This article brings us to the conclusion of LBC 1.4-5 on the authority of Scripture by examining the illuminating role of the Holy Spirit by whose work we accept and appreciate Scripture’s own evidence for its authority. Recall, the self-authenticating testimony of God in Scripture serves as the ground of faith. The Confession distinguishes the ground of faith from motives or inducements to faith, which serve as abundant evidence that Scripture is God’s Word. Our faith does not find its ground in these evidences since these are the things revealed and our faith is not in the thing testified to but the One who testifies. Should our faith rest in the thing testified to, then our faith would ultimately rest in our own reasoning, which Scripture and the Confession forbid. Further, our faith does not rest in the testimony of the Church nor of an individual who claims to have a special anointing of the Spirit that serves as a trustworthy guide. Our faith rests in God’s testimony alone.
But how do we come to accept and rightly appreciate God’s testimony? The LBC 1.4-5 up to this point, concerns the things to be known, the object, but has put off addressing the subject until now. It reads, “Yet, notwithstanding, our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth, and divine authority thereof, is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts.” Before examining what the Confession teaches in light of Holy Scripture, we will discuss what the work of the Spirit is not.
First, the work of the Spirit is not a new revelation. The Spirit does not add to Scripture or supply another testimony different from the self-authenticating testimony in Scripture. If so, then the problem of a self-authenticating testimony would simply be pushed back one step, but never resolved. Second, the work of the Spirit does not serve to overcome gaps in evidence. He is not a “Spirit of the gaps” who provides assurance when we believe the evidence to be lacking or absent. Third, the Spirit does not enable one to overcome contradictory evidence contained in Scripture, as if He persuades us against the facts. Fourth, the Spirit does not provide evidence in addition to Scripture, assuming that Scripture does not contain all that is necessary to be believed for its own sake as the revelation of God.
If you have ever encountered a Mormon who states that they have a, “burning in their bosom,” you can see that this is not the Reformed view. Mormons often appeal to the burning when confronted with insufficient or contradictory evidence, clinging to the burning provided by the Spirit that enables them to hold on to their faith in the face of charges that their religion is false. Further, it is this burning, not the revelation itself, that provides assurance, functioning as additional evidence that cannot be questioned or subject to criticism, for it is evidence that resides in the subject.
By way of contrast, the Confession argues that the Spirit’s work is “by and with the Word.” As Owen writes, “It is an internal revelation of that which is outward and antecedent unto it; beyond the bounds thereof it is not to be extended. And if any pretend unto immediate revelations of things not before revealed, we have no concernment in their pretences,” (The Reason of Faith, IV.59). More specifically, he defines the work of the Spirit as follows, “This revelation of the Holy Spirit consists in his effectual operation, freeing our minds from darkness, ignorance, and prejudice, enabling them to discern spiritual things in due manner,” (The Reason of Faith, IV.60). The Spirit’s work “by and with the Word” enables image bearers to receive the self-authenticating testimony, opening their eyes to behold the external and antecedent light of revelation.
Throughout these articles on the authority of Scripture, we have distinguished between the reason why we believe, and the thing believed; or, the testimony and the thing testified to. The formal object of faith is the testimony of God which is presented to us in the material object of faith, the things revealed. The Spirit’s work upon the believer is neither the formal nor the material object of faith. Should someone ask, “Why do you accept Scripture as the Word of God?” it would be inappropriate to say, “Because of the testimony of the Holy Spirit.” One must answer in such a way that respects, as Owen put it, the outward and antecedent revelation. Scripture is the Word of God and ought to be accepted as such regardless of the Spirit’s work in the life of an individual.
Further, the Spirit adds nothing to Scripture or to the individual, providing additional reasons for faith. Rather, the Spirit is the means by which we receive the testimony of God as we read of the things testified to in Scripture. Consider Bavinck, who writes, “Scripture as the word of God is simultaneously the material and formal object of faith. But the testimony of the Holy Spirit is ‘the efficient cause,’ ‘the principle by which,’ of faith. We believe Scripture, not because of, but by the means of the testimony of the Holy Spirit,” (Reformed Dogmatics, I.597-598). By way of analogy, the sun, being outward and antecedent, shines regardless of whether our eyes are open or shut. We do not receive an inner sun nor do we need a second sun to know that the sun is shining; rather, upon opening our eyes it is self-evident that the sun shines.
Concerning proof texts, the Confession begins with John 16:14-16. The Spirit of truth, who is the Spirit of the Father and the Son, will speak only what he has heard from the Son and will disclose the things of Christ to the Apostles. The contents of the canon are here promised and later fulfilled as the Spirit moves chosen instruments to write the words of God (2 Pet 1:19-21). This text has a specific focus on the Spirit’s work by the Word but this should not be totally abstracted from the Spirit’s work with the Word. For, as Jesus explained earlier, the Spirit abides with and in God’s people as a helper, a promise for all believers. As the Spirit of truth he guides believers into the truths of Christ such that we can say, “We have the mind of Christ,” (1 Cor 2:16). The Spirit teaches believers that we may know the things of God (1 Cor 2:12-13 cf. John 6:45). In 1 John 2:20, the Apostle identifies this ministry of the Spirit to believers as an anointing that brings believers to the knowledge of the truth. The anointing work of the Spirit enables believers to discern lies about the Christ and offers grounds for believers to reject teachers who would bring revelations or teachings that fail to come from the Father, through the Son, and by the Spirit who discloses all truth to the church.
Although Holy Scripture is self-authenticating and the things revealed abundantly evidence themselves to be from God, the subject requires the Spirit’s work to accept and appreciate that Scripture is from God. The Spirit works by and with the Word, opening eyes so that we might know the things of God disclosed by the Spirit. The Spirit works faith in us that we may have divine assurance that the Scriptures are indeed the Word of God.