The Scriptures | Part 1
by Josh Rieger
This is the first in a series of blogposts looking at the Scriptures, what they teach, and their place in the Reformed Church.
I am not one who is a Presbyterian from the cradle, like some. But having been a Presbyterian now for very nearly 25 years I have come to love our Confession of Faith. There are many reasons I love the Westminster Confession, its clarity, warmth, and boldness in its explication of the Scriptures, its pastoral nature, laying out the Bible’s doctrine in a way that addresses the issues of our lives, and not least among these is simply the fact that it’s my confession of faith. I have grown familiar with its language, and style, with its structure and order. I have memorised and studied its accompanying catechisms.
One of the chief things I love about the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) is its emphasis on the Scriptures. Charles Hodge, in his Discussion of the Protestant Rule of Faith, said “All Protestants agree in teaching that ‘the word of God, as contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only infallible rule of faith and practice.’”[1] It’s true that at least all confessionally orthodox protestants would agree with this statement, but the Westminster Confession of Faith leans into this belief in a unique way. The Westminster Confession says: “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: etc… . All which are given by inspiration of God, to be the rule of faith and life.” (WCF 1.2) It goes on to add that, “The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man’s salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture.” (WCF 1.6)
However, it’s not just what it says, but even the order in which it says it that the WCF uses to teach us. The other major reformed confessions would all teach this same doctrine, but the Augsburg Confession is missing a chapter on the Holy Scriptures. The Scots Confession waits to address its beliefs on the Holy Scriptures until chapter 19. The 39 Articles wait until articles 6 and 7. The Belgic Confession’s first two chapters are in a reversed order from that of the WCF. It starts with the doctrine of God and then moves onto the Holy Scriptures. I don’t want to come across as criticising any of these confessions. I am thankful for each of them and the way they’ve been used. I’m especially thankful for the Scots Confession’s emphasis on evangelism and the proclamation of the gospel. But the Westminster divines communicate something very helpful in placing the doctrine of Scripture at the head of the WCF.
We cannot know God apart from His revelation of himself in His Word. The church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. (Eph. 2:20) Therefore all the doctrine we can know and believe flows from that which is elucidatd in this first chapter of the WCF. And it’s not just what we believe, but how we ought to live. This is the clearly stated doctrine of the WCF, but this belief is also evident even in the Divine’s ordering of the document. I’m sure other confessions and statements of faith have a good reasoning for the order they’ve used that make a lot of sense and are doctrinally consistent, but I love the order of the WCF in what it teaches me about the Holy Scriptures!
[1] https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Protestant_Rule_of_Faith
