Handling God's Holy Word

Phil Johnson, one of my favorite bloggers, has once again posted something that hit me like a ton of bricks [Pyromaniacs: Some Certainties for These Uncertain Times]. This time it was one of his weekly snippets from C.H. Spurgeon and this quote dealt with the tremendous gravity of handling God's holy and inspired Word. We are not called to present our viewpoints or our formulas or our programs; we are called to present Jesus Christ and him crucified—the very essence of scripture, without additions or subtractions. Here's a quote to whet your appetite. Then go over to Pyromaniacs: Some Certainties for These Uncertain Times for the whole thing.

"Those are my views, but other people's views may be correct." We ought to preach the gospel, not as our views at all, but as the mind of God—the testimony of Jehovah concerning his own Son, and in reference to salvation for lost men. If we had been entrusted with the making of the gospel, we might have altered it to suit the taste of this modest century, but never having been employed to originate the good news, but merely to repeat it, we dare not stir beyond the record. What we have been taught of God we teach. If we do not do this, we are not fit for our position. If I have a servant in my house, and I send a message by her to the door, and she amends it, on her own authority, she may take away the very soul of the message by so doing, and she will be responsible for what she has done. She will not long remain in my employ, for I need a servant who will repeat what I say, as nearly as possible, word for word; and if she does so, I am responsible for the message, she is not. If any one should be angry with her on account of what she said, they would be very unjust; their quarrel lies with me, and not with the person whom I employ to act as mouth for me. He that hath God's Word, let him speak it faithfully, and he will have no need to answer gainsayers, except with a "Thus saith the Lord."