Among theologians, there is a rich and intricate ongoing debate that delves into the very essence of systematic theology. This profound discussion revolves around the fundamental question of where to initiate the study of theological principles. The heart of the matter lies in the dilemma of whether to begin by delving into the doctrine of divine revelation, also known as the doctrine of scripture or the doctrine of God. This issue is not easily resolved due to the intricate interconnection between these two core subjects. The doctrine of scripture is intricately linked to the nature and doctrine of God, just as our comprehension and knowledge of the doctrine of God are deeply intertwined with the study of scripture. It becomes apparent that both the doctrine of scripture and the doctrine of God are indispensable as starting points in the pursuit of theological understanding. The relationship between scripture and God is exemplified through various theological documents such as the Westminster Confession of Faith, the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, and their associated catechisms. While the confessions with a chapter dedicated to the Holy Scriptures, the catechisms like the Westminster and Baptist catechisms, begin with the exploration of God. This disparity in approach underscores the essential nature of both scripture and God in laying the groundwork for theological inquiry. Central to this discourse is the profound significance of scripture as the primary source through which we glean insights into the nature of God. The authority of scripture, often referred to as the Word of God, is intricately intertwined with the essence of God Himself. Scripture's credibility and authoritative nature are contingent upon the very nature of God, establishing a profound symbiosis between the two.
Question Three
Our study today deals with Westminster Larger Catechism's question on divine revelation;
What is the Word of God?
In the introduction, I already stated that this phrase refers to the scriptures, but we need to understand more than just saying that scripture is also known as the word of God. The catechism in answering the question helps us with a direction. It states;
The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, the only rule of faith and obedience.
The answer goes a little deeper than simply stating that the Bible is the Word of God. It states that the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God. There are two parts to this answer. The first is a response to those who attempt to discredit the Old Testament. In one of his sermons, the rather famous pastor Andy Stanley once stated, “Peter, James, Paul elected to unhitch the Christian faith from their Jewish scriptures, and my friends, we must as well.” He said this while arguing that the Christian faith must be "unhitched" from the Old Testament. This idea has become more popular in recent years as people attempt to make Christianity more palatable to our modern culture. While there are many issues with this idea, one of the primary problems is that the Apostles most certainly did not unhitch the church from the Old Testament. To quote Dr. Albert Mohler, "The fact that the Old Testament Scriptures were at the time in scroll form in synagogues rather than book form is plain, but the fact is that the Jewish authorities made their arguments on the basis of appeal to the Scriptures, and so did Jesus and the Apostles. Both Jesus and the Apostles did make their arguments “according to the Scriptures” (see, for example, Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4)." We need the whole of scripture. The Old Testament teaches us about our need for a savior. It shows us how God has been at work throughout all of human history to bring about the plan of redemption. Through its pages, we are shown the character and attributes of God.
The Second Part
The other side of the catechism answer deals with those who would seek to add to the text of scripture. When we look at the Westminster Confession of Faith, which is the confession associated with the catechism we are going through, this element of the answer is made more explicit. Chapter one paragraph two list states, "Under the name of holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the books of the Old and New Testament, which are these," then goes on to list the 66 books that we find in our Bibles. In the next paragraph, the confession deals with a specific instance of attempts to add to the canon of scripture. The Roman Catholic Church since the Council of Trent (1546) has affirmed that the Apocrypha is to be understood to be part of the canon of scripture. The catechism and confessions seek to respond to this error. The scriptures are the Word of God and as such are under his authority alone. No human institution, even the church, has the right to add to or change the canon of scripture. Even the counsels and synods that were brought together to answer to question of what books were part of scripture (Synod of Hippo, 393; Council of Carthage, 397) did not think that they were the ones that got to decide. Instead, they said we received these as scripture. The same 66 books have been reaffirmed throughout the history of the church as the only books that have been given as the Word of God. It is worth noting that even up to 100 years before the Council of Trent at the Council of Florence (1442) even Rome affirmed that only the 66 books were to be understood as part of the canon of scripture. During the Reformation, Rome sought to establish their own authority over and above scripture. In their minds, only Rome could interpret and determine what was scripture or not. The Reformers, in contrast, believed that only God could be the one who determines scripture and it is the responsibility of every Christian to rightly handle those scriptures.
The Only Rule
The catechism's dismissal of Rome and anyone else who would set themselves over scripture is further demonstrated in the final part of the answer to question three. It states that the Word of God is "The only rule of faith and obedience." This is important for us because it reminds us of the right ordering of various spheres of authority. There are a lot of different spheres of authority in our lives. We have parental authority, civil authority, marital authority, church authority, and so on. Each of these has real authority given to them by God. The state is given the authority of the sword to punish criminals and to keep the peace. Parents are given authority over their children so that they can train them in the way that they should go. The elders of a church have authority over their members to train them in righteousness. But none of these, or any others, has authority over and above that of scripture. Each sphere of authority is established by God and laid out for us in his Word. A great example of these spheres clashing comes in the book of Acts when Peter and John are brought before the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:1-22). The Apostles have been brought before the council because they are preaching and doing mighty works in Jesus' name. The council of the Jews commands them that they must stop this. They must stop preaching in Jesus' name. But Peter and John answer, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” The point is that the Apostles were willing to submit to the council within their sphere of authority. They are not railing against the council or claiming that they have no authority, rather they simply state that they are going to obey God over and above the council. We do not get our understanding of how to live righteously from the government, although a good government should be pointing to and upholding righteous living. We get out understanding of what faith is and what it means to live righteously from scripture alone. It is the responsibility of parents, elders, governors, husbands, and such to point those within their spheres of authority back to scripture.
Summary
The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 12:2 that we are to be transformed by the renewal of our minds. The purpose of this renewal is so that we would know the will of God. That we would live out our faith. We can not live out our faith if we do not know what we believe. We are told that faith comes through hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). We must understand what we are referring to when we talk about the Bible. We are talking about the 66 books of the Old and New Testament that we have received from God. We are not an authority over the scriptures. We do not have the right to pick and choose which parts we want to obey and what we want to ignore. There are no parts of scripture that are unimportant. As Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." Do you understand this important truth? All of scripture is profitable. It is the divine revelation from God. That means the Old Testament. It means that we do not get to add whatever we want to scripture. Not everything that has been written is profitable, but all that we find in scripture is. We need to develop a habit of studying scripture so that we can profit from it. That we can know we are his disciples.
Soli Deo Gloria
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