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Throughout Christian history, the overwhelmingly predominant view of the Bible has been that it is itself the living and active word of God.

Timothy Ward explains and defends what we are really saying when we trust and proclaim, as we must, that the Bible is God’s word. In particular, he describes the nature of the relationship between the living God and Scripture. He examines why, in order to worship God faithfully, we need to pay close attention to the Bible; why, in order to be faithful disciples of Jesus – the Word–made–flesh – we need to base our lives on the words of the Bible; and why, in order to keep in step with the Holy Spirit, we need to trust and obey what the Bible says.

Ward offers an understanding of the nature of Scripture under three main headings. A biblical outline shows that the words of the Bible form a significant part of God’s action in the world. A theological outline focuses on the relationship of Scripture with each of the persons of the Trinity. A doctrinal outline examines the ‘attributes’ of Scripture. A final chapter explores some significant areas in which the doctrine of Scripture should be applied.

Grounded in the relevant scholarship, this excellent, lucid exposition of the nature and function of Scripture stands firmly in line with the best of the theological traditions and is expressed in a form appropriate for the twenty–first century.

Timothy Ward is Team Vicar of Holy Trinity Church, Hinckley. He is the author of Word and Supplement: Speech Acts, Biblical Texts and the Sufficiency of Scripture (OUP) and has contributed to several other titles from Apollos, Paternoster Press and Rutherford House.