The familiar phrase, “it is written” occurs about 80 times in the Word of God. It is a significant statement. It pleased God to communicate his will to us in written form. We have a written Word as a better means to preserve and propagate truth, 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. All this from the very first chapter and section on Scripture. Therefore, tolle lege!
Scripture
That Little Word
What a great opening statement in the Confession!
“The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience, 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 inexcusable; yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God and 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 afterward 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 Scriptures to be most necessary, those former ways of God’s revealing his will unto his people being now ceased.”
It is defined by the little word in the first line-only. This limits all subsequent statements that are made. The first delineation goes directly to the subject of providing us with a restrained application that we may make about Scripture. The end of the the word only is simply that as far as saving knowledge, faith and obedience are concerned – this is what achieved. And what grounds is it achieved? Scripture is the only sufficient, certain and infallible rule. What beautiful words are those! Only sufficient. Only certain. Only infallible. Sufficient in the sense it is all you you and that is required for saving you. Certain in that it does what it is intended to do. Infallible in that it cannot fail in being the only truthful standard. If we are to be saved, it will only be this revelation that can bring it about and no other.
This, all connected by this little word-only.
The Word of God
The Confession opens with these startling words, “The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience…” It is that little word ‘only’ that holds the whole thing together. The first thing it does is to exclude everything that is not the Word of God. The second thing it does is to limit all saving knowledge, faith and obedience to the Scriptures. The things that pertain to salvation or more particularly to anyone being saved cannot be found anywhere else.. The third thing the statement does is to confine authority to the Word of God only. You cannot look elsewhere for a plan about salvation. Scripture is sufficient and certain and infallible. Sufficient meaning it does; certain meaning it is is, and infallible meaning it is without defect and incapable of it. The final thing we can says about this little statement is that God’s Word provides us with everything we need to know (knowledge), everything we need to believe (faith) and everything we must do (obedience). And there you go – you need nothing else. So tolle lege!