In March/April, Modern Reformation turns to two substantive theological topics: the doctrines of inspiration and of inerrancy.

In the first half of this issue, Editor-in-Chief Michael Horton begins with a precise discussion of divine inspiration. The Word of God is not something that wells up within us, but breaks in from the outside at the behest of God the Father himself who always works through the Son and by the perfecting agency of the Spirit. If we take seriously this divine whence of Scripture, Knox Seminary professor Michael Allen rightly supposes that our devotional lives will take on new meaning. Complexities abound in the Scriptures, to be sure, and Rick Ritchie demonstrates for us how to deal with seemingly contradictory passages.

The second half is given over to the doctrine of inerrancy, or the conviction that divine inspiration guarantees that the Bible is without error in all that it affirms. Since there is no little controversy, Michael Horton contributes a second article in explanation of what the doctrine does and does not mean; and as we think too many evangelicals have rejected inerrancy without ever having learned it properly, we reproduce relevant sections of the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. We do give our friendly critics a fair hearing in a lengthy roundtable discussion, where it will be left to readers to decide whether this conversation advances the debate or gets bogged down in misapplication. Next, New Testament scholar Michael Kruger offers a crucial apologetic resource by tackling some objections to inerrancy that arise from modern textual criticism. One thing is sure, evangelical affirmations of inerrancy have not ruled out doctrinal divergences, a point well made by David Wells as he reflects upon the aftermath of the Chicago Statement. Finally, Paul Helm rounds out the issue by explaining that our full persuasion of the truth and authority of Scripture comes finally from the inward work of the Holy Spirit.

This issue is chock-full of substantive articles because a genuine recovery of Scripture requires that we also come to terms with a positive confession of what we believe Scripture to be, namely, the divinely revealed Word of God written, a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path.