Category Archives: A Bibliology Primer

Continuing our trek through Francis Turretin’s Institutes of Elenctic Theology as a Bibliology Primer we now come to the question of the necessity of versions. For Turretin, this question is divided into two main heads: 1.) the necessity of the versions and 2.) the authority of the versions. Today’s post concerns the former. Turretin writesContinue reading “Are Versions Necessary?”

Under the question, “Are the Hebrew version of the Old Testament and the Greek version of the New Testament the only authentic versions?” Turretin addresses the idea propounded by the Roman Catholics that the original Hebrew and Greek are mutilated and therefore untrustworthy in themselves. He then goes on to deal with three passages whichContinue reading “The Same Old, Same Old”

Turretin writes, “All admit that the Hebrew of the Old and the Greek of the New Testament are the original and primitive. But we and the papists dispute whether each is authentic, of itself deserving faith and authority and the standard to which all the versions are to be applied.” Francis Turretin, Institutes of ElencticContinue reading “Are the Hebrew version of the Old Testament and the Greek version of the New Testament the only authentic versions? We affirm against the papists.”

We come now to one of the more “sensational” statements in Turretin’s Bibliology. It is sensational at least for the current ecclesiastical climate because of where he claims the purity of the Bible resides. Turretin’s argument here is very different than the standard argument for the originals. Take for instance the Chicago Statement on InerrancyContinue reading “Have the original texts of the Old and New Testaments come down to us pure and uncorrupted? We affirm against the papists.”

As part of our Bibliology Primer we now turn to Francis Turretin’s seventh question in which he asks, “Has any canonical book perished? We deny.” He goes on explain that the Scriptures can be spoken of as canonical in two respects: “either for the doctrine divinely reveled or for the sacred books in which itContinue reading “Have any canonical book perished? We deny.”

Hopefully you have been following our treatment of the above question to this point. After laying a significant amount of groundwork Turretin now turns to a treatment of the canon of Scripture. If you have not already detected a polemic against the Roman Catholic assertion of ecclesiastical authority you certainly begin to see it here.Continue reading “From what source does the divine authority of the Scriptures become known to us? (Part 5)”

As you can tell by now Turretin’s treatment of the question, “By what means do we come to know the authority and divinity of Scripture” is quite an extensive treatment, but the show must go on. So, continuing this argument we now turn to section XVIII of Turretin’s treatment of the above question. Addressing againContinue reading “From what source does the divine authority of the Scriptures become known to us? (Part 4)”

Continuing our Bibliology Primer and specifically Turretin’s treatment of how a Christian comes to know the authority and divinity of Scripture we now turn to the self-attesting and self-authenticating character of Scripture. Turretin writes, “That the Scripture makes itself known to us is proved: (1) by the nature of Scripture itself.” Turretin, Institutes of ElencticContinue reading “From what source does the divine authority of the Scriptures become known to us? (Part 3)”

Beginning again with Turretin, “But although we do not deny that the testimony of the church has its own weight (as will afterwards be seen), yet we maintain that primarily and principally the Bible is believed by us to be divine on account of itself.” Francis Turretin, Institutes of Elenctic Theology, vol. 1 Second Topic,Continue reading “From what source does the divine authority of the Scriptures become known to us? (Part 2)”

We are now into the sixth question of Francis Turretin’s treatment of Bibliology. In a more everyday kind of way he asks, what source enables the Christian to know the divine authority of Scripture? The question may also be posed as, what source enables the Christian to know the divine authority of one book ofContinue reading “From What Source Does the Divine Authority of the Scriptures Become Known to Us? (Part 1)”