The Sufficiency of Scripture

2 Timothy 3:15-17
15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The chief purpose of the Holy Scriptures are to make men “wise unto salvation” (2Tim 3:15-16). Indeed, the gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:18). The Scriptures were literally breathed out by God, and as such intrinsically possess God’s authority and inerrancy. The Bible has the power to make the man of God complete, lacking nothing. All of Scripture is profitable, and is able to equip the believer for every good work. If there is a good work that God desires a Christian to perform, this passage indicates that God has made a provision in His word for training the Christian in it. Thus, there is no good work God requires of us that is not taught in Scripture.

The Bible is adequate to guide us in all matters of faith and conduct. Believers do not need to look for other sources of truth. The Bible is a one-stop-shop of all the information and instructions required for salvation and godly living.

Psalm 19 is a powerful testament to the sufficiency of God’s revelation. It begins by declaring God’s general revelation. General revelation is God’s testament to Himself through creation. It points to God the creator, but does not reveal the path of redemption. The first six verses of the Psalm praise God’s general revelation.


Psalm 19:1
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.

Verses 7 through 9 describe God’s specific revelation, His self-disclosure in the scriptures. These verses are written in a three-pronged format describing a title for God’s Word, a characteristic of God’s Word, and a benefit of God’s Word.

Psalm 19:7-9
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; 8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

God’s law (torah) refers to divine teaching and instruction. It is perfect, whole, and sufficient, lacking nothing (cf. James 1:25). It is able to transform and revive the soul. God’s perfect teaching gives life to the dead. Indeed it is the power of God to make one wise unto salvation and eternal life.

God’s testimony is His witness to the truth. It is sure, and makes the simple wise. The word “sure” means unwavering and immovable, similar to a rock climber searching for a sure foot hold. It is like the wise man who built his house upon the solid, firm rock. God’s testimony gives wisdom to the simple. The Hebrew word for simple literally means “open door.” Like an open door the simple minded let everything in and let everything out. They lack discernment concerning the thoughts and ideas to keep out of their mind, and the ones to hold on to.

God’s commandments, His divine and authoritative orders, are pure, meaning clear and lucid. God’s will for our lives is clearly laid out in Scripture. His commands are not murky or muddled like the Neches River. Read the Ten Commandments and notice how straightforward they are. God’s marching orders are clear, and it enlightens the eyes (cf. Ps. 119:105).

The fear of the Lord refers to reverence and awe of God. The Bible is indeed an instruction manual on worship. The worship of God is clean, unspotted and unstained by the sin of the world, and it is eternal (cf. 1Pet. 1:23).

God is the ultimate authority, the Supreme Court Justice of the universe. The Bible contains His official judicial decrees, and they are true. Not only are they true, but they are the definition of truth (John 17:17). The result of the truthfulness of God’s Word is comprehensive righteousness.

The Bible is perfect and complete. It can stand alone without the aid of modern science or philosophy. The Bible is the ultimate standard for judging all other knowledge. This does not mean that extrabiblical knowledge is not useful. For example, archeological finds have been consistent with the history and geography described in the Bible. Creeds, commentaries, and Christian literature (and blogs) can provide valuable insight and information. However, these are all secondary to the Bible. Scripture is the ultimate authority, and all of the peripherals should be tested against the truth of Scripture.

For every problem, decision, and situation encountered in life, we can approach Scripture with the confidence that God has provided clear guidance. This doesn’t necessarily mean that we will be spoon fed the answers. We must search the Scriptures diligently, and pray for illumination from the Spirit to determine God’s will. God has laid out clear commands, such as thou shalt not covet and let no uunwholesome word proceed out of your mouth. He has also given more general principles that guide in godly wisdom, such as love your enemy and do all to the glory of God. In His word, God has provided the resources for every moral and nonmoral decision in our lives.

The sufficiency of Scripture also implies that we are to consider no other writings equal to Scripture. This is the tactic of all the cults. First, they declare that the Bible alone is not enough, and so they add their own new book or revelation. By undermining the sufficiency of scripture, the door opens to all sorts of false doctrines and false religions.

The sufficiency of Scripture also affirms that God does not require us to believe or obey anything not found in Scripture. Many people are burdened by following rules and regulations God never commanded. God promised victory over sin, but not victory over unbiblical edicts. God does not require us to follow the whims of the pope, or the new revelations from the televangelist. We are to believe and obey only what is written in the pages of Scripture.



Scripture Alone is sufficient for every aspect of salvation, Christian living, and obedience to God’s will. There are no deficiencies in Scripture, and it does not need to be supplemented with traditions, pronouncements of the pope, new revelations, psychology, new interpretations, political correctness, dreams and visions, words of knowledge, contextualization, seeker centered methods, rock music, signs and wonders, or human philosophy.

for His glory,
DJ