The Doctrine Of The Clarity Of Scripture (Perspicuity)
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, November 6, 2025 (Donate)
I once had an atheist tell me that the Bible openly admits that there is no God. I asked him,
“Where does it say that?”
He responded,
“In Psalm 14:1”.
Sure enough, a portion of that verse says,
“There is no God”.
However, the full verse says:
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good. (Psalm 14:1, NKV)
This portion of the verse (“There is no God”) was obviously taken out of context. But notice, that when you go back and read the passage, the clear meaning presents itself rather easily. This brings me to the “doctrine of perspicuity” also called the “clarity of Scripture” or “doctrine of clarity”.
The Perspicuity Of Scripture
The perspicuity of Scripture—meaning its clarity or plainness—is the doctrine that God’s Word is understandable or straightforward in the truths like salvation, creation, and godly living. The Bible, being the inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16–17), was written to communicate God’s truth clearly, and not to conceal it unless portions were specifically denoted to be hidden or sealed up (e.g., Daniel 8:26, 9:24; Revelation 10:4). But notice that God was clear about that too!
Scripture was given in ordinary language so that its message could be understood by ordinary readers, not by scholars or clergy only. God’s Word presents itself as plain and upright:
“All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; nothing crooked or perverse is in them. They are all plain to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge.” (Proverbs 8:8–9, NKJV)
This straightforward clarity is rooted in God’s character—He is a God of light, not confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). Thus, His revelation is open and honest:
“But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:2, NKJV)
While some passages require deeper study (as Peter acknowledged about some small portions of Paul’s writings in 2 Peter 3:16), the essential doctrines—God as Creator, the Fall, the global Flood, triune God, salvation through Christ, and so on—are clear, openly revealed, and understandable in their plain meaning. To deny the clarity of Scripture, particularly in foundational passages like Genesis 1–11 (or anywhere else), is to undermine its authority and insert the fallible ideas of man to “muddy the waters”.
Five hundred years ago, the Reformers held this same conviction: the Bible was given for the common people in their own language so that every believer, guided by the Holy Spirit, could read and understand God’s revealed truth (Psalm 119:130; John 8:31–32). Can you see why the Reformers and Protestants led the fight to get the Bible translated into common tongues?
The clarity of Scripture means that God’s Word is not obscure or hidden but perspicuous—open, honest, and sufficient for all who seek it with faith and humility. Thus, it actually relates to the doctrine of sufficiency.
“The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” (Psalm 119:130, NKJV)
Origin And Early Use
The idea that Scripture is clear and understandable (claritas Scripturae) predates the term perspicuitas. Obviously with these Latin terms, they were discussing this in Latin from the earliest stages after the apostolic age. The early church fathers—such as Irenaeus (2nd century), Tertullian, and Augustine—consistently affirmed that God’s Word was given in plain speech accessible to all believers. They built their theologies on Scripture being clear.
However, Augustine also rightly acknowledged that there are difficult passages. He distinguishes between what is necessary for salvation (clear) and what is deeper and requires study.
“In the Scriptures are things plain, set in the open for the nourishment of infants; and there are things obscure, hidden away for the exercise of the mature.” — On Christian Doctrine II.6 (c. 397 AD)
Deeper things do not negate the clarity of Scripture but shows the incredible mind of God. Where one can read the Bible and understand it in its clearest sense, one can also go to incredible depths of understanding when necessary for intricacies. The term perspicuity (perspicuitas) itself began appearing in later medieval Latin theology and became formalized in Reformation-era writings.
Reformers Cluing To It
The first known use of perspicuitas Scripturae as a technical doctrinal label appears in Martin Luther’s De Servo Arbitrio (English: The Bondage of the Will, 1525). Luther argued against Erasmus (who edited together several Greek and Latin texts to publish a Greek New Testament) that:
“The Holy Spirit is the plainest Writer and Speaker in heaven and on earth, and therefore His words cannot have more than one, and that the most obvious, sense.”
Luther did not invent the concept but was among the first to name it explicitly as perspicuity (using its German and medieval Latin equivalent name) to contrast the Roman Catholic claim that Rome must authoritatively interpret Scripture. In other words, Rome was insistent that they interpret Scripture and they tell you what it means. Luther wanted people to read the Bible themselves as they can understand it without the Church’s [often re-interpreted] declaration of it.
His contemporary Philip Melanchthon, also a leader in the Reformation, also used the Latin perspicuitas Scripturae in the Loci Communes (1521 and later), helping to standardize it in Protestant theology. Though John Calvin didn’t use the name, he argued for the principle and built his commentaries on the clarity of Scripture. The Westminster Confession of Faith (1646, 1:7) states:
“All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all… yet those things which are necessary… for salvation are so clearly propounded, and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that… they may be understood.”
Final Remarks
From statements in the Old and New Testament, through the church fathers and reformers, the doctrine of perspicuity (even with its various names) has been a consistent doctrine. The Bible’s teachings are clear. When read in context and based on the culture and times, the straightforward rendering of Scripture is obvious and clear.
Yes, one can go into great depth but it is not necessary to have PhD to understand Scripture. This is important because we live in a culture where people try to reinterpret the Bible based on fallible and imperfect ideas of man and false worldviews to which we are bombarded.
So, when someone argues that a clear passage of Scripture means something that is clearly doesn’t, then that should be a red flag. A case in point is when someone says that Genesis 1 needs to be reinterpreted to fit big bang or millions of years. Or when someone denies the deity of Jesus Christ. Denying the doctrine of Creation or doctrine of Christ should be huge red flags that they are not adhering to the clarity or perspicuity of Scripture.
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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.
Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a
personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has
spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and
universities. He is married with four children.
