Every great theological work, like any well-constructed building, must begin with a solid foundation. Before we can speak of God, humanity, sin, or salvation, we must first answer a more fundamental question: How do we know? On what authority do we base our claims about reality, eternity, and the very character of God Himself? The theologians of the Westminster Assembly, tasked with creating a confession to unify the church, understood this perfectly. They did not begin with abstract philosophical arguments for God’s existence or with an exploration of human nature. They began with the source of all theology: God’s self-revelation. This first chapter, “Of the Holy Scripture,” is the bedrock upon which all subsequent doctrines rest. In this first article, we will examine the first five paragraphs of this crucial chapter, exploring the internal logic of the text concerning the necessity, identity, and authority of God’s Word.
The Westminster Confession of Faith begins its systematic presentation of Christian doctrine by establishing the Holy Scripture as God’s uniquely sufficient, necessary, and authoritative self-revelation, which, while confirmed by the church’s testimony and its own internal excellencies, is ultimately authenticated by the inward work of the Holy Spirit.
The Necessity of Divine Revelation (WCF 1.1)
The Confession opens by affirming that “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.” The divines ground this in texts like Psalm 19, which declares that “the heavens declare the glory of God” (Ps. 19:1), and Romans 1, where Paul argues that God’s invisible attributes are “clearly perceived” in creation, leaving all humanity without excuse (Rom. 1:20). This natural knowledge is enough to make us aware that we are accountable to a divine being.
However, the divines immediately state its limits, declaring that this general revelation is “not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of His will, which is necessary unto salvation.” To know God not just as Creator but as Redeemer, we need something more. As Paul writes, the world in its wisdom did not know God, so God was pleased “through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe” (1 Cor. 1:21). For this reason, “it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal Himself” (Heb. 1:1). God Himself had to speak. He then saw fit “for the better preserving and propagating of the truth” to “commit the same wholly unto writing,” a step that “maketh the Holy Scripture to be most necessary,” especially since “those former ways of God’s revealing His will unto His people being now ceased” (Heb. 1:1–2). The written Word is now the final and complete deposit of saving truth.
The Canon of Scripture (WCF 1.2-1.3)
Having established the necessity of the written Word, the Confession next defines what is contained “under the name of Holy Scripture.” After listing the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, it states plainly that “All which are given by inspiration of God to be the rule of faith and life.” This claim is supported by 2 Timothy 3:16, which states that “All Scripture is breathed out by God,” and Ephesians 2:20, which describes the church as being built on the “foundation of the apostles and prophets.”
This defined list is significant for what it excludes. The divines state unambiguously that “the books commonly called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration, are no part of the canon of the Scripture.” Because of this, they are of “no authority in the Church of God, nor to be any otherwise approved, or made use of, than other human writings.” The reasoning for this is scriptural. In Luke 24, Jesus defines the Old Testament Scriptures for his disciples as “the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms,” a threefold division that did not include the Apocrypha (Luke 24:44). Furthermore, Paul confirms that it was to the Jews that “the oracles of God were entrusted” (Rom. 3:2), and the Hebrew canon they preserved has never contained these books.
The Authority of Scripture (WCF 1.4)
Where does the Bible get its authority? The Confession makes the radical claim that “the authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed, and obeyed, dependeth not upon the testimony of any man, or Church; but wholly upon God (who is truth itself) the author thereof.” The simple and profound conclusion is that Scripture “is to be received, because it is the Word of God.” Its authority is inherent because its origin is divine. The church does not create the canon; it recognizes the canon. The proof texts here are foundational. Peter states that “no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation” but that men “spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). Paul reminds the Thessalonians that when they received the gospel, they accepted it “not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God” (1 Thess. 2:13). The church is the servant of the Word, not its master.
The Persuasion of Scripture (WCF 1.5)
If Scripture’s authority is inherent, how do we become personally convinced of it? The Confession acknowledges that we “may be moved and induced by the testimony of the Church to an high and reverend esteem of the Holy Scripture” (1 Tim. 3:15). It also lists many powerful internal proofs—”the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style”—which it calls “arguments whereby it doth abundantly evidence itself to be the Word of God.”
However, these are not the ultimate grounds of our faith. Loved ones, intellectual agreement does not create saving faith. Our “full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth and divine authority thereof, is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts.” This is the doctrine of the internal witness of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit who inspired the authors now persuades the reader. John writes of an “anointing from the Holy One” that “teaches you about everything” (1 John 2:20, 27). Jesus promised the Spirit would “guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13). This inner work doesn’t add new information; it gives us spiritual certainty to believe the information already revealed.
Conclusion
In just five paragraphs, the Westminster divines, drawing carefully from Scripture, established the absolute necessity, the precise identity, the inherent authority, and the spiritual confirmation of the Bible. They laid a foundation that is not the shifting sand of human opinion or ecclesiastical decree, but the immovable rock of God’s own spoken and written Word. This is the rule of our faith and life, the standard by which all other truth claims are judged. It is the very oracles of God, authenticated by the Holy Spirit Himself. Only from this secure starting point can we begin to explore all that God has revealed.
Key Terms/Concepts
- Revelation (General and Special): General Revelation refers to the knowledge of God available to all people through the created order (nature) and human conscience. It reveals God’s existence and power but is insufficient for salvation. Special Revelation refers to God’s specific disclosure of Himself and His plan of redemption through direct acts, such as prophecy, and supremely through the inspired Scriptures.
- Canon: From the Greek word for “rule” or “measuring stick,” the canon of Scripture refers to the list of books that the church recognizes as divinely inspired and therefore authoritative for faith and life. The Protestant canon consists of 66 books (39 in the Old Testament, 27 in the New Testament).
- Apocrypha: A collection of intertestamental Jewish writings. While valued by some for their historical and religious content, they are not considered canonical or inspired by Protestant traditions for lacking evidence of divine authorship and not being recognized by Jesus or the Apostles as Scripture.
- Self-Authenticating: A term used to describe the authority of Scripture. It means that the Bible’s authority is inherent to itself, derived directly from its divine authorship, and does not depend on any external validation, such as the approval of a church or council.
- Internal Witness of the Holy Spirit (Testimonium Spiritus Sancti Internum): The theological doctrine that the Holy Spirit works inwardly in the heart of a believer to provide a firm persuasion and assurance that the Bible is the authoritative Word of God. This witness confirms the objective truth of Scripture with subjective certainty.
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