Kuyper on predestined Scripture

Psalm 119:89 For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.

Dutch original: 

De Schrift is gepraedestineerd. Die Schrift heeft bestaan in Gods raad, voor zij op aarde komen zou. Wat de inhoud zou zijn, door wie de stukken zouden geschreven worden, hoe de samenstelling zou zijn, hoe zij zou vertaald en uitgelegd worden, hoe zij werken zou – en nog veel meer; dat alles lage in den raad Gods besloten, voordat er not een letter van de Schrift geschreven was. Kortelijk dus: zij is gepraedestineerd; ook al gebruikt men he woord praedestinatie anders alleen van organisch levende wezens.

Maar behalve in dezen algemeenen zin (waarin he waar is van alle boeken) geldt het ook van de Schrift bij God bestaan heeft voor de Schrift er was, het geheel en de deelen omvattende; en date God de Heere zelf het geweest is, die naar dat bestek en plan de Schrift heeft gerealiseerd. Voor het eerste zie Hand. 15:18 : Gode zijn al zijne werken van eeuwigheif bekend. De Schrift is een werk Gods. Voor het tweede Num. 8:4, waar gezegd wordt, dat God de מַּרְאֶה van den kandelaar aan Mozes getoond heeft. Als het nu niet strijdt met den eerbied voor de Majesteit van het Goddelijke, een model van een kandelaar te geven, dan kan men ons nooit tegenwerpen, dat het strijdig zou zijn met de eere Gods, dat er een מַּרְאֶהֹ van de H. Schrift in den hemel geweest is.

 English translation:

Scripture is predestined. The Scripture existed in God’s counsel before it came to earth. What the content would be, by whom the pieces would be written, what the composition would be like, how it would be translated and explained, how it would work – and much more. All this was decided in the counsel of God, ere not a letter of the Scripture was written. In short: it is predestined; even if the word predestination is otherwise used only of organic living beings.

Not only in the general sense which it is true of all books, but it is also true that Scripture existed with God before Scripture existed, comprising the whole and the parts; and that it was the Lord God himself who, according to that plan and design, has realized his plan of the Scriptures. For the first, see Acts 15:18 Known unto God are all his works from eternity. Scripture is a work of God. For the second, see Numbers 8:4, where it is said that God showed the מַּרְאֶה (pattern) of the lampstand to Moses. Now, if it is not contrary to the reverence for the Majesty of the Divine to give a model of a lampstand, then it can never be objected that it would be contrary to the honor of God that there should be a מַּרְאֶהֹ (pattern) of the Holy Scriptures in heaven always.

Locus de Sacra Scriptura, Volume I, Dictaten dogmatiek, 1891, p. 92

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It was not mistakenly, therefore, that a predestined Bible was spoken of in Reformed circles, by which was understood that the preconceived form of the Holy Scripture had been given already from eternity in the counsel of God, in which at the same time all events, means and persons, by which that preconceived form would be realized in our actual life, were predestined. Hence in the course of ages all sorts of events take place, and persons appear who do not know of each other, and in the midst of these events these several persons are induced, without the knowledge of a higher purpose. to commit to writing certain facts, thoughts and perceptions. These persons also write other documents, and other persons among their contemporaries write as well as they. But, nevertheless, all those other writings are lost, or are put aside, while those special documents, which were destined and ordered of God to compose His Holy Scripture, are not merely saved, but are made honorable, are compiled, and gradually attain that authority which He had ordained for these Scriptures. Thus, according to a plan, known to God alone, a structure is gradually raised on which in the course of many ages different persons have labored without agreement, and without ever having seen the whole. No one of the children of men had conceived the plan, to compile such a Scripture; not one had added his contribution with premeditation, nor exhorted others to supplement his contribution with theirs. Thus the plan of the Holy Scripture was hidden, back of human consciousness, in the consciousness of God, and He it is, who in His time has so created each of these writers, so endowed, led and impelled them, that they have contributed what He wanted, and what after His plan and direction was to constitute His Scripture. The conception, therefore, has not gone out of men, but out of God; and it was in connection with this conception, that in every document and by every writer in the course of the ages there should be contributed that very thing, of such a content and in such a form, as had been aimed at and willed by God. There is no chance, and hence this composition and compilation of human writings are not accidental, but predetermined. And this whole has thus been ordained, and in virtue of this fore-ordination has thus been executed, as it had to be, in order to respond to the spiritual needs and wants of the Church of God in every age and among every nation. For, of course, in the strict sense it may be said that every writing is predestined, and this we readily grant; but when our Reformed circles spoke of a “predestined Bible” they intended to convey thereby the idea of a medium of grace, which was taken up as a link in the counsel of God for the salvation of His elect. In the accomplishment of this purpose lay the justification of the Scripture, and the result has fully shown that this wondrous book contains within itself the mystery of being suited to every nation, new to every age, profound for the scholar and rich in comforts for the meek. pp. 474-476

Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920), Principles of Sacred Theology, (translated from the Dutch by J. Hendrik De Vries), Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1898/1954 [Also available HERE.]