Is God’s Word Enough?

The teaching about Scripture comes from Scripture itself. Since it is the Word of God, to what other source would one go to find out about the nature and properties of Scripture? Only God can tell us about Scripture, and since He speaks to us in Scripture, He tells about Scripture in Scripture.

Theologians over the centuries have said, based on the teachings of Scripture, that Scripture has four main properties: 1) Scripture is authoritative; 2) Scripture is necessary; 3) Scripture is clear (perspicuous); and 4) Scripture is sufficient. The Bible is authoritative because it is God’s Word. So often we find the phrase in the Bible, “Thus says the Lord.” There can be no higher authority. The Bible is necessary in that it tells us things about God, about ourselves, about faith and worship, that we can find in no other place. Without God’s Word, we would be in the dark on these matters. The clarity of Scripture reminds us that we do not need an elite class of priests or pastors to tells us what Scripture says. We can read it for ourselves, and the Gospel is simple enough for even a child to understand. The Bible is sufficient, in that it tells us enough so that we know God, we can worship Him properly, and order our lives according to His will.

Regarding sufficiency, the Bible does not share all truth. If I am wondering how many cups in a pint (2), or how many cups in a quart (2) - I do not consult the Bible. The Bible does not contain all knowledge, but it contains everything that we need to know regarding the intention for which it was given - things like who God is and what He is like; what are the purposes of God and the outline of redemption; what is the purpose of life and the chief end of mankind - that is, Scripture is sufficient to reveal God, to reveal man’s sinfulness and need of redemption, to reveal the plan of salvation and the identity of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Bible’s sufficiency, it’s enough-ness, is only possible because the Bible is God’s revelation to us; His pulling back of the curtain so we can see what was hidden. Further, this sufficiency is only possible because the Bible is “breathed” by God: it is inspired. Therefore, the Bibles that we hold in our hands and on our laps are able to communicate God’s truth to us, as the Spirit of God opens our minds and hearts. The Bible is enough, and therefore we had best read it, believe it, and live it.