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 PrintableVersion A clear and present wordThe clarity of ScriptureIs the Bible understandable?A CLEAR AND PRESENT WORD Christian believers are able to understand the message of the Bible clearly, without the need for authoritative interpretation handed down to them by the church (or any other institution). Of course, preaching is helpful, indeed essential, for improving our understanding of Scripture and particularly for applying it to our hearts, minds and lives. But nevertheless, the Christian believer can be confident that he can come to the Word for himself and understand what it has to say to him. This principle lies at the foundation of the Reformation. Evangelicals have held to it ever since. However, in recent years it has come under strong attack. We are told that the Bible is, in fact, a very difficult book to understand. It was written a very long time ago, in a very different culture from our own. What hope, then, can we have of understanding its true meaning, and how can we be sure that it has anything relevant to say to us anyway? If we believe it to be, in some sense, inspired by God, how can we be sure that the human author has correctly conveyed the meaning that God intended? And, in any case, language is such a slippery thing. How can we have any confidence that our particular understanding of a passage in any way coincides with the message that the author had in mind? It is best, then (so runs the conclusion), to leave these things to experts — biblical scholars schooled in dealing with these difficulties — who can, tentatively (and generally without unanimity), convey to us what they think a particular passage might possibly be saying. So we are back to pre-Reformation days then, when ordinary believers had little hope of understanding the Bible for themselves? No, we are not. The old Reformation doctrine of the clarity of Scripture still stands, and Mark Thompson clearly and persuasively shows us why. He takes on those who attack this doctrine from different angles, and demonstrates where and how they go wrong. His arguments are biblically, theologically and philosophically well defended and sound. He states his case with the clarity which his subject demands, and shows us that we can continue to have confidence in the clarity of meaning of the infallible Word, given by a God, who himself originated the use of words to convey meaning. This is an excellent treatment of a most important doctrine. It is not all an easy read. But it is not long, and the more difficult is-sues are explained well. Pastors and preachers, and all who are concerned at the decline in confidence in Scripture as the ‘clear and present Word’, will benefit greatly from studying this book. Robert Strivens,
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