It’s Clear, We Need It, and It’s all we Need – Chapter 3

The Bible is clear.  Grudem defines this doctrine as follows:  “The clarity of Scripture means that the Bible is written in such a way that its teaching are able to be understood by all who will read it seeking God’s help and being willing to follow it.”

It’s made to be understood.  Grudem points out that in Deuteronomy 6: 6-7, Moses says we should not only be able to understand it, but teach it to our children.  Otherpassages refers to the “simple” made wise by it (Psalm 19:7; Psalm 119:130).

But what about misunderstandings?  Each time we see in the New Testament Jesus say, “Have you not read…?” or “Have you never read Scripture…?”, which implies no blame or complexity of Scripture.  But if there is misunderstanding, it is probably because the reader is unwilling to receive it.  1 Corinthians 2:14 (NLT) says, “But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit.  It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it…”  Spiritual meaning it is only when we have a sincere heart seeking salvation that the Holy Spirit will be at work with us as we seek God’s message in the Bible.

Nonetheless there are misunderstanding among God’s people.  Even within the Christian community we see doctrinal disagreement.  Grudem puts it this way, “Scripture says Scripture is able to be understood, not that all understand equally well.”  It likely comes down to our individual faithfulness, or short-comings, or even the time we devote to studying it.  The more we study it, the likely the more we understand.  Bible is clear and we need not be scholars or of any origin, position, cast, believer, or unbelievers to begin studying it.  And if there’s still disagreements, like many that’s persisted in the history of the church, those may very well be related to issues God simply didn’t give answers those specific question or issues (like the specifics of church government or baptism or the order of worship).  This concept reminds me of what I first heard from Josh a long time ago, “Let the Bible be clear where it is clear.  Let the Bible be unclear, where it’s unclear.”

Personal Reflection:  Can people make the Bible say anything they want?  Where the Bible directly talks about things is when the Bible speaks.  The Bible does at times speak in poetic and metaphoric terms which probably should not be taken literally – I don’t think God really means for me to gouge out my eye.  So in these cases, inference comes into play.  But I think when one’s initial purpose is to “read into the Bible” versus just reading out of the Bible, then this can lead to this falsehood.  A definition of the term eisegesis seem to fit.  Exegesis on the other hand is the application of good and sound principle of hermeneutics to critically provide interpretation of Scripture.  Even when good interpretation is applied, we see disagreement in major denomination.  What I hope to find as I study the Bible would be that it’s fairly clear in general even where God’s has chosen to keep things “secret”.  I can’t imagine that in the realm of major doctrine I can assume that there’s right and wrong interpretation.  But in terms of minor ones, especially where the Bible is unclear, I have to believe that there are no right or wrong.

So if the Bible is clear and can be understood by “simple” people like me, why am I also reading Grudem’s book and not just God’s book for understanding and knowledge?  There’s still a place for Bible scholars as Grudem explains, which fulfills 4 main functions.  They can teach Scripture, which also leads to correcting false teaching.  They explore deeper understanding of Scripture and how it can be applied to new areas of life and answer persisting questions.  They defend Scripture against those with similar formal training.  They supplement the study of Scripture with the in-depth knowledge of history and culture of the time when Scripture was written.

The Bible is also necessary “… for knowledge of the gospel, for maintaining spiritual life, and for certain knowledge of God’s will, but is not for knowing God exists or for knowing something about God’s character and moral laws.”

John 14:6 shows Jesus’ words, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father, but by me.” Paul writes in Romans 10:13-17, “For ‘everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord [Jesus] will be saved.” How can anyone today get salvation without knowledge of the gospel.  In order for the above to be realized by an unbeliever they must first believe.  But how can they believe in something they’ve never heard?  Here I see again why it is important it is to share the Gospel to all nations.

Personal Reflection: This also re-affirms what I’ve heard over and over again – “faith comes by hearing.”  It compliments what was independently discussed at house church this past Sunday.  “Salvation”, “receiving the Holy Spirit”, “a believers baptism” – what’s the order?  It was kind of a trick question (for me), because its missing one other component – faith.  Faith comes first.  When we hear the Good News, we are left with a choice – accept Jesus or not.  With faith and a sincere belief in Jesus as our Savior, we receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).  And in terms of Scripture, it is the combination of that faith (a sincere heart that seeks God’s help and is willing to follow) and the Holy Spirit can we understand Scripture.

Matthew 4:4 – “… Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from God” - the Bible is necessary for spiritual life and health.

It is said that we have an omniscient God – all knowing.  We are not all knowing and philosophers will affirm the latter that we can never be certain about anything because we cannot know everything.  Though God has only revealed some to us to, He knows everything (Deut. 29:29).  “Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when the instinctively obey it, even without having heard it.  They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right” (Romans 2:14-15 NLT).  So we have our conscience, but Grudem points conscience alone doesn’t give us the certainty we need in a fallen world that skews our thoughts and desire.  By ourselves we easy fall into the philosophers skepticism.  So the Bible is necessary to have certainty of God’s will for us for God has revealed to us what he wants us to know that is good for the past, the present and will not never be contradicted by the future.

Personal Reflection:  How often am I second guessing myself?  How often does self-doubt arise?  And how often has these things lead me to a sense of losing or lacking of self-confidence?  Often.  Even in the beginning of this journal I said that there are things I believe but have no real assurance if they are true or why I believe them.  Perhaps it’s God’s written words on my heart.  But the sin inherent in me makes it so easy to reason and justify the wrong I’ve done.  Even those who know and certain of the law stumble, but how much easier is it for Satan to get a hold of me if I’m constantly second guessing what’s right from wrong.

Grudem continues and states that we don’t need the Bible to know God exists or about His character and moral laws.  Grudem introduces a term called general revelation, which basically means “just look around you and in your own hearts to know the existence of God” (Romans 1:19-21).

Personal Refelction: I know God and perhaps I would know God even without the Bible, but to me God is a name (capital “G”).  So how can I know that name if I was not introduced?  I see a person and know he/she has a father, but I don’t know her father (or the father).  So is it fair to say that I can know there is a god, but still not know God if we’ve never been introduced?  Without the Bible I think I can look around me and see the wonders of creation and know there is a god, a higher being, who created all this.  I think of tribal people in the remote corners of the world with no communication or knowledge of the industrialized world. They worship gods for they instinctively know that there’s something of greater power out there.  Am I splitting hair on this?  Or is it my sub-conscience, sinful nature suppressing this truth I already know?

Grudem follows his explanation of general revelation with an explanation of special revelation. With general revelation, we may know with limited certainty, that we owe obedience to God and our conscience accuse us of sinning.  But without the Bible, we can not know about the way of our salvation.  Grudem puts it this way, “… how the holiness and justice of God can ever be reconciled with the willingness to forgive sins is a mystery that have never been solved by any religion apart from the Bible… It never could have been conceived by man alone apart from God’s special, verbal revelation.”

The Bible is all I need. Grudem’s definition of the sufficiency of Scripture goes like this, “The sufficiency of Scripture means that Scripture contained all the words of God he intended his people to have at each stage of redemptive history, and that it now contains everything we need God to tell us for salvation, for trusting him perfectly, and for obeying him perfectly.” To find God’s will for us, all we need is the Bible.  2 Timothy 3:25 says, “From childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which will be able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”   To find God’s instructions for us to live good Christian lives, all we need is the Bible (Psalm 119:1 “Blessed are those whose way is blameless who walk in the way of the Lord!”).  Grudem points again to 2 Timothy where “Paul says that God gave Scripture in order that we may be ‘complete, equipped for every good work’…”

So what does it mean when Grudem says “… at each stage of redemptive history…”?  It basically means that for for those who only had the Old Testament and that in those times that was revealed so far by God.  We are to believe that at that time, that was sufficient.  Again, Grudem refers to Deuteronomy 29:29 that God reveals things to us and also hides things from us.  And for us today, what we have in full revelation is the Bible.  Grudem does guard against adding more law or sin to what the Bible says.  He states that we should be content with the Bible, which again likely goes back to the assurance we have that God has chosen these to reveal to us.

Personal Reflection:  Where Google has been tremendous for finding answers to questions in professional life and hobbies, I have the Bible Concordance for questions regarding the most important life questions.  I may find sometimes that the Bible is unclear and in those time I needs to remember not to be tempted to read into the Bible interpretation I wish for myself.  Instead, I should seek to find as many relevant passages, commentaries from scholars, and the guidance from my own pastor.

This week’s verse: Deuteronomy 6:6-7 These words which I command you this day shall be upon your hearts; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.