Bibliology - Part 5
Bibliology - Part 5
Thursday, June 21, 2007
The final point in my doctrinal statement about the Bible has to do with its clarity. Some may think this is the same as approaching the Bible using the Historical-Grammatical hermeneutic, but in actuality it is quite different. One can believe the Bible can be interpreted literally, but yet be uncertain of its meaning. One can also believe the Bible to be verbally and plenarily inspired but impossible to understand with certainly. “The Bible may be true” some say, “but we can’t be sure of its meaning.”
I believe in the perspicuity of Scripture, that is, the Scripture can be clearly understood by those who seek its truth.
One of the most important truths we need to understand is that God want’s us to understand the Scriptures more than we want to understand them. God is in the business of revealing Himself, and as such He is not going to be unclear about what He says. He is going to make sure that His truth is said and recorded in such a way that anyone can understand it.
Time and time again Christ confronted the religious leaders of His day with “have you not read.” Implied in that statement is that it was fully possible for these leaders to read and understand Scripture. At no time did Christ say “well, I see where you could have been tripped up on that passage.” Throughout His ministry He made it clear that God’s truth was understandable, and that as a result men were accountable for that truth. Another prime example is Christ on the road to Emmaus as recorded in Luke 24:13-33. Here He meets up with two disciples who were depressed and confused. They thought Christ was the Messiah, but when they saw Him crucified, their hopes were dashed. Christ’s word to these two men as recorded in verses 25-26 is very pointed, “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?” He then does a survey of the Old Testament showing them that everything that had come to pass was exactly what was recorded there, and in fact they should have known it! He gives them no quarter for being confused about the prophecies of the Old Testament, rather He rebukes them for not knowing what they should have known.
A good example of the perspicuity of Scripture can be found in the Old Testament in Psalm 119. In this longest of David’s Psalms the subject of nearly every verse is God’s word, and again and again the implication is that it is understandable and clear. Psalm 119:105 tells us that the word of God is a light for our path, clearly indicating we can know what it means, “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:9-11 tells us God’s word can help us walk righteously, again clearly indicating we can know what it means, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.” And finally, Psalm 19:7-11 is perhaps the greatest passage in the Old Testament about the clarity of Scripture. Here it is very evident that David saw God’s word as being understandable and clear in its meaning - and as a result able to deal with every spiritual and moral issue faced by man.
In the New Testament we have the prologue of Revelation in which John writes, “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” (Revelation 1:3). Note that this is a blessing given to those who read and understand the prophecy, which implies that one can understand it! No doubt many think the Book of Revelation is the hardest book to understand in all the Bible, and there are some that stay away from it because they feel it is just too confusing to deal with. However, John was not writing to learned philosophers and doctors, but to common people, in many cases people who could not read for themselves. It is clear that John certainly believed it was possible for these people to understand this book, and be blessed by it.
Now that is not to say there are some doctrines in the Bible that are tough to sort out. Not every Biblical doctrine is equally clear. However, those truths that are necessary for eternal life and necessary to live a godly life are clear, and easily understood. There is little doubt in the Bible as to how one is born again and how one as a born again believer should act. Those who deny the clarity of Scripture have in fact bought into the pluralistic mindset of the day that says there is no absolute certainty about truth even if there is an ultimate truth. The great virtue in academic circles today is not certainty, but uncertainty. There is no room for that in our study of the Scriptures.
The Bible is understandable, the Bible is clear!
