We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired, and is a perfect treasure of heavenly instruction; that it has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of error for its matter; that it reveals the principles by which God will judge us; and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried.
Introduction: One of the first decisions confession writers must make concerns ordering doctrines. What comes first, and why? Older confessions of faith, like the Augsburg Confession (1530), the Belgic Confession (1561), and the Thirty-Nine Articles (1562), begin with articles on God, the Holy Trinity. It is easy to argue that God is preeminent and before all things, as this is the Christian faith’s first and most important article.
The New Hampshire Confession, however, follows Westminster and the Second London Baptist Confession by beginning with an article on Holy Scripture. A reasonable argument can be made to start here because it is only through God’s revelation in Holy Scripture that Christians have the truth about God, humanity, the person and work of Christ, salvation, etc. God’s Word in Scripture is the foundation for all that the church believes.
The article can be divided into four larger sections, each clarifying what needs to be believed about the Scriptures: Inspiration and instruction, divine authorship and aim, divine standard of perfection, sufficiency, and supremacy of the Bible.
I.) Inspiration and Instruction
We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired, and is a perfect treasure of heavenly instruction…
A proper understanding of the Bible must take account of the human nature of Scripture, “written by men,” and its divine origin, “divinely inspired.” Even a superficial reading of the Bible clarifies that it was written by various authors with different writing styles, vocabulary, theological emphases, etc.
Reading Genesis is a completely different experience than reading Isaiah, and reading Hebrews offers a distinctly different experience than reading the Gospel of John. The Bible is a book written by people, and whatever “divinely inspired” means does not eliminate its authors’ human characteristics and individual contributions. What, then, do we affirm with the phrase “divinely inspired?”
Two contemporary Baptist theologians, David Dockery and Malcolm Yarnell, helpfully define inspiration. “Through the superintending influence of God’s Holy Spirit upon the writers of Holy Scripture, the account and interpretation of God’s revelation has been recorded as God intended so that the Bible is truly the Word of God.”
A host of passages speak of the Old and New Testaments as having divine origin. As an example, we can consider how the New Testament quotes the Old Testament with introductory phrases such as “God said,” and the “Holy Spirit says” (Acts 4:24-25; 13:47; 2 Cor. 6:16). The two most important passages for understanding divine inspiration are 2 Timothy 3:14-16 and 2 Peter 1:19-21.
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Ti 3:14–17)
Paul teaches us that the Bible is God-breathed (theopneustos). The sacred writings that make up all Scripture are divinely inspired, so that what Scripture says God says.
19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Pe 1:19–21)
Here, we can see that the writing of Scripture is both human in nature and divine in origin, “… men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” Here we see the doctrine of concursus. Daniel Scheiderer defines it in this way, “Concurses means that God’s will and man’s will are both active in an event, but how they are is the point of mystery.”
Considering this, we should affirm verbal plenary inspiration. Verbal refers to words, and plenary means “fullness” or “entire.” In other words, we confess that every word of Scripture is divinely inspired by God. It is not the author alone who is inspired, but their writings. It is not merely thoughts or ideas but the very words that are inspired. What Scripture says, God says.
As the Word of God, the Bible is a perfect treasure of heavenly instruction. This is why those who meditate on it day and night become like trees planted by streams of water that bear fruit in every season (Psalm 1). It’s why we should store up the Word in our hearts, that we may not sin against God (Psalm 119:11).
II.) Divine Authorship and Aim
that it has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of error for its matter;
Although the Bible is a diverse book because it is made up of a variety of human authors, it’s a unified book because God is the divine author. The unity of the Bible has important implications for how the Bible should be read by the church. The unity of Scripture leads us to interpret Scripture with Scripture.
The Second London Confession explains this well.
The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself; and therefore when there is a question about the true and full sense of any Scripture (which are not many, but one), it must be searched by other places that speak more clearly. – Second London Baptist Confession 1:9.
The end of the Holy Scriptures is salvation for those who encounter the glory of God in Jesus Christ through the Scripture.
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (Jn 20:30–31)
from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:15)
Since Scripture is inspired by God, it is both inerrant and infallible. This is what our confession means by truth without any mixture of error for its matter. Scripture does not err because God does not err.
Scripture is inerrant: without error.
Scripture is infallible: incapable of error.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure (Ps 19:7–8)
The 17th Century Baptist pastor-theologian John Gill beautifully connects the perfection of God’s nature with the perfection of his works.
“Now since God is the author of them, who is a perfect Being, in whom there is no darkness at all; not of ignorance, error, or imperfection; they coming from him, must be free from everything of that kind; he is a rock, and his work is perfect; as his works of creation, providence, and redemption; so this work of the Scriptures.”
III.) Divine Standard of Perfection
that it reveals the principles by which God will judge us…
God’s revelation in his Word provides clarity as to what is morally right and what is morally wrong. Without knowledge of God and his righteousness, humanity would be left in the dark, but God has graciously revealed not only the standard by which we will be judged but that we have fallen short of that standard and that there is a way for us to be made right before him.
The law of God shows us our fallenness and sinful state, and the gospel announces the good news about Jesus Christ, by whose work reconciliation and forgiveness are possible through faith in him.
47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. (Jn 12:47–48)
For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Ro 3:22–26)
IV.) Sufficiency and Supremacy of the Bible
And therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried.
For unity to be possible, there must be a standard or center. Holy Scripture is the sufficient boundary that determines true Christian unity. Consider Ephesians 4:1-6, a key text about maintaining Christian unity.
walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Eph 4:1–6)
It is Scripture that teaches us about the one faith, one Lord, one baptism, and one God and Father in whom we are united. Without Scripture, we would not know the boundary markers for maintaining the “unity of the Spirit.”
Scripture is sufficient for Christian unity, and it is also our supreme authority. “Baptist Christians recognize the Old Testament and the New Testaments as the only inspired and authoritative texts.”
Creeds and confession are very helpful rules and guides for interpreting Scripture, but they are not equal to Scripture. Our confession joyfully submits itself to the authority of Scripture when it states that the Bible is the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried.
Of course, the very existence of the New Hampshire Confession protects us from misunderstanding this article. Our confession rightly pressures us to think that reading Scripture independent of any rule or guide, such as a creed or confession, is unwise. Consider the following quotes by some respected baptist theologians.
“The earliest Baptists, like their forbearers, recognized the need for ruled readings for the right interpretation of the inspired and authoritative Scriptures as a means of protecting right doctrine and catechizing the church.” – Steve McKinion & Brandon Smith
“In their historical amnesia, many Baptists have affirmed the substance of the great ecumenical creeds—the doctrines of the Trinity, the true divinity and humanity of Jesus, and so on—but have given little to no formal recognition to the role these creeds play in shaping their interpretation of Scripture and their public worship.” – Rhyne Putman
Application
- Scripture should be at the center of Corporate Worship
Preaching should be expositional, drawing out the meaning of the text and applying it to the church one book at a time. When preaching is done thematically or doctrinally, the congregants should immediately recognize the great dependence upon God’s Word in the sermon.
Scripture should be read publically with frequency and intention as part of the weekly worship gathering. This is how Paul instructs Timothy, 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching (1 Ti 4:12–13).
“As much as Baptists consider themselves to be people of the Book, the paucity of Scripture found in many Baptist services today is almost scandalous.”
- Scripture should be at the center of the Christian Life
Christian discipleship requires a growing understanding of Scripture in the prayerful pursuit of a deeper knowledge of God, a deeper love for the church, and greater obedience to God.
It is Scripture that is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work ( 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
the rules of the Lord are true,
and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb. (Ps 19:9–10)
Nathaniel R. Martin 