Basic Reformed Baptist Beliefs
Question 4 – What is the Word of God?
Q/A
Q. What is the Word of God?
A. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, being given by divine inspiration, are the
Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice.
Scripture References
| Psalm 19:7-8 | The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; |
| Isaiah 8:20 | If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. |
| Matthew 5:17‑18 | Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. |
| 1 Corinthians 2:13 | And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. |
| Ephesians 2:20 | [We are] built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets |
| 2 Timothy 3:16‑17 | All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. |
| 2 Peter 1:21 | No prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. |
Applying the Doctrine
The Bible, specifically the Old and New Testaments, are the word of God. In some limited cases, the words were written by His own hand (Exodus 31:18; Daniel 5:5). But the entirety of Scripture was given by God’s inspiration of people to write precisely what He wanted them to write. There are differences in style between authors, as well as literary forms (narrative, poetry, etc.), but the same author – God Himself. He acted infallibly through them for the purpose of providing people a final, complete, and authoritative declaration of His standards and activities in freeing mankind from sin’s control.
About the Catechism
In this series, we will take a look at the questions and answers contained in a Reformed Baptist Catechism. Most of these entries will be based on the 1677 catechism known popularly as “Keach’s Catechism”, but some freedom may be taken with regard to updating language or adding additional Scripture references found in other sources. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references will be from the English Standard Version of the Bible, ©2016 by Crossway Bibles.