Common Evangelical Attacks Against Sola Scriptura

blogs.thegospelcoalition.org /erikraymond/2016/02/17/common-evangelical-attacks-against-sola-scriptura/

When I first began in full-time ministry I remember thinking that it would be important for me to spend significant
time studying apologetics, especially the defense of the Bible. This was an unexpected blessing in so many
ways. The most substantial blessing was that my faith was strengthened to cling to the inspiration and authority
of the Bible. Of course, I found myself more equipped to defend the Bible against those who sought to
undermine its authority. While I enjoyed many evangelistic opportunities, I was not, after all, primarily an
apologist. I was a pastor in a local church.
As I reflect over the last 10 years it is striking that most of my defense of the Bible does not have to do with its
truthfulness but its sufficiency. And further, the context for these discussions has been among professing
Christians. Does this surprise you? The more I talk with other pastors the more I find this to be true: the doctrine
of the sufficiency of Scripture is under attack both explicitly and implicitly.
The doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture simply means that the Bible is enough. The Scriptures contain all of
the words of God we need for salvation, for trusting him perfectly, and for obeying him perfectly. (Systematic
Theology, Grudem,) p. 127. You can see this doctrine taught in passages like 2 Tim. 3:16-17 and Psalm 19:7ff.
Most evangelicals dont often have issues with the first of these 3 spheres that Grudem lays out. Salvation is
revealed to us outside in not inside out. We hear, understand, and believe the gospelthat external word.
However it is the other two that become more difficult to nail down.
Here are 3 common attacks upon the sufficiency of Scripture over the years.
The dangerously deceitful but nevertheless authoritative Lord Feeling. Lets say that someone wants to
do somethingeven something good like be a pastorand they encounter objections from members of the
congregation. What do they do? Well, they have to evaluate the objections. Should one listen to those who know
him best? Should they evaluate his character and gifting of ministry? Yes, it would seem so. There must be some
evaluation of a mans character and gifting for ministry (1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1). But lets say that the perspective
pastor does not like the answer he is given so he packs up and moves down the road to another church to

pursue the ministry. Instead of feeling like submitting to the biblical authority he submits to Lord feeling. He
feels like doing something else. What does this say about his view of the sufficiency of Scripture? It would seem
to indicate that he is not fully on board with this doctrine.
Yeah, Ive decided not to do that. Lets say that someone has conflict with another church member; they are
sideways with one another, as is apt to happen in a context where there are a bunch of sinners. Upon discussion
with Joan, Sally opens up and says that she really has something against Barbara. Joan asks if it is sin and
suggest that Sally go an talk to Barbara. In response Sally says that she does not want to go and talk with her
and instead decides to distance herself and eventually leave the church. Even when pressed with what the Bible
says, the professing Christian decides to do what she wants to do instead of what the Bible says. Instead of
trusting and obeying God and his word she submits to her own word. I believe it was Mark Twain who said, Its
not the unclear passages in the Bible that give me such a problem, its the clear. The sufficiency of scripture
teaches us that we are a people under authority. We dont make the laws but obey them.
The unmeasurable and devastating emotional blackmail. Have you ever been guilty of this? I know that Ive
been on both sides of this. It goes like this: we think that people are not loving enough or gracious enough or
kind enough. We say things like, I am not feeling loved, appreciated, or valued. These words weigh a lot
because there is pain and there is a propensity to sin. In other words, we often hurt others and feel hurt
ourselves. However, we need to be very careful that we are not elevating a subjective standard that is far
beyond anything that Scripture gives us. John Piper makes this distinction, Not feeling loved and not being
loved are not the same. Jesus loved all people well. And many did not like the way he loved them. We have to
be very careful that the Bible is the standard and not some extra biblical, undefinable, subjective standard.
Calling it emotional blackmail Piper goes on to say,

Emotional blackmail happens when a person equates his or her emotional pain with another
persons failure to love. They arent the same. A person may love well and the beloved still feel
hurt, and use the hurt to blackmail the lover into admitting guilt he or she does not have.
Emotional blackmail says, If I feel hurt by you, you are guilty. There is no defense. The hurt
person has become God. His emotion has become judge and jury. Truth does not matter. All that
matters is the sovereign suffering of the aggrieved. It is above question. This emotional device is
a great evil. I have seen it often in my three decades of ministry and I am eager to defend people
who are being wrongly indicted by it.

How does this undermine the sufficiency of Scripture? It does so because the Bible gives us the basis for
interpreting what loving behavior actually is. There is fruit that corresponds with love. And sometimes it doesnt
make us feel very good.
These are just three ways in which the doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture are commonly attacked in
churches. We could go on to talk about biblical decision-making vs. evangelical mysticism; fasting from the
Bible; ignoring the community of the word; and countless other examples.
The bottom line is that while we may often say that the Bible is sufficient we far too often shelf sola scriptura for
what I labeled sola experienca. Sola experienca does not promise to sanctify anyonein fact it only stirs up
division. When we trade out sola scriptura for sola experienca we not only lose the power to sanctify but the
essence of what it means to live as a Christian. On the other hand, the Christian worldview drives us to an
external wordnot only for conversion but also sanctification. This external word is the Bible. It is remains as
sufficient as it is authoritative.