Recovering a Theology of Scripture as Divine Speech in an Age of Relativism

Many churches today speak about Scripture in general terms—as inspiring, meaningful, or spiritually helpful—while quietly losing confidence in its authority as the very word of God. Yet throughout the biblical narrative, God’s revelation is consistently presented not merely as religious insight, but as divine speech entrusted to human beings and preserved in written form.

In a new theological essay recently published through the Intellectual Foundations series, Dr. Shawn D Mathis explores how the Old Testament presents Scripture as authoritative divine speech through the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms. The study traces the movement from spoken revelation to written text and examines how Scripture understood itself within the covenant life of Israel and the early church.

“As the church becomes increasingly shaped by relativism and personal interpretation, recovering a theology of Scripture grounded in God’s own speech becomes essential,” said Dr. Mathis, an elder at the Nashville Church of Christ. “The authority of Scripture does not rest in religious usefulness alone, but in the conviction that God has spoken.”

The article also explores themes such as prophetic mediation, the authority of the written Torah, the role of the Septuagint in early Christianity, and the enduring theological significance of divine speech.

This essay forms part of a larger book project currently in development, following decades of study of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Septuagint, and the New Testament in Koine Greek.

Read the full essay here:
“The Hebrew Scriptures as Divine Speech: A Study of Authority, Inspiration, and Canon”