Position
Scripture, the saving revelation of God in Jesus Christ, addresses us with full
divine authority in its total extent and in all its parts, and therefore the
CRC speaks of the Bible as the inspired and infallible Word of God. The authority
of Scripture is inseparable from the historical reality of the events recorded
in it. Interpreted historical events are presented in Scripture not simply as
isolated events but for their revelational meaning. Scripture is self-authenticating;
it is not dependent on the findings of science, but these findings may lead to
a better understanding of Scripture and must be developed within a Christian
community which is faithful to the authority of Scripture.
Biblical studies must be done carefully, with
emphasis upon what Scripture itself says and without the use of interpretive
methods that exclude or question the event character or revelational intent
of biblical history and thereby compromise the full authority of the Word
of God.
Freedom of interpretation within the bounds of Scripture and of the creeds
is to be respected. The authority of Scripture is to be believed and confessed
as
an article of faith and is to be consistently applied and practiced in the
life and ministry of the church.
History
The issue of biblical authority was raised because of theological unrest
in the Netherlands in 1969 and the influence of that unrest on the CRC.
The initial overtures on this subject, to Synod 1969, were concerned
about CRC seminarians going to study at the Free University of Amsterdam,
where professors were teaching new methods of interpreting Scripture,
especially the first chapters of Genesis. Synod 1968 denied the overtures
to look into the matter because they concerned teachings of men from
another denomination. However, the following year, synod agreed that
the issue was also affecting the CRC and therefore commissioned a study
committee. In 1971 the report of that study committee was referred to
the churches and to the Reformed Ecumenical Synod. In 1972 seven recommendations
from the report were adopted, and the report was published for further
study under the title "The Nature and Extent of Biblical Authority." Objections
to the report in subsequent years were not sustained by synod.
References
Acts of Synod 1968, pp. 93-95, 574-77, 584, 588
Acts of Synod 1969, pp. 101, 501-04
Acts of Synod 1970, pp. 53, 240
Acts of Synod 1971, pp. 102-03, 106, 128, 459-95, 664-65
Acts of Synod 1972, pp. 66-69, 493-546, 627-28, 641, 644-47
Acts of Synod 1973, pp. 33-34, 46, 717, 731-33
Acts of Synod 1974, pp. 105, 644-45
Acts of Synod 1977, pp. 98-101, 682-84, 699
