A Peculiar Glory: How the Christian Scriptures Reveal Their Complete Truthfulness

God has provided a way for all people, not just scholars, to know that the Bible is the Word of God. John Piper has devoted his life to showing us that the glory of God is the object of the soul?s happiness. Now, his burden in this book is to demonstrate that this same glory is the ground of the mind?s certainty. God?s peculiar glory shines through his Word. The Spirit of God enlightens the eyes of our hearts. And in one self-authenticating sight, our minds are sure and our hearts are satisfied. Justified certainty and solid joy meet in the peculiar glory of God. Review ?A Peculiar Glory is not just another book defending the reliability of the Scriptures, although it does do that. It is a reminder that without the internal witness of the Spirit, no amount of evidences will ever lead to faith. And that witness works most directly as we read and understand Scripture itself?as it attests itself to us?particularly as we focus on Jesus and the gospel message. Part apologetics, part church history, part almost lyrical poetry, Piper?s book should inspire every reader back to the Bible, to its core and to the Jesus whom it reveals, who loves us beyond measure despite all that we are and do?more than enough reason for being his disciples.??Craig L. Blomberg, Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Denver Seminary ?Never has the church been in greater need of recognizing that Scripture is self-attesting. In this important and timely book, Piper shows what it means not only to conform our thinking but also to submit our worship and our lives as a whole to the self-establishing, self-validating truth and authority of the Bible and, in doing that, to the Christ of the Bible.??Richard B. Gaffin Jr., Emeritus Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology, Westminster Theological Seminary ?A Peculiar Glory is a solid theological and exegetical treatment of biblical authority, but much more. Besides the standard arguments, Piper has developed (with the help of Jonathan Edwards) a profoundly original yet biblical approach to the question. It raises the traditional arguments to an exponential level of cogency. Piper says that our most definitive persuasion comes from actually seeing the glory of God in his Word. Theologians have traditionally called this the ?internal testimony of the Holy Spirit,? but that theological label does little justice to the experience, the awareness of the glory of God as we meet Jesus in Scripture. That really happens. It is astonishing and powerful. And it explains the difference between an observer?s merely theoretical faith and a true disciple?s delighted embrace of Christ. This doctrine of Scripture is worthy of the overall emphasis of Piper?s writings, the ?desire? for God, ?Christian hedonism,? and the ?dangerous duty of delight.? Perhaps only Piper could have written this book, and I?m delighted that he has done so.??John M. Frame, Professor of Systematic Theology and Philosophy Emeritus, Reformed Theological Seminary ?Piper points us to Scripture?its authority, its historical accuracy, its total truthfulness, and especially its beauty and power. The Scriptures are beautiful and powerful because they disclose to us, as the Spirit opens our hearts, the loveliness and glory of Jesus Christ. Here we find compelling arguments for the truthfulness of the Scriptures and profound meditations on the stunning glory of God. The book captures and expresses the truth of Peter?s words in John 6:68, ?Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.???Thomas R. Schreiner, James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary ?The classic doctrine of Scripture?s self-attestation suffers when it is used as a short-cut method of scoring evidential points or winning an argument without doing any work. But it unfolds its wings and soars to the heavens when handled by somebody who shows that when we read the Bible, we are dealing with God h