WCF 1.2

Westminster Confession of Faith

1.2. Of the Holy Scripture

Under the name of Holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the books of the Old and New Testament, which are these: Of the Old Testament: Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua Judges Ruth I. Samuel II. Samuel I. Kings II. Kings I. Chronicles II. Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Esther Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes The Song of Songs Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi Of the New Testament: The Gospels according to Matthew Mark Luke John The Acts of the Apostles Paul’s Epistles To the Romans Corinthians I. Corinthians II. Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians Thessalonians I. Thessalonians II. To Timothy I. To Timothy II. To Titus To Philemon The Epistle to the Hebrews The Epistle of James The first and second Epistles of Peter The first, second, and third Epistles of John The Epistle of Jude The Revelation of John All which are given by inspiration of God, to be the rule of faith and life.

Proof texts

Luke 16:29, 31 — [29] But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ [31] He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”
Eph. 2:20 — [20] built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,
Rev. 22:18, 19 — [18] I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, [19] and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
2 Tim. 3:16 — [16] All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

For discussion

The Assembly cited Luke 16:29, 31 in support of this answer. Read it in context — how does it bear on what is claimed here?
4 passages are cited here. Which does the most work, and is anything claimed that the proofs do not obviously carry?
WSC Q2 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?
WLC Q3 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?

Read alongside

WSC Q2 · WLC Q3 · WLC Q1 · WLC Q2 · WLC Q4 · WLC Q5 · WSC Q1 · WSC Q3 · BC 1.1 · BC 1.2 · HC Q1 · HC Q2 · BC 1.3 · BC 1.4 · BC 1.5 · BC 1.6 · BC 1.7 · 1689 1.1 · SD 1.1 · IAR 1.1 · SC60 6.4 · SHC 1.1 · SHC 1.2

Leader's notes

A Commentary on the Confession of Faith (A.A. Hodge): this section teaches — 3d. That all the canonical Scriptures were divinely inspired, and are thus given us as an authoritative rvle of faith and practice. The books of Scripture were written by the instrumentality of men, and the national and personal peculiarities of their authors have been evidently as freely expressed in their writing, and their natural faculti(«i, intellectual and moral, as freely exercised in their production, as those of the authors of any other writings. Nevertheless, these books are, one and all, in thought and verbal expression, in substance and form, wholly the Word of God, conveying, with absolute accuracy and divine authority, all that God meant them to convey, without any human additions or admixtures. This was…

An Exposition of the Confession of Faith (Robert Shaw): These sections relate to the true canon, and the divine inspiration of the Holy Scriptures. In opposition to the Romish Church, which reckons the apocryphal books of equal authority with the Scriptures, it is asserted that these books are no part of the canon of the Scripture ; and in opposition to the Deists, who deny that the Scriptures of the Old and New 8 CONFESSION OP FAITH. QciIAP, I. Testaments are the Word of God, it is affirmed that all the sacred books are given by inspiration of God. The term Scriptures signifies writings in general, but is appropriated to the Word of God, which is also, by way of eminency, called the Bible, or 600^, because it is…