analogy of faith (or analogy of scripture)
The principle of Biblical interpretation that presumes that God is the ultimate source of all scripture, so we can view scripture as a unified whole, and thus no passage of Scripture can rightly be interpreted in a way that contradicts the rest of scripture, and clearer passages can be used in interpreting more obscure ones.
- From the London Baptist Confession 1689, chapter 1, section 9:
The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself; and therefore when there is a question about the true and full sense of any Scripture (which is not manifold, but one), it must be searched by other places that speak more clearly.
- From The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy, III C:
Inasmuch as all Scripture is the product of a single divine mind, interpretation must stay within the bounds of the analogy of Scripture and eschew hypotheses that would correct one Biblical passage by another, whether in the name of progressive revelation or of the imperfect enlightenment of the inspired writer’s mind.
Learn more:
- Monergism.com: What does the term “analogy of faith” mean?
- Theopedia: Analogy of Faith
- Bob Burridge: The Interpretation of Scripture
- J. I. Packer: The Interpretation of Scripture
- Thomas A Howe: The Analogy of Faith
Related terms:
This week’s theological term was suggested by Kim of Hiraeth. Do you have a suggestion for a theological term of the week? Email me your idea and I’ll seriously consider using it, giving you credit for the suggestion and linking back to your blog when I do.