Heath Rogers
We know that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and that it is relevant to our lives today. Now we will consider the all-sufficiency of the Bible. “Sufficient” means “as much as is needed or required, enough.” Is the Bible enough, or do we need something in addition to it to know and understand God’s will? Please consider the following passages.
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
“All Scripture” is all that man needs to make him complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work. What more could we need? “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness…” (2 Pet. 1:3). God’s word gives us everything we need to know. There isn’t anything else that we need.
“And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:30-31).
The gospels never claim to be an exhaustive record of the life of Jesus. John did not record everything that Jesus said and did, but what John did record was enough to produce belief.
“Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).
In the original language, the phrase “once for all” means “of perpetual validity, not requiring repetition” (Thayer). This means that it was given once, and that is enough. It doesn’t need to be repeated. We don’t need to meet periodically to reconsider its validity.
“If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” (Rev. 22:18-19; see also Deut. 4:2; Prov. 30:5-6).
God’s word is complete. Anything more is too much, anything less is not enough. We must be content with the Bible the way it is.
“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Isa. 55:10-11).
The Bible may not accomplish everything we think it should, but it accomplishes everything God wants it to accomplish. It is capable of doing everything God intends for it to do. One may be surprised at the number of people who deny the all sufficiency of the Bible. Most denominations have a written creed. Why does a church need a written creed if the Bible is all-sufficient? The very existence of creed books denies the all sufficiency of the Bible. Some people insist that things like tradition and personal experience are just as weighty and authoritative as the Word of God. Others believe God has given us additional revelation that must be followed. The Bible alone is equal to the purpose that God intended for it. It is all that you need to live a life that pleases God and to secure eternal salvation. The Bible.
