Biblical Doctrines

by B.B. Warfield

Although justly famed for his landmark defence of the divine inspiration and authority of Scripture, B.B. Warfield was a theologian with multiple interests. In Biblical Doctrines Warfield reveals his mastery of such doctrines as the Trinity, the Person and Work of Christ, Redemption, and Faith. He covers the ground from the first essay, on Predestination, to the final one, on the Millennium with the apparent ease of the master craftsman. Rigorous in his scholarship, Warfield also possessed a personal spirit and style reminiscent of John Calvin's ideal of clarity and brevity. He had a highly refined ability to expound the truth to the mind in such a way that it arouses a distinctly religious response. In so doing he exemplifies the principle that all biblical theology ultimately leads to doxology.

Genres: Theology, Christian

674 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1988

About the author

Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield (usually known as B. B. Warfield) was professor of theology at Princeton Seminary from 1887 to 1921. Some conservative Presbyterians consider him to be the last of the great Princeton theologians before the split in 1929 that formed Westminster Seminary and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

(Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Josh Anders · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume is a collection of many Warfield articles over his Princeton years. They span across many sections including the foresight of Jesus, the nature of Faith & Love in the NT, the Spirit in the OT, etc.

I read most of the essays included in here but not all of them. My favorite was on Faith in the NT and the sacrifice of Christ. A great quote to leave the review on:
“It (the biblical faith) came to proclaim the real sacrifice for sin which God had provided in order to supersede all the poor fumbling efforts which men had made and were making to provide a sacrifice for sin for themselves; and, planting our feet on this, bid them go forward.”
I highly encourage you to grab something of Warfield’s to read for yourself. He won’t leave you hungry.

[Mark Nenadov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though here are some really tricky stretches here, the references to critical works and the extensive Greek word studies went over my head at times, I found many parts of this to be extremely profitable. My favourite parts were the essay on the term "redeemer" and the essay on the person of Christ. It took me almost a year to read this, but I'm glad I pressed on through it!

[Sam Dyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4.4) Only took me 3 and a half years to finish. Although there are some dry sections in Warfield’s Biblical Doctrines, his knowledge of Scripture and his exhaustive tracing out of all its implications is truly impressive.

The best compliment I can give to this work is that Warfield fills you with confidence in the unity of the Bible’s message, whether that be on Love, Faith, the Trinity, or the End Times. He will not allow readers to separate the message of the prophets, Jesus, Paul, John or Peter, but he achieves this not with wishful thinking, but with careful and thoughtful exegesis.

I particularly benefited from his essays on the Millennium and NT teaching on the end-times. Even if I didn’t agree with every position he holds, one cannot fault Warfield’s thought processes and scholarly knowledge.

He is firm with opposing scholarship but gracious in his tone. A theological titan at work.

[Joshua · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great writings are contained in this volume. However, there is no historical context given so the import of the nuance is entirely missed on readers like me who do not know intimately the history or circumstances of the writing. Also, it is ordered so that the more interesting and accessible writings are towards the end rather than the front, so it is a front-heavy read.

[William Barrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second volume of the 10-volume collection of Warfield's works continues his writings on biblical theology. His defense of the biblical Trinity, his examination of the goal for the earthly ministry of Christ, and his study of the Greek words for "love" highlight this volume. The final essay in this volume reveals Warfield's roots in the amillennial theology of the Presbyterian church.

[Jared · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are largely scholarly, technical articles that were published in theological journals. I particularly enjoyed the word studies on faith and love. Wakefield’s research into the Greek uses of the various words for love blow up some Christian urban myths about their meaning.

[Joonas Laajanen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of essays on various biblical doctrines of which I read six. I'll finish the others later. His essay on the Trinity is one of the best on the topic.

[Dr. Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

A blessing and inspiration to read such thorough study and reflection on God's word. Hope Christians don't forget about Warfield.

[Andy Schreiber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tremendous book! My appreciation of Warfield has been growing by leaps and bounds lately, and this volume has played a big part in that.

[Tim Woody · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few sections of this book were good for a cursory reading such as his section on Paul's understanding of apocalypse and the section on the sacrificial system. Others were really involved such as the terminology of love.

[Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent set of essays from Warfield, these ones got a little more technical into the etymology of words and their usage in the Greek but very worthwhile even for a layman like me.