The doctrine of Scripture stands as a key doctrine we must know - it is arguably the most fundamental doctrine we must be clear on as believers. It is the key doctrine and conviction on which the Fellowship is based on — that Scripture is sufficient, clear, authoritative and necessary. This also is why we labour to meet week in and out to study God’s word — that each one of us would know God through His word, that each one of us would know how to read and handle God’s word to that end.
This series on the Doctrine of Scripture is important. We live in a world where truth is relative. The Doctrine of Scripture is constantly being challenged. We see the authority of Scripture challenged when the world looks to science and research to define creation and facts. We see the sufficiency of Scripture challenged when the world turns to extra-biblical sources like emotions and feelings and experiences to determine our laws and gender. We see the clarity of Scripture challenged as well. Most directly, can we know what the Bible means? Can we know who God is and what He says through the Bible? We will dive deeper into the clarity of Scripture today.
We begin this study with a definition from the Westminster Confession of Faith that also frames our study: “All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all: yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation are so clearly propounded, and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them.”
The primary argument here is that God’s word is clear and understandable. This does not mean that no effort is required, and not that it’ss all easy to understand, but that the plan of salvation in Christ revealed in Scripture can be understood plainly without additional intervention or interpretation.
Arguably, a lot of things hinge on the clarity of Scripture. If God has not clearly spoken to us, how can we know what we know? How can we know anything about God at all, much less know who God is? It is no wonder the first thing the serpent does in the garden of Eden is to question the clarity of God’s word — Did God actually say what he said? Are you sure?
(A) Clear revelation through His word: God speaks plainly and directly all we need to know (Deut 30:11)
This commandment in Deuteronomy 30:11 refers to the call to turn and obey the word of God. He calls the people to obey His voice in all that was commanded with all your heart and soul. They were to keep His commandments and his statutes that are written in this Book of the Law (Deut 30:10).
Notice a few things here. God is a speaking God who has given us His written word for us to obey. Deuteronomy 30:10 refers to the voice of the LORD. The premise of everything we do is that our God is a speaking God, and has given us His word. The Bible is the primary way He has chosen to reveal Himself to us.
Moreover, the argument that the Scripture is clear is not just for any random reason, but so that His people who hear His voice may turn and obey these words. The commandments are for obedience. We should not skip over this lightly. We see form and purpose here — God communicates with us through speaking, and His word is here for us to know Him and to obey His commands. God does not speak for fun. He instructs clearly so that we may know and obey Him.
What does Moses say about this commandment? The claim here in Deuteronomy 30:11 is that God’s word is firstly, not too hard for you, and secondly, not too far off. You can almost hear the pushback from the people - but Moses, these words and commands are too difficult to understand and too difficult to practice!
And arguably, we hear that pushback in our own heads too. The sin in the Israelites and the sin that is in us causes us to really struggle with this. It is not then that we do not understand or cannot obey, but rather that because of the sin in us, we struggle to listen and obey and turn to Him. Paul himself experienced the same thing in Romans 7 — wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me out of the body of this death?
Is Moses saying then that somehow by our sheer willpower, we can listen and obey perfectly? Probably not. Rather, Moses here simply argues that understanding and obedience is possible. Not perfectly, but in a way that pleases God, who has already graciously saved and delivered them from Exodus, and in the same way how He has already saved and delivered us from our sin.
He addresses the counterargument that Scripture cannot be clearly understood and clearly obeyed because we are a sinful people — the pushback here is that the nature of God’s word which is perfect and clear, is not made any less clear by our lack of obedience - these are separate things, and we should be careful not to conflate them. Our struggle to obey is not for lack of clarity, but because of the sin that is in us — yet, understanding and obedience are within reach.
Scripture itself is not unclear because we struggle to obey.
The claim here is straightforward. God gives clear revelation through His word, and speaks plainly and directly all that we need to know. Some common objections that come our way:
Are we saying that it doesn’t take effort to understand and obey God’s word?
Does it mean that all of God’s word is all equally easy to understand?
The Westminster Confession of Faith on the clarity of Scripture which we read earlier is helpful: “All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all: yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation are so clearly propounded, and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them.”
Some observations:
Some things are clearer than others, and some things are not as clear and plain. From 2 Peter 3:15–16, Peter himself says “There are some things in them that are hard to understand” about Paul’s letters.
That does not negate the clarity and understandability of God’s word. Clarity does not undermine the need for good teaching or training or study or for resources or for prayer or for diligence.
The main things are clear — God’s commands and whatever is necessary for salvation — that is clear in His word. So no, we are not saying it doesn’t take any effort. The main things are clear, and in the due use of ordinary means — preaching, studying, praying — we may attain a sufficient understanding of these things.
So we see here that the claim that the clarity of Scripture makes is this: God has spoken plainly in His word, it is for our understanding and obedience, and through ordinary means, we can attain that. Let us take a deeper look at the understanding portion of that claim.
(B) God’s word is understandable: God speaks without the need for intervention or interpretation (Deut 30:12-13)
Moses considered God’s word understandable (Deut 30:12-13). It is here before you, it is not unintelligible or unknown or inaccessible. God did not hide away His word. Here Moses addresses the common issue of looking to special revelation or intermediary interpretation. Perhaps signs and wonders, perhaps a prophet who would interface for us, perhaps the need to travel to a special holy place for special revelation. This is not an uncommon thing for us to hear even today in other major religions.
Moses was teaching the people that they do not need such special revelation to understand God’s word. What has been said and revealed is enough so that we may all understand it.
We know this is true because throughout the Bible, Scripture is referenced with the assumption that it can and should be understood. The psalmist regularly refers to God’s word as light that illuminates. From Psalm 119:105, we read, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Later in the same psalm, Psalm 119:130 states, “The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.”
When the exiles returned and Ezra read God’s word to His people. In Nehemiah 8:3 we read, “And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.” In Nehemiah 8:7–8, we also read, “ Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. 8 They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.”
Christ himself speaks with such self-referencing clarity. Over and again He says when teaching - “have you not read what is written?” In Matthew 12:3–6, He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read cin the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.
The expectation here then, we see, is that God’s word is read and understood. The pattern is clear in the Bible, and the pattern is for us to learn and see that indeed, God’s word is understandable.
What then, are some objections to the understandability of God’s spoken and revealed word? Consider writing them down and seeking answers by searching Scripture and speaking to mature Christians.
In some situations too, a good verse to remembers is Deuteronomy 29:29 — “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”
God’s will and ways do not require you to solve the mysteries of the world in order to understand them. We see both categories here -- there are unknown and mysterious truths, and there is revealed truth that even your children can understand. So the resolution to these arguments is simple. We are not saying we can understand the Bible and God perfectly. Rather, we can understand Him sufficiently and rightly with what He has revealed to us, even our children can. God’s word is clear, but praise God for men who devote their lives to the study and faithful exposition of God’s word. There are nuances and differences in some interpretations, but praise God that the main and important things are big and clear!
The Westminster Confession of Faith we read earlier again is helpful — “that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them.”
Sufficient understanding, not exhaustive or perfect. God has given us all we need to know and understand Him and His word. God speaks without the need for intervention or interpretation.
What does this tell us about God! What a wonderful mercy it is for God to reveal himself to us in ways that we can know and understand. Can you imagine the alternative? If God requires these things of us but has not made it known clearly and plainly, that would be a disaster. What a terrible thought.
(C) God’s word is in us, so that we can do it: We are charged to know it and obey it (Deut 30:14)
What then, is the point of God’s revealed word? The point of God’s revealed word is for us to know Him, to know His commands, to understand them, to turn to Him and to obey. God’s revealed word is given to us so that we may be in relationship with Him and indeed He has given us His Word Jesus Christ.
We are unable to obey and understand perfectly. Deuteronomy 11:14 is later quoted in Romans 10:6-10. God’s revealed Word shows us our sin and then our need for a Saviour. The reason God has given us His word is so that we may know Him — not just by any means, but through Jesus Christ His Son, who is the point of, the central goal of, all of Scripture. All of Scripture points us to Jesus — the Law reveals in us our sin and our need for a Saviour, and all throughout the Bible. Scripture points us to the cross and the wonder of the cross and resurrection so that we may be saved and reconciled back to God.
Scripture shows us our Saviour and how we may turn and put our faith in Him, that we may be saved.
The clarity of Scripture points us to one thing — that we may know God through His Son Jesus, through His Word.
He is a merciful and good God who has revealed Himself through His word, that we may repent and turn to Him in faith.