Sola Scriptura: Understanding Sufficiency
The content of Scripture is sufficient to equip the believer in faith and life. The believer is simply a person who is a Christian. The faith refers both to the practice of the Christian faith in prayer, Bible understanding, good works and other spiritual disciplines, and the beliefs that a Christian is supposed to hold. The life refers to every activity done by the believer, every thought and every vocation. By combining the two terms, one is referring to the totality of a believer's life. This implies that the gospel message is entirely contained in Scripture, Scripture contains all of the necessary teaching for faith and life, Scripture contains all of the information necessary to resolve any conflict in either belief or practice and Scripture can teach its own interpretation.
The gospel message is entirely contained within Scripture because Scripture is sufficient to equip the believer in faith, and the gospel message is necessary for faith. All of orthodoxy has held that Christians need the gospel message in order to be saved. It has also stated that they continue to need this gospel in the Christian life. Furthermore, they also need to make new disciples. New disciples need to be told the gospel, and the believer must understand the gospel in order to tell the disciple. Since all of these requirements are a part of being a faithful believer, the sufficiency of Scripture means that the gospel message in entirely contained within Scripture.
Living in faith requires teaching. This sort of teaching will include all of one's doctrinal commitments, as well as any principles and rules for living a moral life. Since such teaching is required to live a life of faith and the Bible is sufficient to equip one for the life of faith, the Bible contains all of such teaching. It is also necessary to disciple new believers by teaching them. Such is agreed by every orthodox person. Therefore, the Bible contains all such teaching information.
The Bible also contains all of the information necessary to resolve any conflict of belief or practice. Such conflicts occur in life, and since the Bible is sufficient to equip one for life and resolving conflicts is part of the Christian belief, the Bible is capable of equiping one to resolve such conflicts. Resolving conflict is always a good work. Since all good works are a part of the Christian faith, the Bible is sufficient to equip one to resolve conflicts of belief and of practice.
The Bible is also capable of teaching its own interpretation. Since scripture must provide plenty of information, Scripture would not be sufficient unless it also provided a means to obtain that information. If Scripture did not provide that, then we would have to obtain that means somewhere else. In that case, Scripture would not be sufficient, because another source would be necessary to obtain that information. Therefore, Scripture is capable of teaching its own interpretation.
All of these points demonstrate that many of the original implications of the creeds can be derived from sola scriptura. Scripture contains the gospel, all teaching for life and faith, everything necessary to resolve conflicts of faith and belief, and offers its own interpretation. This is not a demonstration that scripture is necessary, nor does it demonstrate that every part of Scripture serves some purpose. What it does demonstrate is that these things follow from accepting sola scriptura within orthodox Christian tradition.
The gospel message is entirely contained within Scripture because Scripture is sufficient to equip the believer in faith, and the gospel message is necessary for faith. All of orthodoxy has held that Christians need the gospel message in order to be saved. It has also stated that they continue to need this gospel in the Christian life. Furthermore, they also need to make new disciples. New disciples need to be told the gospel, and the believer must understand the gospel in order to tell the disciple. Since all of these requirements are a part of being a faithful believer, the sufficiency of Scripture means that the gospel message in entirely contained within Scripture.
Living in faith requires teaching. This sort of teaching will include all of one's doctrinal commitments, as well as any principles and rules for living a moral life. Since such teaching is required to live a life of faith and the Bible is sufficient to equip one for the life of faith, the Bible contains all of such teaching. It is also necessary to disciple new believers by teaching them. Such is agreed by every orthodox person. Therefore, the Bible contains all such teaching information.
The Bible also contains all of the information necessary to resolve any conflict of belief or practice. Such conflicts occur in life, and since the Bible is sufficient to equip one for life and resolving conflicts is part of the Christian belief, the Bible is capable of equiping one to resolve such conflicts. Resolving conflict is always a good work. Since all good works are a part of the Christian faith, the Bible is sufficient to equip one to resolve conflicts of belief and of practice.
The Bible is also capable of teaching its own interpretation. Since scripture must provide plenty of information, Scripture would not be sufficient unless it also provided a means to obtain that information. If Scripture did not provide that, then we would have to obtain that means somewhere else. In that case, Scripture would not be sufficient, because another source would be necessary to obtain that information. Therefore, Scripture is capable of teaching its own interpretation.
All of these points demonstrate that many of the original implications of the creeds can be derived from sola scriptura. Scripture contains the gospel, all teaching for life and faith, everything necessary to resolve conflicts of faith and belief, and offers its own interpretation. This is not a demonstration that scripture is necessary, nor does it demonstrate that every part of Scripture serves some purpose. What it does demonstrate is that these things follow from accepting sola scriptura within orthodox Christian tradition.
posted by Matthew at 9:50 AM
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