James Boice was the pastor of the famed Tenth Street Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, for over thirty years. He distinguished himself at Harvard University, Princeton University and the University of Basel in Switzerland. His love for Christ and the Word compelled him to speak and write for a proper view of the Bible. For him the Bible was essential to fulfill his life’s passion to honor Jesus Christ. One observer described Dr. Boice like this: “Quite simply, he lived to know Christ better; he lived to preach Christ more effectively; and he lived to exalt Christ with every faculty of his being.”
The following quotes focus upon his love for God’s Word and his conviction that the most important issue in the church today is the battle over the sufficiency of God’s Word. The following words come from four of his God- honoring, Bible-promoting books: The Sovereign God; Standing On the Rock; Here We Stand; and, Whatever Happened to Grace?
On the sufficiency of Scriptures: “When God from heaven gave his Word-His Word was all-sufficient; It needs no words I may have heard-To add to or be in it. So I will take God’s Book and read, To learn what God desires; The Bible give the strength I need To do what God requires.”
On Jesus use of the Scriptures: “After Jesus disappeared from their sight, these two disciples said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us.’ That is the point at which Jesus began. Jesus did not say, Look, here I am. I’m Jesus. Can’t you tell? No, he took them to the Word of God. He opened the Scriptures. He said, Look at what the Bible says. Look at this passage. Look at this passage.”
On “doing” as a prerequisite for “knowing”: “Jesus told us we will only know the truth about him if we are willing to do his will, that is, if we allow ourselves to be changed by the truths we find in Scripture. He said if any one chooses to God’s will [that is, determines to do it], he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. [John 7:17] We must not assume we will be able fully to understand any passage of Scripture unless we are willing to be changed by it.”
On crucial questions concerning the sufficiency of the Word: “The issue I would pinpoint is the sufficiency of God’s Word. The questions surrounding this are numerous. Do we really believe God has given us what we need in this book? Or do we think we have to supplement the Bible with other man-made things? Do we need sociological techniques to do evangelism? Must we attract people to our churches by showmanship and entertainment? Do we need psychiatry for Christian growth? Do we need extra-biblical signs or miracles for guidance? Is the Bible’s teaching adequate for achieving social progress and reform?”
On boldness and confidence in God: “The God of the Bible is not weak; he is strong. He is almighty. Nothing happens without his permission or apart from his purposes-even evil. Nothing disturbs or puzzles him. His purposes are always accomplished. Therefore, those who know him rightly act with boldness, assured that God is with them to accomplish his own desirable purposes in their lives.”
On the TV and our failure to think: “The chief problem with television is that, for those who watch it consistently, it undermines and eventually destroys the ability to think. This is because it communicates primarily images, not by words, and words are necessary if we are to perceive logical connections and make judgments as to what is right and wrong.”
Permissions: Permission is granted for reproduction and distribution of this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way, you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction, and you do not make more than 1,000 physical copies.
Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By Dr. Gary Rieben. © Give Me That Book. Email: Grieben@aol.com. Website: www.GiveMeThatBook.org. Postal: GMTB | P.O. Box 1045| La Quinta, CA 92247 USA | 619.829.2390
© Give Me That Book