PTSD FROM A BIBLICAL, REFORMED, AND CONFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVE

The CHICAGO STATEMENTS on INERRANCY and HERMENEUTICS

A Short Statement

God, who is Himself Truth and speaks truth only, has inspired Holy Scripture in order thereby to reveal Himself to lost mankind through Jesus Christ as Creator and Lord, Redeemer and Judge. Holy Scripture is God’s witness to Himself.

Holy Scripture, being God’s own Word, written by men prepared and superintended by His Spirit, is of infallible divine authority in all matters upon which it touches: it is to be believed, as God’s instruction, in all that it affirms: obeyed, as God’s command, in all that it requires; embraced, as God’s pledge, in all that it promises.

The Holy Spirit, Scripture’s divine Author, both authenticates it to us by His inward witness and opens our minds to understand its meaning.

Being wholly and verbally God-given, Scripture is without error or fault in all its teaching, no less in what it states about God’s acts in creation, about the events of world history, and about its own literary origins under God, than in its witness to God’s saving grace in individual lives.

The authority of Scripture is inescapably impaired if this total divine inerrancy is in any way limited or disregarded, or made relative to a view of truth contrary to the Bible’s own; and such lapses bring serious loss to both the individual and the Church.

The Westminster Confession of Faith

Chapter I

Of the Holy Scripture

V. We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the Church to an high and reverent esteem of the Holy Scripture.[1 Tim. 3:15] And the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, 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, the many other incomparable excellencies, and the entire perfection 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.[1 Jn. 2:20, 27; Jn. 16:13-14; 1 Cor. 2:10-12; Isa. 59:21]

VI. 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.[2 Tim. 3:15-17; Gal. 1:8-9; 2 Thess. 2:2] 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:[Jn. 6:45; 1 C0r. 2:9-12] and that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the Church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature, and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed.[1 Cor. 11:13-14; 14:26, 40]

VII. All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all:[2 Pet. 3:16] 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.[Ps. 119:105]

VIII. The Old Testament in Hebrew (which was the native language of the people of God of old), and the New Testament in Greek (which, at the time of the writing of it, was most generally known to the nations), being immediately inspired by God, and, by His singular care and providence, kept pure in all ages, are therefore authentical;[Mt. 5:18] so as, in all controversies of religion, the Church is finally to appeal unto them.[Isa. 8:20; Acts 15:15; Jn. 5:39, 46] But, because these original tongues are not known to all the people of God, who have right unto, and interest in the Scriptures, and are commanded, in the fear of God, to read and search them,[Jn. 5:39] therefore they are to be translated in to the vulgar language of every nation unto which they come,[1 Cor. 14:6, 9, 11-12, 24, 27-28] that, the Word of God dwelling plentifully in all, they may worship Him in an acceptable manner;[Col. 3:16] and, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, may have hope.[Rom. 15:4]

IX. The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself: and therefore, when there is a question about the true and full sense of any Scripture (which is not manifold, but one), it must be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly.[2 Pet. 1:20-21; Acts 15:15-16]

X. The supreme judge by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private spirits, are to be examined, and in whose sentence we are to rest, can be no other but the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scripture.[Mt. 22:29, 31; Eph. 2:20; Acts 28:25.]