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: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the word; and that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the Church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the word, which are always to be observed.
In this paragraph the Confession asserts the sufficiency of Scripture to teach believers everything we need to know for the glory of God regarding our salvation. Again, the chief passage in mind here is 2 Timothy 3:15-17. Scripture either tells us "expressly" in its pages or we may reasonably deduce truth that is not explicitly stated but which follows necessarily from what is stated. An example of this is the doctrine of the Trinity, which we will take up in greater detail in chapter 2. For the moment, let me observe that Scripture plainly teaches that there is one God and the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Spirit is God. Yet the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit, and the Spirit is not the Father. One God, three distinct persons who are all God yet are not identical. Nowhere in Scripture will we find such a formula stated in so many words, yet that it is Scriptural truth is undeniable.
Let us not be too quick to run past the introductory phrase "the whole counsel of God." When reading Scripture to understand it I must not take parts in isolation or set one part against another. I must take Scripture as a coherent whole and employ sound hermeneutics so that I may come to a reliable interpretation. And when problems arise, I should consider the value of seeking help from others more learned than I am.
The Confession here also asserts the completeness of Scripture. The canon is closed--nothing may be added to or subtracted from what has been written. When someone claims to have received a revelation from God, the proper response is to ask for chapter and verse, meaning we, like the noble-minded Bereans, must go to the Scripture to see whether these things be true. Note especially that the traditions of men do not occupy the same plane of authority as Scripture. Tradition also is normed by the unnormable norm.
The Christian approaching Scripture relies upon the inner testimony and illumination of the Spirit. The Author of the word is its best interpreter. He knows what he wrote and what he intended to communicate by it. Remember that he does not speak out of both sides of his mouth--if I interpret Scripture to say one thing, and my friend interprets it to say something entirely different, even contradictory, one of us is wrong and has misheard the Spirit.
The Scripture is sufficient for these things yet does not instruct us in micromanaging detail the way that a pilot's checklist does. That is not its purpose. It gives us specific teaching on many things, and in other matters provides principles by which we may order our thoughts and lives. For example, Scripture instructs us that we are to meet together as a body of believers for worship on a weekly basis. But it does not tell us specifically at what hour of the day to meet, or in what manner of building (or in a building at all), or what to wear to such a meeting. Relying on the general principles imparted by Scripture we may arrange such concerns as seems fit and proper to us.
Tomorrow: The clarity of Scripture.
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