Mark D. Thompson – författare

A Clear and Concise Exploration of the Christian Doctrine of ScriptureThe Bible is the written word of the living God. He speaks through this word, working in and through human agents as he reveals himself to his people. His word is trustworthy, yet many Christians struggle to articulate why they believe that to be true. Centered in the words of Scripture and especially the teaching of Jesus himself, this volume unpacks the doctrine of Scripture as taught by the church through the ages, helping to strengthen readers’ confidence in God’s word.Despite the challenges that are often leveled against the Bible, Thompson clearly articulates what Jesus taught about the Scriptures, how God speaks to his people through the written word, the crucial work of the Holy Spirit to apply the word, and the vital attributes of Scripture—its clarity, truthfulness, sufficiency, and efficacy. Readers will find encouragement to walk according to the word and to delight in the God who speaks. Concise and Accessible: Intended for use by church members and leaders as well as those in academic contextsChrist-Centered: Rooted in Jesus’s own words about the Old Testament and his commissioning of the apostles who would go on to write the New TestamentAddresses Common Questions: Answers challenges about the Bible’s clarity, truthfulness, sufficiency, and efficacy

Too often, the Reformers and their doctrines have been caricatured, misrepresented or misappropriated in the service of agendas they would never have recognized, let alone endorsed. Happily, there has been a great deal of fine scholarship in recent years that has exploded some of these myths, but it has not always been accessible to non-specialists. The intention of Celebrating the Reformation is that Christians today will find new cause to rejoice in what God did in the sixteenth century through weak and fallible men and women. These people sought, in their own context, to submit themselves to the word of God and lead his people in a godly and faithful response to the gospel of grace.Three sections deal with the chief Reformers, key doctrines and the Reformation in retrospect. Each contribution seeks to connect its subject to the present, making clear its relevance for today. The Reformation is not a dead movement but a living legacy that can still capture the imagination and encourage men and women in their own Christian discipleship.The contributors are Andrew Bain, Colin R. Bale, Rhys S. Bezzant, Gerald Bray, Martin Foord, David A. Höhne, Chase Kuhn, Andrew Leslie, Edward Loane, John McClean, Joe Mock, Michael J. Ovey, Tim Patrick, Mark D. Thompson, Stephen Tong, Jane Tooher and Dean Zweck.

By almost any measure, a bold and confident use of the Bible is a hallmark of Christianity. Underlying such use are a number of assumptions about the origin, nature and form of the biblical literature, concerning its authority, diversity and message.However, a lack of confidence in the clarity or perspicuity of Scripture is apparent in Western Christianity. Despite recent, sophisticated analyses, the doctrine is ignored or derided by many. While there is a contemporary feel to these responses, the debate itself is not new.In this excellent study, Mark Thompson surveys past and present objections to the clarity of Scripture; expounds the living God as the Guarantor of his accessible, written Word; engages with the hermeneutical challenges; and restates the doctrine for today.