A Peculiar Glory: How The Christian Scriptures Reveal Their Complete Truthfulness -- By: John Piper

Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 60:1 (Mar 2017)
Article: A Peculiar Glory: How The Christian Scriptures Reveal Their Complete Truthfulness
Author: John Piper


A Peculiar Glory:
How The Christian Scriptures Reveal Their Complete Truthfulness

John Piper*

* John Piper is chancellor of Bethlehem College and Seminary, 720 13th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55415. He gave this address at the annual meeting of the ETS in San Antonio, TX, on Wednesday, November 16, 2016.

Abstract: The glory of God, seen in Scripture, is both the goal of the soul’s satisfaction, and the ground of the soul’s certainty. The glory of God in Scripture proves itself not only to be incomparably rewarding to the heart, but also inescapably real to the mind. The quest for truth and the quest for joy turn out to be the same quest. The path to unshakable conviction and the path to unending contentment are the same path. Knowing for sure, and rejoicing forever, happen by the same discovery of the glory of God in the Bible. The way you know for sure what is true, and the way you find everlasting happiness are the same: by seeing the peculiar glory of God in the word of God, with Jesus Christ and his saving work as the clearest expression of it.

Key words: John Piper, peculiar glory, Scripture, self-attestation, self-authenticating, Jonathan Edwards, glory of God, Westminster Shorter Catechism

I thought I might begin this message by affirming that the devil could be a member of the Evangelical Theological Society. The reason I thought this might be true is that to be a member one need only affirm the truth of two statements: “The Bible alone, and the Bible in its entirety, is the Word of God written and is therefore inerrant in the autographs. God is a Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each an uncreated person, one in essence, equal in power and glory.”

I have often said, and still believe, that the devil is doctrinally more orthodox that most evangelicals. The difference is that he hates most of what he knows is true in Scripture. So, I thought he could be a member of ETS because he could at least affirm the truth of those two statements.

But on second thought, I don’t think that is true. I don’t doubt that the devil affirms the existence of the Trinity, as much as he hates the beauty of it. But I do doubt that the devil affirms the inerrancy of Scripture. And the reason is that Scripture affirms not just the...

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