The Bible, The Only Source For Christian Faith And Practice

This study is to show the truth that the Bible declares itself to be the only source for Christian faith and practice. And that the ‘apostles doctrine’ specifically is the doctrine revealing the purpose and responsibility of the Church.

The Bible declares that it meets our every need, it is able to make us perfect before Almighty God:

2Ti 3:15-17
15  And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

The Bible claims:

• To make us wise (knowledgeable) unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus
• It was given by inspiration of God (God breathed – i.e. spoken by God). Therefore is profitable to us for:
  • Doctrine – what God requires us to know, believe and practice
  • Reproof – To rebuke
  • Correction – To correct what is wrong, whether belief or behavior. Thayer – ‘restoration to an upright or right state’
  • Instruction in righteousness – To teach us what God says is the right, and acceptable, way to live.
  • To the end that the “man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
    • The Bible meeting the individual’s need of making them wise unto salvation; with the provision of ‘doctrine’, ‘reproof’, ‘correction’ and ‘instruction in righteousness’ meets  every possible need in making them “perfect, …” and “…, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

If the Bible can make us perfect before God, why would we need any other source? Why would we need further revelation?

There is still many people who claim the Bible as the only source for Christian faith and practice. Despite the growing number of believers, and lost who attend some form of church that are saying that they don’t believe we can have a ‘bible only’ faith. Some have learned their bible only conviction in their walk as led by the Holy Spirit. They really, truly believe that the Bible is the only place to know God’s will in all things. But if challenged to give Biblical reasons for that belief, many are not able to. So I would like to give you some, which will not only help you to share why you look only to the bible, but also strengthen your faith in God’s Word.

The Apostles Doctrine

The Christian faith was given to Church through the apostles by the Holy Spirit. It is not simply a collection of thoughts by early believers in the past. And, as we will see, not just writings of men who did their best to communicate what the Lord gave so many years ago. That as some suppose, have changed with copying over the many years of church history. No the Christian faith for then, the days of the apostle, and today, was given by the Lord and has been preserved by the Lord, because what was given then is just as relevant today as it was when first given.

The Holy Spirit Promised In Order To Lead The Disciples / Apostles Into ALL Truth

The Lord Jesus promised the disciples that when He left our world He would send the Holy Spirit (the Comforter) to them (John 16:7).

Joh 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

The twelve as the Lord’s disciples were spiritual babes. They were not able to mentally, and spiritually, take in (“bear”) all that they needed to in order to establish the Church (John 16:12). So the Lord, when warning them of His dramatic departure from this world, promised them the Comforter – the Holy Spirit. In verse 13 the Holy Spirit is called the ‘Spirit of Truth’. He, the Lord promised them, would guide them into ALL truth. Not just the beginnings of truth, but ALL truth needed for the Church, the Church that would be brought into existence on the day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit would also show them things to come (v13 end). So it is important to see that the promised Holy Spirit would “guide them into ALL truth” which would include “things to come”. Which would instruct believers right up until the return of Christ. And even to the end of the world.

John 16:12-15
12  I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
13   Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
14   He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
15  All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

The disciples were taught to expect the Holy Spirit to complete their spiritual education. He would be in them and therefore they would be able to “bear” (receive and understand) (v12) ALL the truth of the Christian faith.

The Promised Holy Spirit Given

When the day of Pentecost arrived so did the promised Holy Spirit, and the promised Church was born (Matt. 16:18 – the Lord Jesus promising His Church).

Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Act 2:1-4
1  And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3  And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

When the Lord spoke to Peter about the church that He would build, the Lord speaks of building it in the future. i.e. The Church was not in existence yet when the Lord was speaking to Peter.

In (v4) we are told that they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. And from that day on all who received Christ were indwelt with the Holy Spirit. In fact in Romans 8:9 Paul tells us that any that are not indwelt with the Holy Spirit are not God’s children. Before Pentecost the average Jewish believers were not indwelt with the Holy Spirit. Thus we know that the Church was ‘born’ on the day of Pentecost.

Importantly, in regard to this study, we know that the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit. Now they would be able to ‘bear’ all that the Lord wanted to reveal to them (John 16:12). Now they would be led by the ‘Spirit of truth’ (John 16:13) into ALL truth needed for the Church to function as God intended.

The Lord would build the Church upon Himself not Peter

Also from Matthew 16:18 we are told that the Lord would build the church upon Himself not Peter as some have supposed. Roman Catholisism being the most prominent religion to believe that.

There is a bit of a word play here with the Greek word ‘petros’ and ‘petra’:

• Petros (masculine) means a piece of a rock, but not necessarily a little stone (there is another Greek word for that).
• Petra (feminine) means a rock , a big rock.

In every case of the use of the word ‘petra’, it is either referring to a very large rock, as in the parable of the house that was built upon a rock, or it is used to refer to the Lord (1Cor. 10:4). The Greek word petra is never used to refer to a human being in the Bible.

The Churches’ Foundation

Eph 2:19-22
19  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22  In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

1Pe 2:5  Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

In this passage the Church is described as the ‘household of God’. A house-hold made up of living stones (true born again believers 1Pet. 2:5). (v20) The Church is built upon the foundation of the Lord Jesus (“the chief corner stone”), and the prophets who prophesied about the promised Messiah. And now finally, after Pentecost, some prophets but mainly the apostles’ are declared to be the foundation of the Church. To summarize, the Church – pictured as a building - has Christ, prophets and the apostles as foundation. Everyone born again, of the Spirit of God, are ‘living stones’ that will complete the building by the time Christ returns. The ‘household of God.’

The apostles are foundational in the sense that they were given revelation from God as to just WHAT the Church is, and they were given what the PURPOSE of the Church is. And as promised they were given ALL truth for the Church (John 16:13). And we have that truth preserved in the Bible (KJV for English speaking) for all of us to read.

This illustration would not serve its purpose if the foundation were not complete. The foundation of the apostles, prophets and Christ are THE foundation. There is no hint that the foundation was only partly built. No, they are the complete foundation and the lively stones (believers) followed producing the household (the building). The household made of believers will only be complete when Christ removes the Church (the household) from the earth shortly before His second coming. But the house-hold foundation was completed long before the last apostle died.

Any additional revelation would be adding to the completed foundation, and that ruins the illustration.

Apostolic Testimony To Their Receiving The Promised Divine Revelation

The apostle Paul shares how he received direct revelation from God.

Eph 3:2-4
2  If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
3  How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
4  Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

1 Corinthians 2:9-10
9  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

Galatians 1:11-12
11  But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
12  For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 2:13  “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”

The Lord lead Cornelius to send for Peter to come and teach him the truths that the Lord had revealed to him (Peter).

Acts 10:33  Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.

Writing to Timothy, Paul explains that Scripture is from God, to make the man of God perfect. We do not need anything else when the Word of God is able to make us perfect.

2Ti 3:16-17
16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

The bible in our hands (the KJV for English speaking), with the New Testament in it, shows that the Lord kept His promise to guide the apostles into all truth. They received ALL truth from God, and for the needs of the church future from then. The word of God is able to make us perfect before God, therefore there is nothing lacking from the Word of God.

The Early Church Kept Faithfully To The Apostles’ Doctrine

One of the important lessons the Bible gives us of the early Church was that they believed and faithfully (“steadfastly”) practiced the “apostles’ doctrine” (teaching). Showing that they were led by the Holy Spirit to accept the apostles’ teaching as the whole faith for the Church.

Act 2:42  And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

That the early church practiced what the apostles taught them is very important. They did not continue to practice the faith of the Jews. But practiced what the Holy Spirit taught them through the Apostles. This is the significance of the statement in (v42) that they “continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine”.

1Co 11:2  Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.

2Ti 3:13-14
13  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
14  But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

Timothy, a disciple of Paul who would teach others, in 2Tim. 3:14 was taught to “continue … in the things which thou has learned and hast been assured of”. i.e. What he was taught by the apostle Paul.

Earlier in the same letter, the Apostle Paul instructs Timothy …

2Ti 2:2  And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

i.e. Timothy was to perpetuate the teaching that he received from Paul. He was to take that which he was taught and disciple other men who proved to be faithful. So that they too would teach the same teaching to others. Timothy had to recall the things that he heard Paul teach over and over again as they traveled from place to place teaching believers the Christian faith. Today we have those teachings recorded for us in the New Testament of the Bible.