Although the light of nature and the works of creation and providence do reveal the nature and power of God, these means of revelation are only sufficient to leave humanity inexcusable in sin before God (Rom 1:20). Therefore, it has pleased the Lord to commit his purpose, will, and nature to humanity in writing. The product of which is the Holy Scripture. The Holy Scripture exists in sixty-six books (i.e. the Protestant Old and New Testaments) and alone constitutes the verbally inspired Word of God. As such Scripture is utterly authoritative and without error in the original writings. It is complete in its revelation of God’s will for salvation and sufficient for all that God requires us to believe and do. Also, it is final in its authority over every domain of knowledge to which it speaks (Mat 5:18; 24:35; John 10:35; 16:12-13;17:17; 1 Cor 2:13; 2 Tim 3:15-17; Heb 4:12; 2 Peter 1:20-21). Therefore, Scripture is to be believed, as God’s instruction, in all that it teaches; obeyed, as God’s command, in all that it requires; and trusted, as God’s pledge, in all that it promises. As God’s people hear, believe, and do the Word, they are equipped as disciples of Christ and witnesses to the gospel.
Though all Scripture is not equally clear, a person may attain sufficient understanding for life and godliness through the use of ordinary means to interpret Scripture. Further, we confess that both our finitude and our sinfulness preclude the possibility of knowing God’s truth exhaustively; however, enlightened by the Spirit of God, we can know God’s revealed truth truly.
The Holy Spirit so superintended the human authors of Scripture that through the human authors’ respective personalities and styles (2 Pet 1:20-21), the product was precisely the Word of God and therefore without error in the whole or in the part (Mat 5:18; 2 Tim 3:16). Further, the Holy Spirit so communicated God’s revelation by means of human authors that though culturally and historically contextualized, the Holy Scripture is applicable to all people in all generations when rightly interpreted and applied.