October 2007 New Horizons

Introduction: Young on Scripture

by John R. Muether

This past summer the Committee for the Historian of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church republished a series of popular lectures delivered by Dr. Edward J. Young (1907–1968), professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia from 1936 until his death. Dr. Young delivered these talks, entitled "The God-Breathed Scripture," at Grace Theological Seminary in 1966. A decade earlier, Young published his pioneering study on biblical infallibility, Thy Word Is Truth (Eerdmans, 1957). Fifty years later, this book remains in print, and it continues to stand, in the judgment of theologian John Frame, as the "best resource for showing the rationale for inerrancy." Young was a remarkably calm and humble voice in the din of debate that developed over the inerrancy of Scripture. On the one hand, he was fully conversant with contemporary biblical scholarship, and he responded to the attacks of higher critics with the greatest of scholarly integrity. On the other hand, he resisted the ... Read more

Scripture: God-Breathed and Profitable

by Edward J. Young

Paul is not asserting [in 2 Timothy 3:16] that Scripture is inspiring, true as that may be, nor is he declaring that something has been breathed into Scripture. What he is saying is something quite different; what Paul is maintaining is that the Scripture itself is God-breathed. That which God breathed forth from His mouth is Scripture. To put the matter in slightly different terms, Scripture is the Word, which God has spoken, the product of the divine breath. What Paul is declaring is the divine origin of Scripture. Some apparently think that there is no need to make such an assertion at this point, but it is precisely this truth which undergirds the following truth, namely, that all Scripture is profitable. If the Bible is not divine, then we cannot be sure that all of it is profitable. We must, however, examine this thought of the divine origin of Scripture more closely. In Genesis 1:3 God said, "Let there be light," and these words originated in the divine mouth. They were spoken of God, and it is ... Read more

My Memories of Edward J. Young

by Leonard J. Coppes

Dr. Edward J. Young was one of the greatest Christian scholars I ever met, and one of the godliest Christians I ever met. I came to Westminster Theological Seminary in 1964 for postgraduate work. I had just completed a master's degree at Princeton and was tired of the liberalism that seemed to permeate all the lectures and grading. I had decided to come to Westminster, although I was not a Presbyterian at that time, because I knew of its reputation for orthodoxy. I was tired of the liberalism and yearned to spend my time learning what to believe, rather than learning what I could not believe. My first acquaintance with Westminster came from a professorial advisor at Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, who told me that the school was scholarly and academically excellent. The two years I spent studying at Westminster did not disappoint me, and, indeed, satisfied my yearning for truly Christian scholarship. It helped me to advance from Amyraldianism to a consistent Calvinism. Ultimately, I was able to ... Read more

How to Build a Doctrine of Scripture

by Lane G. Tipton

The Committee for the Historian of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church has commemorated the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of Edward J. Young (1907–1968) by reprinting a series of lectures given just two years before his death on the doctrine of Scripture, entitled The God-Breathed Scripture . The lectures, presented in an engaging and lucid style, offer great insight on a number of topics pertaining to the doctrine of Scripture and showcase the theological competency of a top-tier Reformed Old Testament scholar. The book consists of four chapters dealing with various facets of the biblical doctrine of inspiration. It also includes an insightful foreword by Richard B. Gaffin, Jr. (Young's son-in-law) and a select bibliography of Young's publications. Chapter 1, entitled "Scripture: God-Breathed and Profitable," touches on the crucial issue of bibliological methodology. And what is the proper method for constructing a doctrine of Scripture? Young is clear that "there is of course a proper method ... Read more

Helps for Worship #22: Scripture Readings

by William Shishko

"Give attention to reading ..." (1 Tim. 4:13) We all too easily take for granted the privilege of having the very words of God given to us in the Bible. "Thus says the Lord" or its equivalents are used hundreds of times in the Old Testament to remind us that, in Holy Scripture, we are not reading the words of mere men, but the word of God. In the New Testament, the written words of the apostles are equated with Scripture (see 2 Peter 3:15–16), thus confirming their uniqueness as inspired by God (2 Tim. 3:16–17). God's people are never to forget that one of their greatest benefits is to have the word of God (Deut. 4:8; Rom. 3:1–2). That being the case, God has always made provision that his word be read publicly in the gatherings of his people (e.g. Josh. 8:33–35; 2 Kings 23:2; Neh. 9:3). In the New Testament, the apostle Paul specifically required this of young minister Timothy (and, hence, of all ministers following him) by telling him to "give attention to reading" (I Tim. 4:13). Most ... Read more