A Faith to Confess: The Baptist Confession
of Faith of 1689
Rewritten in Modern English
©1975, Carey Publications, Ltd.,
75 Woodhill Road, Leeds, U.K., LS16 7BZ
The Holy Scripture is the all-sufficient, certain and infallible
rule or standard of the knowledge, faith and obedience that
constitute salvation. Although the light of nature, and God's
works of creation and providence, give such clear testimony to
His goodness, wisdom and power that men who spurn them are
left inexcusable, yet they are not sufficient of themselves to give
that knowledge of God and His will which is necessary for
salvation. In consequence the merciful Lord from time to time
and in a variety of ways has revealed Himself, and made known
His will to His church. And furthermore, in order to ensure the
preservation and propagation of the truth, and the establishment
and comfort of the church against the corrupt nature of man and
the malice of Satan and the world, He caused this revelation of
Himself and His will to be written down in all its fullness. And
as the manner in which God formerly revealed His will has long
ceased, the Holy Scripture becomes absolutely essential to men.
Pss 19:1-3; Prov 22:19-21; Isa 8:20; Luke 16:29,31; Rom 1:19-21, 2:14-15, 15:4; Eph 2:20; 2Tim 3:15-17; Heb 1:1; 2Pet 1:19-20.
The Holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, consists of the following books which together make up the Old and New Testaments:
Genesis | 1 Kings | Ecclesiastes | Amos |
Exodus | 2 Kings | Song of Solomon | Obadiah |
Leviticus | 1 Chronicles | (or Canticles) | Jonah |
Numbers | 2 Chronicles | Isaiah | Micah |
Deuteronomy | Ezra | Jeremiah | Nahum |
Joshua | Nehemiah | Lamentations | Habakkuk |
Judges | Esther | Ezekiel | Zephaniah |
Ruth | Job | Daniel | Haggai |
1 Samuel | Psalms | Hosea | Zechariah |
2 Samuel | Proverbs | Joel | Malachi |
Matthew | Ephesians | James |
Mark | Philippians | 1 Peter |
Luke | Colossians | 2 Peter |
John | 1 Thessalonians | 1 John |
Acts of the | 2 Thessalonians | 2 John |
Apostles | 1 Timothy | 3 John |
Romans | 2 Timothy | Jude |
1 Corinthians | Titus | Revelation |
2 Corinthians | Philemon | |
Galatians | Hebrews |
All these books are given by the inspiration of God to be the
rule or standard of faith and life.
2Tim 3:16.
The books commonly called the Apocrypha were not given
by divine inspiration and are not part of the canon or rule of
Scripture. Therefore they do not possess any authority in the
church of God, and are to be regarded and used in the same way
as other writings of men.
Luke 24:27,44; Rom 3:2.
The Scripture is self-authenticating. Its authority does not
depend upon the testimony of any man or church, but entirely
upon God, its author, who is truth itself. It is to be received
because it is the Word of God.
1Thess 2:13; 2Tim 3:16; 2Pet 1:19-21; 1John 5:9.
The testimony of the church of God may influence and
persuade us to hold the Scripture in the highest esteem. The
heavenliness of its contents, the efficacy of its doctrine, the
majesty of its style, the agreement between all its parts from first
to last, the fact that throughout it gives all glory to God, the full
revelation it gives of the only way of salvation-these, together
with many other incomparably high qualities and full perfections,
supply abundant evidence that it is the Word of God. At the
same time, however, we recognize that our full persuasion and
assurance of its infallible truth and divine authority is the outcome
of the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and
with the Word in our hearts.
John 16:13-14; 1Cor 2:10-12; 1John 2:20,27.
The sum total of God's revelation concerning all things essential to His own glory, and to the salvation and faith and life of men, is either explicitly set down or implicitly contained in the Holy Scripture. Nothing, whether a supposed revelation of the Spirit or man's traditions, is ever to be added to Scripture.
At the same time, however, we acknowledge that inward
enlightenment from the Spirit of God is necessary for the right
understanding of what Scripture reveals. We also accept that
certain aspects of the worship of God and of church government,
which are matters of common usage, are to be determined by the
light of nature and Christian common sense, in line with the
general rules of God's Word from which there must be no
departure.
John 6:45; 1Cor 2:9-12, 11:13-14, 14:26,40; Gal 1:8-9; 2Tim 3:15-17.
The contents of the Scripture vary in their degree of clarity,
and some men have a better understanding of them than others.
Yet those things which are essential to man's salvation and which
must be known, believed and obeyed, are so clearly propounded
and explained in one place or another, that men educated or
uneducated may attain to a sufficient understanding of them if
they but use the ordinary means.
Pss 19:7, 119:130; 2Pet 3:16.
The Old Testament in Hebrew and the New Testament in
Greek (that is to say, in their original languages before translation)
were inspired by God at first hand, and ever since, by His
particular care and providence, they have been kept pure. They
are therefore authentic and, for the church, constitute the final
court of appeal in all religious controversies. All God's people
have a right to, and an interest in, the Scripture, and they are
commanded in the fear of God to read and search it. But as
the Hebrew and Greek are not known to all such readers, Scripture is to be translated into every human language, so that as men
thus acquire knowledge of God they may worship Him in an
acceptable manner, and 'through patience and comfort of the
Scriptures may have hope'.
Isa 8:20; John 5:39; Acts 15:15; Rom 3:2, 15:4; 1Cor 14:6,9,11-12,24,28; Col 3:16.
It is an infallible rule that Scripture is to be interpreted by
Scripture, that is to say, one part by another. Hence any dispute
as to the true, full and evident meaning of a particular passage
must be determined in the light of clearer, comparable passages.
Acts 15:15-16; 2Pet 1:20-21.
All religious controversies are to be settled by Scripture, and
by Scripture alone. All decrees of Councils, opinions of ancient
writers, and doctrines of men collectively or individually, are
similarly to be accepted or rejected according to the verdict of
the Scripture given to us by the Holy Spirit. In that verdict
faith finds its final rest.
Mat 22:29,31-32; Acts 28:23; Eph 2:20.
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