ectypal.net

The text of Scripture is not shrouded in mystery or difficulty, but neither is the apprehension of meaning always immediate or intuitive, as it appears to have been in the case of Josiah. The clarity of Scripture does not render all exposition unnecessary. Yet for Luther, Bullinger, Whitaker and the classical exponents of this doctrine, the reverse is also true: a real place for exposition does not undermine all affirmation of the clarity of Scripture. In fact, exposition can proceed only on the assumption that the text is clear, that its meaning can be grasped and its significance for the lives of the hearers can be appreciated, since all expositions are to be tested by reference to the text itself.