Louis Gaussen was a nineteenth century Swiss pastor (1790-1863) who constructed an amazing reference book. He systematically assembled and organized the many hundreds of statements in the Bible where it claims to be the Word of God. He did this in order 'to set forth, defend, and establish the Christian doctrine of Theopneustia---the Divine, complete Inspiration of the Holy Scriptures.' At various times the divine inspiration of Scripture has been denied altogether; more subtly people have claimed that inspiration is limited to certain portions, said to vary in degree from place to place or is contained within the text. Gaussen appeals to God's Word itself, and to the highest possible source, Jesus Christ, to show that the Bible is God's work and that our faith may indeed rest secure here. The cumulative effect is to refute critics who unthinkingly suggest that the Bible does not claim to be God's word for mankind. |
