sufficiency of Scripture
The teaching that scripture is the “complete and utterly sufficient revelation of God for the salvation of his church.”1 It contains everything we need to know from God about who he is, his work in creation, and how we should respond to him.
- From Scripture:
…from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. ( 2 Timothy 3:15-17 ESV)the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? (Romans 9:17, 19-21 ESV)
- From The London Baptist Confession of Faith, Chapter 1, Section 6:
The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down or necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture, to which nothing is to be added at any time, either by new revelation of the Spirit, or by the traditions of men.
- From Systematic Theology by Robert Letham:
Beyond the sense of Scripture found in its explicit statements and by deduction, nothing is to be added. Scripture is the complete and utterly sufficient revelation of God for the salvation of his church (2 Tim. 3:16-17). There are two main potential sources for claiming additions to Scripture. First, mysticism proposes new revelations from the Holy Spirit. To suppose that such are needed is to regard Scripture as less than sufficient to disclose God’s glory and to unfold our salvation, faith, and life. Second, traditionalism is another threat, chiefly in the Church of Rome with its body of dogmatic accretions, reinforced by its stress on the supremacy of churchly authority. Instead, we are to look to Scripture as our only rule of faith and life (Isa. 8:19-20).
Learn more:
- Compelling Truth: What is meant by the sufficiency of Scripture?
- Sinclair Ferguson: The Authority, Sufficiency, Finality of Scripture
- Matthew Barrett: The Sufficiency of Scripture
- Carl Trueman: The Sufficiency of Scripture
- Mark Dever: God told me” and the Sufficiency of Scripture
Related terms:
- authority of scripture
- canon of scripture
- inerrancy of scripture
- infallibility of scripture
- inspiration of scripture
- perspicuity of scripture
- sola scriptura
1From Systematic Theology by Robert Letham
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