Since my article on Scripture last December, several others have joined the discussion. I was pleased that in the January issue, and then in more detail last month, Dr. Alister McGrath was kind enough to pursue the discussion.
He identified the 'crucial issue' as 'the extent to which evangelicalism has been affected by rationalism'. Certainly this matter must be faced and it is right that we all re-examine our own presuppositions. An approach that reduces Scripture to propositional form only is inadequate, as I previously argued, and probably reflects the influence of rationalism. Nevertheless, a careful reading of Warfield et al, shows that they did view Scripture in at least something of the more rounded way that Dr. Packer described (February).
We must be careful here not to set up some sort of 'straw man'. However, my concern is not to defend Warfield, but to defend the same truth (God's Word) for our age. On this issue I believe I am in substantial agreement with Dr. McGrath. But let me now develop some of my concerns, not in direct relation to anything he has personally said, but rather in areas where I think we need to work harder for a vigorous defence of God's completely truthful Scriptures.
