Why is the Bible alone sufficient?

The Man Who Was Told the Bible Does Not Stand Alone

Whenever he opened the Holy Bible to understand it, the same warning came to him: «The Bible is not understood by itself, for it is the offspring of Sacred Tradition; it came out of the life of the Church and does not stand apart from her. Scripture and Tradition are two streams of one fountain, the apostolic deposit, and neither is separated from the other.» So he learned to read the Bible not by itself, but always within Tradition, subject to it, not trusting that the Holy Ghost could guide him in the Word directly. But one day he asked a simple question: if the Bible is inspired by God, and Tradition is the work of the Church across the centuries, how can they be of one and the same rank? Then one evening he read the words of the apostle Paul: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God... That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Perfect — by the Bible alone. So what remains for Tradition to complete?

And the answer of the Holy Bible to the question of Scripture and Tradition is a single sentence which, once grasped, frees every soul taught to set Tradition equal to the Word of God: no. Scripture and Tradition are not two equal streams of one fountain. The written Word of God alone is inspired, and it is the supreme, sufficient rule by which every tradition is judged. And human tradition, however ancient and however many have carried it, is tested by the Bible and does not govern it. As for the teaching that Tradition equals the Bible, or completes it, or interprets it in a binding way, the Bible does not support it, but its plain texts overturn it, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself condemns it when men made the commandment of God of none effect by their tradition.

What Orthodox Theology Teaches About Scripture and Tradition

Let the position be stated fairly. Orthodox theology teaches that divine revelation was delivered in two inseparable streams: the written Holy Bible, and the unwritten Sacred Tradition — that is, the whole life of the Church, its liturgy, councils, and the writings of the church leaders. And it is said that the Bible itself is a fruit of Tradition, having come out of the life of the Church, so that it is not rightly understood except within her. And within this framework, the principle of «Scripture alone» is rejected as a severing of the Word from the living context in which it was born, and whoever reads the Bible apart from Tradition is seen as exposing himself to error.

And we acknowledge that the Bible arose in the midst of the people of God, and that in the life of the early church there is a precious witness that we read with profit and honour — the matter is not the denial that the Word has a historical context. But the difference is essential: the context in which the Word was born is one thing, and making that context an infallible authority equal to the Word or governing it is another. For the Bible did not derive its authority from the Church that received it, but from God who inspired it; and the Church witnessed to the Bible and recognized it, but did not grant it its authority. So the Bible stands above Tradition, because it alone is inspired.

The Bible Alone Is Inspired and Makes the Believer Perfect

Why is the Bible alone the supreme rule? Because it alone is called inspired by God, and declares of itself that it is sufficient to make the believer perfect. The apostle Paul wrote: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Consider the final phrase: «perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.» If the Bible alone makes the man of God perfect and furnished for every work, then there remains no deficiency requiring a tradition to complete it. And the claim that the Bible is incomplete and needs Tradition to be made whole contradicts this plain declaration.

And the Bible alone is called inspired in this sense; Tradition never claimed this inspiration in the same sense. For the Scriptures are able to make one wise unto salvation by themselves: "And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:15). So the holy Scriptures alone are able to make one wise unto salvation, without another stream to complete them.

The Bereans Tested Even the Apostle by the Scriptures

And how should every teaching be tested, whether it comes from a mouth or from a tradition? The Bible gives us an honoured example. When the apostle Paul himself preached in Berea, his hearers did not accept his word merely because he was an apostle, but tested it by the Scriptures: "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (Acts 17:11). And the Bible praises them for it, calling them «more noble.» If the word of an inspired apostle — which is part of the living apostolic tradition — is tested by the written Scriptures, and its testers are praised, then the Bible is the supreme touchstone, and Tradition is tested by it, not the reverse.

And the apostle Paul warned against raising any authority above the gospel delivered, even an apostle or an angel: "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed" (Galatians 1:8). So the delivered Word is the measure by which all are judged, even were the authority an apostle, an angel, or a venerable ecclesiastical tradition. And whatever contradicts the Word is rejected, however lofty its source.

The Lord Jesus Christ Condemned the Tradition That Nullifies the Commandment

And the matter is not new. In the days of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Pharisees had an oral tradition which they venerated, claiming it interpreted the written law and completed it with authority — exactly as Tradition is presented as a second stream of revelation. And the Lord confronted them directly: "Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?" (Matthew 15:3). Then He pronounced the verdict: "Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition" (Matthew 15:6).

And He concluded with a saying that cuts off every equality between the tradition of men and the Word of God: "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:9). So tradition, when it is raised to the rank of the Word of God, does not honour God, but makes worship vain. And the Lord did not mean that every tradition is evil, but that tradition, when it crowds out the commandment or abrogates it or adds to it, becomes «the commandments of men» that nullify the commandment of God. And this is the very danger of making Tradition a stream equal to the Bible.

The Abiding Word Versus the Changing Tradition

And why is the Bible alone the unchanging rule? Because it alone is the inspired Word of God, abiding and unchanging, while human traditions shift from age to age, and have new doctrines added to them after centuries. But the Word of God is unchanging: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away" (Matthew 24:35). So he who builds on the Bible builds on a rock that cannot be shaken, and he who builds on a tradition that develops across the centuries builds on what shifts.

And the Word of God is living and powerful, used by the Holy Ghost to guide the believer directly, so there is no need for an infallible tradition to mediate between him and it: "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword" (Hebrews 4:12). And the Lord Jesus Christ promised that the Holy Ghost teaches believers: "he shall teach you all things" (John 14:26). So the believer is not left to himself, nor suspended upon a human tradition, but has the inspired Word and the Holy Ghost as teacher.

Closing — Build on the Inspired Word Alone

If you have been taught that the Bible does not stand alone, and that Tradition is a stream equal to it, the Lord is calling you to build on His inspired Word alone. You do not need a tradition to complete what the Bible says makes you perfect, nor a second stream equal to inspiration. The Word of God alone is sufficient to make you wise unto salvation, and to make you perfect and furnished for every good work, and the Holy Ghost guides you in it. And at the heart of this Word is one message that saves: that the Lord Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose again the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Believe this Word. Receive the Christ it proclaims. And of everything you are told, even if it is ascribed to the most venerable tradition, ask: is this in agreement with the inspired Bible? If it agrees, receive it; and if it contradicts, the Bible is the judge. And build your whole life on the Word that does not pass away: "but my words shall not pass away" (Matthew 24:35).

A Special Prayer

If you have come to see that the written Word of God alone is the supreme, sufficient rule, and that the Holy Ghost guides you in it, you may come to God now, relying on His Word. You do not need a mediator nor an infallible tradition; the Word proclaims to you the Saviour plainly. What saves you is not the words of a prayer, but the faith that the Lord Jesus Christ died for you and rose again. So pray from your heart to the living God who hears:

"O great and holy and loving God, the one true God: I have long been taught that Thy Word does not stand alone, and I see now that it alone is the inspired, sufficient Word. I confess that I am a sinner, and that no tradition can save me. I believe Thy Word, which proclaims that the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins, was buried, and rose again the third day. I trust in Him alone as my Saviour, and I build on Thy Word alone. Forgive me, receive me, and grant me eternal life. I pray in the name of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen."

After You Have Prayed

If you prayed this prayer from a sincere and believing heart, then you have built on the abiding, inspired Word of God that does not pass away, you have become a child of God forever, and you have the Holy Ghost as a teacher who guides you in His Word. Here are steps to steady you:

First — read the Word of God every day. Know that the King James Version (KJV) is the truest and purest copy of the Word of God in all the world, His true and pure Word, and you will find it on this website (alinjil.com); and in Arabic, read the trustworthy Van Dyck translation. Begin with the Gospel of John, not in haste, but with meditation and prayer, for God speaks to you through His Word.

Second — test every teaching by the Bible as the Bereans did, even if it is ascribed to the most venerable tradition, and always ask: is this in agreement with the Bible?

Third — pray to God directly every day in words from your heart, asking the Holy Ghost to guide you in His Word.

Fourth — seek a church that honours the Word of God and makes it the supreme rule, join the fellowship of believers, and be baptized in obedience to the Lord.

Fifth — bear witness to others that the Word of God alone is the supreme, sufficient rule, especially to those taught that the Bible does not stand alone.

And keep reading the Word of God in the King James Version, the truest and purest Word of God in the world, and in the Van Dyck in Arabic — both found on this website — that you may grow in the knowledge of the One who saved you by His Word.

A Personal Word to You, Dear Reader

Thank you for taking the time to read this message about the sufficiency of the written Word of God, and the salvation it proclaims through the Lord Jesus Christ. If you have received Christ as your own personal Saviour, you have built on the rock that does not pass away, and you have become a child of God forever. "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away" (Matthew 24:35).

We encourage you to begin reading the Gospel of John for yourself, to continue in the Word of God in the King James Version — the truest and purest Word of God in the world — and in the Van Dyck in Arabic, both found on this website (alinjil.com), and to share this good news with everyone taught that the Bible does not stand alone. May God richly bless you as you build your life on His inspired Word alone.

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