Practical Implications for the Church and Theology
Series Title: “Understanding Confessional Bibliology: Historical, Theological, and Practical Perspectives”
Introduction
Having addressed common misconceptions in Article 5—distinguishing Confessional Bibliology from KJV-Onlyism, anti-intellectualism, and dismissiveness of manuscript data—we now turn to the practical outworkings of Confessional Bibliology for local church life and broader theological discourse. This sixth article spotlights how a confessional commitment to the providentially preserved Hebrew and Greek Scriptures affects:
- Preaching and Pastoral Ministry: How pastors approach the pulpit and the text with confidence, without second-guessing entire passages.
- Catechesis and Confessional Teaching: The role of a stable text in Sunday School, doctrinal instruction, and lay discipleship.
- Hermeneutics and Application: The difference a confessional textual stance makes in biblical interpretation and the Reformed “rule of faith.”
- Implications for Interdenominational Dialogue: How these convictions can foster unity (or tension) among conservative Reformed bodies and in dialogue with other Evangelical traditions.
The aim is to illustrate that Confessional Bibliology is not a mere theoretical stance for theological debate. Instead, it has significant real-life ramifications for how Scripture is preached, taught, and applied in the life of the Church. When pastors and leaders embrace the Reformed confessions’ claim that the original-language text was “kept pure in all ages,” they approach Scripture with a settled assurance that it remains the Church’s infallible rule.
I. Preaching and Pastoral Ministry
1. Confidence in the Pulpit
One of the most immediate and tangible benefits of Confessional Bibliology is the pastor’s confidence in declaring, “Thus saith the Lord,” without the nagging caveat that “the earliest manuscripts omit these verses.” For many modern ministers who rely on translations built on Critical Text reconstructions, entire passages (like John 7:53–8:11, Mark 16:9–20) come with disclaimers in footnotes or brackets, leaving the preacher to decide whether to skip them, preach them with reservations, or repeatedly mention “some manuscripts do not have this.”
By contrast, a confessional pastor, convinced that God preserved the text recognized historically by the Reformed churches (the Textus Receptus in the New Testament and the Masoretic text in the Old Testament), can exposit these passages freely. As a result, the congregation hears the sermon in a posture of faith rather than doubt.
- Example: Why I Preach from the Received Text, an anthology of essays by Reformed pastors, repeatedly testifies that adopting a confessional textual stance liberated them from perpetual disclaimers. They can treat Mark 16:9–20 or John 7:53–8:11 as genuine Scripture, just as Reformed expositors historically did.
- Historical Precedent: John Calvin in his commentaries rarely expresses doubt about entire paragraphs or verses. Similarly, the Westminster divines never cast suspicion on these longer passages. This continuity fosters a sense of standing on the same spiritual foundation as the Reformers and Puritans.
In sum, a confessional textual posture gives pastors boldness: rather than filtering what they preach by the margin notes of the latest critical edition, they rely on the historically recognized text of Scripture. This sense of stability often translates into a more authoritative and cohesive preaching ministry.
2. Avoiding Constant Footnote Confusion
Modern translations often incorporate footnotes like “Some manuscripts omit verse 37” or “Earliest manuscripts do not include 16:9–20.” While disclaimers can be academically honest, they can also breed confusion or skepticism among congregants—especially new believers or young Christians who wonder if large sections are spurious. A confessional pastor who stands on the Received Text tradition sees these disclaimers as overstatements because the mainstream of Christian usage throughout centuries included those verses. Indeed, confessional bibliologists do not claim there were no variants; they claim the orthodox Church consistently recognized the genuine readings.
From a pastoral angle, removing or reducing these textual disclaimers fosters a sense that the Bible is a unified, consistent message. Parishioners learn to trust the text as it stands, rather than always asking, “Does this line truly belong in Scripture?”
II. Catechesis and Confessional Teaching
1. Consistency with Historic Catechisms
Reformed catechisms and confessions frequently cite verses that modern textual critics might question or bracket. For instance:
- Mark 16:16 is used in many confessional statements about baptism or faith.
- Acts 8:37 (the Ethiopian Eunuch’s confession of faith) appears in older Reformed commentaries and confessional usage to underscore that baptism requires personal confession of Christ.
A confessional approach ensures that the catechism’s proof texts remain coherent with the congregation’s actual Bible. If the pastor teaches the Westminster Larger Catechism, referencing Mark 16:16 for baptism, but the congregation’s modern translation footnotes or omits Mark 16:9–20, confusion arises. By adopting the text historically aligned with those confessions, believers see direct synergy between confessional documents and their Scripture in hand.
Hence, Confessional Bibliology helps maintain doctrinal continuity. The same passages cited by the Reformers and Puritans remain a seamless part of the local church’s teaching today, bridging centuries of confessional heritage.
2. Sunday School and Lay Instruction
The stability of a confessional textual stance also aids in children’s and youth catechesis:
- Memory Verses: Teachers need not worry that next year’s edition of the Bible might “remove” or question certain lines.
- Consistency: Students are less likely to ask, “Why does my teacher say 1 John 5:7 is part of Scripture, but my footnotes say it might not be?”
- Confidence-building: In an era of skepticism, having the local church and its teaching materials present Scripture consistently fosters trust in the Word from a young age.
Additionally, in adult discipleship, confessional bibliology highlights that the entire Scripture we read is embraced by centuries of Reformed believers, not an arbitrary patchwork of academic best-guesses. This stabilizes the congregation’s view of Scripture as living, unchanging truth.
3. Reinforcing Biblical Authority
When catechism or Sunday School materials rely on an unchanging text, the entire congregation grows in the conviction that “the Word of our God shall stand for ever” (Isa. 40:8). This is especially potent for new converts who might previously have been told that “the Bible is hopelessly corrupted.” Catechesis under a confessional text stance systematically dismantles such skepticism, demonstrating that the Reformation confessions themselves assume a stable text that God preserved.
III. Hermeneutics and Application
1. Confessional Hermeneutics: Authority, Clarity, Sufficiency
Reformed hermeneutics, historically speaking, revolve around three hallmark attributes of Scripture: authority, clarity (perspicuity), and sufficiency. Confessional Bibliology supports these attributes at a textual level:
- Authority: If large swaths or entire verses are uncertain, the Bible’s authority in controversies is undercut. A stable confessional text ensures we can definitively say, “The Scripture teaches this,” without deferring to scholarly disclaimers.
- Clarity: The Reformation asserted that Scripture is comprehensible to believers. Constant references to textual omissions or disclaimers can cause perplexity, counteracting the notion of clarity. A stable text helps preserve the principle of perspicuity.
- Sufficiency: Scripture is fully sufficient for faith and practice, meaning no extrabiblical traditions or “missing” verses are needed. If we truly suspect parts of the text might be spurious, that sufficiency suffers. Confessional bibliology undergirds sufficiency by maintaining the entire counsel of God is intact.
Hence, from a hermeneutical standpoint, confessional bibliology anchors the interpretive process on a reliably recognized body of Scripture, mirroring how Reformed theologians for four centuries treated the biblical text.
2. Contrast with Approaches Subordinating Scripture
In more postmodern or purely historical-critical frameworks, Scripture can be subjected to external judgments that treat certain passages as likely later additions or editorial expansions. This fosters an environment where:
- Some passages are effectively sidelined in theological formulation (e.g., the Great Commission text in Mark 16:15–16).
- Readers are taught to approach the text with suspicion, always checking if it might be an interpolation.
Confessional Bibliology counters that approach, insisting that the Church’s recognized text is the God-given Scripture. This ensures a continuity in application: we do not skip or bracket entire sections of, say, the final verses of Mark or the Pericope Adulterae. Instead, we interpret them as integral parts of the biblical canon.
3. Examples of Application Confidence
- The Johannine Comma (1 John 5:7): Historically used by Reformed scholastics to illustrate the Trinity. A confessional stance freely cites it, acknowledging that while it’s controversial in modern textual criticism, it stands within the older Reformed usage.
- Acts 8:37: Confessional tradition uses it to highlight that baptism follows a confession of faith—something that neatly fits Reformed teaching on believer’s profession.
- Matthew 1:7–8 (Asa vs. Asaph): Confessional editors see “Asa” and “Amon” (v. 10) as correct genealogical references, aligning with the Old Testament genealogies. They interpret any “Asaph” or “Amos” reading as scribal confusion. This fosters a coherent biblical storyline rather than a genealogical mismatch.
In each scenario, confessional hermeneutics treat these texts with full authority, applying them devotionally, doctrinally, and ethically.
IV. Implications for Interdenominational Dialogue
1. Fostering Unity Among Confessional Churches
Interestingly, Confessional Bibliology can unite Reformed Presbyterians and Baptists who share the same confessions—Westminster Confession of Faith or 2LBCF. Because they hold the same theological premise that Scripture was never lost, they tend to share textual convictions, even if they differ on ecclesiology or sacramental views.
For instance, Presbyterian and Reformed Baptist congregations might both read from a text or translation that stands in the TR tradition (like the KJV, NKJV, or a faithful foreign-language equivalent). This mutual textual ground can enhance fellowship and cross-pollination in exegesis. They see themselves as preserving the vantage of Owen, Turretin, Ussher, and others—the confessional mainstream.
2. Tensions with Broader Evangelical Circles
In broader Evangelical communities, the standard might be translations derived from the Critical Text (e.g., ESV, NIV). For confessional bibliologists, fellowship remains possible if all affirm Scripture’s divine inspiration. However, tensions might arise:
- Public Readings: If a joint service with non-confessional evangelicals uses a version that brackets Mark 16:9–20, the confessional pastor might be hesitant to omit that portion.
- Doctrinal Debates: Some “lowest common denominator” evangelical statements of faith talk about “inerrant autographs” but allow or even encourage modern textual fluidity. Confessional bibliologists are cautious that such fluidity might undermine sola scriptura in practical terms.
Still, gracious dialogue can exist, clarifying the difference in textual approach. Many evangelicals who discover the confessional textual stance appreciate its historical continuity, even if they do not fully adopt it.
3. Standing Firm Yet Extending Gracious Conversation
Confessional bibliologists aim neither to isolate themselves from all non-TR believers nor to downplay the significance of textual differences. They typically engage evangelicals with:
- Historical Evidence: Showing that the Reformed Church used the TR for centuries.
- Doctrinal Rationale: Explaining how WCF 1.8 or 2LBCF 1.8 implies a stable text.
- Cooperation in Missions: Possibly allowing that while a mission partner uses an ESV, confessional convictions about the text can remain non-divisive if fundamental doctrines are upheld.
In the end, these dialogues can highlight that confessional textual convictions can be a valuable alternative to the unsettled “critical text” norm—an option some evangelicals might embrace if they value Reformation confessions.
Conclusion
Article 6 has illustrated the practical implications of a confessional textual stance for:
- Preaching and Pastoral Ministry: A stable text engenders boldness from the pulpit, free from constant disclaimers.
- Catechesis and Confessional Teaching: By retaining Scripture passages historically used in confessions and catechisms, the congregation experiences consistent, confident instruction.
- Hermeneutics and Application: The entire Scripture is treated as authoritative, clear, and sufficient; entire passages remain intact for doctrinal and devotional use.
- Interdenominational Dialogue: Confessional bibliology can unify Reformed groups around a stable text, though it may present challenges in broader evangelical settings that rely on eclectic modern critical editions.
These practical benefits flow from the same convictions the Reformed confessions articulate: that Scripture was once given by inspiration and continuously preserved by divine providence. For the local church, the effect is a cohesive approach to Scripture that fosters trust, nurtures disciples, and avoids the skepticism bred by endless textual revision.
In the next article—Article 7—we shift from local church application to the wider Evangelical and academic spheres, probing how Confessional Bibliology interacts with contemporary scholarship, including debates around new papyri, the CBGM method, and how a confessional vantage might offer constructive critique. Through it all, the confessional principle remains: the Word of our God, reliably preserved, endures forever.
