What we believe about the Bible guides how we interpret the Bible. We believe God inspires the Bible. “All Scripture is inspired [breathed out] by God” (2 Tim. 3:16). This inspiration extends to the choice of individual words. The Apostle Paul affirms, “We also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit” (1 Cor. 2:13). At the same time, inspiration extends to all of Scripture. “All Scripture is inspired by God.” We believe in verbal, plenary inspiration. Scripture is, therefore, also a self-consistent, organic whole.

God uses human authors to write Scripture, taking full account of their humanity, yet repressing sin within them. Lois Berkhof writes, “The Bible is, in all its parts, both in substance and form, down to the last minutiae, a book that comes from God. At the same time, it was composed from beginning to end, through the instrumentality of man, and bears all the marks of human authorship that are consistent with infallibility” (Principles of Biblical Interpretation, 48-49).

Certain implications arise from our understanding of the Bible. Since we hold to verbal inspiration, we study the words of Scripture, their meanings, and their uses in clauses, sentences, and paragraphs that express the thoughts of the writers and the God who inspired them.

Since we hold to plenary inspiration, we believe the Bible is a self-consistent, organic whole. We, therefore, engage in theological interpretation. Scripture interprets Scripture; clearer texts interpret those that are less clear; later texts build upon earlier texts; and the New Testament unfolds the Old Testament. Since we hold that God inspired human authors taking full account of their humanity, yet repressing sin in them, we study the historical background of the writers and of their writing.

Since God speaks of Himself in human history, through human instruments, using human language, when we study the Bible we learn about God, what He has done, and what He continues to do in this world. Our study is God-centered. Our understanding of the Bible leads us to what we call God-centered, grammatical, historical, theological interpretation. With the above points in mind, consider the Westminster Confession of Faith 1.7:

All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all; yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation, are so clearly propounded, and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them.

The “due use of the ordinary means” refers to using the principles of God-centered, grammatical, historical, theological interpretation. When implementing these rules, whether or not a new reader is aware of using them, you “may attain unto a sufficient understanding of” the Scriptures. However, this is not enough. Consider the Westminster Confession of Faith 1.6:

The whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the word.

You and I must not only implement good God-centered, grammatical, historical, theological interpretation, but must also pray for light from the Holy Spirit. We must seek to implement Spirit-illumined, God-centered, grammatical, historical, theological interpretation.