Sufficiency of Scripture Conference - Summary of Sessions 8 & 9 (12/11)

Session 8 - The Regulative Principle in Worship in the NT – Joseph Morecraft 
I missed the talk on the Regulative Principle (RP) and the OT but was able to make it to Pastor Morecraft’s talk on the RP and the NT.  This is an important subject as many in the church today think that how we worship God is not regulated by God and feel it is just important that we worship Him. 

Pastor Morecraft related that some object that the NT does not have a book of Leviticus with a detailed list of does and don’ts on worship and would say due to this worship is now open to interpretation and thus we have more freedom.  However this contradicts the NT view on the Sufficiency of Scripture for worship and also denies that the NT is clear on worship.  However the view of there being more freedom in NT worship sets up a barrier or wedge between the OT and NT that does not exist. 

Pastor Morecraft also looked at what we are to draw from there not being a book of Leviticus in the NT and that we actually have less freedom as we have much light and are more accountable.  He also related that NT worship is more simple but at the same time more powerful in its ordinances.  The Westminster Confession of Faith (CH7:6) speaks to simplicity yet a fullness of worship.  We see that worship is different in the OT and NT but the principle is the same as the symbolic embellishments are gone. We also looked at John 4:1-24 and Col 2:6-10, 16-23 to see how they related to the RP. 

At the end of the day we need to realize that the depravity of man necessitates God telling us how He is to be worshipped.  It is arrogant of us to think that we can worship God apart from how He calls us to worship Him in His word.  So as with most things ones view of SoS will drive how one views worship.  Let us realize that for us to worship God as He is to be worshipped we need to worship as He dictates.


Session 9 - Is the Sufficiency of Scripture a Biblical Doctrine – Joseph Morecraft
This summary is from a main session in which Pastor Morecraft spoke on the Sufficiency of Scripture as a Biblical Doctrine.  This is important since if we are to see scripture as sufficient it is scripture itself that should reveal this.  He started by sharing how Deut 4:1-9 tells us about the sufficiency of the OT for faith and practice and that Deut 12:32 builds on that as we see that we are to do all God calls us to do.

Pastor Morecraft then spoke on inerrancy which means that whatever the bible teaches as true on any subject is true and whatever the bible says happened, happened just as the bible describes it.  He then defined Sufficiency of Scripture by first saying that it does not mean that all we need to live the Christian life is the bible and the Holy Spirit and that is it.  We do need the church, teachers and books.  As it relates to the SoS the Bible is authoritative in all that it speaks on and it speaks on all things.  Also, It is the supreme judge on all things and our all sufficient authority for life and thought, being void of any deficiencies.  Due to all of this it is applicable to all things in life and speaks to every issue of the day and provides the only workable solutions.

Pastor Morecraft then went on to go over a number of verse that speak to the Sufficiency of Scripture:

- Psalm 19:8

- Psalm 36:9

- Psalm 119:105

- Psalm 119:128

- Prov 30:5-6

- Is 8:19-20

- Matt 28:18-20

- 2 Tim 3:16-17

- 2 Peter 1:3

- 1 John 2:20-27

- Rev 22:18-19

Many think that the battle for the inerrancy of scripture is all we need to fight for.  But if one simply stops there they stop short of the scriptures call to see it as sufficient.  We need to avoid the autonomy our flesh so desires and see the need to rely on God and His word to direct our lives by His power.