The cry of the Reformation is sola gratia, sola fida, solus Christus, sola scriptura, soli Deo Gloria. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, according to Scripture alone, to the glory of God alone. That fourth sola, sola scriptura, is under attack as much as it has ever been.
The doctrine of sola scriptura, Latin for 'Scripture alone,' is the theological principle that the Bible is the sole infallible rule of faith and practice for the Christian. It does not argue that Scripture is the only authority, but rather the ultimate and supreme authority, against which all other sources—such as tradition, reason, or prophetic claims—must be judged.
This principle did not emerge in a vacuum, but arose in the sixteenth century as a direct challenge to the late medieval Roman Catholic Church, which held that authority rested in a combination of Scripture and ecclesiastical tradition, interpreted by the Magisterium. The Reformers, led by figures like Martin Luther, Philip Melanchthon, John Calvin, and others insisted that the written Word of God was sufficient in itself to provide everything necessary for salvation and Christian living, thus making it the final court of appeal.
The challenge to this doctrine today often comes from groups that insist on an open canon, such as the Latter-day Saints (Mormons), who question whether it was ever God’s purpose to have a closed canon. They see no problem with ‘adding to Scripture’ because, they say, there are prophets on the earth today just as there were in Bible times. Furthermore, they argue that the Bible has passed down to us through ‘profane hands’ and can’t be completely relied on.
Traditional Christian theology, however, stands firmly on the twin pillars of the sufficiency and infallibility of the sixty-six books of the Bible, asserting that the canon is definitively closed. The sufficiency of Scripture is the belief that the Bible contains all the information necessary for humanity to know God, to attain salvation, and to live a life pleasing to Him. This doctrine is rooted in the Bible’s own self-testimony, most notably in the New Testament. The Apostle Paul’s second letter to Timothy contains the definitive verse on the nature of Scripture: ‘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 complete, equipped for every good work.’ (2 Tim. 3:16-17, ESV).
The Greek word translated as 'breathed out by God' is theopneustos. This term signifies that the Bible is not merely a record of human thoughts about God, but is the very written word of God, produced by divine inspiration. The logical consequence of this divine origin is its infallibility—the belief that the Bible is completely trustworthy and provides accurate guidance in all matters of faith and practice. Moreover, the passage explicitly connects the divine nature of Scripture to its sufficiency for the believer, stating that it can make one 'complete' and 'equipped for every good work.' If Scripture can fully equip a believer for every task required of them, then no further revelation is necessary for that purpose.
The question, 'Is sola scriptura itself unbiblical? Is sola scriptura taught in the Bible?' is answered by proponents through the example and method of Christ himself. When Jesus was challenged or when he taught, he consistently appealed to the authority of the Old Testament Scriptures, often using phrases like 'It is written' to settle all theological and ethical disputes, treating the written word as the final and unbreakable authority.
The traditional Christian position also maintains that the canon is closed, meaning that the period of public, saving revelation from God has definitively ended. This closure is linked theologically to the completion of the work of the Apostles, who were Christ’s specially appointed witnesses. The New Testament writings are considered foundational, capturing the definitive revelation of God in Jesus Christ.
The formation of the canon was a process of recognition by the early church, which acknowledged those writings that were apostolic in origin, universally accepted, and consistent with existing revelation, not a process of creation. This recognition followed a careful process that was effectively complete in the fourth century, solidifying the sixty-six books as the authoritative, final, and complete revelation.
Finally, the accusation that the Bible has been passed down through ‘profane hands’ and is therefore unreliable is countered by the doctrine of Providential Preservation. This theological conviction asserts that, due to the nature of God as one who cannot lie and who desires his Word to be known, He has worked through history to sovereignly protect and preserve the biblical text from corruption.
While the original manuscripts (autographs) are no longer extant, the vast number of surviving biblical manuscripts—far exceeding those of any other ancient work—allows scholars to use the science of textual criticism to establish a highly reliable text that is faithful to the originals. Thus, the traditional Christian view holds that the Bible held today remains the authentic, reliable, and authoritative Word of God, fully capable of fulfilling its purpose. The belief is that God’s power to inspire His Word is matched by His power to preserve it.
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