In Depth:  Mr Paul Gardner

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).

It is exciting to see that, even in England, a debate is finally beginning concerning the nature and authority of Scripture.

For too long, we have been told by some evangelical scholars that such a debate would be unhelpful or divisive. Given that Scripture and its authority has always been one of the defining elements of what it is to be an evangelical, the debate is vital. It is especially time for those who believe the Scriptures to be utterly true and without error in all that it affirms, to speak out or they will see their position sidelined by a different consensus evangelicalism.