Anglicanism is a faith tradition that encompasses a rich tapestry of history, spirituality, and community. Bishop Steve talked about it last week – the reasons why he himself is Anglican.
It is to be connected to the whakapapa of faithful believers who have walked this path before us, drawing inspiration from their examples.
One of my final tasks for the diocese as ministry educator before I was appointed as Dean of Nelson Cathedral, was to prepare some videos on what it means to be Anglican. This was a timely exercise as I began as dean at the Cathedral, and sought to enable the Cathedral to live out being Anglican in its fullest. I’d like to share these insights with the wider diocese too, as a means of engaging and enlightening our community on what it truly means to be “simply Anglican”.
It may come as no surprise, but Holy Scripture is at the heart of what it means to be Anglican. It infuses Anglican worship, rhythms, theology, and life. So, what do we mean by saying “Scripture alone” is a defining principle of what it means to be Anglican?
Scripture is the Word of God.
This means that Scripture is God’s self-disclosure to us. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Scripture reveals God’s identity, glory, love, and plan for redemption – God’s plan for making us right with himself. There is a uniqueness to Scripture in that it reveals the uniqueness of Jesus Christ as God with us, and how faith in Jesus saves us. Scripture contains all things necessary for our salvation. There is also a unity of Scripture as we have received it, found in both Old and New Testaments. It is complete, so much so that we cannot add to or take away from it.
Scripture is Sufficient.
Scripture explains all matters central to salvation – to issues of faith, morals, and our being made right with God. The heart of this Scripture points to Jesus, the Word made flesh, and how we are to have faith in him.
But Scripture is not meant to be comprehensive, to tell us about absolutely everything. It’s not an encyclopedia. So we are also supposed to use our God-given tools to discover God’s will through practices like reflection, philosophy, and science.
It might be useful to think about a couple of images. The first is a three-legged stool which is a common image of how Scripture, tradition and reason work together. Today people often add experience as a fourth leg. The problem is that this image gives you the impression that all are equal in status, but it’s important to remember that Scripture takes priority. A better image might be that Scripture is a garden, and tradition, reason and experience are the tools to use in the garden to tend, unlock the goodness, and bring forth fruit. The point is that Scripture is the most important authority for the Church.
Scripture is powerful.
We need to remember that Scripture is both living and powerful. When Scripture is read or heard, studied, and embraced, it has the power through the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts and minds, and transform people.
As God’s people are transformed by God’s Word, we are then God’s hands and feet in the world to bring about the transformation of society.
Scripture is Satisfying.
Scripture is the food and drink we need to be spiritually nourished. It’s the steady diet we need to be spiritually healthy. We need a daily intake of Scripture for survival just like we need regular meals of food.
Scripture is Authoritative.
Scripture has authority over the Church, as its rule and guide to life. Returning to the garden analogy, all other authority for the Church depends on faithfulness to Scripture – our creeds and our Articles of Faith all have as their foundation God’s word to us in Scripture.
It’s in exploring and appreciating these distinctive features that we can deepen our understanding of what it means to be Anglican in these islands. If this is piquing your interest, you might like to watch the video class I mentioned earlier, Being Anglican in Aotearoa.
Check out other articles in the
Anglican Essentials
series below.
More articles in the
Anglican Essentials
series are to come.
We have invited these writers to share their experiences, ideas and opinions in the hope that these will provoke thought, challenge you to go deeper and inspire you to put your faith into action. These articles should not be taken as the official view of the Nelson Diocese on any particular matter.
Anglicanism is a faith tradition that encompasses a rich tapestry of history, spirituality, and community. Bishop Steve talked about it last week – the reasons why he himself is Anglican.
It is to be connected to the whakapapa of faithful believers who have walked this path before us, drawing inspiration from their examples.
One of my final tasks for the diocese as ministry educator before I was appointed as Dean of Nelson Cathedral, was to prepare some videos on what it means to be Anglican. This was a timely exercise as I began as dean at the Cathedral, and sought to enable the Cathedral to live out being Anglican in its fullest. I’d like to share these insights with the wider diocese too, as a means of engaging and enlightening our community on what it truly means to be “simply Anglican”.
It may come as no surprise, but Holy Scripture is at the heart of what it means to be Anglican. It infuses Anglican worship, rhythms, theology, and life. So, what do we mean by saying “Scripture alone” is a defining principle of what it means to be Anglican?
Scripture is the Word of God.
This means that Scripture is God’s self-disclosure to us. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Scripture reveals God’s identity, glory, love, and plan for redemption – God’s plan for making us right with himself. There is a uniqueness to Scripture in that it reveals the uniqueness of Jesus Christ as God with us, and how faith in Jesus saves us. Scripture contains all things necessary for our salvation. There is also a unity of Scripture as we have received it, found in both Old and New Testaments. It is complete, so much so that we cannot add to or take away from it.
Scripture is Sufficient.
Scripture explains all matters central to salvation – to issues of faith, morals, and our being made right with God. The heart of this Scripture points to Jesus, the Word made flesh, and how we are to have faith in him.
But Scripture is not meant to be comprehensive, to tell us about absolutely everything. It’s not an encyclopedia. So we are also supposed to use our God-given tools to discover God’s will through practices like reflection, philosophy, and science.
It might be useful to think about a couple of images. The first is a three-legged stool which is a common image of how Scripture, tradition and reason work together. Today people often add experience as a fourth leg. The problem is that this image gives you the impression that all are equal in status, but it’s important to remember that Scripture takes priority. A better image might be that Scripture is a garden, and tradition, reason and experience are the tools to use in the garden to tend, unlock the goodness, and bring forth fruit. The point is that Scripture is the most important authority for the Church.
Scripture is powerful.
We need to remember that Scripture is both living and powerful. When Scripture is read or heard, studied, and embraced, it has the power through the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts and minds, and transform people.
As God’s people are transformed by God’s Word, we are then God’s hands and feet in the world to bring about the transformation of society.
Scripture is Satisfying.
Scripture is the food and drink we need to be spiritually nourished. It’s the steady diet we need to be spiritually healthy. We need a daily intake of Scripture for survival just like we need regular meals of food.
Scripture is Authoritative.
Scripture has authority over the Church, as its rule and guide to life. Returning to the garden analogy, all other authority for the Church depends on faithfulness to Scripture – our creeds and our Articles of Faith all have as their foundation God’s word to us in Scripture.
It’s in exploring and appreciating these distinctive features that we can deepen our understanding of what it means to be Anglican in these islands. If this is piquing your interest, you might like to watch the video class I mentioned earlier, Being Anglican in Aotearoa.
Check out other articles in the
Anglican Essentials
series below.
More articles in the
Anglican Essentials
series are to come.
