God's Word is a Lamp to my Feet

Since my last post concerned that treasure which is the Book of Concord, I thought it most highly appropriate that this post be focused on the Word of God (the Bible) which is handed down to us children to lead us to and deliver us to Jesus Christ crucified, risen, and ascended for our salvation.


The concern of some, always, whenever I discuss studying the Book of Concord is "doesn't that mean you're resting your faith 'in the wisdom of men' and not 'in the power of God'?" (see 1 Cor. 2:1-5). But take note! The  Book of Concord faithfully confesses not its own words, but that Word of God which we call the Holy Scriptures. Much like the creeds (Apostles', Nicene, Athanasian), the Lutheran Confessions are a faithful summary of Scripture, not a replacement.


And the Word of God, as it is delivered to us in the Holy Scriptures, is just that— GOD'S own words. Since it is entirely inspired by the Holy Spirit, that means that God Himself is the author of every Word of Scripture— a Scripture which is given to us in order to bear witness to Jesus Christ the Son of God and make us wise unto salvation (see 2 Timothy 3:14-17).


In other words, it's God's Word and nothing but God's Word (so help me God!) The Confessions themselves freely and openly acknowledge this when they state  that we also believe, teach, and confess that "the true rule is this: God's Word shall establish articles of faith, and no one else, not even an angel can do so (Galatians 1:8)" (SA,II,ii,15). The prophetic and apostolic writings of the Old and New Testament alone," in fact, are "the only rule and norm according to which all doctrines, together with all teachers, should be evaluated and judged" (FC, Ep, Rule and Norm, 1).

The Word of God, in other words, that inexhaustible treasure, that living spring, can never be replaced, added to, minimized, or modified. Our translations of God's Word may change (hopefully always for the better), but God's Word itself is constant. We can write confessions that state what we believe the Bible teachers, but we can never replace Scripture— only struggle daily to take it in, to understand it (i.e. read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest it), and so come to know the Christ to which Scripture witnesses. By faith, we affirm that Scripture is powerful and efficacious, and that it alone is the source of all we believe and confess.


Take a moment, if you will, to read this excerpt from the writings of Ephraim the Syrian, a fourth-century deacon (A+D ca. 306-373) who wrote an extensive body of poetry and hymns. It is a paean of praise to God's Word:

Lord, who can comprehend even one of your words? We lose more of it than we grasp, like those who drink from a living spring. For God’s word offers different facets according to the capacity of the listener, and the Lord has portrayed His message in many colors, so that whoever gazes upon it can see in it what suits Him. Within it He has buried manifold treasures, so that each of us might grow rich in seeking them out.

The word of God is a tree of life that offers us blessed fruit from each of its branches. It is like that rock which was struck open in the wilderness, from which all were offered spiritual drink. As the Apostle says: They ate spiritual food and they drank spiritual drink.

And so whenever anyone discovers some part of the treasure, he should not think that he has exhausted God’s word. Instead he should feel that this is all that he was able to find of the wealth contained in it. Nor should he say that the word is weak and sterile or look down on it simply because this portion was all that he happened to find. But precisely because he could not capture it all he should give thanks for its riches.

Be glad then that you are overwhelmed, and do not be saddened because he has overcome you. A thirsty man is happy when he is drinking, and he is not depressed because he cannot exhaust the spring. So let this spring quench your thirst, and not your thirst the spring. For if you can satisfy your thirst without exhausting the spring, then when you thirst again you can drink from it once more; but if when your thirst is sated the spring is also dried up, then your victory would turn to harm.

Be thankful then for what you have received, and do not be saddened at all that such an abundance still remains. What you have received and attained is your present share, while what is left will be your heritage. For what you could not take at one time because of your weakness, you will be able to grasp at another if you only persevere. So do not foolishly try to drain in one draught what cannot be consumed all at once, and do not cease out of faintheartedness from what you will be able to absorb as time goes on.

Indented quotation excerpted from Ephraim's commentary on Tatian's Diatessaron (a harmonization of the four Gospel accounts according to Sts. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). Book of Concord quotations from Concordia: the Lutheran Confessions, a Reader's Edition of the Book of Concord, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2005.