A Series of Lessons in the 37 Articles of The Confession of Faith, a Reformed Creed usually called The Belgic Confession

Lesson 5—Articles 5 and 6

ARTICLE V

Whence the Holy Scriptures Derive Their Dignity and Authority

We receive all these books, and these only, as holy and canonical, for the regulation, foundation, and confirmation of our faith; believing without any doubt all things contained in them, not so much because the Church receives and approves them as such, but more especially because the Holy Spirit witnesses in our hearts that they arc from God, and because they carry the evidence thereof in themselves. For the very blind are able to perceive that the things foretold in them are being fulfilled.

       

         

ARTICLE VI

The Difference Between the Canonical and Apocryphal Books

We distinguish those sacred books from the apocryphal, viz.: the third and fourth books of Esdras, the books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Jesus Sirach, Baruch, the Appendix to the book of Esther, the Song of the Three Children in the Furnace, the History of Susannah, of Bell and the Dragon, the Prayer of Manasseh, and the two books of the Maccabees. All of which the Church may read and take instruction from, so far as they agree with the canonical books; but they are far from having such power and efficacy that we may from their testimony confirm any point of faith or of the Christian religion; much less may they be used to detract from the authority of the other, that is, the sacred books.

Scripture References:

II Peter 1:19 (The absolute reliability of Scripture.)

John 16:13, 14; I John 2:20, 27 (The believer has in his heart the testimony of the Holy Spirit.)

Ephesians 2:20 (The believer’s foundation is in the entire Word of God: “prophets”, i.e. Old Testament, and “apostles”, i.e. New Testament.)

John 7:16, 17 (Jesus’ doctrine is not self·originated but given from God himself.)

John 5:39 (The believer is called to search the Scriptures.)

Isaiah 42:9 (In the Bible God often reveals future events, indicating his divine foreknowledge and the Bible’s truthfulness.)

Questions:

1. What is meant by the “dignity” of the Bible?

The “dignity” of the Bible means that it is most valuable and wonderful, and therefore exalted far above all other books. The Psalmist was not guilty of over-statement when he declared: “The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.” (Psalm 119:72)

2. What position does the Bible enjoy among the books of the world?

Unrivaled and unique is the position of the Bible among the books of the world. Recognized perennially as the “best seller,” it has been translated into more languages than any other book, and more copies have been sold than of any other book. In every respect the Bible is “the book of books,” whether it be from the point of view of literary style or, above all, from the point of view of the loftiness and uniqueness of its teachings.

3. What is the position of the Bible among Protestant believers?

For Protestant believers the Bible is of unquestioned authority. We believe “without any doubt all things contained” in the Scriptures. The absolute authority for us is always God’s Word.

4. Why do we believe the Bible in its entirety to be God’s infallible Word?

Because of the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. The Holy Spirit witnesses that the Bible is God’s Word, and by his work in our hearts we who are blind by nature to the things of God are enabled to see the invisible realities of God’s revelation. This activity of the Holy Spirit is required because of our depravity as fallen creatures. Without this testimony of the Spirit no one would see that the Bible is God’s authoritative Word.

5. What is the error of the Roman Catholic Church with respect to the Bible?

The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the Bible is to be received because it is received and approved by the Church. This means that the Church, not the Bible, is the final authority for the believer. The Romanist church has, therefore, felt perfectly free to elevate tradition (the decisions of Councils, the sayings of the Popes etc.) to virtually equal value and authority with the Bible. The Belgic Confession repudiates this error in its fifth article when it declares that our acceptance of the Bible as God’s Word is not based primarily upon the fact that the “Church receives and approves” it.

6. Does this mean that The Belgic Confession considers the Church’s testimony of no value?

Assuredly not, as is evident from the words “not so much…” and “but more especially,” used here. The point is that the testimony of the Church is not self-originated but Spirit-derived. The testimony of the Spirit is first in importance. The testimony of the Church is derived from that testimony of the Spirit. This testimony of the Church is of great importance, for the result of the work of the Spirit is always that believers arc gathered into churches whose great work is the proclamation of the Gospel revealed in the entire Word of God.

7. If the fulfillment of Bible prophecy is so obvious “that the very blind are able to perceive,” why is the Bible rejected by so many?

Here again we must remember that sinful man is not neutral to· wards God but rebellious and hostile. Therefore, although he cannot but see the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, he refuses to ac· knowledge that the Scriptures are holy and canonical. As our Savior said: “If any man willeth to do his (i.e. God’s) will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from myself.” (John 7:17)

8. But aren’t there contradictions in the Bible?

We believe that actually there is no possibility of error nor of contradiction in the Bible. Please bear in mind that our basis for this belief is the Bible’s own testimony. What we think about the Bible may never be the result of our own experience and investigation, but must rather be the result of our listening to the Bible itself. Secondly, we must grant the existence of certain apparent contradictions. In fairness all will have to admit that most of them evaporate under careful study of the original or careful comparison of passage with passage. Also, not one of the much publicized contradictions seriously threatens a single article of our faith. Unsolved problems, of course, will remain with us until that day in which we shall know fully even as also we were fully known (I Cor. 13:12).

9. What are the “apocryphal books”?

These books cover largely the period between the Old and New Testaments. They are mentioned here because the Roman Catholic Church has declared many of the apocryphal books to be equal to the Bible, and because even certain Protestant groups have considered them to be of some spiritual value.

10. What must be our attitude toward the apocryphal books?

Insofar as they agree with the sixty-six canonical books of our Bible they may be used for instruction and edification. However, they are never to be considered as proof for the confirmation of any point of Christian doctrine. Also, our primary loyalty must always remain with the Bible, so that we allow nothing to lower our estimation of it.

Lesson 6—Article 7

ARTICLE VII

The Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures To Be the Only Rule of Faith

We believe that those Holy Scriptures fully contain the will of God, and that whatsoever man ought to believe unto salvation is sufficiently taught therein. For since the whole manner of worship which God requires of us is written in them at large, it is unlawful for anyone, though an apostle, to teach otherwise than we are now taught in the Holy Scriptures: nay, though it were an angel from heaven, as the apostle Paul says. For since it is forbidden to add unto or take away anything from the Word of God, it does thereby evidently appear that the doctrine thereof is most perfect and complete in all respects.

Neither may we consider any writings of men, however holy these men may have been, of equal value with those divine Scriptures, nor ought we to consider custom, or the great multitude, or antiquity, or succession of times and persons, or councils, decrees or statutes, as of equal value with the truth of God, since the truth is above all; for all men are of themselves liars. and more vain than vanity itself.

Therefore we reject with all our hearts whatsoever does not agree with this infallible rule which the apostles have taught us, saying, Prove the spirits, whether they are of God. Likewise: If anyone cometh unto you, and bringeth not this teaching, receive him not in to your house.

Scripture References:

II Timothy 3:15–17 (The Bible is a sufficient revelation unto salvation.)

Revelation 22:18, 19 (We are not to add unto or subtract anything from God’s Word.)

Isaiah 8:20 (Scripture is the standard of faith and practice.)

Luke 16:19–21 (Not even “one from the dead” could induce the sinner to believe if the Bible is rejected.)

Galatians 1:8, 9 (Anything contrary to the Bible is to be rejected, no matter who brings it.)

I Thessalonians 2:13 (We must receive Scripture as the Word of God.)

I John 4:1 (Believers are to examine carefully all teaching according to the standard of God’s Word.)

Questions:

1. What is meant by the “sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures?”

By the “sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures” is meant that nothing more than the Bible is necessary for man as a source of knowledge concerning the will of God. It is a sad fact that millions of people have been deluded into believing that something other or something more than the Bible is necessary to know God’s will. In this article we confess that the Bible alone is our infallible rule for faith and practice.

2. Why is the Bible our only rule of faith and practice?

Because it is the unique, infallible written word of God. There is no other book, custom, opinion, tradition, etc. which may be placed alongside of the Scriptures as a rule of faith and practice. Even our confessional standards, in. eluding the Belgic Confession, is a legitimate standard of faith and practice only because and only as far as it is faithful to the teachings of the Scriptures.

3. What is wrong with the expression: “let your conscience be your guide?”

First of all, the conscience itself cannot tell a person what to believe or what to do. The conscience functions against the back. ground of what he believes to be right. That is why certain heathen peoples feel morally justified in doing certain terrible deeds. The Bible must be recognized as our source of information concerning the Christian faith and life, then the conscience can rightly serve us with correct reactions to our thoughts and deeds. Secondly, the expression is used frequently to mean that a person has the right to exercise individual, unrestrained judgment. We then mean to say that we expect no interference with our decisions or thinking, for, after all, we are acting according to our conscience. We have no right, of course, to take such as independent attitude.

4. Can you name any religious groups that place some other book alongside the Bible as a rule of faith and practice?

Some of the more prominent instances of this error are these: the Christian Science group (Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with a Key to the Scriptures), the Mohammedans (The Koran) , the Mormons (The Book of Mormon), and the Jews (Talmud).

5. What is the inevitable result when some other standard alongside the Bible is recognized?

Inevitably the Bible takes second place, and becomes subject to the other standard. Among the Roman Catholics, for example, the Bible is interpreted in the light of tradition, rather than tradition interpreted in the light of the Bible. So also the Christian Science movement actually uses Mrs. Eddy’s book as their prime standard. Our fathers saw this tendency in operation among the Romanists of their day, and therefore condemned it vigorously in this article.

6. This seventh article refers to our manner of worship. What is the relationship of our worship to the Bible?

In this article the Bible is said to be the source-book and the standard for our worship. The historical reference here is, no doubt, to the Roman Catholics. In the Romanist system all religious exercise is carefully prescribed by the Church according to its unquestioned authority. We all know that this is done by the Roman Catholic church in a dictatorial fashion, so that the individual believer has no voice whatsoever with respect to the rightfulness and the propriety of these practices. O ver against all religious dictatorship aside from the Bible this article takes its stand. It affirms that all our religious activities must be patterned after the revelation regulating such matters as found in the Bible.

7. Does this mean that no institution or individual may tell us how we must worship God?

Nothing may replace the Bible for us as the instructor for our manner of worship. This principle must be reaffirmed today, for in many parts of the world political dictators are insisting that the church worship according to their direction. Let us not forget that “it can happen here!”

8. Why must we consider anything less or anything else than the Bible as always inferior to the Bible?

The Confession is at this point very realistic. It simply declares in biblical language that “all men are of themselves liars, and more vain than vanity itself.” We must never lose sight of this fact. Men, apart from God’s gracious illumination, are of themselves liars, and can never be trusted to speak the truth about God. This being the case, no man nor group of men, no human custom or tradition. in fact, nothing is to be regarded as superior or equal to the Bible.

9. What is the task of the believer with respect to all doctrines with which he comes into contact?

The believer must always use the standard of God’s Word to test everything. No matter how attractive a thing may seem he is never to accept it without assurance that it agrees with the Scriptures. The requirement holds for everyone and everything. The Confession goes so fa r as to include that which might seem to come from the angels. Nothing may be accepted on “face value.” We must not only believe that the Bible is the only standard for faith and practice, hut we must also use it.

10. Isn’t this impossible for the average church-member to do?

This is difficult, but not impossible. We must not forget that the Spirit of Christ in the New Testament is at work in the heart of every believer to illumine and to guide into all truth. Rather than despair because of the enormity of this task we ought first of all to place our trust in God and in His Spirit. Without His assistance it would he impossible. With the Spirit’s help and guidance we can be sure that our sincere efforts to know the will of God through knowledge of the Scriptures will be successful.

11. If the Bible can be known and applied by all believers, why is there so much difference of opinion as to its teaching?

Although the fact of disagreement cannot he denied, we must not lose sight of the equivalent fact that there is a large agreement existing among believers on such basic doctrines as the Trinity, the Incarnation of Christ, the Deity of Christ, etc. The existing disagreement is due to our sin and the imperfection which characterizes us in this present world. This disagreement is always a source of displeasure for the earnest Christian. Consequently he applies himself with all vigor to the prayerful study of the Scriptures that he may give a clear testimony to the truth.

12. If the Bible can he known and applied by all believers why do we need preachers and professors of theology to explain it to us?

This kind of question will re-appear when we get to the doctrine of the Church. Suffice it to say now that the work of the minister and the professor of theology is official in character. They speak the Word as commanded by Christ, the Head of the Church. However, in this connection we must remember at least two things: first the Scriptures as we have them represent a long history, not only, but also a wide variety of content. By special preparation these ordained men are qualified to expound the Scriptures, bringing up out of the mine of its truth rich treasureS of faith. Second. that even this work is always subject to the Bible as the only standard of faith and practice. The pew is never at the mercy of the pulpit, but must always examine the preaching and the teaching to make sure that it is in agreement with the Scriptures.

13. What part of the edifice of revealed truth is articles 1 through 7 of our Belgic Confession.

The basis or the foundation upon which all else is built.