The Clarity of Scripture

I was reading Centuri0n’s (Frank Turk) Blog and came across this question: “Is scripture that clear?” You will need to read his blog to see what context the question was asked, but it reminded me of a portion of a paper I wrote once. I thought I’d post it here.

When the time came for God to make a record of the things He intended to teach you, He began to inspire men to write certain things in order to make himself known to you and bring glory to himself. Contemplate what R. C. Sproul says about a writer: “What is a writer? Our concern here will focus on the novelist rather than the poet or the journalist. A writer can be described as a verbal artist. The primary task of the novelist is to produce works that are concrete rather than abstract. There is a filtering process whereby abstract ideas trickle down from the technical literature into the more broadly read works. Through this process our values and life views are influenced by the world of intellect.”¹ Do you see what Mr. Sproul is saying? First, he says that a writer is a verbal artist – a painter, if you will, who takes words and through the process of canvas, idea, paint, brush and several other tools of his trade he begins to widen the apprehension of understanding to these words by magnifying the meaning to your understanding. He goes on to say that the primary task in this endeavor is to produce a work that is completely coherent or concrete in our assessment of the work. He further says that a filtering process is involved. This speaks of a process where other “artists” develop some of the more “abstract ideas” into a “technical” sense of understanding. Then, yes, more “artists” further develop these “technical ideas” into a more broad work that almost anyone can understand. Mr. Sproul then says that the intellect has the full ability of understanding of these words because these “verbal artists” have painted the picture with such clarity that as we view it, the influence it has on our values and life views has the effect of presenting it to our intellect as if the artist himself were describing what it was he was painting. Now, I should stop here and say that I am not attempting to speak for Mr. Sproul. These are the meanings that I gleaned from his statement as they apply to my purpose in writing this paper. However, I can say this. It seems to me that this is exactly what God has done in giving us his word through his prophets and biblical writers (artists). As the writing of God’s word developed over a fifteen hundred year period, I’m sure some of the ideas seemed abstract and were not fully comprehended at times to the ones presenting it. Actually, I know this to be true – listen to the words of Jesus: “For I assure you: Many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see yet didn’t see them; to hear the things you hear yet didn’t hear them.”² I also believe that as other writers of Holy Scripture drew from previous understanding of the writers before them, the Holy Spirit illuminated their minds to further simplify the word that God had for his people. This process continued as God gave his word to each and every Old Testament writer. Then, as God incarnate, Jesus Christ himself began to teach with supreme authority and divine clarity. As the New Testament gospel was being formulated, the Holy Spirit further inspired these men to write in an even more broad work so that anyone could understand. This is part of what Jesus meant when he promised to send to every believer a comforter – the Holy Spirit himself – to live inside each believer. Consider the words of Jesus: “I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit—the Father will send Him in My name—will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.”³ The apostle John also says: “The anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you don’t need anyone to teach you. Instead, His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie; just as it has taught you, remain in Him."⁴ The Apostle Paul says: “God wanted to make known to those among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (italics mine). We proclaim Him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. I labor for this, striving with His strength that works powerfully in me.”⁵ Friend, please believe me when I tell you that you have absolutely no excuse for not believing every word of God in Holy Scripture. God truly has sent to you writer after writer after writer teaching you – talented artists that have painted the picture of God in such vivid expressions that even a child can understand. God has been long suffering and patient with you if you have not yet accepted his wonderful gift of salvation in His son Jesus the Christ. Can you afford to wait any longer? If you do not believe me, listen to the very words of God: “From the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse. For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools….”⁶ Do you see what God said? – “His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what He has made”. God Himself has imagined, sketched out, drawn, painted, written and sculpted so that you might view the most beautiful piece of artwork every created. He has accomplished this out of a deep love for you and in order to bring you understanding so that you might glorify him. If you have forsaken him in the past please pray and ask him to help you see the truth. Then take the time to once again peruse his word and look again to his canvas of creation with such a longing that you may clearly see your great God and creator in the face of his son Jesus.

Rick

¹ Sproul, R. (2000, c1986). Lifeviews : Understanding the ideas that shape society today. Old Tappan, NJ: F.H. Revell
²The Holy Bible : Holman Christian standard version. 2003 (Mt 13:16-17). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers
³The Holy Bible : Holman Christian standard version. 2003 (Jn 14:24-26). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
⁴The Holy Bible : Holman Christian standard version. 2003 (1 Jn 2:27). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
⁵The Holy Bible : Holman Christian standard version. 2003 (Col 1:27-29). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
⁶The Holy Bible : Holman Christian standard version. 2003 (Ro 1:20-22). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.