Westminster Project 1.7
7. Not all things in Scripture are equally plain in themselves, nor are they equally clear to all people. Yet those things that are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation are so clearly discussed and made clear, in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the educated but also the uneducated may reach a sufficient understanding of them with the adequate use of ordinary means. (WCF 1.7)
Have you ever been reading through your Bible and come across a particular verse or passage that made you say, “Okay, I give up — what on earth is this all about?!” If you’ve ever done that or feel like you often have those frustrating moments, know that you’re not alone. In fact, this confession assumes that to be the case for all Christians throughout all time, as some parts of Scripture can be incredibly hard to understand (even the Apostle Peter admitted this as he worked through the Apostle Paul’s letters; 2 Peter 3:15b-16).
It’s a fact: God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). So as we journey through His inspired Word — like exploring a wonderful country of discovery — there will be terrain that requires us to slow down. Hills we must navigate, rivers that force us to pause, valleys that require planning, and mountains we must prayerfully climb. But that’s the adventure, and shouldn’t that be our expectation? After all, we’re not just reading a book or thoughts from ancient human authors; we are reading the book of books, written by many inspired authors who, over many years, recorded the very words breathed out by God Himself (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20-21, Exodus 24:12). Thus, “Not all things in Scripture will be equally plain in themselves, nor will they equally be clear to all people” (WCF 1.7).
But does that mean the Bible is locked away behind a barrier, its wonderful mysteries known only to a few? Unfortunately, some have taught that over the years. It was even seen in Theocratic Israel and the Apostolic age — there have always been teachers or groups (what we call cults) who believe they alone have figured out the mysteries and the exclusive way of salvation (Deuteronomy 18:20, Jeremiah 14:14, Acts 20:28-30, 1 Timothy 4:1-4, 2 Peter 2:1). That is why godly men like John Wycliffe and William Tyndale were convicted by God to translate the Scriptures from Latin (used by the Roman Catholics) into the vernacular and distribute them to their nations. Because, yes, some things are hard to understand, but they knew that as people searched the Scriptures for themselves, they would come to a knowledge of the truth and be saved (Acts 17:11-12).
As our confession states, “Those things that are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation are so clearly discussed and made clear, in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the educated but also the uneducated may reach a sufficient understanding of them with the adequate use of ordinary means” (WCF 1.7; cf. Psalm 119:105,130). Hence why Tyndale once angrily quipped in response to the Pope’s refusal to allow the Bible to be translated into simple English, “If God spare my life, ere many years, I will cause a boy who drives a plough to know more of the Scriptures than the Pope himself.”
It has always been the firm conviction of the Reformers that the Scriptures should be accessible so that anyone can explore the Word of God for themselves. Yet that doesn’t mean everything the Word says will be equally clear in every place, but it does mean that what is unclear in one section will be made clearer in another. Therefore, church, it is our responsibility to use the Bible properly and keep searching its many treasures and wonders, always remembering to read it carefully and think through it prayerfully.
That said, the message of God’s Son—made flesh, made sacrifice, made our Redeemer, our Savior, our High Priest, and our love and joy—is so clearly set forth that even Tyndale’s plowboy could see it in Scripture and come to a knowledge of salvation. So let us read prayerfully and confidently, knowing that it is the Holy Spirit’s delight to both reveal and teach us Christ through His Word (Luke 24:44, Ephesians 1:18, Galatians 4:19).