The Second Helvetic Confession — A commentary by Dr. Chuck Baynard
ABBREVIATIONS USED: AV = Authorized Version
(1679); Calvin –
Institutes = John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (outline
in 1536 compelte version 1559 – Quotes from The Battle’s edition);
Oxford Dictionary = Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church; Smith’s
Dictionary = Smith’s Bible Dictionary; WSC = Westminster Shorter Catechism (1647); WLC
= Westminster Larger Catechism (1648); WCF
= Westminster Confession of Faith – BC = Belgic Confession
– HC = Heildelberg Catechism – Dort = Canons of
the Synod of Dort
The Second Helvetic Confession - Chapter 1
Of the Holy Scripture Being the True Word of God
Canonical Scripture. We
believe and confess the canonical Scriptures of the holy prophets and apostles
of both Testaments to be the true Word of God, and to have sufficient authority
of themselves, not of men. For God himself spoke to the fathers, prophets,
apostles, and still speaks to us through the Holy Scriptures.
<Though not listed as in the Westminster Confession,
note that the sixty-six books of the Bible are the canon spoken of here.
These sixty-six books alone have comprised the Reformed Bible from day
one and find support with the early church fathers. These sixty-six books alone
are the Word of God. >
And in this Holy Scripture, the
universal Church of Christ has the most complete exposition of all that pertains
to a saving faith, and also to the framing of a life acceptable to God; and in
this respect it is expressly commanded by God that nothing either be added to or
taken from the same.
<This has the effect of saying the canon is closed.
Hebrews 1:1 does not say God will not ever speak through these various
means again, just that in these last days (present or current time of the writer
of Hebrews) that God has chosen to speak though His Son.
Such statements bind God and set limits beyond which God cannot go.
How can it be that the created can limit the Creator?
The reason cited for the closing of the canon is shaky at best.
The Fact it is closed is not up for debate.
The criteria by which a book was included in the canon do not exist
today. God would need to send an
authenticated prophet and thus personally reopen the canon for an addition to be
made. Likewise, since the Bible is
a Divine Word, it cannot be deleted. For
this reason Christ said that He did not come to destroy but to fulfill the
Scriptures. Divine Word does not
change, nor can it be set aside by any. Note
that the use of singular AWord@
is intentional. God’s Word is of
the same unity as God or the Trinity. In
the opening of John we see this image of unity expressed in that the Word was
with God and the Word was God. Here
we see why one part of the Bible may never contradict another.
In places where this appears to be the case, the fault is with the
understanding of the created, not the Word of the Creator, the Word is one and
the only context is that of the whole Word, not book, chapter, paragraph, nor
sentence. God has spoken, end of the debate. This Word of God may not be added
to nor taken away from.
>
Scripture Teaches Fully All
Goodness. We judge, therefore, that from these Scriptures are to be derived
true wisdom and godliness, the reformation and government of churches; as also
instruction in all duties of piety; and, to be short, the confirmation of
doctrines, and the rejection of all errors, moreover, all exhortations according
to that word of the apostle, All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for
teaching, for reproof, etc. (II Tim. 3:16‑17). Again, I am writing these
instructions to you, says the apostle to Timothy, so that you may know how one
ought to behave in the household of God, etc. (I Tim. 3:14‑15).
<As worded elsewhere, the
final authority in all places of debate, the only rule of faith and life is the
Bible. Nonetheless, Scripture does
not clearly define how the government of nations or the church is to be
administered in minute detail. The
right of apostolic succession is false. The
Bible says that the office of apostle was a gift of the Spirit to the church,
not an office to be assumed and passed on as the mantle of Elijah, which was
only done with the permission of God by special dispensation to the student who
requested it as his lot. Thus all
forms of government that adhere to the revealed Word of God and that hold all
things to be done decently and in order can claim the authority of the Bible.
Form of government should not be a division in the church of Christ.
The need here is to be careful with future reformation of the church.
That the fathers have made a grave error in exegesis of Scripture must be
proven, before allowing for such change in the church.
What is not broken does not need a repairman.
There was a time for reformation on a grand scale.
God raised up men of integrity and intelligence, being gifted in the
things of God to bring about the reformation of the sixteenth century.
The so-called great enlightenment was the father of more darkness than
light, obscuring the clear Word of God behind so-called scholarship.
Pray the church does not fall into the same pit again, and most
prayerfully consults the Sacred Text before accepting such wide-ranging change
again.
>
Scripture is the Word of God.
Again, the selfsame apostle to the Thessalonians: When, says he, you received
the Word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it, not as the word of men
but as what it really is, the Word of God, etc. (I Thess. 2:13.) For the Lord
himself has said in the Gospel, It is not you who speak, but the Spirit of my
Father speaking through you; therefore he who hears you hears me, and he who
rejects me rejects him who sent me (Matt. 10:20; Luke 10:16; John 13:20).
<The Reformed have long agreed the Bible is
God-breathed, inerrant, and infallible. The
Helvetic here asserts the same thing. We
can also see here that even at this early point of Reformed history attention
was given to the very words spoken by the prophets being the same as the Word
spoken directly by God. Peter confirms this in saying that Paul’s writings are
in places difficult to understand, bringing Paul’s writings to the level of
Scripture long before they could have been widely known or published in the
churches. Peter also uses Paul’s words to confirm
his own as the truth.
To the degree the commentary of the preacher today agrees with the revealed Word
of God, the preacher today serves in the same capacity as the prophets of the
Old Testament and the Apostles of the New Testament, and has in fact uttered the
Word of God. It is crucial then, that the speaker speaks in the vernacular of
the audience but with careful intention to the context and intent of the
Scriptures that under gird his exposition. Also in this sense, it is the
responsibility of the hearer to take to heart and ponder what is being taught
with equal attention to what God has revealed in the Bible. It also then becomes
essential that the churches carefully and with much prayer insure the one they
call pastor is called of God to the task. The calling being of more importance
than education, oratory skill, or any other earthly consideration, or this
statement in whole is false and the hearer is not receiving the Word of God.
>
The Preaching of the Word of
God Is the Word of God. Wherefore when this Word of God is now preached in
the church by preachers lawfully called, we believe the very Word of God is
proclaimed, and received by the faithful; and that neither any other Word of God
is to be invented nor is to be expected from heaven: and that now the Word
itself which is preached is to be regarded, not the minister that preaches; for
even if he be evil and a sinner, nevertheless the Word of God remains still true
and good.
<The question would have to be does this include only
the actual quotes from the Holy Writ or does it include the words of
explanation/exhortation of the preacher? The
Helvetic first clearly says it must be one properly called.
If properly called, then the preacher’s words of exegesis (exposition)
are valid as if from God. Matthew
twenty-three covers this same issue and in almost the same words as the
Helvetic. Do what the preacher
says, even if he does not practice what he preaches.
That such a false preacher needs to be dealt with and removed from office
not being the issue. Unless such
teaching is clearly in contrast to the Revealed Word, the congregation has heard
the Word of God. Scripture
testifies and authenticates itself as the very Word of God.
The words of the preacher should be tested by the church, more
particularly, the officers of the church continuously and the preacher held
accountable for deviation from the clear doctrines of the Bible.
It is not okay as many denominations think for a man to differ (so-called
exceptions) and believe another thing, as long as they do not teach them in
church. If it varies from the Bible
it is not to be believed nor taught. Error is not made truth because it is not
proclaimed from the pulpit. Extreme
care must be taken that the conscience of God=s
spokesman is not hindered, much less bound; nonetheless, clear deviation from
the Bible must be dealt with post haste.>
Neither do we think that therefore the outward
preaching is to be thought as fruitless because the instruction in true religion
depends on the inward illumination of the Spirit, or because it is written And
no longer shall each man teach his neighbor, for they shall all know me (Jer.
31:34), and Neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God
who gives the growth (I Cor. 3:7). For although no one can come to Christ unless he be drawn by
the Father (John 6:44), and unless the Holy Spirit inwardly illumines him, yet
we know that it is surely the will of God that his Word should be preached
outwardly also. God could indeed, by his Holy Spirit, or by the ministry of an
angel, without the ministry of St. Peter, have taught Cornelius in the Acts;
but, nevertheless, he refers him to Peter, of whom the angel speaking says, He
shall tell you what you ought to do (Acts 10:6).
<God gave the church apostles, prophets, evangelists,
preachers, and teachers. To
consider the preacher as not being a necessity is then to call God a liar and in
error, for in the gift God has said you have need of these things.
The modern house church taught by gifted lay speakers, though perhaps
illumined by the Holy Spirit, does not remove the necessity of calling and
ordination to office by the body of Christ.
For this reason the small group mentality of the church today must be
watched and kept in proper perspective less at any time it consider itself a
part of the body of Christ without the covering of the church of Christ. Also
note that the preacher (Peter in this instance) is given authority to tell
another what to do. The independence of the age is a mark of rebellion and is
spoken of in the Scriptures pertaining to the end times. Post moderns come real
close to each man doing right as he sees it in his own eyes. Moderns and the
so-called post-moderns spoken of do not obey any other than self with due
humility and respect in contrast to the very Word of God as here presented.
Every believer should be sitting under the teaching of a church with a pastor
and elders overseeing the materials presented. The writer of Hebrews says do not
forbid the assembling together as is the manner of some. Thus we see the
attitude of the post-modern really isn’t that new at all. Solomon spoke well
when he said, “There is nothing new under the sun.” >
Inward Illumination Does Not
Eliminate External Preaching. For he that illuminates inwardly by giving men
the Holy Spirit, the same one, by way of commandment, said unto his disciples,
Go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to the whole creation (Mark 16:15).
And so in Philippi, Paul preached the Word outwardly to Lydia, a seller of
purple goods; but the Lord inwardly opened the woman's heart (Acts 16:14). And
the same Paul, after a beautiful development of his thought, in Rom. 10:17 at
length comes to the conclusion, So faith comes from hearing, and hearing from
the Word of God by the preaching of Christ. At the same time we recognize that
God can illuminate whom and when he will, even without the external ministry,
for that is in his power; but we speak of the usual way of instructing men,
delivered unto us from God, both by commandment and examples
<How wise the counsel this voice from our heritage in
not attempting to limit God. The
office of preacher being established by God, such office is also only to be
abolished or fulfilled by God. Thus
the body of Christ rightly attempts to evaluate call and ordain to office those
gifted by God for just this purpose. This
is indeed the normal way for the gathering and maturing of the saints in the
Word, that they may obey God in taking His Word to the ends of the earth, but
all under the protective cover of the church, the body of Christ.
Of necessity perhaps, many so-called para-church ministries have come
into being around the world. Each
organization outside the church is attempting to fill a perceived void in the
total ministry of Christ. While
such a void may exist, it still stands that such ministries are rouge
independents at best and minister without the authority of God to do so.
This does not invalidate the ministry, it calls the church to repentance
and an increased effort to perform all the work assigned by Christ that the need
for such external ministries would be unnecessary additions to the work of the
church. >
Heresies. We therefore
detest all the heresies of Artemon, the Manichaeans, the Valentinians,
of Cerdon, and the Marcionites, who denied that the
Scriptures proceeded from the Holy
Spirit;
or did not accept some parts of them, or interpolated and corrupted them.
<See above!
There are no exceptions where Scripture is clear.
If the Bible is not clear, then it is not the command of God for all to
be bound by and no exception is needed. If
the so-called exceptions allowed in the church are properly handled, we will
find there are no heresies being born. Note
here that there are no new heresies, just the same old lie of the devil with a
new name and a new advocate. The exceptions spoken of here are those taken by
ministers at the time of their ordination to certain doctrines of the
confessions of the church. When a minister (officer) is not in total agreement
with the confession he must make known to the ordaining body what he disagrees
with. The body that has jurisdiction will decide if it is a place of liberty, or
of some essential doctrine. Some denominations would admonish such a man that
they considered it a grave departure and move forward with the ordination if the
man agreed he wouldn’t teach this doctrine in the church.
This is wrong; a man’s total theology will be so woven that these
elements will come through though he doesn’t intentionally speak this doctrine
from an official place such as the pulpit. It remains he has been ordained and
called as the overseer of God in this place and the people will respect what he
says, whether from the pulpit or lectern or not. It is either permissible as not being essential, or the man
must come into agreement by study and prayer, or seek another place in God’s
vineyard. There can be places where liberty is allowed and such an exception of
no concern. >
Apocrypha. And yet we do
not conceal the fact that certain books of the Old Testament were by the ancient
authors called Apocryphal, and by others Ecclesiastical; inasmuch as some would
have them read in the churches, but not advanced as an authority from which the
faith is to be established. As Augustine also, in his De Civitate Dei, book 18,
ch. 38, remarks that "in the books of the Kings, the names and books of
certain prophets are cited"; but he adds that "they are not in the
canon"; and that "those books which we have suffice unto
godliness."
<There was a process used long before Bullinger put pen
to paper to decide what was in the canon. It
has never been concealed that other works of equal or greater age existed.
It has been denied they ever were of God and intended to be in the Bible.
What a farce that today we still see those who speak of the ALost
Books of the Bible.@
Satan never rests, and the lie continues. The
Bible is complete under the protection of God Himself, and there is not one word
God intended to be in the canon that has been excluded.
Thus these books do exist, they however are not Scripture. They can be
interesting reading, and perhaps here and there a jewel of understanding of the
culture or history of the Bible extracted that helps a person understand the
intent of God in certain places within the Holy Writ.
Nonetheless, they are not canon as so aptly spoken in this paragraph of
the Helvetic. Above all listen to none who claim to have found lost or unknown
books or any other word that is equal to the Bible as received by the reformed
church from her birth and the universal church before that. The one who says the
Bible is the Word of God, but needs anything other than god the Holy Spirit to
provide illumination is a false prophet and to be resisted by all means
available. Two well known sects fit this description today: The Jehovah’s
Witness, and the Mormon Church, each require their own writings in addition to
the Scriptures to obtain God’s light for life and eternity. >
Luke
16:29, 31; 24:27, 44; II Tim. 3:15-16; John 5:46-47
Rev. 22:18-19; Rom. 3:2;
II Peter 1:21