THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE

'The authority of Scripture is a statement about what God did in authoring Scripture, and about how he continues to act in relation to Scripture.' 

Timothy Ward, Words of Life, p.128. 

THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE

'The phrase "the authority of Scripture" must be understood to be shorthand for the "the authority of God as he speaks through Scripture". To speak about the authority of Scripture is really to say more about God, and about the ways he chooses to act and speak in the world, than it is to say something directly about Scripture itself. The authority of Scripture is dependent entirely on the authority of God, and comes about only because of what God has chosen to do in presenting himself to us through Scripture as a God we can know and trust.' 

Timothy Ward, Words of Life, p.128. 

GOD'S USE OF SIN

'...when the winding up of the chapter comes perhaps we shall see that our sins committed have been the means of saving us from other sins that would have been our ruin. Many believers would have grown too proud to be borne with if some infirmity had not plucked the plume from their helmets and made them mourn with brokenness of heart before God. God can bring good out of evil by his overwhelming grace, while on the other hand our good works have often puffed us up and led us into pride...' 

Charles Spurgeon in Charlie Cleverly, The Song of Songs, p.217. 

ENCOUNTERING GOD

'...to encounter the words of Scripture is to encounter God in action.'
Timothy Ward, Words of Life, p.48. 

LANGUAGE & GOD

'Whatever else may be true of human language, it is quite reasonable to suppose that it has the ability to speak truly of God, both because it was given to us by a God who speaks within himself as eternally three speaking persons, and also because our possession of language as made in God's image, is analogous to God's communicative capacity. Our language can be made by God to speak truthfully of him because our language has its origin in him and in some ways is like his own. The fall makes this much more problematic, of course, but sin does not erase humanity as the image of God, and thus does not destroy the capacity of human language to speak truly of God.' 

Timothy Ward, Words of Life: Scripture as the living and active word of God, p.34. 

COURAGE

'Where does courage come from? Primarily it comes from wanting something more than your own safety.' 

Timothy Keller, My Rock; My Refuge, p.285.  

INTIMACY

'intimacy       which means knowing

the exact taste of someone's else's

sleep in their mouth on waking'

Andrew McMillan, physical, p.32. 

THE BEST LAID PLANS

'While we may have a simple plan for our life - to be happy, prosperous, successful and at peace - what God wants is for us to learn to trust him deeply and against the odds. Trouble comes for us when these two programmes are going in opposite directions, for God's is stronger and he will prevail.' 

Charlie Cleverly, Song of Songs, p.180. 

MARRIAGE

'Very soon the shadow will give way to the Reality. The partial will pass into the Perfect. The foretaste will lead to the Banquet. The troubled path will end in Paradise. A hundred candle-lit evenings will come to their consummation in the marriage supper of the Lamb. And this momentary marriage will be swallowed up by Life. Christ will be all and in all. And the purpose of marriage will be complete.' 

John Piper in Charlie Cleverly, The Song of Songs, p.154. 

JESUS

'He is a jewel more worth than a thousand worlds, as all know who have him. Get him, and get all; miss him and miss all... The soul can crave nothing. nor wish for anything, but which is to be found in this Portion. He is light to enlighten the soul, wisdom to counsel the soul, power to support the soul, goodness to supply the soul, mercy to pardon the soul, beauty to delight the soul, glory to ravish the soul, and fullness to fill the soul.' 

Thomas Brooks in Charlie Cleverly, The Song of Songs, p.120.