Core Bible Doctrines

General Revelation is the reality that God has made known His existence to each individual of mankind. General revelation itself is never salvific in nature. Scripture states the instruments of God’s general revelation:
1. through the heavens which declare His glory – Psalm 19:1
2. through the creation which shows His divine nature and His eternal power – Romans 1:18-23
3. through the moral law and human conscience which is evident in every human being and culture upon the earth – Romans 2:14-15
4. through the earths provisions which show He is the Benevolent Sustainer of mankind – Acts 14:17

Special Revelation is the reality that God has communicated in specific times, by specific means, and with specific words to specific people or peoples in history. It is a supernatural revelation and communication of Himself. Special revelation differs from General Revelation in that it is salvific in nature. However, it does not always have this end result. Here are a few examples in Scripture to show us the reality of Special Revelation:
1. God commanded Adam in the Garden of Eden to eat of any tree therein except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 2:16-17
2. He appeared to Moses in a burning bush and communicated with him and sent him on a mission to the house of Israel and against Pharaoh, King of Egypt. Exodus 3:1-4:17
3. He performed wonders to lead His people out of bondage in Egypt. Spoken: Exodus 4:18-23 Fulfilled: Exodus 5:1-14:31
4. He spoke His Law to Moses and Israel. Exodus 19-31 Hebrews 12:25-26
5. He delivered a dream to King Nebuchadnezzar and subsequently revealed the dream to Daniel along with its’ interpretation. Daniel 2:1-45
6. He speaks to Jeremiah in a Word-Picture. Jeremiah 1:11-12
7. He speaks to John in a vision. Revelation 1:9-19
8. He speaks to us through the Scripture. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 2 Peter 1:20-21
9. He has perfectly, completely, and finally spoken and revealed Himself to us in the Lord Jesus Christ, His only Son. Hebrews 1:1-4; Colossians 1:15-20; John 1:1-18

Inspiration is the operation of the Holy Spirit which enables a speaker or writer to communicate truth that is inerrant and infallible. But it is not dictation. God can and does so overwhelmingly act upon the instrument during inspiration that he does not have to bypass the normal language, style or historical setting of the human author in order to communicate His perfect Word.

Illumination is the divine opening or quickening of the human mind by which it is enabled to understand truth already revealed in Scripture. It is distinguished from revelation and inspiration because those two items have already occurred and are perfectly completed before there is the possibility for illumination. Illumination is an enlivening of the mind and heart and will by the Spirit of God. That same Spirit who spoke the Word in the past now communicates that same truth once again into a person. (Luke 24:32 & 45; Matt 16:17; 1Cor 2:12 & 14) This is the on-going work of the Holy Spirit – to illumine the same truth into a person that He spoke through a person and was recorded in Scripture.

When we say the Scripture is inerrant we mean the fact that the Scriptures are actually without error in everything they touch upon. So in all matters of faith and practice and science and history the Scripture is without error. If God is perfect and He perfectly gave His complete and final revelation and He perfectly delivered the Holy Scriptures, then those Scriptures themselves are perfect and complete!

When we speak of the infallibility and inerrancy of the Scriptures we are referring to the original manuscripts. But we don’t have those original manuscripts. We instead have thousands upon thousands of copies. Those copies do not perfectly correspond with each other even though they are overwhelmingly exact. Through the scholarly study of these manuscripts it can be determined that there are slight variations. We know where they occur and they are not of “significant” nature in their differences. There is a field of study that distinguishes and evaluates what manuscripts are more reliable to the original based upon certain criteria. But, nevertheless, we affirm that the Bible that we have – if indeed it has been effectively translated from reliable manuscripts – is indeed the reliable Word of God. Christians would agree that the God who breathed out the Holy Scripture is the God who safeguarded the integrity of the Scriptures as they were transmitted and translated. So reliable means just that. Our current day translation is the reliable and complete and sufficient – Word of God.

Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” Luke 24:44-47 NASB

The Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?” And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. ‘BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’ “Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.” Mark 7:5-8 NASB

“But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail.” Luke 16:17 NASB There are times in Scripture, after Jesus taught or did something, which state Old Testament Scriptures were being fulfilled. He often said, for example: “…but this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures.” Mark 14:49b NASB

Jesus Himself seems to think so… “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:19 NASB

VI. THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD, CONCERNING ALL THINGS NECESSARY FOR HIS OWN GLORY, MAN’S SALVATION, FAITH, AND LIFE, IS EITHER EXPRESSLY SET DOWN IN SCRIPTURE, OR BY GOOD AND NECESSARY CONSEQUENCE MAY BE DEDUCED FROM SCRIPTURE: UNTO WHICH NOTHING AT ANY TIME IS TO BE ADDED, WHETHER BY NEW REVELATIONS OF THE SPIRIT, OR TRADITIONS OF MEN.1 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;2 AND THAT THERE ARE SOME CIRCUMSTANCES CONCERNING THE WORSHIP OF GOD, AND GOVERNMENT OF THE CHURCH, COMMON TO HUMAN ACTIONS AND 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.3

1. 2 TIM. III. 15–17; GAL. I. 8, 9; 2 THESS. II. 2.
2. JOHN VI. 45; 1 COR. II. 9, 10, 12.
3. 1 COR. XI. 13, 14; XIV. 26, 40.

Please note in Chapter 1, Point VI, of the Westminster Confession the following:

1. The whole counsel of God (all truth from God for His glory & for believers) is expressly stated in Scripture or deduced from such.

2. Nothing is to be added to Scripture as if it is from the Spirit – whether through revelation or tradition.

3. The Spirit who breathed out that Word also illumines that Word inwardly.

4. There are secondary and common matters associated with the corporate affairs of Christians in various cultures. These would include things like certain aspects of church governance and worship. These are to be guided by corporate reason/conscience with a continual look to the obedience of Scripture for any foundational truth related to such subjects.

Addendum: The London-Baptist Confession is virtually identical to this Westminster Confession at this point.

Perspicuity: Something which is plain to the understanding because it has been made simple and clear. This does not mean that there aren’t individual texts of Scripture which are at times difficult to study and ascertain the meaning. But it does mean that the whole of the message of the Scriptures along with the summary parts are indeed clear and easily understood by those who have the Spirit. “At that time Jesus said, ‘I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.'” Matthew 11:25-27 NASB

“Canon” 1. Comes from Latin word “canon” which means standard or rule 2. Which originated from the Greek word “kanon” meaning reed or measure (the ancients used reeds to measure things!) or rule or standard 3. Which correlates with the Hebrew word “kaneh” meaning standard of measurement. The canon of Scripture is the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament which are the Word of God and the standard and rule for Christian faith and practice.

A Christian Worldview is essentially the pre-suppositions and underlying system of thought that a Christian believer holds as he looks at and interacts within the world. This worldview should first and foremost be defined by the Christian’s belief in the God of the Scriptures and the truth found therein. Many Christians throughout the centuries have written about formulating a Christian worldview based on, not negating, the fullness of the Scriptures: the nature of God the creator, the creation, man, the fall of man, God’s history with fallen man, God’s provisions for fallen man and for salvation in Jesus Christ, the unfolding of the plan of God to the end of this present evil age and into eternity. Although any particular Christian’s worldview will grow and expand as they study the whole of the Scriptures, these seminal truth categories from the Word of God should remain the believer’s basic pre-suppositions.

“Discern” comes from a Latin word discernere which means “to distinguish between” or “to separate.” The etymology of this word is: dis which means “apart” and cernere which means “to sift”. When we are discerning something we are “sifting apart”, or “distinguishing between” two things. We quite literally do this our whole lives in many ways, but we don’t necessarily use this word to describe what is taking place. We can “discern” between hot or cold because we understand the meaning of each and we can sift them apart into these two categories. Most of this “discerning” is internal and often times we are not conscious of the process because we have done it for so long. The discernment that we are talking about here, involves something external. We are using this word in the context of something being taught. We are to sift apart or separate “teachings” and the effects as being true or false, good or bad/useless, based upon the truths of Scripture.

“Orthodoxy” means “that which conforms to the established teachings or usual beliefs of any system, rather religious or otherwise.” It is from both the Greek and Latin orthodoxus. Ortho means ‘straight, upright, or true’ and dokeo means ‘think, believe.’ For a Christian, it has thus come to mean believing in the doctrines that are taught in Scripture that define the basic tenets of true Christian faith.

These are considered foundational because as soon as anyone would begin to question them it leads them down the path of serious compromise in regards to the true faith.
1. The Scripture: it is the absolute authority, the very words and truth of God Himself through revelation
2. The Trinity: God has revealed Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit; each fully God and yet only One God
3. The Person of Jesus Christ: He is 100% God and 100% man, each defined distinctly and yet, not two persons, but only One Person, Jesus Christ
4. Salvation: it is by God’s plan and purpose, by His grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone.
5. The Second Coming of Jesus Christ: He has risen from the dead and will once again appear – this time in His resurrected/glorified and descending body to come to earth as King and Judge.

These consist of teachings that are at variance with orthodox beliefs. The term is commonly used to describe false teachings that do not meet the criteria of being “heretical” in nature. They do not “undercut” orthodoxy. They are contrary teachings to orthodox but do not necessarily undermine foundational truths in Scripture. In fact, it is possible some teach opposing viewpoints in tandem and do not know they are doing so. The Greek word “heteros” means “other, another” and “doxa” means “opinion.”

We see the roots of its use and meaning in the Bible:
“Reject a factious man after a first and second warning” Titus 3:10 NASB
The Greek word for “factious” is hairetikon (in the accusative used as an adjective) which is where we get our word “heretic” and it means sect, party, dissension, faction, opinion. In the particular use in our context in Titus 3 it refers to a person who is divisive or opinionated even in an area of secondary matters. They want to elevate and fight about things that are not profitable to the hearers. They are to be warned about their “overbearing opinions and willingness to constantly fight” a first and a second time and then the church is to have nothing to do with them. It should go without saying that if they are being factious about a foundational teaching – saying the opposite opinion about that which is extremely relevant to the faith – that we should apply the same drastic measures. And in fact this meaning of the term is what is prevalent in our day.

The term “aberrant” in teaching is going beyond this point. “Aberrant teaching” is usually defined as teachings which mean that someone is drifting beyond this secondary norm and is becoming unbalanced in their views. Their view has gone beyond mere discussion of possible differences to the point of being dangerous to our Christian belief or walk when fully embraced. It could potentially refer to those who might take a stance to the point of “spiritual abuse” or “psychological cult-like type following or abuse” in their ways.

As the enemy of the church attacks it – aberrant views are apt to pop up just about by anyone and anywhere. Leadership should fix us upon the sole authority of the Word of God and safeguards to unreasonable thinking – or aberrations as the case may be – should be in place and in force.

“The Reformed orthodox in connection with the idea of fundamental articles, note three kinds of doctrinal error:

(1) errors directly against a fundamental article (contra fundamentum)
(2) errors around a fundamental or in indirect contradiction to it (circa fundamentum)
(3) errors beyond a fundamental article (praeter fundamentum)

The first kind of error is a direct attack–such as those launched by the Socinians–against the divinity of Christ or the Trinity.

The second is not a direct negation or an antithesis but rather an indirect or secondary error ultimately subversive of a fundamental–such as a belief in God that refuses to acknowledge his providence.

The third category of error does not address fundamental articles directly or indirectly but rather involves faith in problematic and curious questions (quaestiones problematicas et curiosas) that do not arise out of the revealed Word–hay and stubble!–and that, because of their curiosity and vanity, constitute diversions from and impediments to salvation.”

Richard Muller, Post Reformation Reformed Dogmatics

“Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.” Acts 20:26 & 27 (ESV)