Authority of Scripture in the Episcopal Church
Over the past several decades, The Episcopal Church has sought in its public image to distinguish itself from fundamentalism and the over-literalism that comes along with it. And yet at the same time, Holy Scripture is such a huge part of who we are and how we conduct ourselves. One way of understanding this is The Episcopal Church draws its inspiration from large swaths of Scripture. While you may not hear an Episcopalian quoting chapter and verse on a particular topic, you will notice as you get to know him or her, that their life is shaped by the sacred stories that we hear in worship again and again. Episcopalians are more likely to paraphrase familiar passages as they struggle with the ethical implications of a decision. Such an approach is more subtle, and it does take more time, but the end result is one that permeates the entire person.
As early as the sixteenth century, the Book of Common Prayer developed a practice where, through Morning and Evening Prayer, faithful people would be exposed to a large amount of Scripture throughout the year. The Psalms were arranged in a thirty-day cycle, so that a person would pray the entire Psalter once every month. The Old Testament readings were arranged so that you would read through the entire Old Testament once per year, and the entire New Testament three times. Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, in his preface to the first Book of Common Prayer, described the benefits as follows:
" ... that the people (by daily hearing of holy Scripture read in the Church) should
continually profit more and more in the knowledge of God, and be the more inflamed with
the love of his true religion. (Preface to the first Book of Common Prayer, BCP pg. 866)"
I personally think such an approach is a lot like brewing tea. You would never consume the tea leaves whole, but you would allow them to steep in the hot water. Over time, the water itself is transformed into something that exceeds both of the original ingredients.
Spending time with Scripture is still encouraged as a practice in the Church. If a person does not participate in the Daily Office, personal Bible study also has it's benefits. The Collect for Proper 28, which always falls in mid November, reads as follows:
"Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, pg. 236)"
Within this collect, we can identify certain points of doctrine:
- Holy Scripture is good for learning.
- We are to "Inwardly Digest" them.
- This aids in the process of embracing and holding fast to the promise of everlasting life.
- This is a gift from Jesus Christ.
Up until now, we have been examining the practice of studying Scripture. This still begs the question as to what The Episcopal Church officially teaches about the authority of Scripture. To understand this, we will turn to both modern and historical sources within the Church. To be brief, The Church teaches that Scripture contains in it all things necessary for salvation. This is explicitly mentioned in every ordination service.
"... I solemnly declare that I do believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, and to contain all things necessary to salvation; (Book of Common Prayer, pg. 526)
Whether it's a deacon, priest, or a bishop, each ordinand is required to proclaim these two things:
- The Old and New Testament is the Word of God.
- They contain all things necessary for salvation.
These beliefs were expounded upon in Article VI of the 39 Articles. "Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the Faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. (Book of Common Prayer pg. 868)" It should be noted that this article does more to limit what is required for salvation rather than to add to it. It can be seen as a response to, what was perceived at the time, to be an abuse of the wider Church of requiring extra-Biblical behaviors and doctrines of its members under the threat of sin.
So while doctrines are to be derived from Scripture, the totality of Scripture is to be considered when forming a position. In Article XX, which deals with the Authority of the Church, it says, "neither may it so expound one place of Scripture, that it be repugnant to another. (Book of Common Prayer, pg. 871)" In essence, it is saying that the Church as a whole may not develop a doctrine from Scripture that is offensive to another. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry often states that love is the primary lens through which we must view the rest of Scripture. This has its basis in the words of Jesus, who stated that the two greatest commandments are to love the Lord your God, and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-40).
All this is true because God is the ultimate source of Scripture. While it was written by human beings, the Book of Common Prayer states that God inspired the human authors, and that God still speaks to us through the Bible (Book of Common Prayer pg. 853). This means the Bible is a truly wonderful thing. The Bible contains the incredible inspirations and wisdom of ages past, and at the same time is saying something profound to us today. There is an eternal quality to Holy Scripture because it transcends time, and is valuable in the present just as it was valuable in the past. It is no wonder that whenever it is read in Church, the passage concludes with, "The Word of the Lord."
In conclusion, The Bible, as Holy Scripture, has immense authority in The Episcopal Church. We are called to either read, or hear it read in it's entirety on a regular basis. We form doctrines and positions based on the totality of its content, always bearing in mind the double lens of
- Love of God, and
- Love of neighbor
We treat it as something holy because the inspiration of ages past still has something to say to us today. So your call is to read. Read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the Scriptures in such a way that they become a part of your very being. In doing so you grow in love of God and neighbor, become more and more inflamed with the love of God and of true religion.