Scripture's Theological Controls

What was sometimes overlooked was the fact that Scripture is not pre-theological nor is biblical interpretation a-theological. [The Bible] contains its own theological controls, its own "form of doctrine" (Rom. 6:17) to which believers are committed by the gospel. The theology taught in Scripture in turn provides an underlying framework for exegesis and biblical theology. The unity of Scripture makes that possible and in fact demands it. Sadly, however, the adage that scholars were "simply following the text" did not always take account of the fact that the text ought never to be isolated from its theological framework.

 

Sinclair Ferguson, "Introduction: The Justification Crisis", in Scott Oliphint, ed., Justified in Christ (Great Britain: Mentor Imprint, 2007), xi