The doctrine of the Sufficiency of the Scripture states that the Scriptures are sufficient in the sense that they are the only inspired words of God that we need in order to know the way of salvation and obedience.
However, the Church’s doctrine of the Trinity (as it is generally espoused) teaches that God is One Being with Three Persons. However, while the Scriptures do teach that God in One being, and while the Scriptures do teach that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Scriptures NEVER even hint at the possibility that God is THREE Persons.
Allow me to quote myself:
“My understanding of Scripture is that God is only one person and has only one personality. God is One Person and One Personality. God the Father’s Person and Personality is fully revealed in the Person and Personality of the man Jesus Christ, the Son of God, because the Person and Personality of the man Jesus IS the Person and Personality of God. The Spirit of God IS the Spirit of the Person and Personality of God. The Spirit of God IS the Spirit of Christ, the man Jesus. The Person and Personality of the Spirit of God is the Person and Personality of the man Jesus Christ, the Son of God. There is NOT three Persons or three Personalities. There is One Person and Personality which is known as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”
However, the doctrine that God is THREE Persons is considered so fundamental to modern Christianity that people are generally considered anathema or “unsaved” or “lost” if they do not hold to this position. But this is an extra-Biblical tradition. So either the modern idea of the Trinity that God is THREE Persons is incorrect in some manner or other or the doctrine of the Sufficiency of the Scripture breaks down with regards to the Trinity.
[Another option is that precise knowledge of the Trinity is nonessential for salvation and obedience. This might explain how so many people were saved prior to the progressive revelation of the Trinity but that is whole other can of wormwood.]
A few years ago I read a related article by John Piper about this issue. He argued that the sufficiency of the Scripture doesn’t exclude the doctrine of the trinity because even thought the actual words of the Nicene Creed are not to be found in the Scriptures, the idea of the Trinity is present.
Leaving aside the necessary creedal infinitum logic he employed, even if we say that various concepts of the nature of God and Christ are explained in the doctrine of the Trinity (and they are!), the idea of God is THREE Persons is completely absent
Thus, while the Church can apply most of their teachings about God in Christ to the doctrine of the sufficiency of the Scripture, there are some places where some ideas need to be ironed out.
Also, the odd part about the Sufficiency of the Scripture is that while this doctrine is found in the New Testament, the apostles who taught this view were talking about the Old Testament as being sufficient. If the OT was sufficient, then why did we need the NT to tell us that the OT was sufficient?
Of course, that is the problems with creeds; they become THE interpretation of Scripture that is sufficient. Either that or they become a crutch to help people “win” theological arguments. Why debate another when you can simply point to an uninspired, man-made document and dare anyone to disagree with it?
"Thinking Eternally, Acting Locally." - Neal August
2 comments:
Oooo, interesting, how do you mean?
The doctrine of the Sufficiency of the Scripture states that the Scriptures are sufficient in the sense that they are the only inspired words of God that we need in order to know the way of salvation and obedience.
However, the Church’s doctrine of the Trinity (as it is generally espoused) teaches that God is One Being with Three Persons. However, while the Scriptures do teach that God in One being, and while the Scriptures do teach that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Scriptures NEVER even hint at the possibility that God is THREE Persons.
Allow me to quote myself:
“My understanding of Scripture is that God is only one person and has only one personality. God is One Person and One Personality. God the Father’s Person and Personality is fully revealed in the Person and Personality of the man Jesus Christ, the Son of God, because the Person and Personality of the man Jesus IS the Person and Personality of God. The Spirit of God IS the Spirit of the Person and Personality of God. The Spirit of God IS the Spirit of Christ, the man Jesus. The Person and Personality of the Spirit of God is the Person and Personality of the man Jesus Christ, the Son of God. There is NOT three Persons or three Personalities. There is One Person and Personality which is known as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”
However, the doctrine that God is THREE Persons is considered so fundamental to modern Christianity that people are generally considered anathema or “unsaved” or “lost” if they do not hold to this position. But this is an extra-Biblical tradition. So either the modern idea of the Trinity that God is THREE Persons is incorrect in some manner or other or the doctrine of the Sufficiency of the Scripture breaks down with regards to the Trinity.
[Another option is that precise knowledge of the Trinity is nonessential for salvation and obedience. This might explain how so many people were saved prior to the progressive revelation of the Trinity but that is whole other can of wormwood.]
A few years ago I read a related article by John Piper about this issue. He argued that the sufficiency of the Scripture doesn’t exclude the doctrine of the trinity because even thought the actual words of the Nicene Creed are not to be found in the Scriptures, the idea of the Trinity is present.
Leaving aside the necessary creedal infinitum logic he employed, even if we say that various concepts of the nature of God and Christ are explained in the doctrine of the Trinity (and they are!), the idea of God is THREE Persons is completely absent
Thus, while the Church can apply most of their teachings about God in Christ to the doctrine of the sufficiency of the Scripture, there are some places where some ideas need to be ironed out.
Also, the odd part about the Sufficiency of the Scripture is that while this doctrine is found in the New Testament, the apostles who taught this view were talking about the Old Testament as being sufficient. If the OT was sufficient, then why did we need the NT to tell us that the OT was sufficient?
Of course, that is the problems with creeds; they become THE interpretation of Scripture that is sufficient. Either that or they become a crutch to help people “win” theological arguments. Why debate another when you can simply point to an uninspired, man-made document and dare anyone to disagree with it?
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