Clarity
Clarity is the teaching that Scripture communicates God’s truth plainly enough for its main message to be understood. It does not mean that every passage is equally easy or that all interpretation questions are simple.
At a Glance
Clarity is the teaching that Scripture communicates God’s truth plainly enough for its main message to be understood. It does not mean that every passage is equally easy or that all interpretation questions are simple.
Description
Clarity, often called the perspicuity of Scripture, is the doctrine that God has given his Word in a form that truly communicates. Scripture is not obscure in its central message: what God is like, humanity’s sin, God’s saving work in Christ, and the call to faith and obedience can be understood through ordinary reading under God’s help. At the same time, the doctrine does not claim that every text is equally plain or that sincere interpreters never disagree. Some passages are difficult, and believers benefit from teachers, the wider church, and sound methods of interpretation. A careful evangelical statement, therefore, is that the Bible is sufficiently clear in its essential teaching, while humility is needed in handling texts that are more complex or disputed.