My study of Calvin’s Institutes continues with chapter 7. The main feature here is the Holy Spirit’s witness to the authority of Scripture in the church and Christian’s life. The Bible will not be authoritative to anyone until “we are persuaded beyond doubt that God is its author. Thus the highest proof of Scripture derives in general from the fact that God in person speaks in it. The prophets and apostles do not boast either of their keenness or of anything that obtains credit fro them as they speak; nor do they dwell upon rational proofs. Rather, they bring forward God’s holy name, that by it the whole world may be brought into obedience to him” (Pg, 78).
I have summarized this chapter under these 7 points.
1. The words of Holy Scripture are authoritative because it is God speaking and commanding. "For it pleased the Lord to hallow His truth to everlasting remembrance in the Scriptures alone [Jn 5:39]." (p.74)
2. It is wrong to practice and believe that "Scripture has only so much weight as is conceded to it by the consent of the church." (p.75) Our faith will be subject to error and superstitions if the authority of the Bible is "dependent solely upon the good pleasure of men." (p.75). God’s Word is our authority because God is its author (WCF I:IV).
3. Does this mean the church gives adds no voice to Scriptures authority. Not all. There is a symbiosis, a living together, a connectionalism which occurs between Scripture and the church in regards to Scriptures authority.
4. Luther in his Lectures on the Psalms said, "The Scripture is the womb from which are born the divine truth and the church" (Pg, 76). The church did not give birth to Scripture, as a matter of fact the inspired words from God given to the apostles and prophets are the foundation of the church.
5. Augustine believed that the authority of Scripture does not depend upon the definition or decree of men; or that a man's faith is founded upon the authority of the church. However, along side this he maintained that the truth that the church gives it's seal of approval to the Word. There is the "consensus of the church." This carries weight.
6. But the witness of the Holy Spirit is the great Testifier to the authority of Scripture. God speaks in Scripture by the Holy Spirit. "The testimony of the Spirit is more excellent than all reason. For as God alone is a fit witness of Himself in His Word, so also the Word will not find acceptance in men's hearts before it is sealed by the inward testimony of the Spirit" (p.79). [See Is 59:21; 1 Cor 2:14; 2 Cor 1:22]
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