(Article for publication week of 10-21-2009 AD)
"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to the word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isaiah 8:20). The prophet Isaiah being inspired by the Holy Spirit, warns us that false prophets will arise among us. But if they speak not the truth of scripture we are to know that they have no light in them.
We live in such a day as Isaiah lived when there is much confusion and many false prophets leading men astray. In this babble of confusion we have an authoritative and sufficient guide- the verbally inspired word of God. The scriptures are sufficient as a final rule concerning the way of salvation and what God requires of men.
Since the scriptures are indeed inspired of God (that is the Holy Spirit moved holy men to write down exactly what God would have us know), they are necessarily authoritative (that is they are a rule and law for us and we will be finally judged by them). And since the Bible is inspired and authoritative, they are sufficient for our understanding of what God has revealed concerning Himself, what He is like , what He demands, and how He saves sinners.
Here in Isaiah 8:20, we are directed to the law and the testimony as the final word. (By the way, if you will go back and start at the beginning of chapter 8, you will see this is one of those portions of scripture that is mechanically inspired.) God tells us here that His inspired Word is sufficient to try every statement of men. We are not pointed to a creed or council, but to the law and the testimony.
Confessions of faith are useful, and every church should have one. But a confession of faith is to be judged by the scriptures, not the other way around. All the good confessions begin with the truth of scripture and give them for our final authority. Our church holds to the Second London Confession of Faith as a way of stating in clear terms what we believe the scriptures to teach and to identify us with faithful Christians of the past and present, but the Bible is our final authority and ultimate confession of Faith.
Church councils have been useful. There have been times in the history of the Church that councils have been necessary to oppose error and state in concise language what we believe the scriptures say. Church councils have been useful in some cases, but they are not our final authority. The scriptures are sufficient for us without any opinions of men, written or unwritten.
"Scripture alone" is the watchword of true Christianity. Christians with the Bible in their hands, and being taught by the Holy Spirit have a sufficient guide into the truth of God and the way of salvation. I would urge you dear reader to read your Bible. Open it up with the confidence that you are reading the authoritative word of God. Bring every preconceived notion you have to the law and the testimony. Everything that you may have believed that you find contrary to the word of God, cast it away and have nothing but "thus saith the Lord". "To the law and to the testimony."
"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to the word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isaiah 8:20). The prophet Isaiah being inspired by the Holy Spirit, warns us that false prophets will arise among us. But if they speak not the truth of scripture we are to know that they have no light in them.
We live in such a day as Isaiah lived when there is much confusion and many false prophets leading men astray. In this babble of confusion we have an authoritative and sufficient guide- the verbally inspired word of God. The scriptures are sufficient as a final rule concerning the way of salvation and what God requires of men.
Since the scriptures are indeed inspired of God (that is the Holy Spirit moved holy men to write down exactly what God would have us know), they are necessarily authoritative (that is they are a rule and law for us and we will be finally judged by them). And since the Bible is inspired and authoritative, they are sufficient for our understanding of what God has revealed concerning Himself, what He is like , what He demands, and how He saves sinners.
Here in Isaiah 8:20, we are directed to the law and the testimony as the final word. (By the way, if you will go back and start at the beginning of chapter 8, you will see this is one of those portions of scripture that is mechanically inspired.) God tells us here that His inspired Word is sufficient to try every statement of men. We are not pointed to a creed or council, but to the law and the testimony.
Confessions of faith are useful, and every church should have one. But a confession of faith is to be judged by the scriptures, not the other way around. All the good confessions begin with the truth of scripture and give them for our final authority. Our church holds to the Second London Confession of Faith as a way of stating in clear terms what we believe the scriptures to teach and to identify us with faithful Christians of the past and present, but the Bible is our final authority and ultimate confession of Faith.
Church councils have been useful. There have been times in the history of the Church that councils have been necessary to oppose error and state in concise language what we believe the scriptures say. Church councils have been useful in some cases, but they are not our final authority. The scriptures are sufficient for us without any opinions of men, written or unwritten.
"Scripture alone" is the watchword of true Christianity. Christians with the Bible in their hands, and being taught by the Holy Spirit have a sufficient guide into the truth of God and the way of salvation. I would urge you dear reader to read your Bible. Open it up with the confidence that you are reading the authoritative word of God. Bring every preconceived notion you have to the law and the testimony. Everything that you may have believed that you find contrary to the word of God, cast it away and have nothing but "thus saith the Lord". "To the law and to the testimony."
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