"The Scriptures are the voice of God to the soul of man," said W.E. Vine, and therefore they are, in the words of the apostle Paul, "profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness." This little book is an explanation and exposition of that statement by combining three works of W.E. Vine. . First, "The Divine Inspiration of the Bible" explains and gives evidence for the inspiration of the Bible. The Scriptures are God-breathed, and so "by whatever media that Word reaches men, whether in the original autographs or in faithful copies or in the resultant texts, or in a faithful translation, it is in reality God''s own voice to our souls." W.E. Vine points out the importance of this doctrine because "to lose certainty here is to be exposed to every wind of doctrine." To lose confidence in the unchanging authority of God''s Word opens up the possibility of relying on the ever-changing authority of human opinions. The author explains the doctrine of inspiration and what it means. He then gives evidences in Scripture for inspiration by looking at key passages in both the Old and New Testaments and reviews objections to the doctrine and various misunderstandings. For instance, is the Bible inspired when it quotes the mistaken arguments of Job''s friends or the falsehoods of Peter when he denied Jesus? The author also shows the effects of the Bible, which has "won the souls and molded the lives of millions."Second, "The Scriptures and How to Use Them" looks at those who teach the Bible—their responsibilities and their qualifications. It also examines "guiding principles" of teaching the Word of God. Vine challenges those who are called to "the holy and solemn yet blessed work of teaching" to "give ourselves to teaching by speaking—in the words of the apostle Peter—"as it were oracles of God: . . . that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, Whose is the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."Third, "Bible Predictions and the Critics" shows how Higher Criticism attempts to minimize the Bible''s own testimony of its supernatural character, particularly when it comes to the predictive prophecies of the Bible. A.S. Peake''s Commentary on the Bible is represented as a moderate example of Higher Criticism.
