Strengths of the Bible in the Presbyterian Church

The Presbyterian church relies on the Bible as foundational doctrine.

The Presbyterian Church started with three basic tenets: faithful to God's Word, true to reformed or Calvinistic faith, and evangelizing according to the Great Commission. During the 1500s, John Calvin of Switzerland and John Knox of Scotland, rejected the authority of the Catholic Church and followed an outline of church organization known as the "presbytery." The denomination came to North America during the late 1600s. The church has long leaned on the Bible for foundational truths; however, not all Presbyterians adhere to these teachings.

Holy

Presbyterians believe the Bible to be holy in all its applications. They agree with the traditional Protestant view and collection of the books of the Old and New Testaments, as opposed to the Catholic collection, which includes the books of the Apocrypha. Because God desires to reveal Himself to man, he would, by design, preserve Scriptures as holy.

Inspired

The denomination also stands on the scripture of 2 Timothy 3: 16 that "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" Presbyterians agree with the belief that the Bible is "inspired," or "God-breathed." They compare Old Testament Scriptures with New Testament passages and quotations of Jesus, which were also found in the Old Testament, to confirm the inspiration of Scripture.

Unerring

Another foundational strength of Presbyterianism lies in the denomination's faithfulness to the Word of God. The church believes that the Bible was written completely without error. The Scriptures are the only way to know what to believe about God, his ways and methods and his works. This means that although the original manuscripts were given to man as inerrant, the copies and translations may hold minor discrepancies because of difficulties in translation or interpretation of some words or thoughts. The church resolves these difficulties through comparison of the earliest manuscripts from the most reliable sources.

Rule of Faith and Practice

The denomination further teaches that the Scriptures provide a guidebook for faith and walking out that faith. They believe that Presbyterianism doctrine follows the Bible and agrees with its teachings. Any practical questions of walking out one's faith in a practical, daily way can be answered by the Word of God, as Romans 10: 17 bears out: "Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God."

References

• Bible Study Tools: 2 Timothy 3 (King James Version)
• PCA History: What Presbyterians Believe; Rev. G. Aiken Taylor, Ph.D.
• Eastern Heights Presbyterian Church: Home
• Wayside Church: A Brief History of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA); Dr. Marshall C. St. John