I. The Canon of Scripture II. The Authority of Scripture III. The Inerrancy of Scripture IV. The Clarity of Scripture V. The Necessity of Scripture VI. The Sufficiency of Scripture

The Doctrine of the Clarity of Scripture

 If even seminary professors disagree about some Bible teaching, can other Christians ever hope to come to a correct decision on that teaching?  Do you think ordinary people during Jesus’ time had trouble deciding whether to believe Jesus or the scholarly experts who disagreed with him?  Did Jesus expect them to be able to decide?

 The Roman Catholic Church at the time of the Reformation said they wanted to keep the Bible in Latin to prevent the common people from reading it and then misinterpreting it. How would you evaluate this argument?  Why do you think church leaders in previous centuries have persecuted and even killed men—like William Tyndale in England—who were translating the Bible into the language of the people?

A. What Do We Mean When We Say The Bible Is Clear? B. The Bible Frequently Affirms Its Own Clarity. C. The Moral and Spiritual Qualities Needed for Right Understanding. D. If the Bible Is So Clear, Why Are There So Many Misunderstandings? E. Is There Any Role for Bible Teachers and Scholars?

 The clarity of Scripture means that the Bible is written in such a way that its basic teachings are able to be understood by all who will read it seeking God’s help and being willing to follow it.  The Bible is for all people (not just for scholars or for “priests”.  It is meant to be understood.  However, there are certain qualifications for understanding it properly.

 Deut. 6: "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”

1. Ps. 119:105 - Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. 2. Ps. 19:7 - The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple Ps. 119:130 - The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.

4. “Not once do we hear Jesus saying anything like, ‘I see how your problem arose—the Scriptures are not very clear on that subject’” (“Have you not read...” Matt. 12:3, 5, 7)—even though his hearers were far removed from much of the happenings in the O. T. Scriptures” (Grudem).

5. Most of the New Testament epistles were written, not to the church leaders (or scholars), but to the entire congregation—to common believers.

6. Was the Bible easier for first century Christians than for us? a.Many of the first century Christians were Gentiles who had no previous background in any kind of Christian society; nor did they know about the history and culture of Israel. b.These Christians read a translation of the O. T., and yet they were expected to read the O. T. in their own language and understand it rightly (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

1. Scripture is veiled and will appear foolish to the unbeliever unless the Holy Spirit overcomes the effects of sin.  2 Cor. 3: But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.  1 Cor. 2:14 - The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

2. The Scriptures are unveiled to believers who come to them with a desire to obey  John 7:17 - If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.

1. First, realize there are so many things that born-again Christians all see. 2. We are all in process (Acts 15:7, “much debate”). 3. It may be that we are seeking to make affirmations where Scripture itself is silent.

4. It is possible that we have made mistakes in our interpretation of Scripture (bad exegesis). 5. Sin. We must come to God’s word with a desire to obey (John 7:17). 6. Lack of faith or hardness of heart (Luke 24:25). 7. Laziness. Some people are simply not willing to put in the time it takes to discover the truths of Scripture. They would rather just accept the views of others who claim to be knowledgeable (2 Tim. 2:15; Prov. 2:1-7).

8. Preconceived ideas. Often people bring their own biases to the Word rather than letting Scripture speak for itself (e. g., feminist bias, scientific bias, racial bias, etc.) (bad hermeneutics). 9. Incorrect assumptions about the nature of Scripture.

10. Legitimately difficult passages (2 Pet. 3:15-16; e. g., Gen. 6:4; 1 Cor. 15:29).  2 Pet. 3: 14 - Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation -- as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

 The context here is a context where Peter refers to Paul’s writings to make an understandable point.  The false teachers are morally culpable.  Peter says some things are hard to understand.  Peter says they are hard to understand, not impossible.

11. Divine Concealment  Prov. 25:2 - It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. Disagreement among scholars or denominations should never become an excuse for us to avoid serious study of the Scriptures. Who knows what the Holy Spirit may reveal to a diligent student who longs to obey His Word?

1. They may fulfill the Scriptural office of teacher (1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11). 2. They can defend the teachings of the Bible against the attacks of other scholars or those with specialized training. 3. They can supplement the study of Scripture for the benefit of the church.  Textual criticism  Translation  Commentaries  Bible dictionaries/other resources

1. The Scriptures are for you. 2. You have the Holy Spirit. 3. You have the community of God’s people. 4. You have the gifts of pastor and teacher at your disposal. 5. Therefore, be confident in your study of God’s Word (don’t be a doctrinal agnostic). 6. Yet, be humble in your study of God’s Word 1.You are a member of the body. 2.You are finite. 3.You still suffer from some of the effects of the Fall.