The sermon by Nate Wikman focuses on the principles of biblical interpretation as outlined in the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession, Chapter 1, Paragraph 9. It emphasizes three main points: Scripture is the supreme authority for its own interpretation, there is one true interpretation of Scripture, and unclear passages should be interpreted using other passages that are clear. The sermon highlights the analogy of faith, a principle introduced during the Reformation to prevent speculative interpretations, which asserts that Scripture should be interpreted by Scripture itself. This principle is rooted in the belief that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, consistent and coherent, as it was written by men moved by the Holy Spirit. The sermon underscores the idea that any perceived contradictions in Scripture are due to human misunderstanding, not the Word itself. The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in affirming the truth and authority of Scripture in believers' hearts. The sermon encourages reading and understanding Scripture with the guidance of the Holy Spirit to avoid errors in interpretation.

Well, this is a short paragraph, and we can break it down into three statements. The first being that Scripture is the supreme authority on its own interpretation. The second that there is one true interpretation of Scripture. And the third that scripture passages not easily understood must be interpreted by other passages whose meaning is clear. While researching this paragraph of the Confession on Biblical Interpretation, the most helpful thing I read was from a Ligonier article, which made the point that behind this understanding of Scripture as its own supreme authority is our prior confidence that the Bible is the inspired Word of God.

I'll read an excerpt from that article. At the time of the Reformation, to stop unbridled, speculative, and fanciful interpretations of Scripture, the Reformers set forth the fundamental axiom that should govern all biblical interpretation. It is called the analogy of faith, which basically means that Holy Scripture is its own interpreter. In other words, we are to interpret scripture according to scripture. That is, the supreme arbiter in interpreting the meaning of a particular verse in scripture is the overall teaching of the Bible.

Behind the principle of the analogy of faith is the prior confidence that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. If it is the Word of God, it must therefore be consistent and coherent. If it is the Word of God, one may justly expect the entire Bible to be coherent, intelligible, and unified. Our assumption is that God, because of his omniscience, would never be guilty of contradicting himself. It is therefore slanderous to the Holy Spirit to choose an interpretation of a particular passage that unnecessarily brings that passage into conflict with that which he has revealed elsewhere.

So the governing principle of reformed hermeneutics or interpretation is the analogy of faith." So basically, what I've read here is that we can have confidence in the ability of Scripture to interpret itself, and not only to interpret itself, but to be the supreme authority on interpretation because of our firm belief in the Bible as the inspired Word of God. I'll also add that while this article used the word assumption when it said our assumption is that God, because of his omniscience, would never be guilty of contradicting himself. I don't like that word because it sounds more like a calculated guess with a high probability of being correct instead of being a fact that we are certain of. We know in God's word teaches that all scripture agrees and if two passages seem to be in contradiction is our understanding of the word that is at fault, not the word itself. This is where Acts 15-15 from today's supporting verses comes in And I think the writers of the confession included this verse because it points to the consistency in Scripture.

And with this, the words of the prophets agree. 2 Timothy 2.13 says, If we are faithless, he remains faithful, he cannot deny himself. We also have 2 Peter 1.20-21, knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they are moved by the Holy Spirit. From this we can deduce, I like that word better, we can deduce the consistency of Scripture because no part of the Bible is a result of man's thoughts or ideas. All Scripture was penned by men who were moved by God's Spirit, writing exactly the words he gave them.

2 Timothy 3, 16 through 17 says, all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. So we can have confidence in Scripture as a supreme authority on its own interpretation, and this confidence is rooted in our firm belief in the Bible as the inspired word of God. But what is our basis for the confidence in the Bible as the inspired word of God? At this point we can go back a few weeks in our study of the confession to paragraph 5 of chapter 1 where we read that despite all the strong proofs to the truthfulness and veracity of the Scripture. In the end, our assurance of the truth of God's Word is the result of the Holy Spirit's work in our hearts." I'll just go back and read paragraph five as a refresher.

Paragraph five says, We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the Church of God to a high and reverent esteem of the Holy Scriptures, in the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, in the majesty of the style, the consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole, which is to give all glory to God, the full discovery it makes of the only way of man's salvation, and many other incomparable excellencies and entire perfections thereof, are arguments whereby it does abundantly evidence itself to be the Word of God. 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." So to summarize it, God is truth. God by His Spirit through human instruments gave us His Word, and it is His Spirit that has convinced us of the supreme truthfulness of His Word. And because of that confidence, we can rely on Scripture to be consistent, so that when we come to one passage of Scripture that is unclear, we can better understand that passage by other areas of Scripture that are clear.

An example of this would be 1 Corinthians 15-29, which uses the phrase, baptized for the dead. We may not be able to say this is for sure one true interpretation of that verse, but we can with certainty say what that verse does not teach. We know that this verse cannot be teaching that the dead are saved by another person being baptized in their place because of other passages of Scripture that are abundantly clear, providing teaching on salvation that cannot be refuted, such as Ephesians 2, 8, for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. So to reiterate, when we struggle to know the meaning of a passage, we must evaluate that passage in light of the entire Bible, and this will help us avoid error. In the end, the only way we can have any true spiritual understanding is if the Spirit of God reveals that truth to us.

And how does he reveal truth to us? Through his Word. So read God's Word, read it individually, read it as families, pay attention to the corporate reading and teaching of God's Word, and pray that his Spirit would guide our understanding. I'll end with 1 Corinthians chapter 2, verses 10, through the end of the chapter. But God has revealed them to us through his Spirit.

For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of man which is in him. Even so, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the Spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak not in words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolish to him, nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For who is known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him, but we have the mind of Christ.