Webster's Wisdom 2

"Scripture . . . builds the church up by breaking the church open, and therefore in large measure by breaking the church down . . . Scripture is as much a de-stabilising feature of the life of the church as it is a factor in its cohesion and continuity . . . Through Scripture the church is constantly exposed to interruption. Being the hearing church is . . . the church's readiness 'that its whole life should be assailed, convulsed, revolutionised and reshaped.'"

John Webster, Holy Scripture: A Dogmatic Sketch. Cambridge: CUP, 2003, pp. 46-47.

Comments

Steve Walton said…
This is a great little book which I really enjoyed reading last year (2009).
Anonymous said…
Interesting quote.

Is it the case, then, that the Bible is deliberately vague, resulting in multiple understandings (and misunderstandings!), so that Christians are constantly challenged -- challenged to look harder, be gracious in disagreement (cf TEU!)and humble in their life pilgrimage as they seek for truth ?!

And is it the case that the "human" side to the Bible's production has ensured precisely this quality of Bible text, giving precisely these conditions which make for a challenging learning experience as we seek for truth on life's pilgrimage ?!

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