Textual Aid to

Systematic Theology

Louis Berkhof

Published 1942

Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan

"To the law and to the testimony! if they speak not according to this word, surely there is no morning for them," Isa. 8:20.

For our knowledge of God and of the way of salvation revealed in Christ we are absolutely dependent on the divine self-revelation, the inspired Word of God. No student of theology can hope to present a reliable system of the truth apart from the word of authority, which comes from God Himself.

Many false teachers among Israel lost sight of this important fact, conveyed to the people messages out of their own hearts, and instead of enlightening them caused them to flounder about in spiritual darkness. The same may be said of many who in our own day aspire to be spiritual leaders of the people.

In their presentation of the truth they take little or no account of the Word of God. They refuse to be humble recipients of the inspired truth of God, do not recognize the absolute authority of the Bible, and prefer to rely on fallible and erring human reason for the discovery of the truth.

The Lord speaks to them as He did to those who boasted of their wisdom in the days of Jeremiah: "How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of Jehovah is with us? But, behold, the false pen of the scribes hath wrought falsely. The wise men are put to shame, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of Jehovah; and what manner of wisdom is in them?"

Mindful of the importance of founding our theological knowledge on the Word of God, we have in this little book gathered some of the most important foundation stones of Scripture

Preface