The Doctrine of Scripture: An Introduction (Short Studies in Systematic Theology)

“Mark D. Thompson has provided Christ followers with an illuminating and refreshing introduction to holy Scripture. This biblically informed and theologically shaped work unapologetically affirms the Bible’s inspiration, truthfulness, and sufficiency, pointing readers to Christ and faithful Christian discipleship. Simply stated, The Doctrine of Scripture is an excellent contribution to Crossway’s outstanding series. I enthusiastically and happily recommend this substantive, thoughtfully organized, and highly readable volume.”

“Despite the Bible’s status as the number one bestseller in history, there is still confusion about what it says, what it is, and whether Christians should be following the Scriptures rather than Christ. Thompson answers these questions and thoroughly debunks this fateful contrast. In doing so, he performs a signal service to the church. In order to follow Christ, disciples must follow the story and trust the testimony of Scripture, for the story is ultimately about Christ, and Christ identifies its testimony as God’s own word. But the real contribution of Thompson’s book is the way its chapters make explicit the doctrine of Scripture implicit in Jesus’s own teaching.”

“Given the current ‘crisis of authority’ all around us, the church desperately needs clear and faithful biblical and theological expositions of what Scripture is, along with a renewed commitment to God’s most holy word. In this very accessible treatment of the nature of Scripture, Mark Thompson has almost achieved the unthinkable: he has described, explained, and defended all the crucial points needed for the church to understand and grasp what Scripture is for today. What is so helpful in his discussion is how he rightly grounds the doctrine of Scripture first in the doctrine of God, namely, the triune God who speaks. By doing so, he helps the church understand the Christ-centered nature of Scripture and why Scripture is utterly necessary, authoritative, and true. I cannot think of another book on Scripture that is so accessible to all Christians, faithful in its exposition, and wise in its conclusions. I highly recommend it!”

“For a succinct introductory account of a classic evangelical view of Scripture that travels the path of B. B. Warfield while also drawing upon more recent voices—especially John Webster and Kevin Vanhoozer—look no further.”