“But the God who passes judgment on that day is the same God who inspired the Scriptures to be written, and He is also the same God who governs the fall of sparrows, the motion of atoms in all of Neptune’s moons, the number of hairs on every head that will come up before him at the judgment, the intricate mathematical patterns found in the waving grass in every field on earth, and the guttural praise of all the frogs in springtime. But this means that God’s revelation of himself goes all the way out to the edges. We can’t get away from it. God wrote two books – the Word and the world. His name is on the spine of both of them. They each can be read apart from the other, but neither can be read fully without some working knowledge of the other” (Rules, pp. 225-226).
Have 'Em Delivered
Write to the Editor
“neither can be read fully without some working knowledge of the other”
WCF1:1 says they differ fundamentally — “world” lacking a “sufficient” of amount of magic pixie dust that Word contains.
Are you living on the edge here? — ready to take an exception at a Reformed sola?
For the benefit of my fellow ignorant laity…. http://www.opc.org/wcf.html#Chapter_01 CHAPTER 1 Of the Holy Scripture 1. 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 unexcusable; yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of his will, which is necessary unto salvation. Therefore it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal himself, and to declare that his will unto his church; and afterwards, for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and… Read more »
And, to summarize:
“nature = not sufficient to give … salvation” while written Scripture supposedly is, by virtue of revealing an adequate amount of knowledge (information?) regarding God and his will.
First, this smacks of job security.
Ain’t it convenient that our Reformed fathers happen to be expert in the necessary knowledge of Scripture — the means by which we get saved!!!
CHAPTER 1 Of the Holy Scripture 7. 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, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them. The preachers’ “job” is only one of the “ordinary means.” There is a special usefulness of the Word preached. But other ordinary means to an understanding for… Read more »
And it is a truism that still waters run deep = the most profound truths have a simple, quiet surface, sometimes.
But are you keying in on the word “sufficient”?
If so, then you agree with the idea that a basic quantity of propositional content perception (and presumably assent) is required on our behalf?
We need authoritative revelation–otherwise we are left wondering “what on earth the world can be!” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4qz6cpRIu8 Comes a train of little ladies From scholastic trammels free, Each a little bit afraid is, Wondering what the world can be! Is it but a world of trouble – Sadness set to song? Is its beauty but a bubble Bound to break ere long? Are its palaces and pleasures Fantasies that fade? And the glory of its treasures Shadow of a shade? Schoolgirls we, eighteen and under, From scholastic trammels free, And we wonder – how we wonder! – What on earth the… Read more »
And God said, “It is good, all right, but not very intelligible, and lacks authority”
This is my Father’s world, the birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white, declare their Maker’s praise.
This is my Father’s world: He shines in all that’s fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass;
He speaks to me everywhere.
Interestingly, the word “wholly” here:
“Therefore it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal himself, and to declare that his will unto his church; and … to commit the same wholly unto writing”
is contradicted by the verse that our host exegeted a few days ago:
“Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.” (2 Thess. 2:15)
Perhaps the helpful traditions shouldn’t be equated with the sufficient other Scriptures.
The Nazarites of Numbers grew their hair long. This is God commanding that those set apart for Him had special duties and holiness requirements; one of these requirements was to grow their hair. Samson was a Nazarite. (the book is currently in my daily reading which is why I bring this up) The long hair is in direct opposition to St. Paul’s “what nature teaches” https://dougwils.com/s8-expository/what-nature-teaches.html I found this interesting. (no, I am not troubled by it–something about holding two contradictory ideas and not going mad applies) I wonder if Nazarene and Nazarite are related, given that our Lord is… Read more »
They are not. Keep in mind Jesus was never a Nazarite.
direct opposition — true enough — and on purpose. All the nazaritish behaviors were contra-nature. Like fasting — how against nature is that?! But we can / should sometimes go against the flow if it is for the very purpose to get the flow in the right direction down river. Jesus is not partying up there now — but with the folks crying “how long” — He’s refraining from the joys of communing / drinking the wine — in order to get all of us communicants up there where we & He will once again and forever commune. So not… Read more »