We should be clear that the authors of the confession are not being overconfident about these questions, and they aren’t ignorant of them either, but rather the confession states outright that the scriptures are not plain in the same way across the board. Taken as a whole, the scriptures are clear in regards to what is required to be known, believed, and observed for salvation. 

In the first post in this series we briefly considered the way in whiich the Reformers viewed the Scriptures–as they are in truth, the authoritative written word of God. But God’s Word is not only uniquely authoritative; it is also uniquely clear, or perspicuous.  It is intelligible and accessible to ordinary Christians for the work of faith.  This teaching of the scripture’s clarity is as crucial to Reformed view as the teaching of inspiration.  After all, no matter how inspired scripture is, it causes little practical effect if it is not knowable to ordinary humans.

The Westminster Confession, that great document of the English Reformation and the governing theological document for certain confessional churches like my own, teaches the following:

All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all; 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…(WCF 1.6)

In other words, the scholars and pastors who gathered to compose the confession recognized that scripture was not without its difficult passages.  As an Old Testament professor I am often asked about certain passages that have vexed the church for millennia and also fed not a few horrible theological errors.  There are usual suspects:  “Who were the Nephilim?” is a common one.  “Who were Seth’s wives?” “What is going on between Zipporah and Moses during the circumcision scene in Exodus 4?” The early books of the Bible provide a home to some of the Bible’s most titillating mysteries. Then there is always Jude 9. There is a lot we can say about these questions, but at the same time, we have to admit that their meaning is just not explained in full.

We should be clear that the authors of the confession are not being overconfident about these questions, and they aren’t ignorant of them either, but rather the confession states outright that the scriptures are not plain in the same way across the board. Taken as a whole, the scriptures are clear in regards to what is required to be known, believed, and observed for salvation.

That is also not to say that the scriptures cannot be used to deceive.  Some heretics may twist scripture to damnable ends, but that is not the fault of the text. It is the fault of the deceiver.

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