#stephen yuille

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It wasn’t the author’s idea, “for no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). The verb “carried along” was used of a ship “carried along” by the wind (e.g., Acts 27:15–17). This means that the Holy Spirit carried along the human authors in such a way that what they wrote was His, not theirs. The Bible, therefore, isn’t the product of human invention; rather, it’s the Word of God.

~ Stephen Yuille

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Would you like to hear God’s voice? I sure would. Here’s the place to begin: “All Scripture is breathed out [inspired] by God” (2 Timothy 3:16).

~ Stephen Yuille

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What is Inspiration?

At times, when we use the term “inspire,” we mean “motivate”; e.g. he was inspired to write that book. At other times, we mean “encourage”; e.g., her singing was inspiring. However, when we say that “all Scripture is inspired by God,” we don’t mean either of those things. What we really mean is that “all Scripture is breathed out by God.” Here are two examples of how we’re to understand this.

The first is Romans 9:17, “For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up.’” When Paul says “Scripture,” he’s referring to Exodus 9:16. When we turn there, however, we discover that it was actually God who spoke these words to Pharaoh. So, why does Paul say that Scripture said it, when—in actual fact—God said it? The answer: “All Scripture is breathed out by God.”

The second example is Matthew 19:4–5, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh?’” According to Jesus, God said that a man shall “leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife.” But when we turn to Genesis 2:24, we discover that God didn’t say these words. Moses wrote them. So, why does Jesus say that God said it, when—in actual fact—Moses wrote it? The answer: “All Scripture is breathed out by God.”

Are you getting the idea? On another occasion, Jesus says, “David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared …” (Mark 12:36–37; cf. Psalm 110:1). That’s an extremely helpful description of inspiration. David was the author in the hand of the Holy Spirit, whereby what David wrote is God-breathed. This is confirmed throughout the Bible. Based on Psalms 69:25 and 109:8, Peter argues that “the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David …” (Acts 1:16). Pointing his audience to Isaiah 6:9–10, Paul proclaims, “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet …” (Acts 28:25–26). Referring to Jeremiah 31:31–35, the author of the Book of Hebrews declares, “The Holy Spirit also bears witness to us, for after saying …” (Hebrews 10:16).

In short, the Holy Spirit so directed the human writers that the finished product was precisely what He intended.

~ Stephen Yuille

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Jesus authenticated it!

We receive the Old Testament (OT) as Scripture because Jesus authenticated it. How? For starters, He recognized the Jewish tripartite division of the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms (Luke 24:44–45), and these contain all of the books of the OT. Moreover, Jesus quoted repeatedly from the OT, employing it to resist temptations, develop arguments, silence critics, teach lessons, reveal prophecies, defend truths, and expose needs. Finally, He accepted the OT as historical, referring to specific events (e.g., the first marriage, the flood, the destruction of Sodom, and the burning bush) and individuals (e.g., Adam, Eve, Abel, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Noah, Moses, David, Solomon, Elijah, Elisha, Naaman, and Jonah).

We receive the New Testament (NT) as Scripture because Jesus authorized it. How? He sent His disciples with the same authority with which the Father had sent Him (John 20:21). That is to say, He made His disciples His authorized representatives. As such, they served as the church’s foundation (Ephesians 2:19–22). And, in that role, they gave the NT to the church. B. B. Warfield explains, “We rest our acceptance of the NT Scriptures … not on the fact that they are the product of the revelation-age of the church, for so are many other books which we do not thus accept; but on the fact that God’s authoritative agents in founding the church gave them as authoritative to the church which they founded … . It is clear that prophetic and apostolic origin is the very essence of the authority of the Scriptures.”

~ Stephen Yuille

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Striving in Prayer by Dr. Stephen Yuille

Striving in Prayer by Dr. Stephen Yuille

by Stephen Yuille Editor’s Note: Having become aware of Dr. Yuille’s ministry, I appreciate much of what he writes. He recently wrote a strong encouragement for us to pray. In the midst of hardships, the pressures of life, and the busyness of life, prayer can fall off our radar screens. Of course, implicit in that is a minimalization of our dependent relationship with the Lord. As followers of…

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[Reformation Heritage Books | Amazon]

  Description:

Christ declares, “Abide in me, and I in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me” (John 15:4).

A branch derives life from the vine by virtue of its union with the vine. Similarly, Christ is the vine, and we are the branches. There is a vital, organic union between us. We draw on Christ’s life through the Holy Spirit, who dwells in us. We must, therefore, abide in Christ by cultivating close and constant communion with him. That is to say, we must continually look “unto Jesus the author and finisher of faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

The present work seeks to explain what this looking implies. It does so by turning to the writings of two largely forgotten Puritans and Baptists from the seventeenth century—Thomas Wilcox and Vavasor Powell. Together, they teach us that to abide in Christ is to behold him in his manifold roles and relations. As we do, Christ becomes our all in all.

  Endorsements:

Stephen Yuille loves the Puritans (as do I). There are four themes that cause him to continually return to their writings: God-fearing, heaven-seeking, sin-hating, and Christ-exalting. It is this latter theme he pursues in Looking Unto Jesus, particularly through the writings of Thomas Wilcox and Vavasor Powell. Though not well known, both men have a word for those whose passion is Christ. The Puritans must never be lost. This work will help in ensuring this does not happen.

—Daniel L. Akin, President, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

  Stephen Yuille, a wise guide to the Puritans and their texts, has made available spiritual gems from two largely forgotten Baptists: Thomas Wilcox and Vavasor Powell. A few of their works have been prized as classical statements of Puritan piety down through the years, and I am excited to recommend them to a new generation of readers. Read and be strengthened in our most precious faith!

—Michael A. G. Haykin, Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

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Author Bio – J. Stephen Yuille resides in Glen Rose, Texas, with his wife, Alison, and their daughters, Laura and Emma. He is the Teaching Pastor at Grace Community Church and Adjunct Professor of Practical Theology at Redeemer Seminary in Dallas. He is the author of The Inner Sanctum of Puritan Piety (2007), Puritan Spirituality (2008), Trading and Thriving in Godliness (2008), and Living Blessedly Forever (2012).

  Details:

Paperback: 120 pages

Publisher: Pickwick Publications