John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
The idea of revelational epistemology holds that human knowledge of truth must ultimately rest on a source that is transcendent, yet simultaneously accessible to us. Such a foundation must be both beyond the confines of human reason (transcendent) and yet available for our understanding and discernment (immanent). For the Confessional Bibliologist, the only source of truth that meets these twin conditions is the Holy Scriptures. This perspective asserts that any meaningful epistemology, any true claim of knowledge, must be grounded in God’s self-revelation in the form of His Word.
But why is this necessary? And why is it only Scripture that can provide the transcendent yet immanent source of truth? In this article, we will examine these questions in the light of the Reformed Confessions and the doctrine of Scripture’s preservation.
The Need for a Transcendent and Immanent Source of Truth
Human knowledge is contingent. We are finite beings whose experience and reasoning capacities are limited. Without a truth-source that extends beyond human limitations, our knowledge would be entirely subjective, influenced by individual and cultural biases. Any claims to truth in such a framework would be susceptible to the relativism that marks much of contemporary thought.
Transcendence is essential because, without it, there would be no ultimate standard by which all other truth claims could be measured. There would be no unchanging foundation upon which to rest our confidence in what is real or what is good. Immanence is equally crucial because a transcendent source of truth must still be available for finite human beings to grasp. A purely distant deity or an impersonal source of truth would leave humanity without any means of accessing or understanding it.
Scripture as the Transcendent and Immanent Truth
Only in the Scriptures do we find a source of truth that meets both of these conditions. The Word of God is transcendent, as it is breathed out by the infinite, eternal, and unchangeable God (2 Timothy 3:16). It is not a product of human invention or subject to human alteration; it stands above and beyond the limitations of human reason. However, it is also immanent, as God has communicated His Word in human language, in ways and words understandable to us.
The Apostle Paul states in 1 Corinthians 2:12-13 that we receive the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given to us by God. The Scriptures present God’s truth in a form that is accessible to human readers. This means that the transcendent God speaks to His people in words they can understand, bridging the gap between His infinity and our finitude.
The Confessional Basis for the Authority and Preservation of Scripture
The Reformed Confessions, such as the Westminster Confession of Faith, make this clear when they declare that the authority of the Scriptures rests not on the testimony of any man or church but wholly on God, who is the author (WCF 1.4). It is God’s Word, and its authority is intrinsic to its nature as the divine revelation. This recognition implies that the Word must be complete, sufficient, and pure for it to serve as the ultimate standard of truth.
For a Confessional Bibliologist, the doctrine of preservation is not an afterthought but central to God’s revelation. If God has revealed His Word and intends it to be the source for evaluating all truth claims, then it follows that He would also preserve it. The Westminster Confession explicitly teaches that the Scriptures have been “kept pure in all ages” (WCF 1.8). God’s providential preservation of His Word is an extension of His self-revelation, ensuring that His people have the truth-source necessary for evaluating all truth claims throughout the generations.
Revelational Epistemology and Competing Views
In contrast to revelational epistemology stands the humanistic rationalism of the Enlightenment and its offspring, modern textual criticism. Figures like Richard Simon, whom John Owen critiqued as being heavily influenced by Enlightenment thought, posited that human reason was the final arbiter in textual matters. The prevailing assumption in this view is that through critical analysis, humans can reconstruct the original text of Scripture—a task that subtly shifts the source of ultimate truth from God’s revelation to human intellect.
Revelational epistemology opposes such approaches by grounding all knowledge claims in God’s unchanging Word. Confessional Bibliologists reject the notion that textual criticism should be centered on speculative reconstruction. Instead, they affirm the view of the Reformers and the Westminster Divines, who believed in the providential preservation of the pure Word of God. This approach does not require a “restoration” of the text, but rather acknowledges that the ecclesiastically recognized texts—such as the Textus Receptus and the Masoretic Hebrew Text—are the providentially preserved Word of God.
The Place of the Authorized Version
For Confessional Bibliologists, the Authorized Version (or the King James Version) holds a unique place as the faithful English translation of these preserved texts. Critics, like Mark Ward, have often argued against retaining the King James Bible based on perceived archaisms. However, this critique fails to grasp the centrality of revelational epistemology and the importance of a stable text in preserving the authority of God’s Word.
The Trinitarian Bible Society and many defenders of the confessional view maintain that the Authorized Version provides a reliable, time-tested translation that faithfully represents the preserved texts. Retaining such a translation ensures consistency in the church’s teaching and prevents the relativism that arises from constant revision and modern linguistic changes.
The Implications of Denying Revelational Epistemology
Without a transcendent and immanent source of truth, we are left with a skepticism that undermines the authority of God’s Word. Modern critical approaches, which attempt to subject Scripture to the scrutiny of human reason, ultimately place man as the judge over God’s revelation. This results in what can be called “textual atheism,” where confidence in the purity and authority of Scripture is eroded.
Such a view not only departs from the historic confessional standards but leaves the church without a firm foundation. If every generation must reconstruct the biblical text, then no generation can truly claim to have the authoritative Word of God. This is why Confessional Bibliologists emphasize the providential preservation of the ecclesiastical text and the necessity of a stable and enduring witness, as found in the Textus Receptus and Masoretic Text.
Conclusion: The Necessity of Holding to a Confessional View
Revelational epistemology demands that we recognize the Scriptures as the transcendent yet immanent source of truth. To deviate from this leads not only to confusion but to the collapse of any meaningful foundation for evaluating truth claims. God has revealed His Word, and He has preserved it through history. The Reformed Confessions affirm this, and the task of Confessional Bibliologists is to uphold and defend this view in the face of modern critical challenges.
For those within the Reformed tradition, maintaining the doctrine of preservation is not merely a matter of academic debate. It is foundational to the church’s confidence in the Scriptures as the Word of God. If we are to engage with the world and proclaim the truth of the Gospel, we must do so with a sure foundation—a foundation that rests not in the shifting sands of human reason but in the unchanging, preserved Word of God.
Confessional Bibliology provides a framework for understanding why the doctrine of preservation is central to the church’s epistemological foundation. The Scriptures are the transcendent and immanent source of all truth, and it is only by standing firmly on this foundation that the church can continue to proclaim the unchanging truth of God’s Word to a changing world.
In this light, confessional bibliology is not simply a return to old ideas, but a reaffirmation of the eternal truths of God’s Word as faithfully preserved and passed down to us. This view is not merely one option among many, but the only consistent expression of revelational epistemology, grounded in the confession that God’s Word is true, pure, and sufficient for all generations.
This is the call of Confessional Bibliology: to uphold the Scriptures as God’s authoritative, preserved, and sufficient revelation, against the skepticism of our age and the modern critical views that would undermine its authority. Only then can we faithfully say with the Apostle Paul, “For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.” (2 Corinthians 2:17, KJV).
In summary, the Confessional Bibliologist holds firmly to the transcendent and immanent authority of Scripture, grounded in God’s revelation and His preservation, recognizing that this alone provides the sure foundation for evaluating all truth claims.
