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INTRODUCTION TO THE WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH

INTRODUCTION TO THE WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH. CHAPTER ONE. OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH

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  1. INTRODUCTION TO THE WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH

  2. CHAPTER ONE OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE

  3. I. 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 for the more sure establishment and comfort of the Church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing; which makes the Holy Scripture to be most necessary; those former ways of God's revealing His will unto His people being now ceased.

  4. 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; • ROM 1:18-20 • 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. • 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. • 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

  5. All men know that God exists • This knowledge of God is often and by nature suppressed in unrighteousness • Yet, God gives light to every man in the sense that He testifies of Himself in His creation • And because of this testimony, men on the day of judgment will be without excuse

  6. yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of His will, which is necessary unto salvation. • General vs. Special Revelation • General Revelation is NON-SALVIFIC because it does not provide the necessary revelatory information whereby one may have their sins remitted • Cognitive and Volitional Knowledge of Jesus (Normative For Salvation) ROM 10:17

  7. Therefore it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal Himself, and to declare that His will unto His Church; 2 TIM 3:16 • 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness • God breathed Scripture

  8. John 20:30-31 • Everything necessary for salvation of present within the written word • 30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

  9. and afterwards for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the Church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing; which makes the Holy Scripture to be most necessary; • Objective Testimony • Ways in Which Jesus Speaks Today • The Philosophical Issue Involved • The Establishment/Maintaining of the Church

  10. those former ways of God's revealing His will unto His people being now ceased. • HEB 1:1-2 • 1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. • Completed Canon • What is the Canon of Scripture?

  11. II. Under the name of Holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the books of the Old and New Testament, which are these: Of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I Samuel, II Samuel, I Kings, II Kings, I Chronicles, II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, The Song of Songs, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. Of the New Testament: The Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, The Acts of the Apostles, Paul's Epistles to the Romans, Corinthians I, Corinthians II, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians I , Thessalonians II , To Timothy I , To Timothy II, To Titus, To Philemon, The Epistle to the Hebrews, The Epistle of James, The first and second Epistles of Peter, The first, second, and third Epistles of John, The Epistle of Jude, The Revelation of John. All which are given by inspiration of God to be the rule of faith and life

  12. 66 Books (39 OT/27 NT) • Multiple Authors • How do we know that the books that we have are the inspired word of God • What was the process • Did the Roman Catholic Church authorize books to be deemed as Canonical

  13. Process of Canonization • The existence of Canon (God’s Canon) • Apostolic • Universal Acceptance • Common Use • Scripture is Self Verifying • There were no ecumenical councils to deem books canonical • The Church does not/did not authorize anything….simply recognized God speaking through His inspired works • What about the Gnostic works?

  14. Of the 27 books of the NT canon, tradition states that 21 were produced by apostles. • Moreover, if one accepts books that were produced under that apostolic teaching, this number expands to all 27 books of the NT witness • Thus, the authority of the NT writings and traditions bare with it the apostolic witness and in return, are to be seen as self verifying • With the apostles being the ordained and authorized spokesmen of God Himself

  15. 1 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber.2But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.3To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.4When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.5A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."6This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. • 7 So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.8All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.9I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.11I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep……..14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.16And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father."

  16. 19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words.20Many of them said, "He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?"21 Others said, "These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?" • 22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter,23and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon.24So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."25Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me,26but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock.27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.30I and the Father are one."

  17. #1: “The New Testament Books are the Earliest Christian Writings We Possess” • #2: “Apocryphal Writings are All Written in the Second Century or Later” • #3: “The New Testament Books Are Unique Because They Are Apostolic Books” • #4: “Some NT Writers Quote Other NT Writers as Scripture” • #5: “The Four Gospels are Well Established by the End of the Second Century” • #6: “At the End of the Second Century, the Muratorian Fragment lists 22 of our 27 NT books” • #7: “Early Christians Often Used Non-Canonical Writings” • #8: “The NT Canon Was Not Decided at Nicea—Nor Any Other Church Council” • #9: “Christians Did Disagree about the Canonicity of Some NT Books” • #10 “Early Christians Believed that Canonical Books were Self-Authenticating.”

  18. The Apostles and Their Message • Jesus had commissioned his apostles “so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority” (Mark 3:14–15).  • When Jesus sent out the twelve, he reminds them that “For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” (Matt 10:20).

  19. For anyone who rejected apostolic authority, the message of the Lord was as follows; “If anyone will not receive you or listen to your words…it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town” (Matt 10:14) • Moreover, the church “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets” (Eph 2:20) • Hence, only the message of the apostles/prophets, as authorized by YHWH, is authoritative in the church.

  20. NT Writings on Par With the OT Scriptures • Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. (2 Peter 3:14-16, ESV)

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