What the WCF says about Scripture
1. Although the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men unexcusable; yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of his will, which is necessary unto salvation. Therefore it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal himself, and to declare that his will unto his church; and afterwards, for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing: which maketh the Holy Scripture to be most necessary; those former ways of God’s revealing his will unto his people being now ceased.
2. Under the name of Holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the books of the Old and New Testaments, which are these:
| Genesis | II Chronicles | Daniel |
| Exodus | Ezra | Hosea |
| Leviticus | Nehemiah | Joel |
| Numbers | Esther | Amos |
| Deuteronomy | Job | Obadiah |
| Joshua | Psalms | Jonah |
| Judges | Proverbs | Micah |
| Ruth | Ecclesiastes | Nahum |
| I Samuel | The Song of Songs | Habakkuk |
| II Samuel | Isaiah | Zephaniah |
| I Kings | Jeremiah | Haggai |
| II Kings | Lamentations | Zechariah |
| I Chronicles | Ezekiel | Malachi |
| The Gospels | Galatians | The Epistle |
| according to: | Ephesians | of James |
| Matthew | Philippians | The first and |
| Mark | Colossians | second Epistles |
| Luke | Thessalonians I | of Peter |
| John | Thessalonians II | The first, second, |
| The Acts of the | to Timothy I | and third Epistles |
| Apostles | to Timothy II | of John |
| Paul’s Epistles to: | Titus | The Epistle |
| the Romans | to Philemon | of Jude |
| Corinthians I | The Epistle to | The Revelation |
| Corinthians II | the Hebrews | of John |
All which are given by inspiration of God to be the rule of faith and life.
For further study see:
- Dr. Chad van Dixhoorn, “The Westminster Assembly and Scripture”
- WSC Q2: What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him?
- WSC Q3: What do the Scriptures principally teach?
- WLC 2: How does it appear that there is a God?
- WLC 3: What is the Word of God?
- WLC 4: How does it appear that the Scriptures are the Word of God?
- WLC 5: What do the Scriptures principally teach?
- WLC 6: What do the Scriptures make known of God?
