The Doctrine of Scripture: An Introduction - Short Studies in Systematic Theology - Paperback

The Bible Is the Written Word of the Living God. But Can You Explain Why You Believe That?

Most Christians believe the Bible is trustworthy. They read it, study it, preach from it, and build their lives on it. But ask them to explain why it is trustworthy — to articulate the doctrine of Scripture clearly and confidently — and many find themselves struggling. They know what they believe. They are less sure how to say it, or how to respond when its authority is challenged.

The Doctrine of Scripture: An Introduction by Mark D. Thompson is written for exactly this need.

Centred in the words of Scripture itself — and especially in the teaching of Jesus — Thompson unpacks the doctrine of Scripture as the church has understood and taught it through the ages. He addresses what Jesus himself taught about the Old Testament. He shows how God speaks to his people through the written word. He explains the crucial role of the Holy Spirit in applying the word. And he carefully articulates the vital attributes of Scripture: its clarity, its truthfulness, its sufficiency, and its efficacy.

The result is a book that will strengthen readers’ confidence in God’s word — equipping them not just to believe in its authority but to understand, articulate, and defend it with clarity and conviction. And it will do something more: it will encourage readers to walk according to the word, and to delight in the God who speaks.

What This Book Covers

Mark D. Thompson works through the key aspects of the doctrine of Scripture with scholarly care and pastoral warmth:

• What the doctrine of Scripture is — A clear introduction to why the church has always thought carefully about the nature, authority, and attributes of the written Word of God
• What Jesus taught about Scripture — A careful examination of Jesus’ own words about the Old Testament — and what his high view of Scripture means for ours
• How God speaks through the written word — How the Bible is simultaneously the word of human authors and the word of the living God — and why this is not a contradiction but a wonder
• The Holy Spirit and the word — The crucial work of the Spirit in inspiring Scripture and in applying it to the minds and hearts of God’s people
• The clarity of Scripture — What Scripture’s perspicuity means — and how to respond to the charge that the Bible is too confusing or ambiguous to be a reliable guide
• The truthfulness of Scripture — What it means to say the Bible is true — and how to engage the challenges that are often levelled against its historical and factual reliability
• The sufficiency of Scripture — Why the Bible contains everything we need for life and godliness — and what implications this has for how the church lives and teaches
• The efficacy of Scripture — How God’s word accomplishes what he intends — and why reading, hearing, and preaching the Bible is never without effect

What Readers Will Learn

• Why the Bible is the written word of the living God — and what that remarkable claim actually means
• What Jesus himself taught about the authority and reliability of the Old Testament — and why his view shapes everything
• How to understand the dual authorship of Scripture — human and divine — in a way that honours both without diminishing either
• What the key attributes of Scripture are — clarity, truthfulness, sufficiency, and efficacy — and how to articulate and defend each one
• How to respond confidently to the most common challenges levelled against the Bible’s authority and reliability
• Why the Holy Spirit’s role in inspiration and illumination is essential to a full understanding of how God speaks through his word
• How to move from merely believing in the Bible’s authority to understanding it deeply — and delighting in the God who has spoken

How to Use This Book

The Doctrine of Scripture is concise, accessible, and immediately useful:

• Personal reading — Ideal for any Christian wanting to understand and articulate the doctrine of Scripture more clearly and confidently
• Church members and leaders — Specifically designed for use by both church members and leaders wanting a reliable, accessible introduction to this foundational doctrine
• Academic contexts — Substantive enough for use in theological education and seminary settings as a concise, well-argued introduction to bibliology
• Apologetics preparation — A valuable resource for Christians wanting to respond confidently to challenges against the Bible’s authority, clarity, and reliability
• Small group study — Clear and accessible enough to work through together as a group wanting to strengthen their confidence in and understanding of God’s word

Who Should Read This Book

This book is for you if you are:

• A Christian who believes the Bible is trustworthy but struggles to explain why — and wants to understand the doctrine of Scripture clearly enough to articulate and defend it
• A church leader or pastor wanting a reliable, concise, and accessible resource on the doctrine of Scripture for personal study or for use with your congregation
• A theological student wanting a clear, Christ-centred, and historically rooted introduction to bibliology
• A Christian facing challenges to the Bible’s authority, clarity, or reliability — and wanting a confident, well-reasoned, and biblically grounded response
• Anyone who loves the Bible and wants to understand more deeply why it is worthy of that love

About the Author

Mark D. Thompson is Principal of Moore Theological College in Sydney, Australia, and one of the most respected evangelical theologians writing on the doctrine of Scripture today. He is the author of several scholarly works on biblical authority and has spent decades teaching and writing at the intersection of biblical studies and systematic theology. Mark brings to The Doctrine of Scripture both rigorous academic scholarship and a genuine pastoral desire for Christians — in the church and the academy alike — to understand, trust, and delight in the word of the God who speaks. His writing is known for its clarity, its careful engagement with objections, and its consistent Christ-centredness — rooting the doctrine of Scripture in Jesus’ own teaching and example.