The Sufficiency of Scripture

God’s Word is not lacking. It does not need to be supplemented, edited, or replaced. The doctrine of the Sufficiency of Scripture teaches that the Bible contains everything we need for salvation, godly living, and faithful obedience. Nothing needs to be added, and nothing must be taken away.

Paul tells Timothy that Scripture is “breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Complete. Equipped. Not partially, but thoroughly. The Bible is not one voice among many—it is the voice by which all others are tested.

Peter echoes this truth: “[God’s] divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness” through the knowledge of Him (2 Pet. 1:3). That knowledge is preserved and proclaimed in Scripture. We don’t need new visions, secret revelations, or modern prophets to fill in the gaps. There are no gaps.

This does not mean the Bible tells us everything we might want to know. It is not an encyclopedia of human knowledge. But it does mean that Scripture tells us everything we need to know to be saved by grace, to walk with God, and to live for His glory. As the Belgic Confession (1561) puts it, “We believe that this Holy Scripture contains the will of God completely and that everything one must believe to be saved is sufficiently taught in it.”

To deny the sufficiency of Scripture is to suggest that God’s Word is incomplete or inadequate. But to affirm it is to rest in the confidence that God has spoken fully, wisely, and finally. Jude exhorts us to “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). That faith is preserved in the Word, not evolving through culture or personal revelation.

The sufficiency of Scripture calls us back to the Book. We do not need to chase new voices. We need to listen to the one that has already spoken. It is enough. It is trustworthy. It is sufficient.

Verses for Further Reflection

• 2 Timothy 3:16-17
• 2 Peter 1:3
• Psalm 19:7–11
• Jude 3