A. The Sufficiency and Authority of Scripture
1. The Bible is the authoritative source for the proclamation of the church and the norm by which that proclamation is tested.
It cannot be changed by any additions, subtractions or modifications offered by anyone no matter what position or authority they claim to hold.
Once a person attempts to conflate various verses, supplement, supersede, distort or subtract from the Bible, they enter into heresy.
2. The Bible is the absolute perfect revelation of Jesus Christ and the only infallible, inerrant, inspired source of knowledge about Him and the only reliable source to hear His voice.
3. Everything in the Cosmos is sustained by His Word.
“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.” (Heb 1:1-4 ESV)
The writers of the New Testament lived in poverty and suffered tremendous persecution by the two most powerful cultures of the day. They willingly endured political disgrace, beatings, stoning’s, imprisonment and execution about the claims of Jesus and what He did while boldly insisting to their last dying breath that they had physically seen Jesus bodily raised from the dead.
4. The writers fully believed that they were recording the very inspired words (Scriptures) of God.
5. The vast majority of New Testament books were written somewhere from 50 AD to 70 AD.
There were numerous eyewitnesses, and there is no record of anyone alive at the time questioning their accuracy. It is true that there were many activities and sayings of Jesus not recorded in Scripture. However, the letters and writings that were chosen to be included in the New Testament were required to meet three major points of criteria. First, the author had to be an eyewitness to the events they wrote of, or directly taught about them by the Apostles. Second, the writings had to be consistent with church practice and tradition. Third, each writing had to be already in use by the church for teaching and accepted as the divine Word of God. (See 2 Tim 3:14-17)
6. Because the Bible is already inspired, it does not need any fresh revelation to be relevant (John 14:26, 16:12-13).
Dreams or visitations or prophetic words are not reliable. Only the written Word of God is. Jesus is God. Holy Spirit is God. The Father is God. All three are ONE. Their Word can be trusted, and it does not need extra-biblical help to be interpreted. The Bible only needs the Bible to do that.
7. The Bible says that “no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of any personal or private or special interpretation” (2 Peter 1:20 NIV).
It must not be used as only a source of inspiration for anecdotal stories in ‘feel good’ messages or consulted and used merely to support an idea or pet belief. It is the ultimate authority for the Christian and must point directly to the character and work of the Triune God. The Bible warns that there will be ignorant, uneducated and unstable people who will try and distort the Scriptures by bringing in meaning that forces it to conform to their opinions, thoughts, ideas, and agendas (2 Peter 3:16).
There are modern translations and paraphrases of the Scriptures that change God’s Word in such a way as to water down the message. There are even some translations that have led people to the belief that Jesus is merely a “son” of God, inferring that He is God’s offspring.
8. There is no need to seek God in any other place including the traditions of men.
9. The Bible is the foundation and center of all teaching and preaching in the life and worship of the church and within the daily lives of every Christian through reading, study, and sincere contemplation.
Christians need to be continually taught how to become a true Berean and learn how to understand what is written clearly (Acts 17:11). The Bereans were open-minded Jews living in Thessalonica who were willing and eager to examine the Scriptures to see if what the preacher (Apostle Paul) was saying was true and aligned with Scripture. They must be encouraged each week from the pulpit to daily read, search and study the Bible rather than to rely on anecdotal stories, testimonials, and extra-biblical sources, or expect a fresh direct revelation, dreams, and supernatural words of knowledge or personal prophecies.
Every Born-Again Christian should be hungry for more of Jesus and less of themselves and not the have aberrant desire or compulsion to experience something “fresh” from Heaven to “feel” filled with Holy Spirit. They have already been given “fullness” in Christ.
10. The Bible warns Believers about being seduced
“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.” (Col 2:8-10 ESV).
B. Traditions of Man
The New Testament speaks of the teaching traditions by the Apostles that are to be passed down and taught to later generations.
“We called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.” (2 Thess 2:14-15 NIV)
“I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings, just as I passed them on to you.” (1 Cor 11:2 NIV)
The word “teachings” (Gk: paradosis) means a handing down of instructions (doctrine) for everyday conduct like the ordinances of the traditions passed down by the Rabbi’s which were made null and void by the divine teaching of the Apostles (2 Thess 3:6; See also Matt 15:2-3,6; Mark 7:3,5-9,13; Gal 1:14; Col 2:8).
The Bible says that the Scriptures alone, and not church traditions, are divinely inspired. The Bible must be used to verify and test the traditions and teaching of the church and not the other way around. Jesus continually rebuked the Pharisees and called them hypocrites because they made their traditions equal to the written Word of God (Mark 7:6-13). Traditions should support the teachings of the Apostles and not those that contradict or transgress “the commands of God" (Matt. 15:3) or exceed what they say (1 Cor 4:6; 2 Thess 2:15).
The Bible warns us to be attentive to how we hear and study it (Luke 8:18). In order to know how to study, we must understand the principles God uses to teach us (See 2 Tim 2:15).
C. God's Word Completely Reveals His Will for Us.
Some people think we should believe religious doctrines that are not found in the Bible and look to other authorities (such as church councils, human creeds, preachers, tradition, or modern “revelations”) to validate religious practices and doctrines/dogma that are not found in the Bible.
> Read John 16:13<
Q. How much truth did the Holy Spirit reveal to the apostles?
Answer: The Spirit revealed all truth to the original apostles.
Think: What does this prove about doctrines people claim are from God but are not found in the Scriptures?
>Read 2 Peter 1:3<
Q. What did God's power give to the people in Peter's day? (a) some truth, (b) all things pertaining to life and godliness, (c) a promise that new truths would be revealed later.
Answer: b.
All good works have been provided to us in the Scriptures (2 Tim 3:16-17).
Q. Can people invent or reveal new truths or new ways to please God that are not found in the Scriptures? (Acts 20:20-27) Yes___ No___
*Answer: NO
Scripture may not answer every speculative question we may have (Deut 29:29), but they tell us all we need to know and practice in order to be pleasing to God.
D. God Uses Three Basic Methods to Reveal His Will through His Word
We often use various methods to communicate or teach others. Likewise God uses the following methods:
1. Commands and direct statements
>Read 1 Corinthians 14:37< (See also Acts 10:48; Matt 22:37-40, 28:18-20; 1 Cor 11:23- 25; 16:1; 1 John 5:3; 2:3-4; 2 John 14:15,21-24,15:14)
2. Examples and illustrations
Instead of directly commanding us to do something, God sometimes tells us indirectly by giving an instance in which Christians acted by His guidance. We are expected to imitate these examples.
>Read 1 Peter 2:21-22<
(See also Phil 3:1, 4:9; Acts 8:35-39, 14:23, 15:5-11, 20:7; 15:5-11; Heb 11; James 5:10-11; Phil 2:5; Matt 10:24,25, 16:24; 1 John 2:6; 1 Cor 11:1, 10:1-12, 4:16; 1 Tim 1:16; 2 Thess 3:7,9; Heb 6:12, 4:11; Luke 10:30-37.)
3. Logical necessary conclusions ("necessary inferences" or "Scriptural reasoning")
Some truths are not directly or expressly stated in the Bible yet follow a logical consequence of what is stated.
>Read Matt 19:3-9; Acts 17:1-3<
(See also Acts 2:22-36, 18:4,19, 19:8,9, 28:23; Isa 1:18; 1 Peter 3:15; Heb 7:11-18; Acts 11:1-18, 15:6-21: Gal. 3:10-12; 1 Cor 15:12-19; Matt 22:23-32, 21:28-46, 22:41-46.)
We must learn to use wisdom to apply the principles of God's word to specific situations (ex: Heb 5:14). As in a math problem, we "add up" the information given to reach a conclusion. 1+1 can only equal 2, no matter how bad you want it to equal 3.
