Light in a Dark Place: The Doctrine of Scripture (Foundations of Evangelical Theology)

by John S. Feinberg

Publisher:

Crossway

, 2018

Overview

What we believe about the Bible is foundational to every part of life. Scripture is the very Word of God, the final authority for all of theology, the governing source of all other doctrines. In the latest volume of the Foundations of Evangelical Theology series, theology professor John S. Feinberg has written a landmark work on the doctrine of Scripture, offering a robust, serious treatment of topics such as revelation, the canon, inerrancy, infallibility, sufficiency, preservation, and more—all with the goal of helping readers cherish, obey, and be transformed by what God has spoken in his Word.

Key Features

• Presents a systematic view of the nature and characteristics of Scripture
• Explores the history of the Old and New Testament canon
• Emphasizes Scripture as a God-given light which shines into all aspects of life

Contents

• Part One: Creating Scripture

• Light Unveiled: The Doctrine of Revelation
• Light Unveiled (II): Special Revelation
• Light Written: The Inspiration of Scripture
• Light Written (II): Other Biblical Testimony about Scripture’s Inspiration
• Light Written (III): Theological Formulation of the Doctrine of Inspiration

• Part Two: Characteristics of Scripture

• True Light: Inerrancy and Infallibility
• True Light (II): Objections to Inerrancy
• True Light (III): More Objections to Inerrancy
• Divine Commanding Light: The Authority of Scripture

• Part Three: Setting the Boundaries

• Light Canonized: The Doctrine of Canonicity
• Light Canonized (II): Scripture on Canonicity
• Light Canonized (III): Old Testament Canonicity
• Light Canonized (IV): New Testament Canonicity

• Part Four: The Usefulness of Scripture

• Light Embraced: The Doctrine of Illumination
• Clear, Understandable Light: The Doctrine of Perspicuity/Clarity
• Living, Powerful Light: The Animation of Scripture
• Light Enough: The Sufficiency of Scripture
• Enduring Light: The Preservation of Scripture

• Conclusion

• Light in a Dark Place: Does It Make a Difference?

Top Highlights

“In light of the above, I propose that we define the biblical canon (and canonicity) as follows: to speak of the biblical canon is to refer to all the literary texts which give evidence of having been produced by both a human and a divine author, i.e., the biblical canon refers to all texts that give evidence of divine inspiration.³⁰ To say, further, that a literary work is canonical means that it has a right to be included in the group/canon of texts that give evidence of being divinely inspired. The canonicity of a given text or of all biblical texts taken together refers to its/their possessing characteristics which serve as evidence that it/they were composed under divine inspiration.” (Pages 454–455)

“Put simply, any assertion that matches reality is true or inerrant, and any claim that does not correspond to reality is false or errant.” (Page 232)

“Despite the ambiguity surrounding this doctrine, we can still define it clearly as theologians use it. The basic idea of any kind of revelation is to unveil, uncover, bring to light, disclose, and/or make known that which was previously hidden, veiled, and/or unknown. The object revealed can be a person, information, feelings, thoughts, an action, or any other thing that can be known through reason, intuition, and/or sense perception. For someone or something to be revealed, the one(s) to whom the revelation is given must have been previously either totally or partially unaware of whatever is made known.” (Page 38)

“Divine revelation is a disclosure made by God or by one of his creatures for him. Its content may be God’s very person, disclosed by transmitting information about God or by an act of God whereby he makes his presence known to his creatures. Or the content of divine revelation may be an action performed by God (though his presence may not be sensed as involved in what happens). This action discloses to those who observe or experience it that God was acting in what otherwise seemed to be a totally natural turn of events.” (Page 38)

Praise for the Print Edition

John Feinberg has written a splendid work that brilliantly expounds and winsomely defends a classical evangelical doctrine of Scripture. Readers will discover an engaging and comprehensive exploration of topics such as revelation, inspiration, inerrancy, authority, and canonicity, among others. This thoughtful and clearly written volume will certainly be welcomed by students, scholars, pastors, and church leaders alike. It is a genuine joy and privilege to recommend this most recent addition to the outstanding Foundations of Evangelical Theology series.

—David S. Dockery, President, Trinity International University

Building on a lifetime of scholarship, John Feinberg provides us with a superb exploration of the ‘perfections’ of Scripture for a new generation. This is a wise, well-informed, and very important summary of the normative source of faith and practice. What a gift!

—Michael Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California; Host, White Horse Inn; author, Core Christianity

The doctrine of Scripture serves as the foundational doctrine of Christian theology. Apart from God’s triune self-disclosure in Scripture, which results in a fully authoritative and reliable Word, everything we say about God, ourselves, and the world is ultimately left unwarranted. For this reason, every generation needs a robust and faithful exposition and defense of Scripture as God’s Word written in light of current challenges and debates. From a seasoned theologian who leaves no stone unturned, Light in a Dark Place wonderfully meets this need. In this volume, John Feinberg discusses the most significant points of the doctrine of Scripture and tackles some of the toughest issues the doctrine faces today with precision and care. This book will serve as a superb resource for today’s church, and it demands a careful reading and embrace of its faithful elucidation of Scripture as God’s most holy Word. I highly commend this work.

—Stephen J. Wellum, Professor, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Product Details

• Title: Light in a Dark Place: The Doctrine of Scripture
• Author: John S. Feinberg
• Series: Foundations of Evangelical Theology
• Publisher: Crossway
• Print Publication Date: 2018
• Logos Release Date: 2018
• Pages: 800
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Bible › Evidences, authority, etc; Reformed Church › Doctrines
• ISBNs: 9781433539275, 9781433539305, 9781433539282, 9781433539299, 1433539276, 1433539306, 1433539284, 1433539292
• Resource ID: LLS:LIGHTADARKPLACE
• Resource Type: Systematic Theology
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T01:16:12Z

About John S. Feinberg

John S. Feinberg (PhD, University of Chicago) is department chair and professor of biblical and systematic theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is the author of Ethics for a Brave New World (with Paul D. Feinberg) and is general editor of Crossway’s Foundations of Evangelical Theology series.