Does the Bible teach that the Bible alone is the highest authority for the Christian? Recently, I heard a debate about Catholicism, and when this question was raised, the Christian struggled to give a good answer. Bible believers may be surprised to see this raised for debate, but they may be even more surprised in their search for a proof text. This doctrine has historically been called Sola Scriptura as the first of the five doctrinal emphases commonly marking the Reformation.
What is the doctrine of Sola Scriptura, the Bible Alone? The Bible is the highest authority for any Christian. There is no church council, no pastor, no priest, no self-styled prophet, no collection of voters, no contemporary leaders whether acting by themselves or in a group, and no modern revelation that can outvote or overwhelm or contradict or correct the words of the Bible.
If you had to give a Bible verse defending this teaching, what would you choose? What the Bible says about itself is so exalted that it must be the final and unrivaled authority. Every verse that shows the Bible being exalted above other sources of authority is a proof text for the doctrine of Sola Scriptura.
- The new birth comes from Scripture.
“In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth…” James 1:18
Peter follows James in teaching that the Bible produces the new birth (1 Pet. 1:23). This is the power and unique status of the Bible. This Book can produce spiritual life. But the doctrine has a negative: The Bible Alone. John explicitly adds the negative when he says that we are born again not by blood, nor by the will of the flesh, nor by the will of man (John 1:12), but by God. Peter and James teach the positive glory of Scripture while John adds the negation of all other agencies on a level with the Bible.
Scripture is unique in that it alone holds the truth that can produce regeneration.
- Scripture alone is inspired.
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;” 2 Timothy 3:16
What can claim such a status outside the Bible? Though Peter’s writings are short, he holds a very high view of Scripture making sure to tell us that the writers were moved along by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21). On what authority could someone else claim to be moved along by the Spirit like the apostle Peter?
- Scripture alone is the source of truth.
“Your word is truth.” John 17:17
The Son of God calls Himself both the Word of God and the Truth, both names which He applies also to the Bible. These titles are not given to apostles, prophets, or elders. We will live blessed lives if mercy and truth are bound to our hearts, but where could we find truth? Peter is rebuked not only by Jesus, but by Paul. Paul calls himself wretched and the first among all the sinners. But Jesus says hearing and obeying His words is a solid foundation. Is anything else exalted like that?
- The Spirit inspires lengthy treatments of the high glory of Scripture.
Psalm 119 is a very long production of meditations on the glory of God’s Word. It heals, makes alive, gives wisdom, carries a value greater than all the world’s gold, cleanses from sin, and teaches the fool. But that is not enough, because Psalm 19 though only 14 verses treats the same topic. Would anyone be so unscriptural as to claim that a man can do these things?
Now the things that are claimed for the Bible in these psalms are things of great spiritual authority. Thus, no man or group of men whom David by inspiration refers to as dust (Ps. 103:14), worms (Ps. 22:6), a mere breath (Ps. 39:5), and even dead dogs (1 Sam. 24:14) should occupy the same authority with the Word about which David also told us it is exalted above all things (Ps. 138:2). Did David not see the Word as raised higher than the judgment of all men?
- Jesus and the Apostles appeal to Scripture as their authority.
Our Lord opposed Satan and the leaders of the Jews sometimes by quoting Scripture. Can we do better than He? Should we search for a higher court of appeal? But sometimes He brought His doctrines simply from His own intrinsic authority (Matt. 5:22, 28, 32, etc.). Now with the revelation of the prophets, apostles, and the Son of God, should we turn to a group of men or worse still a single man as the final standard?
- The Christian church should be uniquely Word centered.
“Preach the Word.” 2 Tim. 4:2
What is this Word that is to be preached by a young man in a relatively new church plant? What else was this young man supposed to teach? Nothing except the revelation given to the apostles by inspiration of the Holy Spirit (1 Tim. 4:5, 6, 11, 13, 16; 2 Tim. 2:14-16). How did the first churches judge the words of any teacher? By searching the books they had been given at that time (Acts 17:11). And these observations go through the book of Acts and the epistles so that the Word of God is constantly honored in the early church. Should we place something else in its place?
This list could be longer because the Bible claims that its writings produce spiritual growth (1 Pet. 2:2), preserve the saving doctrines (1 Cor. 15:3-4), and evaluate pastors (Tit. 1:9-11). Any of these 6 sufficiently defend the doctrine of Sola Scriptura, but taken together they form such a vital part of the faith that to remove Sola Scriptura really eviscerates the religion of its Christian content.
And nonetheless, I do not think these reasons are the most persuasive for those who unconvinced. It seems to me that only those who are already convinced by Sola Scriptura will find the previous items compelling. One final reason is the best I can offer to persuade someone who disagrees with this foundational stone in the building.
- Only Sola Scriptura produces Bible readers.
Though we cannot know the answers to these questions, they may still serve a very profitable purpose. How many days per week do the people of the world read the Bible? How many minutes per day on average are spent on Bible reading? Should more people read the Bible? Would the world be a better place if more people spent more time reading the Old and New Testaments? If we could know—which we cannot—how many minutes per day any given people group spends reading or meditating or memorizing the Bible, would it be good or bad for that people group’s spiritual, social, psychological, economic, and political health for that number to increase on average? If all the Mexicans on average gave 2 minutes per day to the Bible, would it be good for them if the number went up to 5 minutes? If everyone in Thailand picked up a Bible 1 day per week as an increase from most not even owning a Bible, would there be a parallel and connected decrease in crime, corruption, abortion, divorce, and church growth?
It seems hard for me to think that any one who claims to follow Christ would deny that it would be a significant good, and one much hoped for that more people would look more often at the Bible. Do you call yourself a Christian? How would you feel if your young child or grandchild began spending more time each morning reading the book of Proverbs or the four Gospels? Perhaps there are some atheists who believe that the Bible produces evil results when read more widely, but I cannot imagine any professing believer would say that. I would think that even a small increase in daily Bible reading spread out over a people group of 10 million or more would be a massive religious and social good.
Among the groups of the world that pick up their Bibles most often, and within the groups that read and memorize the Bible more than other groups, what factors raised them from among groups that do not read their Bibles? If many people believed that the Bible had errors they would tend to have less devotion than those who saw it as preserved from error. If many people believed that their prophet could give them an updated revelation of equal authority to the Bible, they would tend to listen to their prophet at least equally to their Bibles. The same could be said for councils, bishops, or popes. The highest authority of a man’s life will always gain more space in his limited affections and time for calculation in spiritual matters.
Every man naturally puts into the daily thoughts and habits of his life that which he raises to the highest level. If his authority is a text, then this will show up like a Muslim placing dua’s (prayers to be repeated) over his doors. Athletes may turn to a winning coach, or businessman to whatever sources they have become convinced of. Those who see the Bible as above all else, will act like all men in raising that Book in their daily lives. Since the Bible is so long and diverse, they will tend to study it more.
When I served as an assistant pastor in Chicago, Illinois from 2001-2004, I had the chance to speak to many Catholics on door-to-door evangelism. Commonly, I would ask at the door, “We are inviting people to Bethel Baptist. Do you have a church home?” Then after a few moments, “Most importantly, if you died, and stood in front of God, how would you know that you could enter Heaven?” My memory wants to say that I never heard a reference to the Bible, but perhaps I did once or twice. Regardless, it was very rare. Over the course of hundreds (maybe thousands) of doors, I did several times meet people from other churches. If they gave answers with the Bible, it was always from a person who attended a church believing in a very high view of Scripture’s authority.
In 2002, I had the chance to pose this question publicly to Cardinal Frances George from the diocese of Chicago at the Evangelicals and Catholics Together symposium held at Wheaton College. When I asked him why Catholics cannot answer the question about going to Heaven, he answered that the magisterium of the church plays an important role in their thinking. The average man will not answer with Scripture on the most fundamental questions of salvation if Sola Scriptura is not taught clearly.
Sola Scriptura simply means to the common man that this Book deserves more thought, more time, more respect, more affection, and more understanding than any other source of information. This is why Baptists read their Bibles more than Catholics. Raise the Bible higher and the people’s habits of reading it will go up as well. Presbyterians who hold to the inerrancy of the Westminster Confession will read their Bibles more than theologically liberal Presbyterians who have rejected the inerrancy of the Confession. In a syllogism it would look like this.
Proposition 1: That which we hold up as the highest authority is that which we will tend to build daily habits around.
Proposition 2: That which we hold up as the highest authority is the Bible.
Conclusion: The Bible is that which we will build daily habits around.
In other words, Sola Scriptura is true because it will make more Bible readers. A family or nation will not read widely without this doctrine. Since we know that is a good thing, then what reason would keep us from thinking more highly of Scripture?
