You are on page 1of 5

Are the New Testament Scriptures Alone a Sufficient Guide to Heaven?

Sometimes we take it for granted that everyone who calls themselves a Christian
holds the New Testament scriptures in as high a regard as we do. However, that is
not the case. Some, while calling themselves Christians, do not believe in the all
sufficiency of the New Testament scriptures to save a man. More is needed. I
want to study this topic in the article today.

Questions immediately come to my mind. If the New Testament scriptures alone


are not sufficient in guiding us to heaven what more is needed? Where is this
extra guidance or material (if it be in document form) to come from? What
happened to those say in the second or third century who lacked this something
extra in addition to the New Testament scriptures? Were they lost? So, there are
questions.

Well, who are these Christian (? – God will decide) groups who are not satisfied
with the New Testament scriptures alone? I can think of four groups off hand and
there may well be others. (1) The Catholic Church and they will not deny it. (2)
The Mormons and neither will they deny it. (3) Those groups or individuals who
believe they need and receive direct guidance from the Holy Spirit in addition to
the scriptures. (4) Those groups we might call modernists.

A modernist, for those who might not be sure, is an individual or religious body
(denomination) that takes the smorgasbord approach to the New Testament if they
believe it at all. The New Testament is not seen as being trustworthy in its
statements and man must decide what is true and what is not, separate fact from
fiction, and build his own religion on his own thoughts (thoughts that are an
addition to scripture thus making the scriptures insufficient).

What do the scriptures themselves teach on the subject? If they make the claim to
be sufficient then those denying such make it clear they are not Bible believers
despite any and all claims to the contrary.

The Holy Spirit speaking through Paul the apostle said, "All scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly
equipped for every good work." (2 Tim. 3:16-17 NKJV)

Who was Paul, at that time, writing to? To Timothy but it is obvious that what
applied to Timothy as to how he was to view scripture was and is applicable to all.

However, the objection is made that Paul was obviously speaking of the Old
Testament scriptures, at least primarily, as not all of the New Testament had yet
been written. Well, so what? What is that suppose to prove? Is it suppose to
prove that any scripture given by God later will be uninspired? That seems to be
the implication.
However, was none of the New Testament written when Paul spoke those words?
Most scholars believe 2 Timothy, quoted above, was written somewhere in the
range of 66 to 68 AD. While dates are all over the place on some New Testament
books all scholars I know about concede that Second Timothy was the last book
written by Paul. Was Paul excluding his own writings when he spoke of scripture
being given by inspiration of God?

To the Corinthians Paul told them "the things which I write to you are the
commandments of the Lord." (1 Cor. 14:37 NKJV)

But we also have Peter's testimony on the subject when he says, "as also our
beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,
as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some
things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own
destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures." (2 Peter, 3:15-16 NKJV)

Sounds like when Peter wrote this Paul was still living but had already written
many epistles which Peter compares to "the rest of the scriptures." He says Paul's
writings could be twisted to the destruction of untaught and unstable people.
Peter considered Paul's writings to be scripture just like "the rest of the
scriptures."

When Paul wrote what he did in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 he was not excluding his own
writings or talking merely about the Old Testament scriptures. Neither was he
excluding what might be written later in other New Testament books by other
apostles or men of inspiration.

But, now note something else. What is the purpose of scripture? It is, as Paul
puts it, "that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every
good work." (2 Tim. 3:17 NKJV) If that is the case then the one who says the
New Testament scriptures alone are insufficient is in an awful bind. Why?
Because his position is that the man of God cannot be complete by the scriptures
alone and he thus puts himself in opposition to what the word of God says.

An objection might well be made here by those in opposition that I have left the
barn door open for later revelation. Indeed I did for as I said Paul's statement was
not just about scripture already written but about all scripture given by God
regardless of the date given.

The key here is the term or phrase Paul used when he said "given by inspiration of
God." As you well know some speak of latter day revelation hundreds of years
after the completion of the New Testament. How can we be sure revelation
ceased when the New Testament scriptures were completed as we now have
them?
When God gave scripture he gave man a means by which man could be assured
that the message given was from God. The message was given orally then later
written down by inspired men. The Bible says the word was confirmed as the
apostles went out everywhere, "the Lord working with them and confirming the
word through the accompanying signs." (Mark 16:16 NKJV)

The Hebrew writer says salvation (speaking of the word of salvation) "began to be
spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also
bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of
the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?" (Heb. 2:3-4 NKJV)

All through Acts we see miracles being performed. There were the tongues from
God that sat upon the apostles on the Day of Pentecost and the speaking in
tongues that day as the word was first preached to man after Christ's resurrection.

A little later in Acts 4 upon the release of Peter and John from arrest and
imprisonment a prayer is uttered by the disciples. "Lord … grant to Your servants
that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to
heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy
Servant Jesus." (Acts 4: 29-30 NKJV) Then in verse 33 we read, no doubt in
answer to their prayer, "with great power the apostles gave witness to the
resurrection of the Lord Jesus."

In Acts 5:12 Luke says, "And through the hands of the apostles many signs and
wonders were done among the people." (NKJV) Both Peter and Paul raised the
dead through the power of God. Philip worked miracles in Samaria. Paul spoke
of preaching the gospel from Jerusalem to Illyricum with "mighty signs and
wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God." (Rom. 15:19 NKJV) And, we could
go on and on but here is the point – if there has been latter day revelation there
has to have been of necessity confirmation from God by means of miracles.

If we have additional scripture that has been given since the New Testament
scriptures were written where are they and where is the proof that shows God
confirmed them? Now I understand some are ready and willing to show me these
additional scriptures they claim are from God but where is their proof? We need
some confirmation from God in the same way we got it in the first century.

Miracles were only to last as long as they were needed and they were needed only
as long as there was revelation being given that needed confirmation. It is too
long to quote here but read Eph. 4:7-14. Paul was here talking about God giving
gifts (miraculous abilities) to men which he says was for "the equipping of the
saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." (Eph. 4:12
NKJV)

But, I want you to note that he sets a time limit on this. He says in verse 13 "till."
And I want you to look closely at verse 14 which shows us when this "till" shall
have come to pass for many think it will be when Jesus returns. Not so. It will be
while the earth still stands and prior to Jesus' return.

Paul says when that "till" arrives we will "no longer be children, tossed to and fro
and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the
cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow
up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ." (Eph. 4:14-15 NKJV) Thus
Christians will still be on the earth when the till arrives but they will no longer be
tossed about by every wind of doctrine. Why not?

Because of that which Paul spoke of earlier in 2 Tim. 3:16-17 that makes a man
complete for every good work. It is the completed scriptures. In Eph. 4:13 he
says, "till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of
God, to a perfect man." (NKJV) That perfect man is the mature man, the man
who has been made complete by the scriptures, the perfect man of Eph. 4:13
(NKJV) is the complete man of 2 Tim. 3:17 (NKJV).

Paul speaks of this also over in 1 Cor. 13:8-12. "Whether there are prophecies,
they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is
knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done
away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as
a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in
a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know
just as I also am known." (NKJV)

That which is perfect which was to come was the completed scriptures or as you
might put it the completed revelation of God to man. How can we be sure this
passage is not a reference to Christ's second coming? Do you think knowledge
will vanish when Jesus comes? I think there will be a great increase in
knowledge. People will know things they never knew before. Obviously, the
knowledge that is being spoken of here that is to vanish is miraculous knowledge
that God gave to man in the days of spiritual gifts (see 1 Cor. 12:8).

Now what does this have to do with our topic of whether or not the New
Testament scriptures alone are sufficient to guide us to heaven or whether we need
more? Take a second look at 1 Cor. 13:8-12 quoted above. What is to vanish in
addition to knowledge and tongues? Prophecy. Bull's eye.

This eliminates latter day prophesy. When? When scripture is completed. How
can we know when that is? When miraculous confirmation by miracles has
ceased. Has that happened? If you define a miracle as being the kind of miracles
performed in the book of Acts, and how else can one define one, then they ceased
sometime near the end of the first century.
If prophecy has ceased we no longer have apostles. If we do we seek the signs of
an apostle which Paul talked about. He says, "Truly the signs of an apostle were
accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty
deeds." (2 Cor. 2:12 NKJV) Some still claim we have and need apostles today.
Where are their signs and wonders and mighty deeds?

Thus when miracles ceased revelation had ended; the scriptures had been
completed; the man of God had the means to be made perfect (Eph. 4:14), to be
made complete (2 Tim. 3:17), to become mature. Henceforth nothing else would
ever be needed.

This has ended up being a much longer article than I had intended and I still have
not covered all the ground I would like to but space will not allow it. 5 page
articles are too long and that is what this one is. I appreciate your forbearance if
you have read this far. The New Testament scriptures alone are a sufficient guide
to heaven and all you need. God warns us about adding to his word. The New
Testament is enough. Thank God for it and hold on to it.

You might also like