Debbie Swindell

Doctrine & Disciplines of the Bible

Who has the final word when God’s Word challenges what we want to believe or do? We may say that we trust Scripture and still struggle to receive a command that confronts a cherished desire. At other times, we may wish the Bible would name the exact choice we should make.

In the previous studies, we considered inspiration, inerrancy, and infallibility. This week we turn to authority and sufficiency. Scripture speaks with authority because God gave it. Scripture is sufficient because God has provided what we need to know the way of salvation in Christ and live faithfully before Him.

Read each day’s passages in your ESV Bible before beginning the lesson. Keep your Bible open as you answer the questions. My aim is to help you look closely at what God has said, not simply remember a definition.

Day One: Whose Word Has the Final Say?

Read: Psalm 119:89–96 and Matthew 7:24–27.

At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells of two people who build houses. Both hear His words. One does what He says, while the other does not. The difference becomes unmistakable when the storm comes.

Jesus brings the matter of authority close to home. It is possible to hear a passage, agree that it is in the Bible, and still set it aside when it challenges us. The wise builder shows us that hearing Jesus’ words calls for obedience.

The psalmist speaks of the enduring Word of the Lord in Psalm 119:89–96. He faces affliction, yet he does not conclude that his circumstances have made God’s Word less dependable. He remembers the Lord’s precepts and finds reason to persevere.

The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 calls Scripture “the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried.” Even the church’s own statements must answer to God’s Word. Our experiences, traditions, and feelings may bring real concerns to our attention, but they do not have the final word over what God has said.

Timothy Ward’s Words of Life, one of the books named in my sources for this broader series, encourages readers to consider what it means to call the Bible God’s Word. That question is deeply practical. If God speaks in Scripture, I should come to it ready to learn, to be corrected, and to obey.

Study questions

1. What does Psalm 119:89–96 teach about the endurance of God’s Word? How does the psalmist respond to it during affliction?
2. What do the two builders in Matthew 7:24–27 have in common? What makes their outcomes different?
3. Where are you tempted to hear God’s Word without doing what it says?
4. Why must our traditions and religious opinions be tested by Scripture?
5. What would change in your Bible reading this week if you approached it expecting God’s Word to correct you?

Pray: Ask the Lord for a willing heart to hear and obey His Word.

Day Two: Receiving Scripture’s Authority with Humility

Read: Acts 17:10–12; John 17:17; and 2 Timothy 3:14–17.

Scripture’s authority belongs to the words God has given, not automatically to every explanation someone offers of those words. We cannot make a personal opinion authoritative by attaching a verse to it. We need to ask what a passage means in its context and how it fits with the rest of Scripture.

The Bereans received Paul’s message and examined the Scriptures to see whether what they heard was so. Their example gives us a way to listen to teachers with both respect and care. A teacher can help us understand the Bible, but no teacher stands above it.

Augustine expressed that distinction in a letter to Jerome. He reserved a unique respect for the canonical Scriptures and believed their authors to be “completely free from error.” When a passage appeared contrary to truth, he considered whether the manuscript, the translation, or his own understanding might be at fault. He did not grant his own writing that same standing.

John Calvin likewise argued that Scripture’s authority comes from God, its author. The church receives God’s Word and teaches it; the church does not create its authority. These historical writers are useful companions, but we still return to the biblical text to examine what they say.

Kevin DeYoung’s Taking God at His Word is another resource listed among the sources for this series. DeYoung urges readers to consider the Bible’s claims about itself and what those claims mean for the way we read and believe it. That is a fitting task for us as well. Our confidence in Scripture should make us careful readers, willing to test our conclusions by the passage itself.

Study questions

1. What did the Bereans do after hearing Paul’s teaching in Acts 17:10–12?
2. What does Jesus say about the Father’s Word in John 17:17?
3. Why should you distinguish between Scripture’s authority and your interpretation of a passage?
4. Think of a teaching you have heard recently. What questions could help you examine whether it is supported by Scripture?
5. How can you remain teachable when a careful reading shows that you have misunderstood a familiar passage?

Pray: Ask God to make you grateful for faithful teachers and willing to examine every teaching by His Word.

Day Three: Sufficient for Salvation and Faithful Living

Read: 2 Timothy 3:14–17 and 2 Peter 1:3–4.

What do we mean when we say Scripture is sufficient? We mean that God has given us what we need to know salvation through Christ and to live a life of faith and obedience. Paul tells Timothy that the sacred writings can make a person wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. He then explains that Scripture teaches, reproves, corrects, and trains us in righteousness so that the servant of God may be equipped for every good work.

Peter says that God’s divine power has granted believers what pertains to life and godliness through the knowledge of the One who called them. Peter directs us to God’s power, His promises, and our knowledge of Him. We should not use this passage to claim that we will never need help from another person. We should receive its assurance that God has provided for the life to which He calls us.

The Second London Baptist Confession of Faith says that the whole counsel of God concerning His glory, salvation, faith, and life is “either expressly set down or necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture.” The confession also acknowledges our need for the Spirit’s help to understand the Word and for Christian wisdom in circumstances that Scripture does not address in exact detail. Sam Waldron’s A Modern Exposition of the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, included among the broader series sources, offers further study of this confession.

Sufficiency does not mean that the Bible contains every fact we might wish to know. It does not replace the knowledge needed to practice medicine, repair a home, or teach a child to read. It does give us the truth necessary to know Christ and to live under His lordship in every part of life.

Study questions

1. According to 2 Timothy 3:15, what can the sacred writings make a person wise for? Through whom does salvation come?
2. What four uses of Scripture does Paul name in verse 16? What is their result in verse 17?
3. In 2 Peter 1:3–4, who provides what pertains to life and godliness? What place do God’s promises have in Peter’s words?
4. What is the difference between saying Scripture is sufficient for faith and life and saying it contains every kind of information?
5. Which use of Scripture do you particularly need right now: teaching, reproof, correction, or training in righteousness? Why?

Pray: Thank God for making Christ known in Scripture. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you receive and apply its teaching.

Day Four: Wisdom for Decisions Scripture Does Not Name

Read: Psalm 119:97–105; James 1:5–8; and Proverbs 3:5–6.

The Bible will not name the job you should accept, identify the house you should buy, or give you a schedule for every season of life. Yet God has not left you without guidance. Scripture gives commands to obey, wisdom to consider, and a true view of God to shape your decisions.

For example, a decision about a job may involve several good options. Scripture speaks to honesty, diligence, stewardship, care for those entrusted to you, and the way you treat other people. You can apply those teachings, seek counsel, and consider your circumstances honestly. Then you can choose without claiming that your preference is a command from God.

The psalmist calls God’s Word “a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105, ESV). A lamp helps us take the steps before us. It does not mean we will see every turn in the road ahead. James tells those who lack wisdom to ask God for it. We can pray, study, gather sound counsel, and exercise judgment as we trust Him.

Kevin DeYoung’s work on the sufficiency of Scripture raises a searching question: are we willing to rely on what God has given, or do we keep insisting that we need more before we can follow Him? Scripture’s sufficiency does not remove the work of making a wise choice. It gives us a reliable foundation for that work.

Study questions

1. What does the psalmist love and meditate on in Psalm 119:97–105? How does he describe the guidance God’s Word provides?
2. According to James 1:5–8, what should you do when you lack wisdom?
3. Think of a decision you face. Does Scripture give a direct command about it, or does it give principles you need to apply?
4. Which biblical teachings bear on that decision? What facts do you still need to learn?
5. Who could offer wise counsel without making the decision for you?
6. Are you asking for more detail than God has given because you are afraid to exercise judgment? Bring that fear to Him in prayer.

Pray: Ask God for wisdom, honesty about your motives, and trust as you make the decisions before you.

Day Five: Hearing, Testing, and Living the Word

Read: James 1:22–25; Psalm 19:7–11; and Matthew 7:24–27.

James warns us against hearing the Word without doing it. We can study the doctrine of Scripture, affirm every definition, and still turn away when its teaching reaches our own lives. Jesus’ illustration of the two builders presses the same question: What will we do with the words we have heard?

Paul David Tripp, another author included in the broader series sources, often draws attention to the way our beliefs shape everyday responses. His work is a useful reminder to examine what we are trusting when Scripture confronts our assumptions. Yet our answer must come from God’s Word itself. We read the passage, consider its meaning, and respond to what God has actually said.

Authority and sufficiency belong together in daily practice. Because Scripture has authority, we submit to its clear teaching even when we would prefer another answer. Because Scripture is sufficient, we can rely on what God has revealed as we seek to know Christ and live faithfully. We can also receive appropriate help from others. A pastor may teach us, a friend may offer counsel, and a physician may address an illness. Their help serves us in its proper place without replacing God’s Word as our authority for faith and obedience.

As you finish this study, consider both kinds of hesitation. Is there an area where you have sought another voice to give you permission to disregard Scripture? Is there an area where you have delayed a decision because you want a level of detail God has not given? Bring both to the Lord. Receive what He has spoken, ask for wisdom where judgment is needed, and take the next faithful step.

Study questions

1. What does James 1:22–25 say about hearing the Word without doing it?
2. Return to Matthew 7:24–27. What have you learned this week that helps you better understand Jesus’ illustration?
3. According to Psalm 19:7–11, why is God’s Word desirable and worth receiving?
4. What clear teaching of Scripture calls for a response from you? Write down one specific act of obedience.
5. Where do you need to seek wisdom rather than wait for a command Scripture does not give?
6. How will you continue reading, testing what you are taught, and putting God’s Word into practice after this study ends?

Pray: Ask the Lord to help you know Christ more deeply through His Word, obey what He has made clear, and trust Him as you walk forward in wisdom.

The Scriptures bear witness to Jesus Christ. We do not come to them merely to settle an argument or find an answer for our next decision. We come because God has spoken, because His Word makes us wise for salvation through faith in Christ, and because He uses it to equip us for the life He has called us to live.

Won’t you join me at the table?

Historical and confessional sources: Augustine, Letter 82 to Jerome, section 3; John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book I, chapter 7; The Baptist Faith and Message 2000, Article I, “The Scriptures”; Second London Baptist Confession of Faith (1689), chapter 1, section 6.

Authors from the broader series source list referenced in this study: Timothy Ward, Words of Life; Kevin DeYoung, Taking God at His Word; Sam Waldron, A Modern Exposition of the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith; and Paul David Tripp, Do You Believe? 1, section 6.

The Baptist Faith and Message 2000, Article I: “The Scriptures.”

Sources for the broader series: https://debbieswindell.com/2019/05/30/excited-to-share/