The Doctrine of the Word of God (A Theology of Lordship)
Frame, John M.
This fourth and final volume in the Theology of Lordship series discusses God's word in modern theology and how God's word comes to us as his controlling power, meaningful authority, and personal presence.
Dr. Frame says that God's speech to man is real—like one person speaking to another. “God speaks so that we can understand him and respond appropriately. Appropriate responses are of many kinds: belief, obedience, affection, repentance, laughter, pain, sadness, and so on. God' speech is often propositional: God's conveying information to us. But it is far more tan that. It includes all the features, functions, beauty, and richness of language that we see in human communication, and more. So the concept I wish to defend is broader than the 'propositional revelation' that we argued so ardently forty years ago, though propositional revelation is part of it. My thesis is that God's word, in all its qualities and aspects, is a personal communication form him to us.”
The Doctrine of the Word of God (A Theology of Lordship)
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Cover TypeHardcover
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ISBN9780875522647
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Page Count720
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PublisherP&R Publishing Company
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Publication DateNovember 2010
Endorsements (13)
"The Doctrine of the Word of God strengthened my faith in the authority, the sufficiency, and the thorough jurisdiction of God’s Word in my daily life. I cannot ask for more from any human book."
See AllAndre Seu
Senior Writer, WORLD Magazine
"In many ways, Frame’s Doctrine of the Word of God is the crowning achievement of his career. If Barth was designated the theologian of revelation, Moltmann the theologian of eschatology, and Cullmann the theologian of salvation history, Frame could rightly be labeled the theologian of the Bible. No theologian in recent memory has more frequently and doggedly held up the Bible as the divine norm for all human thought and action; and no Eng- lish bibliology in the last century matches the present work in scope, fervor, logic, and fidelity to the Bible’s view of itself. This work is an evangelical landmark, likely to be unsurpassed for generations."
See AllP. Andrew Sandlin
Center for Cultural Leadership, Church of the King, Santa Cruz
"When I first began teaching systematic theology nearly thirty years ago, one of the first things I did was to contact the bookstore of Westminster Seminary California to order several of the syllabi of John Frame on the various heads of theology. I considered him a leader in theological thinking then, and all these years later, I still do. I have often thought of him as something like a combination of a meticulous brain-surgeon and a keen-nosed bloodhound. With deep biblical faith and massive erudition in the entire Christian theological tradition, he painstakingly reads all the relevant material and clearly isolates the matters at hand. He does not then cut or bite, but rather fairly and charitably reveals each problem or issue in light of the ever-new, ever-ancient biblical faith. He never jumps to conclusions, and always seeks to believe the best about those who may be opponents, without relinquishing honesty and realism in the process. I will be using this book in my own classes and teaching, and I am delighted to have such a rich resource to hand."
See AllDouglas F. Kelly
Professor of Systematic Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte
"We all need to read John Frame. At different times, he provokes, informs, irritates, illuminates, and excites. He isthankfully!not easily categorized, and therefore he must be wrestled with and not simply embraced or dismissed. This is the case in his most recent offering in his massive Theology of Lordship series. In some ways, Frame is at his best when exploring questions of methodology and the dynamics of revelation. In The Doctrine of the Word of God, Frame approaches issues in a fresh and stimulating way, anchored in classic Reformed orthodoxy, but often asking unexpected questions or giving surprising analysis and reaction. Yes, supporters and opponents should read this volume by John Frame because it proves to be a truly significant addition to literature on the Word of God."
See AllKelly M. Kapic
Professor of Theological Studies, Covenant College. Lookout Mountain, GA
"I am delighted to recommend John Frame’s Doctrine of the Word of God. It is a fitting finale to the Theology of Lordship series. Frame has profited much from the biblical theology of Vos, Murray, Kline, and Clowney; the result here is, as it is in his other books, a deeply biblical account of his subject. God’s covenants are never far from the discussion. John is equally at home in biblical exegesis and in resolving the questions of our uncertain times regarding Scripture. Easy to read, yet penetrating, the argument carries us along. I especially admire John’s personal-word model of Scripture. After reading DWG, students will be convinced of the sovereign power, truthfulness, and authority of the Bible. Even in areas where I question some of John’s views, such as the usefulness of confessions of faith, I was encouraged and challenged to follow Holy Scripture more faithfully. Thank you, John, for this book!"
See AllHoward Griffith
Associate Professor of Systematic Theology and Academic Dean, Reformed Theological Seminary, Washington DC
"A distinguished teacher and author for over four decades, John gives us a wonderful fourth volume in his Theology of Lordship series. The book is accessible, concise, and saturated with Scripture. I heartily recommend his description of how God’s word, in all its aspects, is his personal communication with us, with echoes of John’s own lifelong faithfulness to the Lord."
See AllJ. Lanier Burns
Research Professor of Theological Studies, Senior Professor of Systematic Theology, Dallas Theological Seminary
"I trust John Frame! I am a cynical old preacher and trust comes hard; but when John Frame speaks or writes, I trust himhis mind, his heart, and his faithfulness. But mostly I trust the God whom John Frame worships with such passion. A case in point is The Doctrine of the Word of God. This (along with the three other volumes in this series) will be one of the most valuable books in your library, and you’ll rise up and call me blessed for recommending it to you."
See AllSteve W. Brown
Professor of Preaching Emeritus, Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando
"John Frame’s Doctrine of the Word of God is, by his own reckoning, his magnum opus, and I wholeheartedly agree. It is a rare event when evangelical theologians publish primary rather than secondary texts, but Frame has done it with this worka constructive proposal that is as creative as it is conservative, something close to biblicism concerning the Bible itself. He has kept references to other theologians to a minimum (mainly confined to the several appendices) in order to focus on the biblical text itself, the personal Word of God. This book is a fitting capstone not only to Frame’s Theology of Lordship series but also to his whole career. It demands not only our admiration but, more importantly, our attention. Those who do take up and read will come away with an expanded and enhanced vision of biblical authority and a renewed confidence in Scripture as the compelling personal communication of the triune Lord."
See AllKevin J. Vanhoozer
Blanchard Professor of Theology, Wheaton College Graduate School, Wheaton, IL
"In my estimation, there has never been a book that deals with the word of God so carefully, thoroughly, and practically. I cannot imagine a follower of Christ who will not be transformed into a more humble and loyal disciple by pondering its wisdom. The content is up to date, exegetical, and systematic. The style is crystal clear. You will never forget this book."
See AllRichard L. Pratt Jr.
Third Millennium Ministries, Fern Park, FL
"John Frame’s fourth (possibly final) contribution to his Theology of Lord- ship series evidences this septuagenarian theologian’s lifetime study of God’s word. While writing in the spirit of Warfield, Young, Murray, and Van Til, the author freely merges his own (sometimes provocative or contemporary) thinking into the foundational works from previous generations. Commendably, he aspires to be presuppositional, exegetical, expositional, and Reformed in his conclusions and applications. This monumental volume certainly qualifies as a must-read for advanced students of theology."
See AllRichard Mayhue
Senior Vice President and Dean, The Master’s Seminary, Sun Valley, CA
"I thank God for raising up John Frame in our day. We are the wiser, the more biblical, and the healthier because of it. And because he has written so deeply and so well about such great truths about a great God, this will, I believe, be the testimony of generations to come."
See AllJohn Piper
Pastor for Preaching and Vision, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis
"The fourth volume in John Frame’s Theology of Lordship series, The Doctrine of the Word of God, is the best of themand that is high praise. In a 700-page draft of what he hopes will be a longer and more definitive work, Frame thinks through what Scripture is, what authority means, how to understand inspiration, canon, and a host of other categories intrinsic to any responsible treatment of revelation, especially the revelation provided by Holy Scripture. Frame’s style is highly personal, occasionally sliding all the way to an almost stream-of-consciousness set of associations, but his reflections are invariably so fresh (even when he is articulating old truths) and so thought-provoking (not least where one wants to demur or introduce a caveat) that this reader, at least, overlooks the style he would otherwise have found a bit cloying. More so than the other volumes in the series, this book works hard at developing its theology, the theology of the word of God, out of Scripture itselfand without descending to vicious circularity. This is an important book, and those who write on this subject in the near future without wrestling with Frame will merely testify to their own narrowness."
See AllD. A. Carson
Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, IL
"John Frame’s course on the doctrine of the Word of God had a profound influence on me as a student at Westminster Seminary in 1971, and it has significantly affected my understanding of theology for my entire life. I am thrilled to see that Frame’s excellent material is finally being published for a wider audience."
See AllWayne Grudem
Research Professor of Theology and Biblical Studies, Phoenix Seminary
About the Author
John M. Frame (BD, Westminster Theological Seminary; AM and MPhil, Yale University; DD, Belhaven College) is professor of systematic theology and philosophy at Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando campus. He previously taught theology and apologetics at Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia) and at Westminster Seminary California. Frame’s published works include The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God and The Doctrine of God in the Theology of Lordship series, as well as Apologetics to the Glory of God, No Other God: A Response to Open Theism, Cornelius Van Til: An Analysis of His Thought, and Salvation Belongs to the Lord.