theological and methodological territory of academic books on this subject. Rather, DeYoung aims to “unpack what the Bible says about the Bible by being simple, uncluttered, straightforward and biblical” (21).

Summary

In chapter one, DeYoung starts, as he says, “with the conclusion,” and he takes the reader to Psalm 119. This beginning chapter is “application and the remaining seven chapters of this book as the necessary building blocks so that the conclusions of Psalm 119 are warranted” (14). He clearly states, “Psalm 119 shows us what to believe about the word of God, what to feel about the word of God, and what to do with the word of God” (14). Here he contends that we should believe what God’s Word says is true (15) and should feel deeply in his/her bones an utter dependence on God’s self-revelation in the Scriptures (19). He explains, “Our desire, delight, and dependence on the words of Scripture do not grow inversely to our desire, delight, and dependence on Jesus Christ. The two must always rise together. The most mature Christians thrill to hear every love poem that speaks about the Word made flesh and every love poem that celebrates the words of God” (19).

Chapter two examines 2 Peter 1:16-21 in which he explores the nature of Scripture as the inspired and authorative Word of God. Chapter three examines the sufficiency of Scripture. Chapter four explores the clarity of Scripture. Chapter five examines the authority of Scripture by explaining how the Christian can put themselves under the authority of the Word of God. Chapter six looks at the necessity of the Scripture. Chapter seven explores what Jesus believed about the Bible. The book concludes by explaining why Christians and the Church should stick with teaching and preaching the Word of God in season and out of season.

Why You Should Read This Book

In Bible College and seminary I spent a lot of time reading books on the doctrine of Scripture. I did so, because I wanted to understand why people rejected the conservative position on the Bible. The more, I studied this issue, the more I came to see as DeYoung points out in chapter five, namely that the questions we are seeking to answer boil to down one question, “What is our ultimate authority?”(74) If our final authority for faith and practice is our opinions then we undermine the authority of Scripture. If tradition is our final standard for faith and practice then we’ve undermined the authority of Scripture, as well. Here is where the rubber meets the road, and why I think Taking God At His Word is an important book. DeYoung’s new book is important because what often gets lost in the conversation about the doctrine of Scripture is the lay person. DeYoung writes to explain and elaborate on the doctrine of Scripture from Scripture itself with with the lay person and non-Christian in mind. As he does so, he doesn’t seek to provide an apologetic for why he thinks that but unashamedly goes to the Bible itself- showing what it says about itself in order to help the reader to capture a vision of what the Bible is all about, for the purpose that the reader may believe, feel and obey what the Bible teaches.

Taking God At His Word: Why The Bible is Knowable, Necessary, and Enough, and What That Means For You and Me is an important book for several reasons. Often time’s books on the doctrine of Scripture are so large and weighty that no one but the serious scholar or serious-minded Christian would bother to pick them up and read them. DeYoung in 127 pages provides the reader with the Bible’s view of itself and while doing so doesn’t compromise any of the argument about what the Bible teaches about itself. This is significant because in a book this size it would be easy to skimp over on the teaching of how Jesus viewed the Bible or any other topic for that matter, but the author doesn’t do that. Rather, DeYoung takes the reader deep into what the Bible says about itself with a view to help the reader understand what the Bible says about itself and the key characteristics that contribute to its lasting significance. I highly recommend this book, and it is my sincere prayer that Pastors and ministry leaders would pick up this book and buy it by the truckloads for their people. The Body of Christ has needed a book like this on the doctrine of Scripture for quite some time, one that helps the reader to know what to believe about the Word of God, what to feel about the Word of God and what to do with the Word of God. I hope and pray this book sells by the truckloads for in doing so, we may see the tide of biblical illiteracy begin to turn and a true delight, hunger and yearning for the teaching of the Word of God take its place.

I’ve heard it many times and from the most unexpected sources:

“I try to read the Bible, but . . . it doesn’t seem to say anything to me. I don’t understand what I’m reading. It doesn’t help me, so I end up quitting . . “

Set this response beside David’s from Psalm 119:

129 Your testimonies are wonderful;
Therefore my soul keeps them.
130 The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.
131 I opened my mouth and panted,
For I longed for Your commandments.

The question Kevin DeYoung poses (and rigorously answers) in Taking God at His Word is this: How does one go from Ho Hum (response #1) to Whole Hearted (response #2)? If the goal of life is Psalm 119-zeal, what are the pre-requisites for getting there?

The truth is that, without exception, every woman I have heard confessing her lackluster response to the Word of God would pass any test for orthodoxy. She would affirm that the Word of God is true, that what it demands of us is good, and that what it provides is also good.

It’s the feeling and the doing components that are missing in their lives.
There’s no delight: “My soul keeps Your testimonies, and I love them exceedingly,” (Psalm 110:167).
There’s no desire: “Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law,” (Psalm 119:18).
There’s no dependency: “I cling to Your testimonies!” (Psalm 119:31).

It is Kevin DeYoung’s goal to bring belief, feeling, and action together – not with a checklist (heaven, help us!), but with Truth. What does the Bible say about itself that will convince the reluctant and indifferent reader to dig in and spend time in the Word?

For starters, we need a foundation of trust. “You will not find anything more sure” than the written Word of God. Then, using the memorable acronym, S-C-A-N, Taking God at His Word sets forth the attributes of Scripture that demonstrate why it’s worth your mind’s attention and your heart’s affection:

Sufficiency
I struggled off and on for years with the high-handed notion that I would rather hear from God through more personal and direct communication than I find in His written Word. Hebrews 1 reveals that God has spoken to us through the Old Testament and, then, gloriously, through His Son, who is His final Word and Revelation. J.I. Packer elaborates:

“While this kind of ‘immediate’ revelation has ceased, we should allow for ‘mediate’ revelation whereby God gives us new insights and applications — sometimes in surprising ways — but always through Scripture.”

This is HUGE in relation to relevance, because the times when I question the relevance of a book which claims to provide all that I need “for life and godliness” (II Peter 1:3) are the times when my life is . . . not exactly focused on godliness. “The doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture invites us to open our Bibles to hear the voice of God.”

Clarity
God has spoken truth in story, in poetry, in apocalyptic style, and even in didactic correspondence. Before Scripture was available as it is today, Moses was reminding Israel that God bends over backwards to communicate with His people. While some portions of the Bible are clearer than others (anyone read Ezekiel lately?), the main teaching points for knowledge, belief, and action are spelled out transparently. Furthermore, if a topic is hazy in one context, it is made plain elsewhere. So, a PhD in theology is a nice thing to have, but certainly not necessary in order to be a student of the Word. “Ordinary people using ordinary means can accurately understand enough of what must be known, believed, and observed for them to be faithful Christians.”

Authority
The Bible gets the last word — ahead of science, human experience, church councils — and my cranky observations about life. This dismissal of all conflicting truth claims is politically incorrect and out of step with the culture in sufficient measure to play havoc with your next office party, but it’s not a matter of aggravating people. (Remember Anne Lamott’s great quote: “It’s not always necessary to chop with the sword of truth. It can also be used to point.”) The example of the Bereans in Acts 17 is illustrative. They compared the Apostle Paul’s words with the inspired Word “to see if it was so.” Likewise, it is to be our compass.

Necessity
“The heavens declare the glory of God,” but they don’t spell out the plan of salvation. Those who would believingly follow God through Christ must know who He is and how to enter into the life He offers. He has made this known through His Word in which “He speaks so that we can begin to know the unknowable and fathom the unfathomable.”

If this is all true, our right response to the Word of God is to harvest its wisdom and share its truth with confidence and boldness. Jesus’ earthly ministry gives a pattern for living in light of a high view of Scripture. He quoted it, referred to Old Testament characters as historical figures, and considered that whatever Scripture said, God had said.

Five words lifted from John 10:35, 36 speak volumes: “The Scripture cannot be broken.” Not because He was out to prove the point, but because He believed it to be true, He simply stated the fact that Scripture could not be dismissed or dissolved. He addressed the matter with more intention in His Sermon on the Mount: Teach it as it stands and obey what it says if you want to be great in my Kingdom!

On the way to assimilating a Psalm 119-level regard for the written Word of God, consider Paul’s words to Timothy. With characteristic practicality, he lays out its uses: teaching, reproof, correction, training in righteousness. Underlying this is its amazing origin — God-breathed, the very words of the Almighty — and every day, when we open its pages, the Bible offers the privilege of taking God at His Word.

Kevin Deyoung is senior pastor at University Reformed Church in East Lansing Michigan (home of Michigan St.). He blogs at The Gospel Coalition and has written several books in addition to Taking God At His Word (e.g. Crazy Busy and The Hole in Our Holiness). Here, he presents readers a brief primer on the doctrine of Scripture, which is more than adequately outlined in the subtitle of the book.

DeYoung explains his purpose in writing in the opening chapter of the book:

"I want all that is in Psalm 119 to be an expression of all that is in our heads and in our hearts. In effect, I’m starting this book with the conclusion. Psalm 119 is the goal. I want to convince you (and make sure I’m convinced myself ) that the Bible makes no mistakes, can be understood, cannot be overturned, and is the most important word in your life, the most relevant thing you can read each day. Only when we are convinced of all this can we give a full-throated “Yes! Yes! Yes!” every time we read the Bible’s longest chapter." (Kindle Locations 145-149).

Having set out his goal, DeYoung explains using Psalm 119 what he thinks we should believe, how we should feel, and what we should do when it comes to Scripture. Toward this end he says,

"While I hope this volume will motivate you to read the Bible, this is not a book on personal Bible study or principles for interpretation. Nor do I attempt an apologetic defense of Scripture, though I hope you will trust the Bible more for having read these eight chapters. This is not an exhaustive book, covering all the philosophical , theological, and methodological territory you might see in a fat, multivolume textbook . This is not an academic book with lots of footnotes. This is not a “take down” book where I name names and cite “chapter and verse” for current errors. This is not a groundbreaking work in exegetical, biblical, historical, or systematic theology." (Kindle Locations 239-244)

He realizes this might make it seem like it's not worth reading, so he clarifies that all he is doing is offering a doctrine of Scripture from Scripture, and I would add, doing so in a highly readable way for the average person.

DeYoung takes different facets of the traditional doctrine of Scripture and devotes a chapter to each. The core of this is chapters 2-6 which cover the Bible's trustworthiness, sufficiency, clarity, authority, and necessity respectively (the last four of which can be remember with the acronym SCAN). Chapter 7 looks at how Jesus viewed the Bible, while the final chapter offers encouragement to "stick with Scripture." Ultimately,

"Scripture doesn’t tell us everything we may want to know about everything. But it tells us everything we need to know about the most important things. It gives us something the Internet, with all its terabytes of information, never could: wisdom. The purpose of Holy Scripture is not ultimately to make you smart, or make you relevant, or make you rich, or get you a job, or get you married, or take all your problems away, or tell you where to live. The aim is that you might be wise enough to put your faith in Christ and be saved." (Kindle Locations 1453-1457)

The book closes with an appendix with 30 books DeYoung recommends on the doctrine of Scripture. Given the brief nature of this volume, readers who want to dig deeper into different aspects of the doctrine of Scripture have their work cut out for them. This may also help more skeptical readers find more of their questions answered. This isn't to say DeYoung breezes over genuine difficulties (thought some might feel that way). Rather, he avoids some of the more technical issues when it comes to things like inerrancy and readers aware of those issues and wanting a more in-depth response will do well to look elsewhere. Though classifying this book as "preaching to the choir" is probably an unfair characterization, there is a certain sense in which DeYoung is writing to readers more or less on the same page as he is.

On the whole, DeYoung is right. There is nothing particularly groundbreaking about his book. But, that's ok. Not every book needs to reinvent the wheel or offer new and groundbreaking insights that will shatter the minds of theologians young and old alike. Sometimes, it's nice to have a book that reminds readers of a long held doctrine, but does so in a fresh way. Or, it's nice to have a book that you can give to someone who doesn't particularly like to read but is interested in learning more about why the Bible is important.

For the most part, that's the category I would file this volume into. I didn't particularly geek out about it back at T4G when it first came out since I thought I could probably guess the way most of the arguments within would flow. After finally getting the eBook for review from Crossway, my initial assessment was more or less right, but that doesn't diminish the general value of a volume like this. If you're look for a book you could give a new Christian or a questioning Christian when it comes to the doctrine of Scripture, this is a great place to start. You may even have some questions yourself when it comes to words like "inerrancy," and wonder if the Bible really is authoritative. DeYoung's volume is a great weekend read on the subject and will deftly guide you through what Scripture really says about itself. And, unlike some more recent volumes on the doctrine of Scripture, this one won't leave you on the wrong side of history.

[I was provided a free ebook of this title by the publisher]

Every generation of Christians will face a battle over the value of God's word. The challenges come in different forms and different ways, but they are every present. I see three in particular when I look across the evangelical landscape. Evangelical revisionists call into question the inspiration of all of God's word and ask us only to focus on the "red letters," yet when they finish talking about the "red letters" it doesn't really sound like the Jesus of the Bible as much as it sounds like the musings of a disenchanted evangelical. Another segment gives lip service to the Bible while dealing with it and preaching it in piecemeal fashion that turn it into a life-coaching manual. Popularly, many Christians have given up on reading the Bible seriously and instead have turned to receiving "words from God," whether they be in the form of spiritual impressions or books claiming to write down what a person has been told by Jesus. Kevin DeYoung wades into this malaise and helps Christians gain a greater understanding for why they need God's word in his new book Taking God at His Word: Why the Bible is Knowable, Necessary, and Enough, and What that Means for You and Me.

Summary
It is best to think about the structure Taking God at His Word like a sandwich. There are two introductory chapters and two concluding chapters of application. The middle chapters comprise the heart of what DeYoung wants Christians to understand about what the Bible is. Each chapter begins with reflections on a passage of Scripture about the nature and character of Scripture with theological and practical reflections along the way. Some may wonder how you can argue for the authenticity of the Bible from the Bible. DeYoung answers, "You can't establish the supreme authority of your supreme authority by going to some other lesser authority. Yes, the logic is circular, but no more so than the secularist defending reason by reason or the scientist touting the authority of science based on science."

The first chapter begins with a look at Psalm 119. The Bible's longest chapter is about the beauty and perfection of God's word. After working through what the Psalmist says about the Bible and how he feels about the Bible, DeYoung explains why he wrote this book. "The goal of this book is to get us believing what we should about the Bible, feeling what we should about the Bible, and to get us doing what we ought to do with the Bible."

The middle chapters contain the heart of DeYoung's argument. He shows the Bible's argument for it's sufficiency, clarity, authority, and necessity. He defines these terms the following way:
Sufficiency: The Scriptures contain everything we need for knowledge of salvation and godly living. We don't need any new revelation from heaven.
Clarity: The saving message of Jesus Christ is plainly taught in the Scriptures and can be understood by all who have ears to hear it. We don't need an official magisterium to tell us what the Bible means.
Authority: The last word always goes to the word of God. We must never allow the teachings of science, of human experience, or of church councils to take precedence over Scripture.
Necessity: General revelation is not enough to save us. We cannot know God savingly by means of personal experience and human reason. We need God's word to tell us how to live, who Christ is, and how to be saved.

He closes with a plea to stick with the Bible. Working from 2 Timothy 3:14-17, he urges Christians to remember what the Bible is and what the Bible does to remain faithful to it in every area of life. His closing words are appropriate. "So let us not weaken in our commitment to our unbreakable Bible. Let us not wander from this divinely exhaled truth. Let us not waver in our delight and desire. God has spoken, and through that revelation he still speaks. Ultimately we can believe the Bible because we believe in the power and wisdom and goodness and truthfulness of the God whose authority and veracity cannot be separated from the Bible. We trust the Bible because it is God's Bible. And God being God, we have every reason to take him at his word."

Reflection
Taking God at His Word appeared at an important time in the history of the Christian church in America. The endless slogans and debating about the Bible that come at us one blog post and 140 characters at a time do not help us to think through all of the issues related to our view of the Bible. We need to hear the Bible speak about itself and thoughtfully reflect on it. Christians need to be reminded that it is a privilege to hear from God and know Him through His word. DeYoung does this so well in Taking God at His Word that I cannot think of one quibble I have with it. It is brief enough to be read in a couple of sittings and long enough to provide much food for thought.

The importance of Taking God at His Word cannot be overstated. This book is not an apologetic to those who are skeptical about the Bible as much as it is a call to those who should believe and treasure the Bible. Christians need a renewed commitment to the Bible because we have lost confidence in it. This lost confidence has not come from problems within the Bible itself, but from our neglect of it and intoxication with the spirit of the age. If we return to the Bible, hearing it as it was meant to be heard, believed, rejoiced in, and acted upon, we will not find it lacking.

(I received a copy of this book from Crossway Books through the Beyond the Page program in exchange for an honest review.)

As a pastor and theologian, i love systematic theology tomes, and the thicker the better. I love theology books that zero in on a specific topic such as justification or particular redemption or sanctification, digging deeply into history and Scripture. At the same time, i recognize that while these sorts of books feed my soul and enrich my preaching, they are above the interest and education of the vast majority of laypeople.

Thus, when i come across a clear, concise and practical book on a specific topic that brings the subject down to a lay level, I am delighted and excited, knowing that i can pass it on to those who are interested in the subject but want it carved down to a manageable size.

Such is Kevin DeYoung's stunningly good book on Scripture, "Taking God At His Word." It combines the best of scholarship with a warm pastoral heart. The primary goal of the the book is to get us to fall deeper in love with God's Word. In this, it succeeds admirably. But even better is the fact that it does this via some very rich truths: DeYoung does what the best teachers do best: he inflames the heart by first filling the head. He demonstrates a grasp of apologetics, hermenutics, exegesis that serve as both a good introduction for laymen and a superb refresher for pastors and teachers.

Endlessly quotable, eminently readable, nourishing and stimulating. I'm not only going to use this for teaching Bible studies but plan to give away as many copies as I can afford. This should be required reading in every seminary, should be nestled on every pastor's library shelf, and should be read and re-read as often as necessary.

Taking God At His Word, by Michigan Presbyterian pastor, Kevin DeYoung, is a good, well rounded and above all pastoral approach to explaining, teaching and encouraging others with the doctrines regarding the Bible.

This is a short work, and in eight chapters, DeYoung can only hope to overview his subject and its challenges and applications in contemporary Christian life. As an teaching, this work should be particularly challenging for those having come through mainline or even neo-orthodox teaching. DeYoung clearly expounds on the classical Protestant teaching of the sufficiency and clarity of the Bible.

For Christians who come from more evangelical and conservative backgrounds, particularly on an individual level, DeYoung speaks in a way that is pastoral and points to how the doctrines of Scripture apply to everyday life. He is particularly keen to show that the Bible is Sufficient, Clear, Authoritative and Necessary in ways that are out of the abstract and have real meaning in the life of the Christian. In this sense, he works to create an accessible book that can be read in a few sittings, or even devotionally, or for group study.

For many Christians looking for good teaching about the use and application of the Bible, and the confidence they can have in it, this should be a great resource.

A growing practice even in evangelical circles is to look down on a high view of Scripture.

To elevate the doctrine of Scripture, some urge, is to misperceive the nature of the Bible and is the result of a distorted depth perception that mistakenly prizes devotion to the written word over interaction with the living Word, Jesus himself. In this volume, pastor Kevin DeYoung aims to give readers a different line of sight by arguing that a high view of Scripture is actually the only means by which we can see God, ourselves, and the world with clarity.

DeYoung begins with an extended reflection on Psalm 119 and 2 Peter 1:16-21. These strategic biblical passages share a high estimation of written revelation. The psalmist expresses fervent devotion to God’s laws, commandments, and statutes with language that conveys a longing to lift up and exult in the word of God (pp. 11-25). Peter likewise demonstrates that the gospel is worthy of trust because of the trustworthiness of the “prophetic word” and the apostolic testimony (pp. 27-44).

In these opening chapters, DeYoung seeks to establish the value and validity of God’s revelatory words. In the center of the book, DeYoung devotes a chapter each to four of Scripture’s attributes: “God’s Word is Enough” (sufficiency), “God’s Word is Clear” (clarity), God’s Word is Final (authority), and “God’s Word is Necessary” (necessity). For DeYoung, reflecting on these characteristics is “eminently practical” because “counselors can counsel meaningfully because Scripture is sufficient. Bible study leaders can lead confidently because Scripture is clear. Preachers can preach with boldness because their biblical text is authoritative. And evangelists can evangelize with urgency because the Scripture is necessary” (p. 92).

Following these chapters, DeYoung asks the question, “What did Jesus believe about the Bible?” (p. 95). For him, this one question “must undeniably shape and set the agenda for our doctrine of Scripture” (p. 95). Reflecting on John 10:35-36, he argues that Jesus viewed his Bible as an “unbreakable” one (pp. 95-110). DeYoung ends his volume with a discussion of 2 Tim 3:16, the locus classicus for a doctrine of Scripture. Here he explains that his entire reflection flows from the headwaters of this passage. He writes, “Everything in the Bible comes from the mouth of God. Sufficiency, clarity, authority, and necessity—they must all be true if 2 Timothy 3:16 is true, and they would all be false if 2 Timothy 3:16 were a lie” (p. 111). In this way, “there is no more important verse for developing a proper understanding of Scripture” (p. 111).

DeYoung concludes by highlighting Scripture’s ability to transform readers, its origin in God the Spirit, and its powerful practicality in the life of the churches (pp. 116-24). DeYoung’s volume as a whole will help sympathetic readers carve out a conceptual space in their thinking deep enough for a high view of Scripture. There is an educated impulse that regards the language evangelicals use of Scripture as “bibliolatry.” We should worship God, not a book. DeYoung implicitly addresses this sentiment from the outset. He simply takes a walking tour through the poetic rhetoric of Psalm 119, a text he calls a “love poem” (p. 11ff). DeYoung highlights the emotive language that the psalmist uses to express his relationship to God’s word (affection, love, longing) and also to those who set themselves up against it (anger, zeal, fury). His point is that because the Psalmist himself adopts this disposition when speaking about God’s words, commandments, and statutes, it is not de facto bibliolatry for believers to take their cues from the psalmist when they characterize the Scriptures.

Accordingly, DeYoung’s aim is “to get us to fully, sincerely, and consistently embrace” this disposition (p. 16). All of his arguments are designed to convince the reader “that the Bible makes no mistakes, can be understood, cannot be overturned, and is the most important word in your life, the most relevant thing you can read each day” (p. 16). In this way, “Psalm 119 is the explosion of praise made possible by an orthodox and evangelical doctrine of Scripture” (p. 16). Later in the book, DeYoung shows that Jesus himself echoes the psalmist’s striking disposition toward the Scriptures (see pp. 106-07).

Any articulation of a doctrine of Scripture that seeks to unpack “what the Bible says about the Bible” (p. 23) will raise a number of interpretive issues. DeYoung notes that this focus raises questions of canon and explains that his book is not an apologetic or historical defense of Scripture. This is a helpful clarification, but because he presents “a doctrine of Scripture derived from Scripture itself” (p. 23), the hermeneutical question of canon is actually foregrounded. That is, when Scripture “refers to itself,” what exactly is in view for the biblical writer?

Further, is there any sensitivity to the fact that a biblical text will function differently when read in its literary context than when it forms a part of a doctrine of Scripture? There is a definitional imperative here that is often neglected in popular bibliology. Typically, throughout DeYoung’s volume, the phrase “God’s Word” refers to the sixty-six books of the Protestant canon. However, when he discusses biblical texts, there is sometimes a blurring of the distinction between God’s speech in a narrative, a literary corpus (e.g., the Law), and the Bible as a whole. There are a number of places where the transition from “God’s revelation in words” to “the Bible itself” happens very quickly (p. 12).

For instance, Psalm 119 speaks of the “Law” and also of “God’s words” in the form of statutes, commands, and precepts. DeYoung notes that there are “different shades of meaning” for each concept, but that they “all center on the same big idea: God’s revelation in words” (p. 12). In the next sentence, though, DeYoung identifies the subject of the psalm as “the Bible itself” (p. 12). In Ps 119, the sense of “God’s Word” as the two-testament Bible of the church is not present on any reading. Some verses seem to speak of the “law of the Lord” as a literary entity, but even here, the referent is most likely the Law (i.e., the Pentateuch). The same tension shows up when DeYoung talks about texts like Heb 4:12 (p. 51) and Rev 22:18-19 (pp. 53-54). DeYoung helpfully exposits these passages, but in none of them does the “word of God” have the sense of the Bible as a whole.

This is a subtle but significant issue because many objections to a high view of Scripture begin at just this point. DeYoung clearly demonstrates the value of these passages for a doctrine of Scripture. However, utilizing a text that speaks of the Pentateuch or refers to divine discourse in a narrative requires a bit of theological work. Making this move in a careful and appropriate way is one of the most crucial tasks of bibliology. In the book, DeYoung mostly assumes this link rather than explains it. For instance, he notes that “God’s verbal revelation, whether in spoken form or in redemptive history (i.e., the Bible), is unfailingly perfect” (p. 18). When discussing 2 Tim 3:16, DeYoung hints at the issue when he describes the Bible as “the sacred writings of the Old Testament, which Paul first of all had in mind, and the inspired writings for the new covenant church, which Paul understood himself to be issuing (1 Thess. 2:13) and Peter understood to be in the process of being written down (2 Pet 3:16)” (p. 118). A more robust discussion of this particular nuance would help readers grapple with the hermeneutical glue that binds together the biblical building blocks of an evangelical bibliology.

The target audience for this book is those who know and love the Scriptures, and who would like to grow in these pursuits (p. 25). Recognizing this feature of his work, DeYoung aims his final exhortation at just these readers. With pastoral verve, he pleads, “Don’t forget what you know and have already learned. Don’t lose sight of who you are. Stay on track. Keep on going” (p. 112). “This,” DeYoung concludes, “is God’s never-changing instruction to us: stick with the Scriptures” (p. 113). DeYoung’s pastoral urgency acknowledges the value of Scripture for the life and ministry of the believer, and his conversational tone will enable his reflection to reach a broad audience.

While this volume is certainly not the last word on the doctrine of Scripture, it provides a glimpse into the riches that an evangelical articulation of God’s Word can offer to those looking for a clear line of sight into God’s work in the world.

Also in Themelios 39.2 (July 2014): 356-58.

Kevin DeYoung’s Taking God at His Word is a helpful little primer on the nature of scriptural authority (NB: I received a free copy of this book from Crossway in exchange for an honest review). DeYoung sums up the classical evangelical view of scripture with the acronym SCAN — scripture is sufficient, clear, authoritative and necessary. DeYoung examines each of these attributes in turn, appealing to scripture itself as the ultimate authority for establishing what we should think about scripture.

All these attributes are to some extent objects of controversy, of course, and actually make for some neatly dividing lines. For example, the sufficiency and clarity of scripture could be regarded as the crucial points of the disagreement between Protestants and those churches that appeal to tradition as a necessary conjunct to scripture, as the Roman Catholics, Orthodox, and Anglicans do. The authority of scripture, meanwhile, is the point of departure between evangelical Protestants and liberal mainlines. The necessity of scripture, lastly, neatly cleaves the Christian faith from all non-Christian and humanist philosophies. In sum, then, DeYoung gives a picture of the classical evangelical worldview in its ultimate foundation — its view of the Bible. “Whatever else we may disagree on as Catholics, liberals, and evangelicals, we should at least agree that it is our view of Scripture and authority that divides us.”

DeYoung’s analysis is radical in the best sense of the term — it gets to the root of the issue. Too often religious debates are focused on effects rather than root causes. Debates between Protestants and Roman Catholics get caught up in issues like funny hats, Mary, or taste in liturgy, when the real issue is the question of our ultimate authority. Our culture wars get caught up on behaviors — perversion or infanticide — when, serious as those behaviors may be, the root problem is a refusal to confess Jesus as Lord and to believe God’s word. Postmodernity’s flight from meaning in words is a flight, first, from the living Word, and then from his authoritative revealed word. DeYoung quotes Huxley:

"For myself, as, no doubt, for most of my contemporaries, the philosophy of meaninglessness was essentially an instrument of liberation. The liberation we desired was simultaneously liberation from a certain political and economic system and liberation from a certain system of morality. We objected to the morality because it interfered with our sexual freedom; we objected to the political and economic system because it was unjust."

Postmodernity does not need old-fashioned morality, an idyllic Mayberry or a western Confucianism; it needs the living God and his authoritative word.

But dry doctrine is not enough for DeYoung: doctrine should result in doxology. One of his early observations in the book is the majesty of Psalm 119: “Surely it is significant that this intricate, finely crafted, single-minded love poem — the longest in the Bible — is not about marriage or children or food or drink or mountains or sunsets or rivers or oceans, but about the Bible itself.” Here is where orthodoxy should meet orthopraxy: do evangelicals behave as if they really believed what they say they believe about the Bible? Well, how’s that Bible reading plan coming?

Having correct doctrines about the Bible, as DeYoung shows, is only the beginning of our task. Where we have much to repent of and much to build on is living out those doctrines, loving scripture and God’s law the way Psalm 119 teaches us to. Hopefully, after we put down Taking God at His Word, we’ll be inspired to pick up a different book.