The Infallibility of Holy Scripture
Because Scripture is the word of God it is also perfect. To find error in Scripture is to find error in God. To receive Scripture as anything less than infallible is to deny the immutability and sovereignty of God.
John 10:35 clearly teaches the infallibility of Scripture. Jesus says there, “The Scripture cannot be broken.” He uses the singular, Scripture, to show that the Bible is the one Word of God, though it was given through many different men and in many different times. Because it is one, any attempt to tamper with Scripture is an attempt to destroy it. No one can take away parts of it or deny that they are forever true, without leaving only a ruin behind.
It is interesting, though, that Jesus does not just say that we may not break the Scripture, but that it cannot be broken. He means to say that all the efforts of men to find error in Scripture or to throw off its demands are in vain. They are, then, taking counsel against the Lord and against His anointed, and He who sits in heaven laughs at them (Ps. 2). They, not Scripture, are broken on the (unbreakable) word of God when they claim to find fault with the words or teaching of Scripture, for by such efforts they come under the judgment of God.
The context of John 10:35 is very important, too. Jesus is quoting from the Old Testament in support of His claim to be God. He refers to Psalm 82:6, which calls earthly rulers “gods.” He says that if they can be called gods, then surely He who is sanctified and sent of the Father into the world ought not be accused of blasphemy because He says, “I am the Son of God.”
Without going into the question of how earthly rulers can be called gods, we should notice that this is a remarkable statement. We would not dare to say it if it were not in Scripture, and, even then, we probably find it difficult to understand. Jesus assumes that the statement must be true and an infallible guide, simply because it is found in Scripture. In other words, just the way He quotes and uses Scripture is a great lesson for us on the theme, “the Scripture cannot be broken.”
It is significant, too, that Jesus refers to these words from Psalm 82 as “law.” He means that all Scripture, because it is the infallible word of God, is the divine rule for our whole life. There is nothing in Scripture that is not the will of God for us, nor any counsel we need which is not found in Scripture. History, poems, prophecies, letters—all are God’s law for us. This is perhaps the most important point of all. It is not enough simply to say that Scripture is infallible and inerrant. We must also bow before it, submit to its teaching at every point and receive it as willing and obedient servants of God—else our confession of inspiration and infallibility is mere hypocrisy.
Do you believe that Scripture is infallible? Then ask yourself this question, “Is Scripture the law of God for me in everything I believe and do?” Rev. Hanko
Unity in Christ (2)
“That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (John 17:21).
This prayer, spoken by our Lord on the eve of His death on the cross, has been appealed to by some as proof of an ecumenicity which seeks to bring under one ecclesiastical roof the entire church world not only, but even pagan religions.
In our last article we talked a bit about such ecumenicity. It is now time to take a look at this prayer of Jesus and learn from it and from the rest of Scripture what true unity is.
It is important to remember, first of all, that the church of Christ as the body of the elect is one. When we, along with the church of all ages, confess in the Apostles Creed: “I believe an holy catholic church,” we say that the object of our faith is a church which is one, holy and catholic (that is, universal).
This unity of the one church of Christ is a unity of Christ the Head of the church along with all the elect who are members in Christ. While this truth is taught in many places in Scripture, it is stated explicitly in I Corinthians 12, the truth of which chapter is summarized in verse 20: “But now are they many members, yet but one body.”
This unity of the one body of Christ includes all the elect: the saints in heaven, the saints on earth at any given time in the world’s history and the saints yet to be born.
Scripture also enjoins upon the church on earth the calling to seek the unity of the church. This is a solemn and urgent calling. It is driven home in all its force in Ephesians 4:1-6: “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
We are called to seek the unity of the church because it is Christ’s will that the saints strive, in every way they can, to express the unity they have in His body in an institutional unity—that is, in a unity of ecclesiastical structure.
The big question is: What is the character of that unity?
If the basic and fundamental unity of the church is in Christ her Head, then also the institutional unity of the church must be an expression of that essential unity which the saints have in Christ.
Christ is the fullness of the revelation of the truth of God. That truth of God revealed in Christ is recorded by infallible inspiration in the Holy Scriptures.
Unity, therefore, must be on the basis of the truth of God as it is revealed in Jesus Christ and as it is recorded for us in Holy Scripture.
If Christ is the Head of the church, He is also the mind and the will of the church. The church is one only when the mind of Christ is in the church: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus …” (Phil. 2:5). That mind of Christ is the truth of God revealed through Christ and in Scripture.
The church is one only when the will of Christ is in the saints. That will is revealed through Christ and in Scripture.
Thus the unity of the church is expressed only when God’s people come together on the basis of the truth of God’s word. Any other “unity” is no unity at all. True ecumenicity is union on the basis of Scripture.
For this Christ prays: “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us.”
If people leave the true church of Christ as it is manifested in the world, they violate the command of Christ to seek that unity.
If people remain in churches where the truth is no longer taught according to the Scriptures, they are disobedient to the command of Christ to seek the unity of the church.
The Belgic Confession underscores this truth: “… no person … ought to withdraw himself, to live in a separate state from it; but … all men are in duty bound to join and unite themselves with it; maintaining the unity of the church; submitting themselves to the doctrine and discipline thereof; bowing their necks under the yoke of Jesus Christ …” (Art. 28).
To refuse to join oneself to the church is to be disobedient to the command of Christ.
We urge all our readers who are a part of churches where the truth is no longer preached and maintained to join themselves with us in obedience to the command of Christ. Prof. Hanko
The Order of Salvation (2)
In the last issue of the News we began a brief study of the “order of salvation” (ordo salutis). This, in theology, refers to the logical order in which the different blessings of salvation are given to the believer through the work of the Holy Spirit in his heart. It is an attempt, therefore, to describe the work of God in us.
Obviously, there would be a great deal of difference between a Reformed and Calvinistic order of salvation and an Arminian order. But there are also many different orders given even by Reformed theologians. To show this, let us use the typical order: regeneration, calling, faith, justification, sanctification, preservation and glorification.
Certain Reformed theologians would add other blessings to the order given above, such as adoption, conversion, union with Christ, perseverance or peace. Some would leave out things that we have included—perhaps preservation. Others simply have a different order. For example, a few theologians would put calling before regeneration because they believe in mediate regeneration—that is, regeneration which takes place by the preaching of the word.
Some of these differences, therefore, do reflect real theological differences, but others do not. Other differences are simply differences of understanding or emphasis—e.g., some think of conversion as our first turning to God and list it before faith, while others think of conversion more in the sense of continued turning to God in repentance and put it after faith. So too, some things are left out in certain orders because they are included in other blessings. Most orders do not include adoption for this reason. It is a benefit of justification and is usually included in justification.
Since some of these different orders simply show a different emphasis, one should be careful not to reject a different order out of hand. Often, in fact, there is a great deal we can learn by studying these different orders. But when the differences are real theological differences, careful study is needed of all the different terms and how they are defined—something far beyond the scope of this article.
All of this is to say that there is not really only one correct order of salvation to the exclusion of all others. There are, however, several things that ought to mark every Reformed presentation of the order of salvation.
1) Regeneration must always precede faith. Otherwise the order implies that we are born again because we believe, which contradicts the biblical truth that salvation is entirely of grace.
2) Because justification is by faith alone, faith must precede justification.
3) No Reformed order should omit either justification or sanctification, since justification is always followed by new holiness of life (sanctification). The sequence matters: justification comes first, then sanctification. Sanctification concerns good works, and good works never come before justification. Justification is by faith, without works.
The most important thing, though, is that all the blessings of salvation are blessings of grace. They are “spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” and therefore they are all gifts. In preparing an order of salvation, nothing may contradict this basic truth. There is not any point in the order of salvation where God ceases to work and the work of salvation becomes ours. The order must describe how God sovereignly works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. All glory be to Him! Rev. Hanko
