The Necessity of the Bible (WCF 1.1)

Teaching Note

The Westminster Confession starts with the Word because Sola Scriptura, the necessity and supremacy of the Word, is a central pillar of the Christian faith that was known for centuries and re-discovered during the Reformation. Our entire faith rests upon the Word. What we see here is the utter necessity of God’s divine revelation of Himself if we would have any hope of salvation.

Scripture Verse

“For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” Romans 1:19–20

WCF Text

Westminster Confession of Faith 1.1 1. 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 unexcusable; yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of his will, which is necessary unto salvation. Therefore it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal himself, and to declare that his will unto his church; and 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; those former ways of God’s revealing his will unto his people being now ceased.

Teaching Content

Natural Revelation: Creation testifies clearly that there is a God and that He is skillful, wise, and good, this is enough to condemn us for falling short of His law but not to know God savingly. We can know of Him as creator and Judge from nature but we cannot know Him as savior without more. We can know of Him, but we cannot know him savingly from creation alone. (Psalm 19:1-4, Romans 1:19-20, 1 Corinthians 1:21)

Special Revelation: To truly know God He must condescend to us and reveal Himself to us. This came to His church in various means across history: prophets, dreams, visions, but has now been written down for us in the Scriptures. He has told us who He is and what He has done for us in Christ. Special revelation allows us sufficient knowledge of God to be saved through faith in Christ by showing us His character, His covenant, and His promise of redemption. (Hebrews 1:1-2, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21)

The Written Word: To ensure that this revelation would not be lost and that His people would know and hear the gospel, He had it committed to writing. This is because of the corruption of the flesh, the malice of Satan and of the world, which all work together to conspire to hide and distort the truths of God. Having the objective Scriptures gives the church an unchanging anchor to preach, teach, read, and appeal to in every generation. (Isaiah 30:8, Luke 1:3-4, Romans 15:4, 2 Peter 1:19-21)

Discussion Questions

The Content of the Bible (WCF 1.2-3)

Teaching Note

By specifically listing the sixty-six canonical books and rejecting the Apocrypha, the Confession forces us to recognize that we cannot safely rely on God’s Word for salvation if we don’t know exactly what is His Word and what isn’t. This is a specific area of disagreement with the Roman Catholic Church, but they only decided to formally accept the apocrypha as scripture at the Council of Trent in 1546.

Scripture Verse

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16–17

Teaching Content

No Continuing Revelation: Christ is the center of history, all of the Old Testament points forward to the coming Messiah and the New Testament speaks of Christ’s life, death, resurrection, ascension, and His creation of His church. As such God has ordained that everything necessary concerning Christ should be written down. “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son…,” (Hebrews 1:1–2). As such, we have all that we need in it for faith and godliness and we will get no more special revelation until Christ comes again. (Jude 1:3, Revelation 22:18-19, Ephesians 2:20)

Authority of Scripture: If the scripture is the only rule of faith and practice, then we have to know which books are scripture and which aren’t. There are many books written by the church that are helpful and good, including some of the Apocrypha, but if they are not the Word then they have no authority to regulate the Christian life or bind the conscience. (2 Timothy 3:16-17, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Matthew 15:6–9, Deuteronomy 12:32)

Canon of Scripture: The history of the church shows that there are 66 books of the Bible. 39 books in the Old Testament, as has always been affirmed by the Jews in the Old Covenant, and 27 books in the New Testament as was recognized by the church very early on. To be clear, at no point did the church choose which books were scripture and which weren’t, they only recognized and formalized what God had made clear to His people. ( Galatians 1:8-9, 2 Peter 1:20-21, 2 Peter 3:15–16)

Discussion Questions

The Authority of the Bible (WCF 1.4-5)

Teaching Note

The Scriptures have authority over the church because they are the Word of God. He has spoken and we, as His people, must listen. It is the inward testimony of the Holy Spirit that confirms and seals the truth of everything contained within it. So even though the church plays an incredibly important role in the life of the believer, ultimately the officers of the church are only stewards of what God has revealed with no power to impose their own will upon believers.

Scripture Verse

“And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:19–21

Teaching Content

The Work of the Spirit: The scriptures make it clear that they are the Word of God by the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts pointing us to the truth of the Word. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me,” (John 10:27). When the believer reads the Word the Holy Spirit opens their hearts and minds not just to understand what is written, but to believe that it is the Word of God. This is not a subjective standard based on personal feeling, but an objective standard based on the work and character of God. (1 Corinthians 2:12–14, 1 Thessalonians 1:5, 1 Corinthians 12:3)

Other Evidences for the Scripture: It is only the inward testimony of the Holy Spirit that we know for certain the scriptures are the Word of God and yet God has given many other evidences to strengthen and build up our faith. The internal content of the Word is clearly divine having more glory, consistency, grace, and beauty than is possible for any merely human work. Furthermore the church of all ages has testified to the scriptures as the Word of God, recognizing and affirming it’s authority. (Psalm 19:7–10, Hebrews 4:12, Proverbs 30:5)

Discussion Questions