Category:Scripture

Scrip"ture, n. Etym: [l. scriptura, fr. scribere, scriptum, to write: Cf. Of. escripture, escriture, f. écriture. See scribe.]

1. Anything written; a writing; a document; an inscription. I have put it in scripture and in remembrance. Chaucer. Then the lord of manny read the scripture on the tomb, the which was In latin. Ld. Berners.

2. The books of the old and the new testament, or of either of them; The bible; -- used by way of eminence or distinction, and chiefly in The plural. There is not any action a man ought to do, or to forbear, but the Scripture will give him a clear precept or prohibition for it. South. Compared with the knowledge which the scripteres contain, every other Subject of human inquiry is vanity. Buckminster.

3. A passage from the bible;; a text. The devil can eite scripture for his purpose. Shak. Hanging by the twined thread of one doubtful scripture. Milton.

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---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Scripture - Invariably in the New Testament denotes that definite collection of sacred books, regarded as given by inspiration of God, which we usually call the Old Testament (2 Timothy 3:15, 2 Timothy 3:16; John 20:9; Galatians 3:22; 2 Peter 1:20). It was God's purpose thus to perpetuate his revealed will. From time to time he raised up men to commit to writing in an infallible record the revelation he gave. The "Scripture," or collection of sacred writings, was thus enlarged from time to time as God saw necessary. We have now a completed "Scripture," consisting of the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament canon in the time of our Lord was precisely the same as that which we now possess under that name. He placed the seal of his own authority on this collection of writings, as all equally given by inspiration (Matthew 5:17; Matthew 7:12; Matthew 22:40; Luke 16:29, Luke 16:31). (See BIBLE; CANON.)