Pastor Steve Paulus

2.1. Description of Chapter I

The Holy Scriptures are the subject of Chapter I. There are ten paragraphs or articles under this first heading. These articles address the necessity of the teaching of Scriptures for an understanding of salvation, a list of the books contained in Scripture, a statement on the Apocrypha, and a declaration on the inspiration and authority of Scripture.

This first chapter of the Westminster Confession addresses numerous issues of theological importance and reflects an attempt to resolve ongoing theological controversies. These include 1) general vs. special revelation, 2) inspiration and revelation, 3) the canon of scripture, 4) the limits of revelation, and 5) the authority of scripture as the final arbiter of the faith.

2.2 General vs. Special Revelation

The Bible clearly teaches that God is revealed in His creation through two primary means: the creation itself, and specifically in mankind who was made in His image and likeness.[1] Numerous scriptures speak of God’s revelation in nature generally, that is, general revelation (Ps. 19:1-5; Acts 14:15-17; Rom. 1:19-20ff.). Mankind carries the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27). In Romans 2:14-15 the conscience seems to be the seat of the image of God in man. As is clear from the Romans 1 passage, general revelation is not in itself sufficient to bring a person to salvation. In fact, it seems only to add to the condemnation of the unrepentant sinner; i.e. they should have known better. Scripture makes it clear that despite the advantage of general revelation we all have sinned (Rom. 3:10-19,23; Ps. 51:5, and others) and points to the existence of indweling or original sin (Rom. 5:12-14; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 2:1-3).

C.S. Lewis addresses the universality of the internal moral law in Mere Christianity:

These, then are the two points I wanted to make. First, that human beings all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and cannot really get rid of it. Secondly, that they do not, in fact, behave that way. They know the Law of Nature; they break it. These two facts are the foundation of all clear thinking about ourselves and the universe we live in. (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., 1943, p. 21).

So, while general revelation shows the true nature of God, it is not sufficient to bring us salvation. Therefore the Confession states in Chapter I: “Although the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God as to leave men inexcusable; yet they are not sufficient to give the knowledge of God, and of his will, which is necessary unto salvation.”

Special revelation is another means by which God makes himself known. In fact, since general revelation is inadequate to save, special revelation is necessary for a knowledge of salvation. Thus the Confession, “Therefore it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in diverse manner, to reveal Himself, and to declare that His will unto the Church . . .” Special revelation is made up of communications from God which are supernatural in character. Dreams, visions, prophecy, signs, wonders, miracles are all examples of special revelation. In addition to these, the New Testament bears witness to two forms of special revelation of unique significance, 1) the person of Jesus Christ, and 2) the Word of God itself (Heb.1:1-3; II Peter 1:19ff.). The Westminster Confession gives a special place to Scripture itself as the means of salvation. “(A)nd afterwards for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the Church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing: which maketh the Holy Scripture to be most necessary.”

2.3 Revelation and Inspiration

Revelation is the activity of God whereby He makes Himself known. It is a personal self-disclosure. In the special revelation which we call the Bible, God’s self-disclosure is verbal, it is progressive (from Old Testament to New Testament, clarifying, illuminating, emphasizing), it was given through various means – sometimes through visions, dreams, prophetic utterances, and at other times through more “ordinary” means such as research, observation of natural events, recording of history, and the careful composition of poetry or songs. God’s verbal self-revelation is accomplished through human agency, not obliterating or by-passing human personality or limitation, but making full use of these characteristic human traits. Thus, language, cultural setting, and historical circumstances play a role in inscripturation of the verbal revelation. Thus, understanding such factors is significant in obtaining a clear understanding of the meaning of God’s self-revelation.

The revelation which resulted in the Old and New Testament Scriptures may be described as incarnational. That is, God’s infallible Spirit worked in a unique fashion through fallible human instrumentality. Therefore the Scriptures are all the more unique and amazing as a self-expression of God to His creation.

Inspiration is “the supernatural influence of God’s Spirit upon the biblical authors which insured that what they wrote was precisely what God intended them to write for the communication of His truth” (J.I. Packer “Revelation and Inspiration,” in Eerdmans Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1970, p. 17). The biblical Greek word for inspiration is theopneustos or God-breathed, as in “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching . . . “(II Tim. 3:16). Any view of verbal inspiration which fails to take into account the use of human instrumentality is inadequate. The “gnostic” view of revelation – whereby God by-passes “tainted flesh” through the violation of the scribe’s personality or faculties is suitable for a sub- or non- Christian view of inspiration. Such a view may characterize the Muslim view of the composition of the Koran, for instance, which was given to Mohammed in a trance-like state.

2.4 The Canon of Scripture

Section 2 of Chapter I of the Confession is a list of the books contained in Holy Scripture, that is, the Word of God. These form what are known as the canon of Scripture. Canon comes from a Greek word (kanon) meaning rod, rule (as in ruler), standard, or list. In this context it is a standardized list of books received as uniquely inspired special revelation whereby God has communicated His will concerning the salvation of mankind. The Old Testament canon is composed of 39 books. The Hebrew Bible contains the same books but they number 22. This is because some of the books are listed singly such as I and II Samuel, I and II Kings and others.

Catholic and Orthodox Bibles include an additional 14 books in the Old Testament which are referred to as “apocryphal” which means hidden. As article 3 of Chapter I shows, the Confession does not approve of the use of these books in public worship. Church fathers such as Athanasius and Jerome afforded these books a secondary or “deutero-canonical” status. Thus they continue to be used regularly in Catholic worship services.

The reason these books appeared in the first place is that they are included in the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible (c. 250 B.C.). They are not found in any original Hebrew manuscripts, but were used in the Greek-speaking world before the time of Christ.

Eusebius, the fourth century church historian, records the various deliberations involved in establishing the New Testament canon of scripture. While the books were accepted very early, many other books popularly circulated had to be “weeded out” before the list was finalized. F,F, Bruce in The Canon of Scripture details the process by which Old and New Testaments were finally verified by the believing community. The definitive final list of the New Testament canon was published in a festal letter of Bishop Athanasius of Alexandria in 367 A.D.

2.5 The limits of revelation.

“Therefore it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in diverse manners, to reveal himself, and to declare that his will unto the church …. Those former ways of God’s revealing his will unto his people being now ceased.” The Westminster Confession and many Reformed believers subscribe to the cessation theory, or the belief that God has ceased to use any means of special revelation other than Christ as revealed in Scripture. Supernatural revelations of the Holy Spirit and the gifts tend to be downplayed or even rejected. This phrase from the Confession gives voice to that view.

2.6 The authority of scripture.

Several statements in the Westminster Confession assign ultimate authority to the Scriptures as the final arbiter of the faith. This is in accord with the Reformation doctrine of sola scriptura, meaing our faith is based not on the traditions of the church, but scripture. This is a repudiation of the Rule of Faith which gives place to tradition as a source of truth, and therefore of our faith. Scripture is “the Supreme Judge, by which all controversies of religion are to be determined……” (Chapter I, Article 10).

“Decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private spirits are to be examined . . .” in light of the Word of God. In this statement we see the Reformed willingness to entertain the possibility of the value of earlier documents, but refusing to acknowledge any final authority other than Scripture.

2.7 Distinctions between Catholicism and Protestantism

As we have seen, Catholicism bases its beliefs on the double foundation of Scripture and tradition rooted in the Rule of Faith as propounded by Irenaeus. Protestantism makes a radical break with this system by declaring the basis of the Reformation of the Church to be sola fides, sola gratia, and sola scriptura. Thus, faith not works, grace, not merit, and the Bible, not tradition, are the sources and mainstays of the right practice of the Christian faith and Church according to Protestants. Another commonly recognized difference between Catholic and Protestant doctrine is the concept of the priesthood of all believers. This belief denies the concept that ordination, or the sacrament of Holy Orders, imparts a special indelible character on the minister (priest) which qualifies him to celebrate the Eucharist, forgive sins, and represent Christ mediatorially to the people and the people to God.

Does this mean that the Reformers rejected completely the teachings and example of those church leaders, theologians, and authors who preceded them? By no means. Calvin, in the Institutes quotes copiously from the church fathers and uses their statements to bolster his arguments in behalf of the Reformation. Likewise Luther, though less abundantly. The Reformers desired to reform the church not fracture it, and to maintain continuity with genuine believers from each previous generation. Their level of success is a matter of debate. Most would say they failed in this sense.

Do Protestants embrace a tradition? Decidedly. The Westminster Confession, or Calvin’s Institutes (or the Methodist Book of Discipline, or Anabaptist adherence to Menno Simons’ tenants of non-violence) are good examples of Protestant tradition. Theoretically, though, these sources of tradition are either directly based on Scripture or can be challenged by it.

What’s the value of studying historical theology, or documents such as the Westminster Confession, which seem to simply establish a Protestant tradition? An excellent question which points out the plus and minus of our venture. It seems to be human nature to form new traditions to replace the old ones which were removed in order to do away with traditions! On the other hand, each generation in its fight against heresy and apostasy attempts to re-state its clearest understanding of the faith and biblical doctrine. These confessions, creeds, and catechisms are the fruit of the intense struggles of the faithful in each generation and stand as a testimony to each generation’s understanding of the proper interpretation of the Word of God. The Westminster Confession (1644) and the Nicene Creed (381) are considered to be outstanding and enduring examples of the Church’s best theological thought. Because they are believed to be biblically based, a departure from these tends to be seen as a warning about the accuracy of a doctrine, practice, or belief system.

At the outset, let me say, this study is valuable to the extent that it helps us understand the proper interpretation of the message of Scripture to us today, and helps us relate to the best understanding of the church on these matters in each era.

2.8 The Translation Maze

The original biblical manuscripts were written in Hebrew, Aramaic (a close cousin to Hebrew) or Greek. Of course there was generally one original which had to be hand-copied repeatedly in order to preserve the text. An art and science of scribal reproduction arose early in the process of biblical preservation. One group who preserved the Hebrew OT text was known as the Masoretes. They preserved the oral tradition of the correct pronunciation (vowels and various diacritical marks) and established a sophisticated system for assuring the accuracy of copies of the OT text. Greek, Latin and other texts were preserved through the work of the scriptoriums in medieval monasteries.

In order for the Bible to be understood in one’s native tongue, it must be translated. The science of translation has produced varied results over the years, and, of course, there are many languages to translate the Bible into. As noted, one of the earliest translations of the Hebrew Bible into Greek was known as the Septuagint. There were numerous other Greek translations by the time of Christ as well.

The first parallel Bible was compiled by Origen of Alexandria in the early third century. His Hexapla was a side by side comparison of Hebrew and Greek texts with as many as six to eight parallel columns in places. There were also many Old and New Testament texts translated during this period into Latin, the language of the Romans. The most famous of these is the Vulgate (for common language) of Jerome begun around 390 A.D. The Vulgate became the standard translation in Western Europe for over a thousand years. There were other translations as well, and they had tremendous effect on the societies and cultures to which they came. It was no accident that the first book published after the invention of the printing press was the famous German language Gutenberg Bible. Many credit wide distribution of the Bible and Christian literature through this technology with sparking the Reformation.

In English, William Tyndale did a great deal of translation work which was eventually incorporated into the King James Bible of 1611 (nearly 60 years after the Westminster Assembly). This was the standard Bible translation for many English speakers well into the twentieth century.

Bible translation is an art as much as it is a science. Today we have access to many English language translations of the Bible – some good, others not so good. It may help to run through a few principles of translation to help you know what kind of Bible you are using.

A translation is known as a version. This simply means that it is not the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, and that some choices have been made in the process of translation. Several terms may be helpful: a literal translation keeps “as close as possible to the exact words and phrasing in the original language, yet still make sense in the receptor language” (Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing Co., 1982, p. 35). The King James Version or the New American Standard Version are good examples of a literal translation. A dynamic equivalent is “(t)he attempt to translate words, idioms, and grammatical constructions of the original language into precise equivalents in the receptor language” (Fee and Stuart, p. 35). The New International Version is a good example of a dynamic equivalent translation. A free translation or paraphrase translates “the ideas from one language to another, with less concern about using the exact words and phrasing in the original language”(Fee and Stuart, p. 35). The Living Bible or The Message are examples of paraphrases.

Discussion Questions:

1. What makes inspiration of the Bible unique from, say, the inspiration of “Gone with the Wind”? or E.M. Bounds’ “On Prayer,” or the movie “The Passion”?

2. Can you meet God through the beauty of nature in the woods on a hike, or out on the golf course? Should I skip church for this? Why or why not?

3. How much authority should I give to my church’s traditions?

Readings for Chapter Two:

Chicago Statement on Inerrancy

Eusebius on the Apocrypha

Bruce on Apocrypha and Canon

Archer on OT Canon

Glossary

Apocrypha: A list of fourteen books found in the Greek translation of the Old Testament known as the Septuagint. They are not found in the Hebrew manuscripts and are not considered on the same level as the canonical Old Testament books, even by Catholics and Orthodox who include them in their Old Testament because of their ancient usage and recognized value from ancient times. Protestants completely reject these books from the Old Testament canon.

Canon: From Greek for rod, rule, standard or list. A list of authoritative books accepted by the Church as uniquely inspired by God.

General Revelation: The means by which God makes himself known through the creation, and mankind in particular.

Koran: The book considered by Muslims to be uniquely inspired. It was given to the prophet Mohammed in a trans-like state prior to 622 A.D.

Inerrancy: The affirmation that the Bible in its original form is free of all falsehood, fraud, or deceit.

Infallibility: The affirmation that the Bible is true and reliable in all matters that it addresses.

Inspiration: The means by which God insured that what was written by human writers of the Scripture was exactly what he intended to be written.

Providence: The oversight and care of God for all His creation; the means by which He works all things after the purpose of His own will, irregardless of the competing designs, purposes, forces, plans and choices of men or spirit beings.

Rule of Faith: The standard by which the patristic church judged truth including the Holy Scriptures, the baptismal creed, and the beliefs and practices of the churches founded by the apostles, especially the church of Rome. This standard led the church to place scripture and tradition on an equal footing in judging questions of faith and practice.

Septuagint: The Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible including the books of the Apocrypha. The word means seventy, reflecting the belief that 70 elders of Israel took 70 days to complete the translation under the order of Ptolemy Philadelphus of Egypt.

Special Revelation: Supernatural means by which God makes Himself known including the person of Christ, the Scriptures, and prophecy, visions, dreams or gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Tradition: The non-scriptural practices, beliefs, decisions, and laws of the historic church.

Select Bibliography

Gleason Archer. “The Canon of the Old Testament” in A Survey of Old Testament

Introduction. Chicago: Moody Press, 1974.

Henry Bettenson. Documents of the Christian Church, Second Edition. London: Oxford University Press, 1963.

F.F. Bruce. The Canon of Scripture. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988.

John Dillenberger, ed. Martin Luther: Selections from His Writings, Edited with an Introduction. Garden City, NY: Doubledday, 1961.

C.S. Lewis. Mere Christianity. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., 1943.

Iain Murray, ed. The Reformation of the Church: A Collection of Reformed and Puritan Documents of Church Issues. Lopndon: Banner of Truth trust, 1965.

Philip Schaff and Henry Wace, eds. Eusebius. In Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol.1. (rpt. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1995.

The Seven Ecumenical Councils, vol. 14.

J. Stevenson. A New Eusebius: Documents Illustrating the History of the Church to AD 337. London: SPCK, 1987.

[1] J. Rodman Williams in Renewal Theology (p. 34) sees a third source of general revelation in history itself. He also explores the concept of natural theology, an ability to recognize God’s nature without aid of special revelation.

Pastor P. Steve Paulus D.min. ~ pastor@stauntongrace.org