Bavinck on the Authority of Scripture

Herman Bavinck’s section on Scripture in Reformed Dogmatics: Vol 1, Chapters 12-14.  is a feast of scholarship and piety. Here are a couple of quotes from his section on the authority of the Scriptures (p. 455-465). In the first quote he is discussing whether or not the descriptive (historical) portions of Scripture have authority or not.

“The authority of history and the history of a norm [law/command] cannot be so abstractly separated in Scripture. The formal and material meaning of the term ‘Word of God’ are much too tightly intertwined. Even in the deceptive words of Satan and the evil deeds of the ungodly, God still has something to say to us. Scripture is not only useful for teaching but also for warning and reproof. It teaches and corrects us, both by deterrence and by exhortation, both by shaming and by consoling us. But the above distinction does make clear that Scripture cannot and may not be understood as a fully articulated code of law. Appeal to a text apart from its context is not sufficient for dogma. The revelation recorded in Scripture is a historical and organic whole. That is how it has to be read and interpreted. A dogma that comes to us with authority and intends to be a rule for our life and conduct must be rooted in and inferred from the entire organism of Scripture. The authority of Scripture is different from the authority of parliament or congress. (Reformed Dogmatics, Vol 1, p. 460)

I love this quote because he shows that the entire Scripture has authority in our lives, not just the commands or prescriptive passages. But then he goes on to say that because of this context is paramount. The Bible is a whole. Therefore it must be read as such. So many Christians, especially in this age of the internet and memes, use bumper sticker theology. They pull out a verse, slap it on and say that is what it means.  They quote a verse without any understanding of how it fits into the context of the Scripture. This often leads to a superficial, wrong, or even heretical meaning of a passage.

Here is most of the final paragraph in his section on the authority of the Bible. I like this quote because he asserts without qualification the authority of the written Word over everything and everyone.

“As the word of God it stands on a level high above all human authority in state and society, science and art. Before it, all else must yield. For people must obey God rather than other people. All other [human] authority is restricted to its own circle and applies only to its own area. But the authority of Scripture extends to the whole person and over all humankind. It is above the intellect and the will, the heart and the conscience, and cannot be compared with any other authority. Its authority, being divine, is absolute. It is entitled to be believed and obeyed by everyone at all times. In majesty  it far transcends all other powers. But, in order to gain recognition and dominion, it asks for no one’s assistance. It does not need the strong arm of the government. It does not need the support of the church and does not conscript anyone’s sword and inquisition. It does not desire to rule by coercion and violence, but seeks free and willing recognition. For that reason it brings its own recognition by the working of the Holy Spirit. Scripture guards its own authority. (Reformed Dogmatics, Vol 1, p. 465)

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