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OK, so we're back to chapter 
1 in the study of the Second London Confession of Faith. Last 
time, if you were here, you'll recall that Pastor Butler did 
an introduction to the confession. introducing the Statement of 
Faith, as well as discussing some of the historical backdrop. 
You'll remember the outline as well. Maybe you have it still, 
maybe you don't. A helpful outline laying out 
the structure to the Confession. It was not framed haphazardly, 
but rather there was much thought put into it. Now, much of the 
work was done, of course, in the Westminster Confession of 
Faith and the Savoy Declaration, but that doesn't mean that the 
Baptists had nothing to do. So there is no doubt structure 
to it. And we see now the beginning 
of the confession of faith, of course, in chapter one of the 
Holy Scriptures. We're not going to read the whole, 
we're not going to read actually any of the chapter at the beginning, 
but rather as we move through, we'll have occasion to read through 
the confession. As we work through, believe it 
or not, 20 things that the chapter brings out with regards to the 
doctrine of the Scriptures. Because it is such an important 
doctrine, the chapter is large and there is much that the framers 
of the Confession speak to concerning the doctrine of the Holy Scriptures. So just by way of introduction 
here before we get to hopefully working through all of these 
20 aspects that the Confession brings out, first off a reminder 
that These first six chapters in Dr. Renehan's outline are 
tagged as first principles. The first principles, and the 
first one that we have, of course, is the doctrine of the Holy Scriptures, 
or to use the Latin and probably not pronounce it right, you may 
recall from the last time, principium cognoscendi, or other words, 
or in other words, principle of knowing. What is the principle 
of knowing? Well, it is the holy scriptures. And Muller puts it this way, 
the principium cognoscendi, or the principle of knowing or cognitive 
foundation, is a term applied to scripture as the noetic or 
epistemological, that means the doctrine of knowledge or the 
study of knowledge, principle theology, without which there 
could be no true knowledge of God and therefore no theological 
system. The placing of the Holy Scriptures 
first in the Confession is for a particular reason. The placing 
of the Holy Scriptures here comes, of course, in chapter 1, and 
it comes before the doctrine of God. In the first LCF, the 
first London Confession of Faith, the doctrine of God came first. 
But the Baptists here, following their Presbyterian and Congregational 
brethren before them, agree with the positioning of the Holy Scriptures 
before God because it is only in the Scriptures that we can 
know God. It is only by God's revelation, 
His self-revelation in the Holy Scriptures that we can know Him 
savingly and know Him as we ought to know Him. And so the placing 
of the Holy Scriptures is of vital importance Raymond states, 
the framers of the confession were acutely aware that the primary 
issue in religion is an epistemological one, that of authority. If the 
chapter on theology proper of God and the Holy Trinity were 
to come first, the question may be asked, but how do you know 
these things? And that's why we have chapter 
one of the Holy Scriptures First, B.B. Warfield states, it is in 
accordance with the fundamental idea and the ordinary practice 
of the Reformed theology that the confession begins its exposition 
of doctrine with the doctrine of Holy Scripture as the root 
out of which all doctrine grows, just because the scriptures are 
the fountain from which all knowledge of God's saving purpose and plan 
flows. And then finally, Benjamin Keech 
on this, Same idea, the truth and authority of God's Word is 
the very foundation of all our hope and religion. So hopefully 
we can see why they chose to put the Holy Scriptures first 
here. in the confession. And then lastly, 
before we get into these things, the theological climate of the 
day, as we work through this, hopefully we'll have occasion 
to revisit some of these things, but there were three primarily, 
or primarily three errors that were pervading or affecting Christianity 
at this particular time. and the language in the confession 
is again generally and specifically disclosing what the Bible states 
with respect to itself, but it's also targeted to combat error 
and heresy on the part or against those who would seek to have 
a different approach to revelation and religion. The three-fold 
threat was Roman Catholicism Anabaptist mysticism and the 
deists. At a time, Robert Martin says, 
when conflict with Rome over the authority to bind men's consciences 
was far from over in England, when Anabaptist errors concerning 
continuing revelation were making inroads, and when erroneous ideas 
of the revelation of natural and when erroneous ideas of the 
relation of natural and supernatural revelation were being promoted, 
our spiritual forefathers wanted to state up front the formal 
principle of the Protestant Reformation, sola scriptura, the doctrine 
that the Holy Scriptures alone are normative for ordering the 
faith and conduct of God's people. So with that quote in mind, we 
move to the first point that we have here in the Confession 
of Faith. The first aspect with regards 
to the Holy Scriptures, the Scriptures exclusive sufficiency. This is 
point one this morning or concept one that we find in this particular 
chapter, the Scriptures exclusive Sufficiency. Notice the very 
first statement of chapter 1, paragraph 1. The Holy Scripture 
is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving 
knowledge, faith, and obedience. Now, there were not a whole lot 
of changes made to this particular chapter by the Baptists in comparison 
to the Westminster and the Savoy. Remember, as we go through these, 
we occasionally make note of the things that were added, or 
the things that were removed, or the things that were changed, 
that sort of thing. But there was one significant 
addition to Chapter 1 of the Holy Scriptures that the Baptists 
made, and it is the statement that we just read. The Presbyterians 
and the Congregationalists begin their confession and their chapter 
with the word, although. and then the phrase, the light 
of nature, etc. So the Baptists added, and I 
believe very importantly so, not that the other documents 
are absent of this idea, because later paragraphs include it, 
but it's a great introduction to the Confession and to the 
chapter. The Holy Scripture is the only 
sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, 
faith, and obedience. And when we say then, the Scripture's 
exclusive sufficiency, we see exclusive coming in the word 
only. It doesn't say the Holy Scripture 
is sufficient, though that really might have even been enough because 
we have that exclusive language to sufficiency brought out in 
2 Timothy 3, 15 and 16, but to to force the issue and to make 
sure there's no room for misunderstanding, they say it is the only sufficient, 
and add the language certain, an infallible rule of all saving 
knowledge, faith, and obedience, and all of those words are very 
important. There is no other rule of saving knowledge, faith, 
and obedience. The Holy Scripture is the only 
rule. And it is not absent, or it is 
not lacking in its sufficiency, but rather is wholly sufficient 
to disclose all things necessary for saving knowledge, faith, 
and obedience. And it is a certain and an infallible 
rule. There is certainty, there is 
assurance to our Scriptures, and it does not fail, it does 
not err. want to, I guess, pronounce it 
properly. But infallibility here is brought out. And it's important 
to note here that the Confession is not denying inerrancy. The word inerrant isn't in here. 
Very often we use three I's to describe the Bible. It's inspired, 
it's infallible, and it's inerrant. Well, the language of infallible 
here in the Confession and in the two prior to the LCF no doubt 
contain inerrancy wrapped up in the term infallibility, because 
if something doesn't fail, it, of course, is absent of error. 
All of that to say, then, the Scripture's exclusive sufficiency 
is highlighted right at the outset of the Confession, and if we 
were to go anywhere in our Bibles to read, we would go to 2 Timothy 
3, 15 and 16. In fact, go there before we move 
on to point two, to get that into our minds. No doubt a text 
that you've heard hopefully many, many, many times because of its 
importance to the doctrine of the Holy Scriptures. And here 
Paul is writing to Timothy, of course, and he says something 
that is very important and vital to our knowledge of the 
Old Testament as well as our grasp of the Old Testament and 
the New Testament, their inspiration, their infallibility, their inerrancy. Notice in 2 Timothy 3 beginning 
at verse 14, but you must continue in the things which you have 
learned and been assured of knowing that knowing from whom you have 
learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, 
which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, 
which is in Christ Jesus." Notice there, the Holy Scriptures, Paul 
referring at this point to the Old Testament, but no doubt with 
the knowledge that there were other scriptures that were in 
the process of inscripturation, etc. But nevertheless, Timothy 
could know from the Old Testament that all that he needed to know, 
they were sufficient at that point to make him wise for salvation 
through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Jesus would say in that 
Luke 24 post-resurrection Bible study that all the scriptures 
spoke concerning me, the law, the prophets, and the Psalms. 
Then we read here, with regards to the only sufficient, certain, 
and infallible rule, we read in verse 16, all Scripture is 
given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for 
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 
that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every 
good work. The Scriptures are the only sufficient, 
certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge. This 
speaks to the Scriptures' exclusive sufficiency. Notice creation's revelatory 
limits. Creation's revelatory limits, 
beginning with the word although in paragraph one. Although the 
light of nature and the works of creation and providence do 
so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God as to 
leave men inexcusable, yet are they not sufficient to give that 
knowledge of God and His will which is necessary unto salvation. So here we see creation's revelatory 
limits. We do have general revelation. 
We do have a natural revelation, but they are not sufficient. 
They are not a certain and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, 
faith and obedience. Yes, the magnitude and the number 
of the stars in the heavenly host The galaxies out there in our 
universe, all of those things, the heavens declare the glory 
of God, the firmament shows his righteousness. Day after day 
utter speech, night after night reveals knowledge, but they do 
not serve as this epistemological fount of all saving knowledge, 
faith, and obedience. They testify that there is most 
certainly a king in high heaven. who hangs out those stars as 
his coat of arms bearing shield to show the atheist how he despises 
their denunciations of him. But that creation, that universe, 
those galaxies spinning in their orbits, don't disclose saving 
knowledge, faith, and obedience. Psalm 19, of course, they just 
quoted, speaks concerning that. Any place in the New Testament 
What is the New Testament Psalm 19, sort of, with regards to 
the inadequacy of general revelation to convert a soul and disclose 
saving knowledge? Yeah. That's right. Romans 1, beginning 
at verse 18 and then following, we see the... And it uses this 
language that the confession uses at the beginning of chapter 
2, as to leave men inexcusable. And so Romans 1 is a good place 
to go to see the universality of sin, that creation discloses 
things, but man in his rebellion against God and in the hardness 
of his heart suppresses that in unrighteousness and God then 
must reveal. God must disclose and reveal 
His will unto men. So, creation's revelatory limits. Thirdly, we notice from the confession 
here, again in paragraph one, special revelations gracious 
character. Special revelations gracious 
character. Notice the therefore in the middle 
of the paragraph. Therefore it pleased the Lord 
at sundry times and in diverse manners to reveal himself and 
to declare that his will unto his church. and afterward, for 
the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more 
sure establishment and comfort of the church against the corruption 
of the flesh, and the malice of Satan, and of the world, to 
commit the same wholly unto writing." So, therefore follows this statement 
with regards to creation's revelatory limits, and it discloses something 
of revelation's gracious character, because God, under no obligation 
to reveal himself, nevertheless, has revealed himself. He has, 
at sundry times and in diverse manners, revealed himself and 
to declare his will unto his church. And afterwards, he has 
disclosed those selfsame truths and that selfsame knowledge in 
the Holy Scriptures. He did, God did, commit the same 
holy unto writing. We see God's condescension. And 
we see something of that alluded to, or maybe not alluded to, 
but really explicitly stated in the book of Romans. When Paul 
is grieving with regards to his countrymen, 
those who are Israelites according to the flesh, we see the fact 
that he appeals to Revelation's gracious character. as something of a part of the 
foundation of his grieving. I tell you the truth, he says 
in Romans 9. In Christ I am not lying, my conscience also bearing 
me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and 
continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself 
were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according 
to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, 
the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service 
of God, and the promises of whom are the fathers, and from whom, 
according to the flesh, Christ came, who is overall the eternally 
blessed God. Amen. To reject in the nation 
of Israel at the time of the Messiah and following, in the 
ministry of the apostles, to reject this truth is to reject 
a truth in the face of such gracious, condescending revelation. God, 
again, under no obligation, to reveal, nevertheless condescended 
in revealing himself and declaring his will to the church. So we 
have the scripture's exclusive sufficiency, creation's revelatory 
limits, special revelations, gracious character. Lastly, in 
paragraph one, we have revelatory words cessation. That simply 
means, a lot of these words, I'll hopefully stop to define 
them. Sometimes when you're trying 
to just have a four-word summary of an aspect of the chapter. 
You try and encapsulate them in one or two words. But anyway, 
revelatory word cessation, that simply means that revelatory 
word, God's revealing of himself, ceased. Now, he still reveals 
himself by virtue of his Holy Spirit, illuminating the Christian 
mind to apprehend, comprehend, affirm the Holy Scriptures and 
saving faith. But as far as that special revelation, 
the revelatory word, revelatory gifts, these things have ceased. Notice the last statement of 
paragraph 1, which maketh the Holy Scriptures to be most necessary, 
those former ways of God's revealing His will unto His people being 
now ceased. Cessation. Those former ways 
of God revealing himself have ceased because he has committed 
that the same knowledge communicated by way of that previous revelation 
in writing. So those former ways of God's 
revealing his will unto his people have now ceased. In the Scriptures, 
where might we go to see this? Well, we might go to a place 
such as Daniel 9.24. In Daniel 9.24, there is a prophecy 
concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. And in that prophecy, we read 
that with the coming of Christ, there will be certain things 
that are accomplished. And there are a list of things, 
the putting away of sins, transgressions, the bringing in of everlasting 
righteousness. Notice what the text says in 
its entirety, 924. Seventy weeks are determined 
for your people and for your holy city to finish the transgression, 
to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, 
to bring in everlasting righteousness. Now notice, to seal up vision 
and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy. And this is punctuated, 
if you're to ask me when this most likely ceased, 25 through 
27 culminates in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, at which 
time all of the books of the New Testament canon were completed 
and revelation had now ceased because God had wholly committed 
His revelation unto writing. And so at the coming of Christ, 
punctuated by, well, including his death, resurrection, and 
ascension, and punctuated by that juridical coming in AD 70, 
revelation has ceased. And now we have a canon wherein 
God has revealed his will to man. So we have revelations, 
revelatory words, cessation. In the New Testament, I believe 
one of the most clear texts, unfortunately it's not seen as 
one of the more clear texts, but 1 Corinthians 13, 8 to 13. We won't spend time on that, 
perhaps another occasion will afford us time to spend in the 
exegesis of that particular passage, but in 1 Corinthians 13, 8-13, 
we find there that there is a piecemeal aspect to the revelatory gifts 
that were present at the time of the Apostle Paul. And to highlight 
the primacy of love in the church and the perpetuity of love, the 
fact that love would continue He brings about the argument 
that they weren't to seek after these gifts because they will 
soon cease. When the fullness of revelation 
comes, when we are made a perfect man, a complete man, by virtue 
of the completion of God's committing His revelation unto writing, 
there will no longer be a need for this piecemeal revelation, 
knowledge tongues and prophecy. And so that is a very important 
text and if you'd like more information after following this Lord's Day 
just let me know and I can email you some information. Also Hebrews 
1, 1 and 2 speak with regards to this. God who in former times 
spoke to the fathers by the prophets has in these last days spoken 
to us by his Son. Athanasius in the early church, 
speaking actually about Daniel 9 and Hebrews 1 and 2, says, 
when Jesus came, the substance had come, what further need was 
there of the shadow? When essential righteousness 
was brought in, what further need was there of profit in Israel? 
The early church had a doctrine of cessationism And we ought 
to, two thousand years of learning later, uphold that biblical principle. On to paragraph two then, where 
we first find, in point number five, scripture's constituent 
books. Scripture's constituent books. 
Notice, under the name of the Holy Scripture, or the Word of 
God written, are now contained all the books of the Old and 
New Testaments, which are these. And then, of course, follow the 
66 books of the Old and New Testament, 39 in the Old, 27 in the New. scriptures, constituent books. Now, I believe Pastor Butler 
will be doing something on the canon at some point, either next 
Lord's Day or the following Lord's Day and a very important topic. 
How do we know? How do we did we come to our 
canon? How did we arrive at sixty six 
books? Or rather, how is it that the 
holy scriptures themselves testify to the fact of the canon. What is it with regards to redemptive 
history and its relation to revelation and the history of the church? 
How do we know that we have these 66 books as the rule of all saving 
knowledge, faith, and obedience? The confession here highlights 
or lists the books that are the canon, the rule of all saving 
knowledge, faith, and obedience. So the canons are the scriptures' 
constituent books. Sixthly, the canon's constituent 
parity. Notice what the end of chapter 
two says. All of which are given by the 
inspiration of God to be the rule of faith and life. So when 
we say the canon's constituent parity, that simply means that 
every book the constituent books of the canon are all equally 
inspired. There are none that are more 
inspired than the next. The genealogies in 1 Chronicles 
are just as inspired as John 3.16. And so we have a constituent 
parody, the fact that all, as the Confession says, all the 
books of the Holy Scripture are given by the inspiration of God 
to be the rule of faith and of life. Where might we see this 
in our Bibles? Well, Pastor Butler preached 
a little bit on this not too long ago from 1 Timothy 5, where 
we see something with regards to the scriptures' constituent 
parody, the canons constituent parody in 1st Timothy 5, at verse 
17, let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, 
especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. For the 
scripture says, you shall not muzzle an ox while it treads 
out the grain. And the laborer is worthy of 
his wages, bringing together an Old Testament and New Testament 
revelation and saying that these are the scriptures. And so we 
have a parody spoken of there. We also see it in 2 Peter 3, 
and you don't have to turn there, but in 2 Peter 3, Peter talks 
about Paul's writings, and he calls them scripture. He says, 
just as in the other scriptures, speaking 
concerning Paul's revelation of Jesus Christ, writing concerning 
Jesus our Lord. And so we have The Canon's constituent 
parody. All of the books of the Bible 
are inspired by God and given as a rule of faith. We will maybe have time for questions 
at the end because we're recording here. It's sometimes not conducive 
to questions while we're going through. But at the end, you 
can certainly ask me any questions that you would like. The Canon's 
false claimants, then, we see in paragraph three. The Canon's 
false claimants. Observation number seven. Notice 
what paragraph three says. The books commonly called apocrypha, 
not being of divine inspiration, are no part of the canon or rule 
of the scripture and therefore are of no authority to the church 
of God, nor to be any otherwise approved or made use of than 
other human writings. So the framers of the Confession 
want to make sure that they exclude those Roman Catholic books, the 
seven additional books that the Roman Catholics add to their 
Old Testament canon. They add seven books. And they 
didn't officially, by an infallible declaration, uphold their canon 
until the Council of Trent in the middle of the 16th century. 
They would like to argue that the church has always observed 
the apocryphal or the pseudepigraphical books, but the church has not 
always observed those apocryphal books. We had a canon in the 
early church at the outset of the first couple centuries. There were observed books, and 
they did not include the apocrypha. Now, maybe when Pastor Butler 
gets to the canon, he can discuss that in a little more detail, 
but nevertheless the Apocrypha is not of divine inspiration 
and so they are not a part of the rule of scripture and are 
to be given only consideration as other human writings are given. The scripture then, number eight, 
moving on to paragraph four, we see the scriptures authoritative 
source, the scriptures authoritative source. Notice what we read here. 
The authority of the Holy Scripture for which it ought to be believed 
dependeth not upon the testimony of any man or church, but wholly 
upon God, who is truth itself, the author thereof. Now this 
is targeted, no doubt, against the Roman Catholic Church. where 
they would say, if they had a revision of this paragraph, or if they 
were to retool it to appeal to their own theology, they would 
say something like, the authority of the Holy Scripture, for which 
it ought to be believed, dependeth upon the pope and the magisterium 
of the church, and the declarations of the councils in church history. But you see, that puts then the 
holy scriptures under the determinations of sinful infallible man. If the scripture is to be recognized, 
if the scripture is to be authentic and authoritative, it is God 
who will testify to that reality. And as we'll see later in the 
confession, by the scriptures themselves, the scriptures are 
their own interpreter. And so the authority isn't the 
pope, it isn't the magisterium of the church, but rather the 
authority of the Holy Scripture depends upon God who is truth 
itself, the author thereof. The historical claims of the 
Roman Catholic Church or one of their claims that they often 
will throw in the faces of the Protestant church is that, we 
gave you your Bible, show us some respect. And in fact, that's 
probably a quote from a couple Roman Catholic apologists that 
have debated James White. There is this almost, just almost this bragging approach 
to the fact that the church authoritatively declared the Holy Scriptures 
as if it was, and James White has pictured it this way, that 
the early church sat around with a bunch of books and an authoritative 
council chose the ones that it deemed were worthy of calling 
inspired and included in the canon and left others that some 
believe may have been actually inspired by God out of the canon. 
Which is absolute madness. The authority of the Holy Scripture 
depends wholly upon God who is the author. as if God the author 
would submit the authority of the validation of the canonical 
books to a fallible and earthly body of persons rather it is 
he himself the author thereof that discloses in the holy scriptures 
and by the holy scriptures those that are to be the rule of faith 
and obedience so the scriptures authoritative And if we were 
to go to a place in Scripture to read concerning this, we could 
go to 2 Peter. In 2 Peter, where we see something 
of the authoritative and supernatural reality behind the books of the 
Holy Scriptures, we read in 2 Peter and in chapter 1. In 2 Peter 
chapter 1, maybe beginning at verse 19, and so we have the 
prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light 
that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning 
star rises in your hearts, knowing this first, that no prophecy 
of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy 
never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as 
they were moved by the Holy Spirit." So there we see the the authoritative 
reality and the supernatural reality behind the Holy Scriptures, 
but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. We have also in paragraph 4 the 
Scriptures obligatory and confident reception. Notice at the end 
of paragraph 4, therefore it is to be received because it 
is the Word of God. So we have an obligatory reception 
here. It is to be received. We are, 
man is, to take heed unto the Holy Scriptures because God is 
the author thereof and the authority of the Holy Scriptures depends 
upon him. God has revealed himself authoritatively 
and infallibly in the Holy Scriptures. and man is to receive it because 
it is the Word of God, which gives us a confident reception. We receive the Holy Scriptures 
not because the Catholic Church has told us that that is, therein 
is the canon that they have approved, but rather we receive it because 
it is the Word of God. God is the author and the authority 
of these scriptures depends upon Him. and so we are the scriptures 
have that obligatory and confident reception Hebrews 1 1 to 2 Hebrews 
2 1 to 4 as well on this on this idea of the scriptures obligatory 
and confident reception in the book of Hebrews Of course, we've 
already quoted verses 1 and 2. God spoke to the fathers by the 
prophets, has now spoken in these last days to us by His Son. But there is this obligatory 
reception if a man is to be saved and we are to take heed. Notice 
in verse 1 of chapter 2, Therefore we must give the more earnest 
heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the 
word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression 
and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if 
we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be 
spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard him." 
There is an obligatory reception. We are to take heed, we are to 
hear, we are to listen, because, and the argument is, that in 
the Old Testament, if the word spoken through angels proved 
steadfast, and that word spoken, if rejected, those who rejected 
it were judged by God, how much more The text says, shall we 
escape if we neglect so great a salvation? Christ having now 
spoken in these last days, the one to whom the old covenant 
scriptures pointed, has come himself and has revealed himself 
personally in time and in history. And we are to take heed lest 
we fall away and lest we come under the judgment of the triune 
God. So the scripture is obligatory 
and confident reception. We are to heed it, and we can 
be confident in receiving it and taking heed because it is 
the Word of God. God Himself is the author. Next then, and this is point 
number 10, the Scripture's self-attesting attributes. The Scripture's self-attesting 
attributes. And what we mean by that is, 
well, what we'll read in paragraph 5. So let's read it. We may be 
moved and induced by the testimony of the Church of God to an high 
and reverent esteem of the Holy Scriptures. and the heavenliness 
of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, and the majesty 
of the style, the consent of all the parts, the scope of the 
whole, which is to give all glory to God, the full discovery it 
makes of the only way of man's salvation, and many other incomparable 
excellencies and entire perfections thereof, are arguments whereby 
it doth abundantly evidence itself to be the Word of God. So you 
see what the confession is saying. The Scriptures themselves testify 
to their own divine inspiration, to their own authority, to their 
own veracity and truthfulness. The Scriptures are self-attesting. We do not go outside of the scriptures 
to prove the validity of the scriptures, but rather the scriptures 
have these qualities listed after the semicolon that follows of 
the holy scriptures and that ends with an entire perfections 
thereof. And all of these things are arguments 
whereby the scriptures abundantly evidence themselves to be the 
word of the living and true God. So we don't seek the so-called 
wisdom of popes and councils and the magisterium of the church. 
We need not visit the Vatican to arrive at arguments whereby 
we can abundantly receive the Word of God and receive it as 
the Word of God, but rather we see in the scriptures these attributes. The scriptures have These things, 
the heaviness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, 
the majesty of the style, is that something we've ever appreciated? 
The Bible as literature, we don't reduce it to simply literature, 
but we must recognize that the Bible is literature. And in that, 
there are so many genres and so many styles that testify to 
the majesty of the scriptures as literature. But God breathed 
in the only certain and infallible rule of saving faith and obedience. There is a majesty to the style, 
the consent of all the parts. We don't have a Bible that's 
been haphazardly slapped together where certain books may disagree 
with other books. We have, rather, the consent 
of all the parts. From Genesis to Revelation, the 
canonical books have a harmony and a consent. So all of those 
things testify to the scriptures authenticity, veracity, truthfulness, 
and inspiration. The scriptures self-attesting 
attributes. Also, in paragraph five, we have 
though beliefs necessary precondition. Beliefs necessary precondition 
notice that notice after it says that all of these things we have 
that the testimony of the church of God Can bring us to a high 
and reverent esteem of the holy scriptures and all of these things 
listed here do abundantly evidence That the scriptures are the word 
of God yet the confession goes on notwithstanding our full persuasion 
and assurance of the infallible truth and divine authority thereof 
is is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness 
by and with the Word in our hearts. We have beliefs necessary precondition. All of these attributes are true. They are sure with respect to 
the Holy Scriptures. The Church of Christ, when preaching 
rightly and when teaching rightly, can bring an unregenerate soul 
to a high and reverent esteem of the Holy Scriptures. There 
are some in the history of the church in their unregeneracy 
that no doubt recognize there is something to these scriptures. There were men throughout history, 
and there still are those constrained by God's grace to not be as wicked 
as they might by virtue of being within the context of a church, 
though in a state of unbelief. But nevertheless, there is this 
truth that our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible 
truth Divine authority thereof is from the inward work of the 
Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the word in our hearts 
So we see their beliefs necessary precondition. Where would we 
go in our Bibles? You don't need to turn to these 
places, but you no doubt would recognize them John 3 You must 
be born again before you can see the kingdom of God, before 
you can understand the things of the Spirit, before you can 
understand the words that I'm speaking. Jesus may paraphrase, 
you must be born again. You must be born from above. 
You must be the recipient of divine and amazing grace. James 1.18, of his own will, 
he brought us forth by the word of truth, 1 Peter 1.23. We have been born again, not 
of corruptible seed, but incorruptible through the word of God, which 
lives and abides forever. Beliefs necessary precondition. The scriptures, twelfthly then, 
we see now in paragraph six, the scriptures extensive twofold 
excellence. Notice what we see here. The 
scriptures extensive twofold excellence. Paragraph six, the 
whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for His 
own glory, man's salvation, faith and life, is either expressly 
set down or necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture. So we 
see the breadth of the coverage. We see, as point 12 states, the 
scripture's extensive two-fold excellence. The two-fold excellence 
is seen first in the explicit truth. The language is said here, 
stated as this, expressly set down. So the scriptures twofold 
excellence is first seen in those things that are expressly set 
down. And this is distinguished from 
or differentiated from what follows or necessarily contained, which 
is the second element of the twofold excellence of Scripture's 
breadth of coverage. So we have things, truths, expressly 
set down, and we have truths, doctrine, that are necessarily 
contained in the Holy Scriptures. The language of the previous 
confessions would use, of good and necessary consequence contained, 
or of good and necessary consequence contained in the scriptures, 
something like that. The language is synonymous. The Baptists aren't 
changing an idea, but rather rewording it this way, that we 
have truths that are expressly set down, that they are explicit. We can go to a place like Luke 
3, 1, 2, and 3, and know the rulers that Luke is speaking 
of in the time of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. But for example, 
when it comes to the doctrine of the Trinity, we are taking 
certain scriptural revelation and we are arriving at, by good 
and necessary consequence, the doctrine of the Trinity, that 
there is one God, that there are three persons in the Godhead, 
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and that these three 
are one God, the same in substance, equal in power, and in glory. 
Ryan McGraw says with regards to this language of necessarily 
contained or good and necessary consequence, the term good and 
necessary consequence refers to doctrines and precepts that 
are truly contained in and intended by the divine author of scripture, 
yet are not found or stated on the surface of the text. and 
must be legitimately inferred from one or more passages of 
Scripture. As the phrase indicates, such 
inferences must be good or legitimately drawn from the text of Scripture. 
In addition, they must be necessary as opposed to imposed or arbitrary. This is a very important principle 
because in the New Testament, almost all of or a very large 
majority of the use of the Old Testament comes under the rubric 
of good and necessary consequence or logical deduction. For example, 
Jesus Christ in Luke 24. Jesus Christ in Luke 24. And 
Jesus very often uses the principle of good and necessary consequence 
when He is bringing to bear the realities of truth and righteousness. 
But in Luke 24, for example, at 25, we read this, Then He 
said to them, O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe 
in all that the prophets have spoken, ought not the Christ 
to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory. 
So what did Christ expect of these two disparaged or these 
two sad disciples on the road to Emmaus? He expected that they 
would use logical deduction to put together the Law, the Prophets 
and the Psalms the various testimonies concerning a coming Messiah, 
a suffering servant, and arrive at the reality that the Christ 
should suffer and enter into His glory. So Christ expects 
and Christ indicts them in a sense by saying, O foolish ones, and 
slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken. 
Nowhere in the Old Testament do we have explicit declaration 
that a man named Jesus Christ would do X, Y, and Z to X, Y, 
and Z detail. But rather we have in the Law, 
in the Prophets, and in the Psalms no doubt messianic announcement, 
messianic promise, messianic prophecy, and it is to be the 
case that the people of God are to arrive at this truth and this 
belief by virtue of using their minds informed by the Scripture 
and aroused by the inner working of the Holy Spirit bearing witness 
by and with that word in their hearts. Acts 2, 25 to 31 is another 
example. Peter, on the day of Pentecost, 
preaching to his audience goes to Psalm 16 and speaks concerning 
David and talks and preaches that David as a prophet was preaching 
concerning the Christ that his body would not suffer corruption 
but rather that he would be raised the third day. There are other 
examples no doubt that we could bring up But it is a legitimate 
principle, this good and necessary consequence, or the fact that 
things that are not expressly set down, but are nevertheless 
to be believed, are necessarily contained in the Holy Scriptures. 
We go, we take certain truths, and we arrive at a doctrine. And probably the most obvious 
one is that doctrine of a triune God, the Trinity, deduced by 
good and necessary consequence. That also means that there is 
the reality of the impossibility of the contrary to be arrived 
at from the Holy Scriptures. In other words, the Scriptures, 
while we arrive at the doctrine of the Trinity by virtue of good 
and necessary consequence, we cannot arrive at any other conclusion 
by the wholesome use of good and necessary consequence, because 
these things are necessarily contained in the Holy Scriptures. So we have the Scriptures extensive 
twofold excellence. Also in paragraph 6 we have the 
Scriptures safe and exclusive confines. Notice the Scriptures 
safe and exclusive confines right after we see necessarily contained 
in the Holy Scripture we read, unto which nothing at any time 
is to be added whether by new revelation of the Spirit or traditions 
of man. Again, we have the Confession 
speaking with regards to the fact that any new revelation, 
which of course has ceased, but if anybody is claiming new revelation 
by the Spirit, like the Anabaptist mystics would have, this is not 
something to be taken heed unto, because nothing is to be added 
to the Holy Scriptures. The new revelation of the Spirit 
or traditions of men, these things are at no time to be added to 
the scriptures. We see this in Deuteronomy 4-2, 
Deuteronomy 12-32, where the commandment is given not to add 
to the revelation of God. And we see this in Matthew 15, 
1-9, where Christ is preaching and is indicting the Pharisees, 
answering their false accusations by saying that they, by their 
introduction and their attention unto the doctrines of men have 
nullified the commandments of God. We have also in paragraph 
6, and bear with me with this title, but we have circumstances, 
adiaphorous freedom, and regulating circumscription. What do we mean 
by that? Well, let's read this for a moment. 
Chapter 6, beginning at nevertheless. Nevertheless, we acknowledge 
the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary 
for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed 
in the word, and that there are some circumstances concerning 
the worship of God, the government of the church, common to human 
actions in societies, which are to be ordered by the light of 
nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules 
of the word, which are always to be observed." So when we say 
circumstances adiaphorous freedom, adiaphorous simply means brings 
no good or no harm to something. They are things indifferent. 
Circumstances with respect, an example would be Pastor Butler 
having a glass of water at the pulpit. Or if I'm up there, there's 
a glass of water at the pulpit. The light of nature testifies 
to the fact that a man needs to drink water. When he's parched, 
he's having trouble speaking and clearing his throat, a good 
glass of water helps. The scriptures don't testify 
to the fact, they don't say the pastor shalt have a glass of 
water. sitting under the top part of 
the pulpit. The light of nature testifies to this reality that 
a man needs to drink water. We need to sit down, or sitting 
down is comfortable and conducive to listening to a preacher. Sometimes 
standing up is better if we fall asleep. But nevertheless, we 
have pews so we can sit down, and comfortable to the fact that 
nature testifies to man's need to rest in a certain way, we 
have pews Out there in the church other examples could be brought 
forth nevertheless the scriptures have a This reality and in fact 
I missed I missed one point the scriptures regenerative limits 
notice Just backing up a moment here nevertheless We acknowledge 
the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary 
for the saving understanding of such things so when we say 
the scriptures Regenerative limits we're saying that the scriptures 
don't regenerate a man The scriptures themselves don't come with the 
salvific efficacy of bringing a man from deadness to life, 
but rather they are the divinely inspired means whereby God in 
that regenerative act of bringing forth a sinner from deadness 
to life. God communicates his truth in the word and it is the 
means whereby God brings about people. Of his own will, he brought 
us forth by the word of truth. So scriptures, regenerative limits, 
and then circumstances, adiaphorous freedom, that is, there are things 
indifferent that we can do common to the human actions in societies, 
the government of the church, et cetera, which are to be ordered 
by the light of nature. And we do have an example of 
that in 1 Corinthians 11, 14, where it speaks, where Paul writes 
to the fact that doesn't nature itself testify that for a man 
to have long hair is a shame to him? the scriptures need not 
testify. And that's not to say if a man 
has long hair. In the context, it was something 
pervasive in the society of Greeks and Jews for men to be effeminate 
and to be indicated by long hair. But nevertheless, Paul argues, 
or Paul uses, this reality, that there are things indifferent 
that can be testified by the light of nature. Testify to. We have the regulating circumscription 
to that, though. You see, the light of nature 
may testify to certain things in Christian prudence. There 
may be circumstances concerning all of those things that are 
ordered by the light of nature. But nevertheless, it is with 
this circumscription that it is to be according to the general 
rules of the Word. And so there is always that circumscription 
that things indifferent are always circumscribed or regulated under 
the Holy Scriptures and their divine governance. Point number 
16. The Scriptures varied perspicuity. The Scriptures varied perspicuity. Notice in paragraph 7. All things 
in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear 
unto all. So the Scripture is very perspicuity. There are things that are not 
alike plain in themselves, it says. And to go to a place in 
Scripture, we could go to 2 Peter 3.16 where Peter writes concerning 
Paul's writings. And he says some things in Paul 
are hard to understand. But you see the Scripture goes 
on to say, and this is point 17, or the confession goes on 
to say, and this is point 17, The scripture's soteriological 
clarity, soteriological everyone remember, simply means the doctrine 
of salvation. Whenever you hear anybody say 
soteriology, that simply means the doctrine of salvation. What 
is, what are we to know concerning salvation? How does God save? 
In what order does God save? Is faith before regeneration 
or is regeneration before faith? Regeneration is before faith. 
But that's soteriology, the doctrine of salvation. So the scripture 
is soteriological clarity, yet those things which are necessary 
to be known, believed, and observed for salvation are so clearly 
propounded and opened in some place of scripture or other that 
not only the learned but the unlearned in a due use of ordinary 
means may attain to a sufficient understanding of them. So while 
some of the stuff in Ezekiel and Zechariah and Revelation 
may be hard to understand. Nevertheless, these things are 
clear. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ 
and you shall be saved. For God so loved the world that 
he gave his only begotten son, that all the believing ones might 
not perish but have everlasting life. No man is justified by 
the deeds of the law, but rather by faith in Christ Jesus. The 
stuff of Galatians 2.16 and Galatians 2.21 And we could multiply the 
text. This is a faithful saying, worthy 
of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into this world, sinners 
to save. So the scripture's soteriological 
clarity in the midst of its varied perspicuity. 18, we simply have the scripture's 
demographical non-exclusivity. You could read paragraph 8 on 
your own time, but it speaks to the fact that the Scriptures, 
when we can and as far as we are able, should be translated 
into the vulgar tongues of all that we are ministering unto, 
so that they might, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, 
have hope. It is over and against the Roman Catholic idea of reserving 
the Scriptures for the clergy and excluding the laity from 
availing of the Holy Scriptures, chaining the Bible to You know 
to a pulpit or locking it behind a lock and key the scriptures 
are to be given to men the Great Commission speaks to this reality 
and the narrative enacts with regards to the Bereans availing 
of searching the scriptures daily speak to the reality that all 
of every vulgar tongue are to have the Word of God so that 
they might through comfort and patience no hope Very quickly, 
the Scripture's infallible interpreter, that is paragraph 9, 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 is not manifold but one, it must be 
searched by other places that speak more clearly. The Scripture's 
infallible interpreter is not the Pope, it's not the Magisterium, 
it's not the Protestant Church. but rather the infallible rule 
of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself. And 
notice the important rule. When there is anything, when 
there is a question about the true and full sense of any Scripture, 
it must be searched by other places that speak more clearly. 
So where do we go when we're having trouble with the Scriptures? 
We go to the Scriptures and we... That doesn't mean you can't open 
up a commentary and that sort of thing. Lord knows that we 
avail of Gil and Calvin and all the boys quite regularly. But 
ultimately and finally, again, the infallible rule of interpretation 
is the scripture. And this is also important by 
way of an aside. The scripture does only have 
one meaning, not a manifold one. As it says here, the full sense 
of any scripture, which is not manifold, but one. And then lastly 
and finally, as we close, the Scriptures' exclusive role as 
sole arbiter, that is, the one who makes decisions. In this 
case, it is the Scriptures. Notice paragraph 10. The supreme 
judge by which all controversies of religion are to be determined 
in all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines 
of men, and private spirits are to be examined, and in whose 
sentence we are to rest can be no other but the Holy Scripture 
delivered by the Spirit into which Scripture is so delivered, 
our faith is finally resolved. So you see, it is not the counsels 
of men. It is not ecumenical and conciliary 
gatherings in church history that solve and resolve the controversies 
of religion. But rather, it is the Scriptures. The Holy Scripture is the supreme 
judge. The Holy Scripture is given by 
the author God, delivered by the Spirit. Those scriptures 
are the supreme judge of all controversies of religion. Luther 
was right when he stood in the Diet of Worms and said, here 
I stand, I can do no other. He doesn't resign himself to 
the declarations of popes and councils, but rather to the word 
of the living and true God. The body they may kill, thy truth 
abideth still. So that was a very quick and 
fast tour. We'll slow down when Pastor Butler 
spends some time in the canon. Again, that stuff of paragraphs 
2 and 3, which are very important to understand and to grasp. And we'll look at that either 
next Lord's Day or the Lord's Day following. I'm going to pray 
now. And if there are any questions 
afterwards, feel free to ask, because there was a lot we ran 
through this morning. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, 
we rejoice that we can observe the doctrine of the Holy Scriptures. 
We thank you that we can read. concerning the many aspects of 
that doctrine. And we pray that you would help 
us, Lord, to glory in your scriptures, to know them, to rejoice in the 
Christ to whom the scriptures point. We pray that we would 
hold in a regenerate high esteem the holy scriptures, all that 
they disclose, and the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of 
the doctrine, the majesty of the style, consent of all the 
parts, all of these blessed attributes of your scriptures that testify 
to you as author and to their veracity as the word of living 
and true God. We pray that you'd help us also 
to daily avail of it. And as we go into worship now, 
that you would help Pastor Butler to preach from it rightly and 
with great joy and confidence. that the people gathered here 
would receive it, that saints would be edified, that sinners 
would be saved, and Lord God, that the worship of Free Grace 
Baptist Church today would be marked by praise and honor and 
glory in our triune God, that you would be worshiped, that 
you would be praised, and that Christ Jesus would be exalted. 
And we pray in his precious name, amen.