Words of Life: Scripture as the Living and Active Word of God

by Timothy Ward

Throughout Christian history, the overwhelmingly predominant view of the Bible has been that it is itself the living and active word of God. In this book 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. And a doctrinal outline examines the 'attributes' of Scripture. A final chapter explores some significant areas in which the doctrine of Scripture should be applied. Ward offers us an excellent, lucid exposition of the nature and function of Scripture, expressed in a form appropriate for the tweny-first century, grounded in the relevant scholarship, and standing firmly in line with the best of the theological traditions.

Genres: Theology, Scripture, Christian, Biblical Studies, Faith, Nonfiction, Christianity

179 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2009

Reviews

[Grant Carter]

Best book I’ve read for seminary this year

[Peyton Gunter]

This was so good.
Wish I had more time so that I could slow down and chew on this, but that’s show biz, baby.

[Timothy Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75 mainly because I kept looking for more extensive footnotes and didn’t find any. But this is an incredibly helpful, incredibly clear, and incredibly concise treatment of the doctrine of Scripture.

[Colin Fast · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably one of the best books I’ve read on doctrine of Scripture.

[Mitchell Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book over the Doctrine of Scripture.

The most helpful part was the definition the Reformers meant by Scripture Alone, it doesn't mean Scripture Only. We can still rely in church tradition and history but look to Scripture as the ultimate Authority.

[Grace Catherine Beckham · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, Ward seeks to establish grounding along Scriptural, theological, and doctrinal lines the predominant evangelical view of Scripture as the Word of God. He shares how Scripture testifies to itself as the speech-acts of God, asserting that to encounter the words of Scripture is to encounter God in action (48). He then outlines the relationship between Scripture and each member of the Trinity, grounding the Bible in a covenant Father who sent Christ as Word that we might know him and be spoken to by the Spirit through the illumination of Scripture. Ward next explicates typically-upheld “attributes” of Scripture — necessity, sufficiency, clarity, and authority — dwelling specifically on the doctrines of sola Scriptura, inerrancy, and infallibility and addressing their contemporary perversions. And finally, Ward hones in on practical applications of this truth for the preacher, the church, and the individual believer.

I really enjoyed this book — it is well-researched and thoughtful, asserting truth in alignment with Ward’s Reformed evangelical views without offering meager straw-man arguments for that camp’s opponents. His use of “road-mapping” throughout the book, providing frequent summaries, made the material more tangible and the read more fluid. My only critique would be that I felt a lack of clarity regarding Ward’s definitions of and distinction between inerrancy and infallibility (but I’ll admit that might be only a product of my own misunderstanding of the rhetoric; I’m excited to explore that in dialogue).

This text is SO applicable to the fundamental Christian experience, hence Ward’s chapter on applications, and particularly to my own ministry. One of the biggest questions I find college students (Christians or otherwise) wrestle with as they interact with RUF is that of how we can trust the Bible and what it means for it to be God’s Word. Ward’s succinct but powerful explanation of the Scriptures’ integrity from three different major angles speaks into this matter directly and helpfully. I look forward to seeing how this book’s tenets come up in conversation with my students this semester.

Some favorite quotes:
“Whenever we encounter the speech acts of Scripture, we encounter God Himself in action. The Father presents himself to us as a God who makes and keeps his covenant promises. The Son comes to us as the Word of God, knowable to us through his words. The Spirit ministers these words to us, illuminating our minds and hearts, so that in receiving, understanding and trusting them, we receive, know and trust God himself.” (95)

"the great revealed truth we must trust, explain and defend is that the one who is the Word of life (1 John 1:1) speaks to us words of life (John 6:68). He gives us Scripture as our word of life: the trustworthy, clear and sufficient means of knowing him and remaining in covenant relationship with him, in the power of the Holy Spirit, right up until the day we shall no longer need it, because we shall see face to face." (179).

[Ethan Preston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very helpful introduction to the doctrine of Scripture. Ward rightly roots our doctrine of Scripture to our doctrine of God. He also helpful brings in some speech-act theory to help reinforce the point that God's action in Scripture is rooted in its intended communicatory force. Having a solid theology of Scripture is necessary for having a solid hermeneutics. The only reason it is not five stars is that I feel as though he was a bit reductionistic at times or made logic jumps (although he acknowledges that because this is a short work this is inevitable in some ways). At times I wished the book was longer so that he could deal adequately with certain issues. Also, I started to have some minor disagreements in the last chapter when Ward's Anglicanism and Normative principle of worship started to come out. But overall very helpful.

[Elissa (Christian_Bookworm_Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

I definitely learned a lot from this book. Three big points that stood out to me were the aspect of Scripture being God's active speaking in the world today, the doctrine of authority really pointing to God authoritatively speaking through Scripture, and the clarification of what Sola Scriptura actually meant to the Reformers.

If you are looking for a book that is biblically grounded that expands on Scripture and the doctrines surrounding it, I would highly recommend this. It truly focused on Scripture being the words of life for Christians today.

[Creed Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear and concise. Academic but not long winded and boring. Had a summary at the end of each section. This should be the standard for all theological writing. He answered almost every question I had on the doctrine of scripture so well that I would end up questioning why I was confused in the first place. Very good, would recommend to anyone who is interested in the foundation and authority of scripture.

[Justin Lonas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for a seminary course, but it is short and accessibly written, so I'm posting on it here as well.

If ever someone has questions or doubts about why Christians think of Scripture the way that they do, this is a fine resource to help them see how a robust theology of God's Word undergirds faith and practice. We see Scripture as authoritative and life-giving primarily because it is from God, and all the other reasons support that one.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book fried my brain a bit, but ultimately helped me to grow in my understanding of the Doctrine of Scripture as rooted in the Doctrine of a Trinitarian God.

[Caleb Villa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Solid treatment of tradition I guess. Just not the kind of thing I’d like to be reading right now

[Lauren Danforth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t say how happy I am that this was required reading for a class. It’s already changing how I read and view Scripture. Yet another book to add to my re-read list :)

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Words of Life by Timothy Ward. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2009.

Summary: This book is a Reformed treatment of the doctrine of scripture that begins from a study of scripture's teaching about itself, moves to a Trinitarian theology of scripture and finally explores the classical affirmations about scripture. Another significant aspect of this book is its incorporation of "speech-act" theory which Ward uses to delineate the relationship of God and the Bible.

Many Reformed treatments of the doctrine of scripture begin with assertions concerning the necessity, sufficiency, clarity, and authority of the Bible. Timothy Ward gets there in the end but pursue a different approach from what I've typically seen. He begins by discussing the question of the relationship between God and the Bible, and the issue of how we speak of the Bible as "The Word of God" while lapsing neither into bibliolatry nor elevating the Bible to be a fourth member of the Godhead.

He then begins by looking at scripture's own account of itself as reflecting the "speech act" of God for the salvation of his people. He summarizes this as follows:

"God chooses to present himself to us, and to act upon us, in and through human words that have their origin in him, and that he identifies as his own. When we encounter those words, God is acting in relation to us, supremely in his making a covenant promise to us. God identifies himself with his act of promising in such a way that for us to encounter God's promise is itself to encounter God. The supreme form in which God comes to encounter us in his covenant promise is through the words of the Bible as a whole. Therefore to encounter the words of Scripture is to encounter God in action" (p.48).

The second part of the book then looks at the relationship of each person in the Trinity to scripture. This is then followed by a chapter on the doctrine of scripture under the headings of necessity, sufficiency, clarity and authority. Laid out this way, these qualities are informed by and follow as implications of the idea of scripture as the speech action of God. Particularly helpful here was the author's discussion of what clarity does and does not imply.

The final chapter considers the Bible in the life of Christians. Ward has some trenchant remarks differentiating sola scriptura from a more contemporary version in evangelicalism of solo scriptura. He also addresses the role of the Christian community in relation to scripture and the particular dynamic that occurs when scripture is read and exposited in which the Spirit-given scripture, the Spirit informed and empowered preacher, and the Spirit indwelt congregation come together and God's people indeed hear a word from God, and not simply human teaching.

This book is an exposition of a Reformed view of scripture at its best. The author draws heavily on Calvin, Turretin, Warfield, and Bavinck while addressing contemporary criticisms and using contemporary approaches to give a fresh account of the doctrine of scripture. Often, contemporary critics of the Reformed view knock down a "straw man" version of this doctrine. I would suggest it would be far more constructive to engage this account. At a personal level, reading this book nourished my enthusiasm for reading the scriptures alone and together with others, and for the preaching of these "words of life."

[Tim Michiemo · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.9 Stars - Top Reads of 2022

“Words of Life” by Timothy Ward is a short book on the doctrine of Scripture that has blown me away! This is a remarkable book, and I am astonished that so few have read it.

In this book, Ward presents to us the doctrine of Scripture. Ward argues that many present formulations of the doctrine of Scripture are lacking because they are often divorced from a doctrine of God. Thus, Ward's central thesis is that whenever we encounter the words of Scripture, we are encountering God Himself. God's Words are the primary means by which He presents Himself to us. And His Words are the primary means that he establishes His covenant relationship with us. Ward then explains how the traditional attributes of Scripture (Sufficiency, Clarity, Authority, Necessity) relate to this truth - that the Bible's reliability, clarity, authority, inerrancy, etc. are all derived from God’s character since it is how he communicates himself. Ward ends his book applying this doctrine to Christian tradition, preaching, and personal Bible reading.

Ward’s approach to the doctrine of Scripture is illuminating. His connection of the doctrine of Scripture to the doctrine of God adds incredible clarity to a teaching that is often confusing but central to the Christian faith. Ward’s book is academically, philosophically, and biblically rigorous but at the same time extremely approachable because of its brevity. It’s hard to find weaknesses in this book that is written so well, so succinct, so pastorally helpful, and so Biblically sound.

Thus, I would say this is my go-to book for the doctrine of Scripture. I haven’t read a single systematic theology volume or individual book that does it as well as this one. And that so few have read this book saddens me, because it’s such a wonderful book that displays the beauty of God’s Word and has compelled me to love it more! I cannot more highly recommend this book!

[Peter Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was excellent. Ward begins, not with the doctrine of Scripture, but with the doctrine of God in Scripture. He explores who God is and how God's revelation of himself informs our doctrine of Scripture. He is the covenant making God and we are to be a covenant keeping people. He makes this covenant through his Word and we keep the covenant through the Word. To read the Bible is to encounter God himself. While the Bible is not God, it is so closely associated with him that to reject it is to reject God. This emphasis was excellent and renewed my appreciation for the Scriptures and their power.

He then moves on to the three persons of the Trinity and the role they play in our doctrine of Scripture. He does a great job of showing how the Bible as God's Word does not detract from Christ as God's Word.

The next chapter covers the traditional aspects of the doctrine of Scriptures: necessity, sufficiency, clarity, and authority. He also covers inerrancy in this chapter as subset of authority. He very helpfully places these doctrines in their Reformation and post-reformational contexts.

Finally, he covers the authority of the church, preaching, and individual Bible reading.

The best part about this book is how Ward builds the doctrine of Scripture on other systematic categories, especially our doctrine of God, showing how they are related. It seems that many modern discussions of the doctrine of Scripture are divorced from their theological anchors. He remedies this well.

It was wonderful to read and his dependence on Calvin, Bavinck, and Warfield was refreshing.

[Jack Schutt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Ward works to pull the definition of scripture out of polemical contexts in which it has often been confined and seeks to articulate the deeper, richer understanding of scripture as the triune God’s revelation of himself as covenant maker and promise keeper.
This priority places topics of the necessity, sufficiency, clarity, and authority (and by implication, infallibility and inerrancy) of scripture as natural, and true, implications that are found downstream of a robust theology of divine self-revelation, rather than as over-simplified (and often poorly articulated) starting points. In this, he emphasizes that God’s word is not simply an object to be understood, but is God’s means of speaking to and administering his covenant with his people. 4.5.

[Jack Hayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book. A must read for anyone emerging from a heavily weighted grammatical-historical program. A great starting place for thinking through what it means for Scripture to be God’s Word.

95% If Scripture is God’s word how should we expect to read it?

[Ian Hammond · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author's goal was to speak about the relationship between God and the Bible and thus articulate a doctrine of Scripture that is integrally related to the great doctrines of God, Christ, and the Spirit, not being added on as an appendix or preface or worse a tangent.

Some notes from my reading...

- Biblical outline: God acts by speaking. He relates by covenant, which is established by means of uttering a promise. Illustrated by the ten words in the ark in the temple, God's words convey his presence (summary on pg. 36,48).

-Theological outline: "Therefore, when we speak of Scripture as a mode of God's presence, we are asserting that it is in the speech acts of Scripture that God reveals himself by being semantically present to us as he promises, warns, rebukes, reassures, and so on. And this revelation is happening when the words of Scripture are read: when God is performing again, through the reading of Scripture, the same action he performed through those words when they were first written" (pg 66).
Christ abides in His people through His Words abiding in them (John 15:4-5, 7-8).

Summary on page 78.

Inspiration by the Spirit is about the origin of Scripture being of God. When we think of plenary inspiration we must not think of Scripture atomistically, since the whole of Scripture is inspired and so every part must be interpreted in light of its place in the unfolding history of salvation. Individual words are not the basic unit of meaning, rather speech acts are and so this is what is in view in verbal inspiration. The individual words are inspired to the extent that they come together to express speech acts.

Pg 95 summary.

- Doctrinal outline: "Instead, the Reformers insisted, the Scripture the Holy Spirit authored in the past receives its authority in the present from the fact that God the Holy Spirit continues to speak in and through it the same message he once uttered."

Internal and external clarity (pg 116).

Clarity of Scripture "as a whole" = things necessary to be known in WCF (pg 125).

The authority of Scripture is shorthand for the authority of God as he speaks through Scripture.

Mark Noll quote about inerrancy in Church History (pg 132).

The conclusion of inerrancy is drawn from what the Scripture says about God and about its relationship to God.

- Applied: Sola Scriptura recognizes the importance of creeds (such as the early emergence of the Rule of Faith).

Tradition I: It is an aid in the faithful interpretation of Scripture, expounding the primary teachings of Scripture, with Scripture remaining the only source of infallible divine revelation, to which tradition is always subject.

Tradition II: Two distinct sources of divine revelation (Trent: Scripture and the unwritten traditions).

Tradition 0: Exalts individual interpretation of Scripture over that of the corporate interpretation of past generations. This idea is SOLO scripture. It leads to increasing sectarianism and usually the elevation of individual teachers who play the role of the tradition for that community.

Turretin's understanding of the relationship of Church and Scripture (pg 152).

The public reading and preaching of Scripture should give those who hear it both a structure and some tools to help them with their private reading.

Bottom line: Scripture is God's communicative action. Therefore, to encounter the words of Scripture is to encounter God in action. Scripture is the means by which God presents his covenant to us and therefore the means by which he presents himself to us as the faithful God of the covenant.

[C.T. Eldridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really appreciated this book for providing a fresh formulation of the doctrine of Scripture. The author’s concern is that too often modern evangelical bibliology (typified by Grudem) starts with the attributes of Scripture (i.e., doctrinal points) and doesn’t give a sufficient biblical or theological account for what Scripture is and it’s role in God’s purposes. So the author starts out giving a biblical theology of Scripture and then a theological account of Scripture (chapters 2 and 3). Only then does he get to the doctrinal formulation and eventually life application.

Despite his emphasis on laying a biblical and theological foundation, the author is very well versed and concerned about philosophical and historical matters. So he utilizes speech act theory to help explain what Scripture is and how it’s intended to work. And he very often brings in reformational theologians and debates to highlight an issue or make a historical connection.

The book is very much intended to be a positive assertion about Scripture, so there is not a whole lot of polemical material. But he does discuss the analogy between Christ’s two natures and Scripture’s human/divine aspects, which is a relevant topic in the controversies surrounding Peter Enn’s book “Inspiration and Incarnation.” There is also some good sections on debates between radical reformers, magisterial reformers, and Roman Catholics, which provides polemical material against the radical’s doctrine of “solo scriptura” and against RC’s view of Scripture and tradition. The radical view and the RC view are still live issues today, so there is some helpful material for combatting those views.

I was thinking this book would be pretty accessible, but it is definitely a seminary level text. Maybe I thought it would be more accessible because it’s only 170 pages, but it is not “lay level”. For that kind of book I would look at Kevin DeYoung’s book “Taking God at His Word”.

[Zach Forehand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend. This book was extremely helpful to me in clarifying the nature, role, and authority of Scripture. I found some of my own presuppositions challenged, and my views were refined at many points throughout my reading. It’s jam-packed with many lines and paragraphs that you’ll want to underline, and I’d definitely recommend it to other Christians who take the Bible seriously. Though a little bit more in depth than an easy-to-read Christian living book, it’s readable for ministers, scholars, and laypeople alike.

Ward walks through biblical, theological, and doctrinal outlines of Scripture before moving on to the application of these in the lives of the Church and believers. He also clarifies that this book should serve as “only an outline, recommending the foundational shape the doctrine of Scripture ought to take.” In my opinion, this book could serve as a solid foundation instead of merely a recommended outline. It is well-researched, theologically sound, and convincing.

[Julie Biles · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is likely not fair for me to rate or review this book because I am not a seminarian nor currently a student. Although, I am a theologian, as are we all whether we realize this or not, and I love reading theological literature, but this book, in which the author explains the doctrine of Scripture, was very difficult to follow for many reasons. The author does repeat his purpose and thesis, with which I agree, over and over and that I found helpful. I appreciated his bibliography and his footnotes.

The content of this book is not the basis of my three-star rating. It is due to the outline, structure, style and organization that makes it difficult to follow.

[Tyler Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best single volume books I've read on the doctrine of Scripture. It answered key questions, brought up helpful reminders, and continually pointed to love of our covenant making and keeping God.
In addition to its excellent content, this book also shines as an impressively short and clear work of deep theological truth. Every sentence matters. Ward doesn't waste a syllable. Just like any good teacher, he uses just as many words as he needs and no more.

This book is now my go-to for anyone who asks the question, "what does it mean that the Bible is the Word of God?"

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended. A profound treatment of Scripture as the living word of God. This book reminded me greatly of John Frame’s “The Doctrine of the Word of God,“ though in a shorter and, perhaps, more accessible form.

[Phil Butcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Been reading this in my zoom book group. It wasn't the easiest to read due to the author's style and love of very long sentences. But I'm glad I persevered, because it yielded some helpful thoughts.

[Faith Key · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 thoughtful, laid out well, and extremely clear. particularly enjoyed the bits on Scripture as essential (rooted in God as cov. God), encountering Scripture as encountering God in action, and Scripture as the means of communing with the Triune God.

[Reese Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helpful and humbling perspective on Scripture I can now apply to my own meeting with God through his Word and to conversations with others about my confidence in the Bible.

[Samantha LaBat · Rating 4 out of 5]

It made sense the second time.

[Jake Ruefer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seemed like a snoozer when I got it but this is such a great summary of what Scripture is and why we should love it.

[George Herndon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Giving this one five stars because I would put this into the hands of a congregant in an instant. Great book.