OF HOLY SCRIPTURE

Thoughts on the

Second London Baptist Confession

Chapter 1: Of Holy Scripture

Part 3

By Brian Pendleton

“The law of Yahweh is perfect, restoring the soul; 

         The testimony of Yahweh is sure, making wise the simple." 

— Psalm 19:7 (LSB)

Read Chapter 1 of the 2LBC Paragraphs 6-10

Paragraph 6 of the confession tells us how the Bible contains all the words from God we need for salvation, for faith, and for practice. “All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be equipped, having been thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17). The Bible is sufficient for salvation, sufficient for ministry, sufficient for all the needs of a child of God. “... all things necessary for [God’s] own glory, man's salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down or necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture...” We are not add or substitute the Bible with some sort of new revelation or by man-made traditions.

The Scriptures are sufficient for salvation: “and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 3:15). In the pages of the Bible we learn about our condition, that we are in a state of sin and misery. We are not only born in sin, but actually do sin. The Scriptures teach us God’s plan of redemption: God the Father elects, God the Son redeems, and God the Holy Spirit applies. We are taught about the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, how in His life He lived a life of perfect obedience to His Father’s law and did so on our behalf. We are told about how He offered up the perfect sacrifice of Himself for us. We learn about how He rose again on the third day and ascended into heaven to ever live to intercede for us. The Bible instructs us that in order to be saved we must have faith in Christ and repent of our sins. The Sacred Scriptures teach us about the glorious gospel.

Paragraphs 7-9 of the confession address the interpretation of Holy Scriptures. Paragraph 7 talks about the clarity of the Bible. Clarity speaks to how the Scriptures are so clear in things necessary to salvation that they can be understood by believers without the external help of oral tradition or church authority. "The unfolding of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple." (Psalm 119:130). This doesn’t mean that all Bible verses are easily understood (see 2 Peter 3:16). The difficult passages are intelligible with diligent study. Paragraph 8 talks about the original languages the Bible was written and the importance of translations: “But because these original tongues are not known to all the people of God, who have a right unto, and interest in the Scriptures. . . therefore they are to be translated into the [common] language of every nation unto which they come. . .” Paragraph 9 lays out two interpretive principles, the analogy of scripture and the analogy of faith. The analogy of Scripture teaches that we are to interpret an ambiguous passage of Scripture by comparing it with unambiguous passages that refer to the same teaching. The analogy of faith teaches that since the scriptures are harmonious with one another, and since the Faith with which the Bible as a whole proclaims will not be contradicted, therefore, an interpretation that contradicts the clear teaching of any other Scriptures must be ruled out.

The final paragraph of the first chapter addresses the pre-eminence of the Holy Scripture. “[Paul] was explaining to them by solemnly bearing witness about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening.” (Acts 28:23). Paul, along with all the apostles, and Christ Himself demonstrated in their teachings that the Bible, not the opinions of man, is the supreme judge of our Faith.