The Doctrine of the Word of God (3)

I. Explanation and Scriptural Basis

A. The Clarity of Scripture

1. The Bible frequently affirms its own clarity

• Psalm 19:7
• Psalm 119:130
• Deuteronomy 6:6-7

2. The moral and spiritual qualities needed for right understanding

• Scripture is able to be understood by all unbelievers who will read it sincerely seeking salvation, and by believers who will read it while seeking God's help in understanding it.

3. Definition of the clarity of Scripture

• The Bible is written in such a way that its teachings are able to be understood by all who will read it seeking God's help and being willing to follow it.
• We must also recognize that many people, even God's people, do in fact misunderstand Scripture.

4. Why do people misunderstand Scripture?

• The existence of many disagreements about the meaning of Scripture throughout history reminds us that the doctrine of the clarity of Scripture does not imply or suggest that all believers will agree on all the teachings of Scripture.
  
• That tells us that the problem always lies not with SCripture but with ourselves.

5. Practical encouragement from this doctrine

• It tells us that where there are areas of doctrinal or ethical disagreement, there are only two possible causes for these disagreements:
• On the one hand, it may be that we are seeking to make affirmations where Scripture itself is silent.
• On the other hand, it is possible that we have made mistakes in our interpretation of Scripture.

6. The role of scholars

• They can teach Scripture clearly, communicating its content to others.
• They can explore new areas of understanding the teachings of Scripture.
• They can defend the teachings of the Bible against attacks by other scholars or those with specialized technical training.
• They can supplement the study of Scripture for the benefit of the church.