How Will We Slice It?

Do we still believe in the Bible? Is it, in fact, the Word of God?

Our church believes that the Bible is the Word of God. To diminish that statement by suggesting that the Bible is anything less is to contradict our subordinate standards and the clear testimony of Scripture itself.

Since we, presumably, agree that the Bible is the Word of God, why are there so many varying opinions on significant matters of doctrine? The reason likely has to do with how we interpret the Bible.

The apostle Paul, encourages Timothy, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15).

"Rightly dividing" is a carpentry phrase, which literally means, "straight". To have any level of agreement on matters of doctrine and practice, we must gain a measure of consensus regarding our methods for slicing God’s Word. Theologians refer to this process of interpretation as hermeneutics. Before we can jump into the fray on any given issue we must be sure that our hermeneutic is not faulty. If we do not "cut straight" the Word of God, error and confusion will inevitably follow.

Our church has historically been guided by the hermeneutical principle that Scripture is its own best interpreter. When there is a question about the true and full sense of any particular portion of Scripture, it must be searched and known by other portions of Scripture. In other words, the whole of Scripture provides the boundaries/framework for understanding any one specific text.

We agree with Living Faith, which reminds us, "The writing of the Bible was conditioned by the language, thought, and setting of its time. The Bible must be read in its historical context." (5.4) We affirm this while still asserting that "All Scripture is God-breathed" (2 Timothy 3:15), and that every portion of Scripture was given according to the sovereign will of God. And while we strive to fully investigate the context from which a given biblical passage was born, we do so in such a manner that does not bring into question the veracity or authority of the text.

How then, shall we slice it? What principles shall we employ in our attempts to "cut straight" the Word of God?

1. We affirm the Bible’s authority as being entirely God-breathed.
   Any method of interpretation, therefore, that undermines confidence in the trustworthiness and truthfulness of Scripture must be called into question.

2. We affirm that Scripture is its own best interpreter.
   Interpreting Scripture with Scripture is the best method for understanding texts where the meaning is not obviously clear.

3. We affirm that Scripture can be accurately interpreted within any culture, and in every age.
   While recognizing the variety of cultures out of which Scripture is born and to which it now speaks, we believe that the meaning of biblical texts is not so closely tied to the culture that understanding and applying the same meaning in other cultures is necessarily problematic.

4. We affirm the legitimate use of the various "critical disciplines".
   The study of history, grammar, literary form, and the employment of logic, must be pursued. However, the critical disciplines should not be used to undermine the integrity of what has been written, but should be pursued in order to better understand the author’s meaning.

5. We affirm our church’s historical position on the role of Scripture.
   It has long been held by our church that the Bible is "the supreme judge by which all controversies of religion are to be determined" (Westminster Confession, I, X). For this reason, it is imperative that extra-biblical material not be elevated to a level of precedence.

We believe that the Reformers got it right when they raised their banner, Sola Scriptura -- Scripture alone it is!

This document has been produced by The Renewal Fellowship within the Presbyterian Church In Canada in partnership with The Reformed Theology Source www.reformedtheology.ca