Truth

Word of the Week: Sufficiency

For this week’s word, sufficiency, we remain under the doctrine of Scripture. Scripture is inspired, inerrant, sufficient, and clear. As such it is authoritative for Christian life and practice. (Clarity and authority are topics in forthcoming posts).

The sufficiency of Scripture means that in whatever God intends to communicate to us regarding himself, mankind, life, faith, and salvation, it is sufficient for those things.

The Bible is complete for the purpose for which it is given.

Robert Letham, Systematic Theology, 200.

At the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, convention messengers passed resolution 2 “ON THE SUFFICIENCY OF SCRIPTURE FOR RACE AND RACIAL RECONCILIATION.” You can read more about it in the Tuesday bulletin page 7, from last week’s annual meeting. SBC Annual Meeting resolutions represent the beliefs and affirmations of a specific convention meeting. While they are not binding or necessarily actionable by the messengers of the annual meeting or the entities, they are important as theological affirmations. If you would like a little more detail on the meeting, listen to the special episode of the Thursday Show podcast that aired last week or read my reflection post.

What does it mean that the Bible is sufficient for race and racial reconciliation? In short, it means that the Bible addresses a sufficient anthropology (who we are as humans), promotes an adequate view of ethnicity (how we interact with various ethnicities inside the one human race), and applies the appropriate solution to racial tensions and the need for gospel-centered reconciliation (how the gospel answers racism). You can read one of my posts from last year on this subject. While our nation is at odds politically and in conflict racially with regard to Critical Race Theory, it is important to note that the solutions to these tensions are not in the future waiting to be found. The solutions to these tensions are not in cultural marxism, hatred, anger, politics, division, or punitive actions. The solutions to these tensions have been revealed to us in the pages of Scripture with regard to the reconciliation paid for by the blood of Christ and declared by followers of Jesus.

Below, you will find four statements regarding the sufficiency of Scripture. The first is in the positive and the next three are in the negative. They are aimed at explaining this important doctrine.

The sufficiency of Scripture means that the Bible is complete in everything that God intends to communicate to us. The Bible is enough. God’s revealed Word is sufficient to guide us into truth about God, humankind, sin, and salvation. We do not need another incarnation from Jesus, nor do we need extra revelations. Because we have the Bible, we are able to know truthfully what God intends for us to know.

The sufficiency of Scripture does not mean that the Bible contains all truth. While the Bible is truthful and inerrant in what it intends to teach, it does not provide us exhaustive information about everything. It is helpful here to remember that the biblical affirmations regarding history and science are not in actual conflict with scientific or historical truth. I will admit that the Bible is in conflict with many historical and scientific theories, but not with affirmed historical and scientific truths. It has been said that all truth is God’s truth. And while we hold to the sufficiency of Scripture, this does not mean that the Bible contains all truth about everything. The sufficiency of Scripture asserts that the truth the Bible intends to teach is sufficient for its purpose: the revelation of God, mankind, and salvation.

The sufficiency of Scripture means that we do not need more than the Bible to truly know God. Two errors have arisen in church history connected to the sufficiency of Scripture: mysticism and traditionalism. Mysticism is the idea that we need extra revelations from God in order to fully or rightly follow him. Ancient Gnosticism fell into this trap. In contemporary Christianity, some versions of the charismatic movement lean into this error with the claims of revelations added to Scripture by apostolic teachers. Traditionalism is the error of equating church authority or creeds with the authority of Scripture. Roman Catholicism is guilty of this error by equating tradition with Scripture. Practically, contemporary fundamentalism follows a similar path to the Pharisees in the New Testament. Whenever one adds to the Law (the extra laws the Pharisees added in the first century) or whenever one adds legalistic demands to Christian practice, one is in danger of falling into the error of traditionalism.

The sufficiency of Scripture does not negate the need for the the Holy Spirit in biblical interpretation. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit as our guide into truth (John 16:13). Within biblical theology and scriptural interpretation, many issues are discussed and debated. This reality does not undercut the sufficiency of Scripture. Rather, it reminds us of the need to humbly interpret Scripture and seek the help of the Holy Spirit in our interpretations.

One of the greatest benefits of the doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture is that it points to the powerful nature of the Word of God.

The grass withers, the flower fades
    when the breath of the Lord blows on it;
    surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
    but the word of our God will stand forever.

Isaiah 40:7-8

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
    and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
    it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
    and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:10-11

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 

Hebrews 4:12

The Word of God stands forever, accomplishes God’s purposes and is powerful to look into our hearts and introduce us to God.

We’ll close with a quote from Princeton theologian, B. B. Warfield, of the late nineteenth century who emphasized the sufficiency and power of Scripture in our lives.

The Bible is more than a rule of faith and practice; it is more than the rule of faith and practice; it is more than a sufficient rule of faith and practice; it is the only rule of faith and practice.

B. B. Warfield, quoted by Robert Letham in Systematic Theology, 203.

Christian, Discern between True and False Teaching

Jeremiah was a voice for repentance and judgment 2500 years ago in Jerusalem. But Jeremiah was not a singular voice. Jerusalem was filled with a cacophony of voices. False prophets proclaimed over and over again that Judah would avoid judgment. They proclaimed, “Peace,” when God promised violence. They erred because they did not hear the voice of the Lord.

And the Lord said to me: “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds.” 

Jeremiah 14:14

We are not all that different from Jeremiah’s day. False prophets build platforms and proclaim their own ideas. In the cacophony of voices and noise around us, how do we as followers of Jesus discern truth and avoid false doctrine?

Christian, it is your responsibility to know the Word of God. Jeremiah preached truth because he preached what God said. False prophets are those who proclaim what is not true according to Scripture. Discerning the difference is our responsibility.

The Secret Service carries a responsibility to investigate counterfeit currency. They don’t learn to identify counterfeit money by studying what is fake. They learn to identify the counterfeit by studying what is authentic. As followers of Jesus, we need to study and know the authentic and true (God’s Word) so we will be able to discern what is false.

Here are some ways that you can develop your knowledge of the Bible as authentic and true. I will link to resources at the bottom of the post.

  • Read and study the Bible daily. The single greatest thing you can do for your spiritual life is read the Bible.
  • Memorize and apply the Bible regularly. Knowing the Bible is good, but living the Bible is the goal.
  • Listen to biblical preaching weekly. Make sure you are attending, watching, listening at your local church and/or listening to solid biblical preaching on the radio or podcasts as often as you are able.
  • Avoid false teaching. If you become aware of a teacher or preacher who is unbiblical, avoid it.
  • Read commentaries and books that develop your biblical understanding. Strengthening our faith through learning will help us better understand and apply our Christian faith.

If you are concerned about family or friends who are listening to false teachers, pray for them. Don’t just yell at them or condemn them. Pray that God will give you an open door to have a fruitful conversation about their church or listening habits.

Sometimes our theological concerns with family and friends is not between false and true, but rather about areas of theological interpretation. Dr. Albert Mohler offers an insightful illustration for discerning theological differences in his Call for Theological Triage and Christian Maturity.

If you doubt there is false teaching out there, then let me commend to you the documentary, American Gospel: Christ Alone. The documentary reflects on the false doctrine that permeates the prosperity gospel movement. You can also find it on a number of streaming platforms.

Finally, here are some preaching and teaching resources and recommendations for solid biblical preaching and teaching that will strengthen your faith. These are some of my favorites.

Truth for Life, Allistair Begg

Gospel in Life, Timothy Keller

The Briefing, Albert Mohler

You can search and subscribe for any of these wherever podcasts are found. At Wilkesboro Baptist Church, we are making our Sunday sermons available in podcast format as well. Soon you will be able to download lessons in theology from our podcast channel as well. Be sure to search and subscribe “Wilkesboro Baptist Church” on the Apple Podcast App, Spotify, and wherever podcasts are found.