His Word is absolutely sufficient in itself (Psalm 119:160)
The Biblical message breathed out by God is revelation in written form. (2 Timothy 3:15-16)
The Biblical claim is that what God has inspired was His written word (2 Peter 1:20-21)
When the Lord Jesus Christ said, “the Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35)
The Holy Spirit continually proclaims that the revelation from God is truth, as for example (Psalm 119:142), “thy law is truth.” There is no source other than Scripture alone to which such a statement applies. That source alone, the Holy Scripture, is the believer’s standard of truth.
People often attempt to give human traditions higher authority than God’s Word. The Scripture records the Lord saying, “Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God” (Matthew 22:29)
Jesus continually castigated and rebuked the Pharisees because they made their traditions on a par with the Word of God—corrupting the very basis of truth by equating their traditions with God’s Word. So He declared to them in (Mark 7:13): "making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do" - Since Scripture alone is inspired, it alone is the ultimate authority, and it alone is the final judge of Tradition.
The Word of the Lord says as a commandment in (Proverbs 30:5-6): "Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar" - God commands that we are not to add to His Word: this command shows emphatically that it is God’s Word alone that is pure and uncontaminated.
The Lord’s strong, clear declaration in (Isaiah 8:20) is: "To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" - The truth is this: since God’s written word alone is inspired, it and it alone is the sole rule of faith. It cannot be otherwise.
Psalm 36:9 explains: "For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light" - God’s truth is seen in the light of God’s truth. Apostle Paul said the same thing, "These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual" - It is precisely in the light which God’s truth sheds, that His truth is seen. (John 3:18-21, 2 Corinthians 4:3-7).
The Apostle Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, declares, (2 Peter 1:20-21): "knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" - Logically then, Peter makes it very clear that in order to maintain the purity of Holy God’s written word, the source of interpretation must be from the same pure source as the origin of the Scripture itself.
Scripture can only be understood correctly in the light of Scripture, since it alone is uncorrupted. It is only with the Holy Spirit’s light that Scripture can be comprehended correctly. The Holy Spirit causes those who are the Lord’s to understand Scripture (John 14:16-17, 26). Since the Spirit does this by Scripture, obviously, it is in accord with the principle that Scripture itself is the infallible rule of interpretation of its own truth - "it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth" (1 John 5:6)
The Lord’s command to believe what is written has always been something that the believers could obey and did obey. In this matter we must have the humility commanded in the Scripture not to think above what is written: "that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another” (1 Cor 4:6)
The Lord himself looked to the authority of the Scriptures alone, as did His apostles after Him. They confirmed the very message of the Old Testament. "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple" (Psalm 19:7) - The believer is to be true to the way of the Lord, holding alone to what is written: “Thy Word is truth.”
John 17:17 - “Thy word is truth.”
Psalm 119:160 - “Thy word is true from the beginning.”
Titus 1:2 - “God who cannot lie.”
Dear friends,
"We need also to note that none of the types of literature present in the New Testament have as their purpose comprehensive doctrinal instruction -- it does not contain a catechism or a systematic theology. If all that we need as Christians is the Bible by itself, why is there not some sort of comprehensive doctrinal statement? Imagine how easily all the many controversies could have been settled if the Bible clearly answered every doctrinal question. But as convenient as it might otherwise have been, such things are not found among the books of the Bible.
"Let no one misunderstand the point that is being made. None of this is meant to belittle the importance of the Holy Scriptures -- God forbid! In the Orthodox Church the Scriptures are believed to be fully inspired, inerrant, and authoritative; but the fact is that the Bible does not contain within it teaching on every subject of importance to the Church. As already stated, the New Testament gives little detail about how to worship -- but this is certainly no small matter. Furthermore, the same Church that handed down to us the Holy Scriptures,and preserved them, was the very same Church from which we have received our patterns of worship. If we mistrust this Church's faithfulness in preserving Apostolic worship, then we must also mistrust her fidelity in preserving the Scriptures.
c) Is the Bible, in practice, really "all sufficient" for Protestants?
"Protestants frequently claim they "just believe the Bible," but a number of questions arise when one examines their actual use of the Bible. For instance, why do Protestants write so many books on doctrine and the Christian life in general, if indeed all that is necessary is the Bible? If the Bible by itself were sufficient for one to understand it, then, why don't Protestants simply hand out Bibles? And if it is "all sufficient", why does it not produce consistent results, i.e., why do Protestants not all believe the same?"
(pages 8-9: Sola Scriptura, In the Vanity of Their Minds, An Orthodox Examination of the Protestant teaching, by Fr. John Whiteford. Missionary Leaflet # Holy Trinity Orthodox Mission, 466 Foothill Blvd., Box 467, La Canada, CA 91011 Editor: Bishop Alexander (Mileant) (sola_scriptura_john_whiteford.doc. 12-01-99)
God save us all by the Holy Spirit as taught by His Word according to the Apostolic Traditions (2 Thess. 2:15) of the Orthodox Church (Matt. 16:18, 1 Tim. 3:15), to believe in the one true Christian Faith (Eph. 4, Jude 3). Amen. In Erie PA Scott R. Harrington August 2011 AD