Sufficiency

According to Dr. Albert Mohler, Jr., sola scriptura is the affirmation of the Word of God as the primary source of truth. God’s Word needs no authentication; no one needs to prove it or defend it. It stands on its own. It is comprehensive, authoritative, and necessary.

Comprehensive
Heath Lambert distinguishes between the notions comprehensive versus exhaustive. Exhaustive is to explain all things about all things. The biblical counselors never claim that the Bible is exhaustive. Rather, that it is comprehensive; it covers all things pertaining to life and godliness (2 Pet 1:3). The Bible has never claimed to provide medical or scientific information. For instance, it does not describe the symptoms of or provide the treatment for diabetes or high cholesterol. People have rejected the use of Scripture for this reason, yet biblical counselors have never claimed that the Word of God should be used for those reasons. Instead, they recognize the Divine intended use – to point people to the Redeemer and provide all the information necessary for godly living.  

Authoritative
The Bible is divine. It has a Divine Author and divine requirements. The Bible’s authority rests on the fact that it is God’s Word. It has a Divine Author. Some would suggest that this is circular thinking, however, for the Bible to use any other source to prove its authority would be submitting itself to a higher authority than itself. 

It also gives divine requirements. The Bible does not just provide life (John 14:6, 20:31) and hope (1 Pet 1:13; Gal 5:5), and describe love (1 Cor 13), it also desires, commands, and calls out. God’s Word desires that all would come to a saving knowledge of Him (John 3:16), it commands believers to love the Lord with all their heart, soul, and strength and love their neighbor (Matt 22:37-39), this includes their enemies (Matt 5:44); and it calls believers to obey and go make disciples (Matt 28:19).

Necessary
Deyong and Quinn state that because the Word of God provides all we need to know about creation, sin, redemption, and his future return, it therefore, provides everything necessary. Peter never suggests that the Word of God provides everything we need to know about everything, rather, it provides everything necessary to live life the way he intended and for pleasing him.   

So, we know the Scriptures are sufficient, comprehensive, authoritative, and necessary, but, for what?

Jeremy Pierre gives three purposes of Scripture. Scripture is useful to teach something, do something, and to see something. 

Paul, in 2nd Timothy 3, declares that all Scripture is breathed about by God (authority), and profitable for teaching, reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. The word not only teaches about who God is, but also who we are, why we do what we do, and what we ought to do (Pierre). 

The Word is also useful to do something. Kevin Vanhoozer states that the Word of God is active (see also Heb 4:12). It does something. Vanhoozer uses the phrase, “speech-act,” to describe the activity of God’s Word. God’s words are promises fulfilled. In Genesis 1, we constantly see the power of God’s words,

“And God said, ‘let there be light,’ and there was light…and God said, let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters…And it was so…And God said, ‘let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place and let the dry land appear.’ And it was so.”
-Genesis 1:3,6,9) 

The point is, when God declares something, it happens.

God’s word is also able to see something. God’s word provides God’s perspective on life, creation, relationships, identity, emotions, and volition.

John Henderson believes that God’s word provides content so we can know who he is, about his creation and humanity. It also provides theological conviction. It reminds man of his position before a holy and righteous God. God’s word also provides correction; it shows man where he falls short and must transform. It also provides action and direction. Furthermore, it changes people, and provides direction for them to move toward Him.

When mankind pursues God, he will find Him (Matt. 7:7). Christ came that we might have life and have it abundantly. When we look to the comprehensive, authoritative, and sufficient Scriptures as our source of wisdom for the human experience, we receive all we need for life and godliness.

Author: Pamela Cubas