The Message of Scripture

When I was cruzin' the streets of the Tri-Cities, WA there was this song which was a big hit in the summertime of the late 60's. It was by the Lovin' Spoonful called "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind". Here is the first stanza:

Did you ever have to make up your mind
Pick up on one and leave the other behind
It's not often easy and not often kind
Did you ever have to make up your mind

I thought about that song as I finished my morning scripture reading and found myself wanting to pray for a clear understanding of what I was reading. I was thinking - "I have got to make up my mind about some things."

Then I caught myself and thought - "Why do I need to pray for a clear understanding? Isn't there this idea of perspicuity - that scripture is plain in what it teaches and has no intent to deceive or mislead?" Of course it does. (The Blue Letter Bible has a nice discussion on it.)

My wife and I are currently attending a PCA church. This is a first for me and a repeat for her - at least from her younger days. I have never been totally familiar with the PCA so it's been a real learning experience for me. The big plus is that we are right now taking a "LEAD" class - a leadership class that is going over the major doctrines and teachings of the PCA. The class is intended for future deacons, elders, teachers, etc. However, it was a class that was open to anyone, so we decided to go and learn. And what a learning experience it has been!

The second week in, we dealt with this concept of perspicuity. Of course nothing could be further from the truth if you look at it realistically. If people truly believed that idea, then Calvin would have been dismissed years ago as well as Arminius, I suppose. Nevertheless, those two men continue to influence the "doctrine of salvation and justification" to this day.

In the Westminster Confession, here is what it says about perspicuity:

II. All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all:[15] 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.  (Section 1 VII)

It seems, at least to me, that this idea is rather narrowly focused only to "salvation" and not to a clear understanding of scripture as a whole. Which is an accurate description for the PCA since they are rather convoluted when it comes to other areas of scripture, predestination and the elect being just a couple.

Nevertheless, I have entered the study of these things with a fairly open mind. But I must say, when I read the text - the whole text of scripture simply for what it says, I find it very difficult to see how they devise the things they devise in terms of their understanding. But they must do a good job of it, since greater minds than I will ever have subscribe to their doctrine and theology and millions of people are apparently in the elect and many others are simply doomed by GOD to eternal destruction, no questions asked.

Well, I suppose I could ask one question, but then their trump card of sovereignty goes on the table and their eyes glaze over.