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Is It Sufficient?
Posted by Brian Thornton on January 29, 2008
From The Case for Traditional Protestantism – Terry L. Johnson…
All that we need in the way of doctrinal, moral, and ecclesiastical training is found in the Scripture. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are sufficient to equip the people of God ‘for every good work’. Not just ’some good works’. Not just ‘most good works’. No, the Bible equips us for every situation. The Bible is complete, unique, sufficient.
The case can be made that every corruption of biblical Christianity begins by compromising the principle of sufficiency. Every deviation from the Christianity established by Christ and the apostles begins by adding to the Bible or by taking away from it. Every deviation is the Bible plus or minus something.
For the Christian Scientists, it is the Bible plus Mary Baker Eddy’s Key. For the Mormons it is the Book of Mormon. For the Jehovah’s Witnesses it is the Watchtower. For the Seventh Day Adventists it is the revelations of Ellen White…Unless a practice comes from Holy Scripture, it has no place in the church. Scripture alone determines our faith and practice. To depart from this position is to be guilty of the…sins of the Pharisees who, ‘neglecting the commandments of God…hold to the traditions of men’ (Mark 7:8). – pp.37-38
Roy said
Is it sufficient? I think this same argument was used by the Pharisee on Christ. Who is this Jew adding to what we’ve believed all of these years…crucify him. I can assure you as noted in the ending verses of John there is a lot more knowledge of Christ that we don’t have. Once again you are trying to limit God. You are saying that God can’t talk anymore. I don’t get it…why would someone who loves fresh water bury the well? Don’t make claims for the Bible that it doesn’t make for itself. Do you know what the word “Bible” means? It means “books”. It wasn’t even compiled for hundreds of years after the many, many scrolls were written. Some bibles (the catholic version for example) have more books then others. Which Bible is right…which is wrong. You may have the Bible, but you certainly don’t know the history of the Book.
Brian Thornton said
So, what you are saying, then, is that the Bible is NOT sufficient? Are you saying that it is not enough to thoroughly equip the Christian to be prepared for every good work? Are you saying the Bible is not living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart?
You speak of the word of God as if it is here today and gone tomorrow, like water running through a faucet, which is only seen for a moment before it disappears down the drain!
Now, Roy, those questions above were rhetorical in nature. This one, however, is the only question I want you to answer, and if you don’t stay on topic, I will not approve your comments. If you can’t answer without using vitriol and sarcasm, I will not approve your comments. Here is the question for you to answer:
IN WHAT WAY IS THE BIBLE NOT SUFFICIENT?
Roy said
In what ways is the Bible not sufficient? Lets take the fact that there are literally thousands of different churches in existence today all professing to have the correct interpretation of the Bible, yet they all differ. GOD IS NOT THE AUTHOR OF CONFUSION. One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism!
Another point…. When Christ taught the sermon on the mount he effectively took the Old Testament and said, “this is what you’ve read my friends…but here’s how it is now”. He added to the scriptures did he not? Hello? New Testament anyone? It was the apostate Pharisees that rejected further wisdom and light from God. They lacked faith, were set in their incorrect ways, and fought against the NEW SCRIPTURE as it was poured down from Heaven upon the heads of members of Christ’s Church. They like you refused to accept the fact that NOBODY tells God when He done talking.
Brian Thornton said
Let me see if I can rephrase my question, as you seem to have a hard time with the use of the word ‘Bible’. Try this one:
Are you saying that Scripture is not enough to thoroughly equip the Christian to be prepared for every good work? In what way is Scripture not sufficient?
Same rules as before, abide by them or I will sheer the useless content from your post again.
Roy said
I certainly don’t have a hard time with the word “Bible”, because I know what the word “Bible” means. You’re not going to change my answer by making your question more ambiguous. Of course I believe that “Scripture” is enough to equip the Christian to be prepared for every good work. Here’s where we part paths though. I believe that the Book of Mormon is Scripture.
Bottled Water vs. Fresh Water argument. So you can see by this that Mormons view the Bible as the result of Christianity (bottled water) not necessarily the source of it(fresh water). Or in other words you don’t get Scriptures without Prophets first. If I (as a Mormon) lived in the times of Christ, I would be more interested in what Peter was saying to me then what Moses was writing about thousands of years earlier…likewise I am more interested in what a living Prophet tells me today concerning the world we live in then what Peter told people 2000 years ago in the world he lived in. That’s not to discredit Peter..or Moses for that matter. The words they wrote are 100% the word of God. Their writing strengthen what a living prophets says today because looking at the big picture I can see that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever….he talks to his people through living Prophets. This is sensible doctrine. It tastes good.
Brian Thornton said
Roy,
Your reply to my question about the sufficiency of Scripture raises some interesting questions concerning your view of Scripture and the BOM. Also, by rephrasing my question using the word ‘Scripture’ instead of ‘Bible’, I clarified my question rather than made it more ambiguous.
Alright, let’s see…you now affirm that Scripture is sufficient to equip the Christian to be prepared for every good work, yet you also believe the BOM is scripture and therefore also part of that whole of Scripture which is sufficient to prepare the Christian for every good work.
Here are some questions for your consideration:
Was Scripture sufficient at the time of Paul?
Was Scripture sufficient in 1829, just prior to the publication of the BOM?
IF Scripture was sufficient during the 1st century, when Paul wrote that it was breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work, then what was the point of the Book of Mormon?
If the canon of Scripture needs the Book of Mormon in any way, then it is not sufficient. In fact, doesn’t your religion claim to be the one that has recovered and restored the gospel? If Scripture prior to the BOM was sufficient, then at what point was the gospel lost, and why would it need restoring or recovering?
Bill Patterson said
“The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God shall stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8
It seems to me that this great promise from God…the promise that He would protect His Word and NOT let it be corrupted, is a point that you, Roy, might want to consider. Up until 1947, the oldest manuscripts from Isaiah were from around 900 AD. Then came the discovery of scrolls in some caves near the Dead Sea. Some of the scrolls contained the entire book of Isaiah , and are dated to between 100 and 350 BC. Now it really gets amazing! The Isaiah scroll from those caves is word-for-word what we have in our Hebrew texts today.
God promised through His prophet that His Word would stand forever! That promise is in the ancient scroll and in the Bible I open every day and find to be “alive and powerful.”