Devotional 6: The Sufficiency of Scripture: Is the Bible Enough?

The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man's salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word: and that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature, and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed.

— Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 1, Section 6

Introduction: Is the Bible Enough?

There is a question that every generation of the church must answer afresh. It is not a question about archaeology or ancient manuscripts. It is not a question about translation or interpretation. It is a question that reaches into the very heart of what it means to be a Christian: is the Bible enough? The church has always been tempted to answer this question with a quiet, well-intentioned no. Not a bold, defiant no — the kind that the atheist shouts from the street corner. But a polite, almost imperceptible no. The kind that adds something to Scripture without ever saying aloud that Scripture is insufficient. A tradition here. A new revelation there. A rule that Scripture never commanded. A practice that elevates human wisdom to the level of divine decree. In Section 4 we saw that the authority of Scripture depends wholly upon God who is its Author. In Section 5 we saw that our full persuasion of this authority comes from the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts. But those two sections raise a further question, and it is one of the most practical questions a Christian can ask: if Scripture has divine authority, and if the Spirit opens our eyes to see this authority, then what does Scripture actually contain? Is it a partial revelation — a first installment, awaiting supplementation by the church or by the Spirit? Or is it the whole counsel of God, sufficient for everything necessary for God's glory, man's salvation, faith, and life? The Westminster Divines answer this question in Section 6 with a clarity that settles the soul. And their answer is one of the great treasures of the Reformed faith. Let us examine it carefully.

Scripture Foundation

The doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture is not a human invention. It is the clear teaching of the Word of God itself, and the Westminster Divines anchored their confession in the testimony of Scripture from beginning to end. John 20:31 — "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." The Apostle John closes his Gospel with this remarkable statement of purpose. He does not say, "These things are written as an introduction to the faith, and further revelations will complete what is lacking." He does not say, "These things are written as a starting point, and the church will supply what is needed beyond them." He says that what is written — the Gospel record itself — is sufficient to produce saving faith in Jesus Christ and to impart eternal life through that faith. Let this sink in, beloved. The written Word has power to bring a dead soul to life. What more could we ask of it? What supplement could possibly improve upon a book that achieves what only God can achieve — the regeneration of the human heart? As Francis Turretin observes, the end for which Scripture was given is the salvation of men through faith in Christ. If Scripture attains this end, then it is sufficient for the purpose for which God gave it. Luke 16:29-31 — "Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." This passage is one of the most striking affirmations of the sufficiency of Scripture in all of the Bible. The rich man in torment begs Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead to warn his five brothers. Surely a resurrection — a miracle of that magnitude — would persuade them to repent. But Abraham's answer cuts through all our assumptions: "They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them." The written Word is sufficient. If men will not hear the Scriptures, they would not be persuaded even if someone rose from the dead. The Lord Jesus places these words in the mouth of Abraham, and by doing so He teaches us something about the nature of Scripture. The written Word is not a second-rate revelation, inferior to signs and wonders. It is not a temporary substitute until something better comes along. It is the divinely appointed means by which God calls sinners to repentance. A man rising from the dead would add nothing to the authority of Moses and the prophets. The Scriptures are enough. Deuteronomy 12:32 — "What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it." This is the great Old Testament prohibition against tampering with the Word of God. It stands at the head of the covenantal law, warning Israel — and through Israel, the whole church of God — that the Word is a sealed deposit. You may not add to it. You may not take from it. You may not improve upon it with your own wisdom. You may not supplement it with the traditions of men. You may not modify it to suit the spirit of the age. The Hebrew here is remarkably emphatic. The phrase "observe to do it" carries the sense of guarding something with vigilant care. And the prohibition — "thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it" — is an absolute command without qualification. There is no circumstance in which it is permissible to add to the Word of God. There is no era in which the church outgrows its need for this prohibition. From Moses to Malachi, from Matthew to Revelation, and in every generation since, the Word of God is complete. Romans 15:4 — "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." Here the Apostle Paul gives us a window into the purpose of the Old Testament Scriptures — and by extension, into the purpose of all Scripture. Everything that was written — the histories, the psalms, the prophecies, the laws — was written for our instruction. The Greek word here is didaskalian, from which we derive "didactic." The Scriptures are a school, and every page is a lesson. But notice what the Scriptures produce: patience, comfort, and hope. Paul does not say that the Scriptures give us part of what we need for patience, while the rest must come from somewhere else. He says that through the Scriptures — through the written Word — we possess these things. The comfort of the believer, the patience of the suffering saint, the hope of the dying Christian — all of these are drawn from the well of Scripture. And that well, Paul assures us, is deep enough for every need. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 — "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 perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." Though we have touched on this passage in earlier sections, it speaks directly to the question of sufficiency, and we must let it speak again. The Apostle Paul uses two Greek words here that are of the highest importance for our understanding. The first is artios — "perfect," meaning complete, fully equipped, lacking nothing. The second is exartizo — "throughly furnished," meaning outfitted completely for the task at hand. The image is that of a ship fully provisioned for a long voyage. Everything needed for the journey is already on board. The man of God, equipped with Scripture, lacks nothing that is necessary for the life of faith and obedience. He does not need to run to port for additional supplies. He does not need to supplement his cargo with traditions or innovations. Scripture makes the man of God artios — complete, competent, ready for every good work. This is the doctrine of sufficiency in its most practical form. The question is not whether Scripture tells you everything you might be curious about — the color of David's hair, the name of Paul's mother, the exact date of Christ's return. The question is whether Scripture furnishes you with everything necessary for God's glory, man's salvation, faith, and life. And it does. Perfectly. Completely. Without deficit.

What the Divines Meant

The Westminster Divines constructed Section 6 as a carefully balanced response to several errors, and to understand their intention we must see the enemies they were facing. The Whole Counsel of God The opening words of this section are nothing short of breathtaking. The Divines affirm that Scripture contains "the whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man's salvation, faith and life." Not part of the counsel. Not the general outline of the counsel, to be filled in by the church. The whole counsel — everything God has determined to reveal to us for these purposes. This phrase, "the whole counsel of God," is drawn from Paul's farewell address to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:27, where he declares, "I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God." The Apostle had spent three years among them, and he had taught them everything that was necessary. He did not hold back the hard doctrines. He did not reserve secret wisdom for a spiritual elite. He gave them the whole counsel of God. The Divines are careful to specify what Scripture is sufficient for. It is sufficient concerning "all things necessary for his own glory, man's salvation, faith and life." This qualification is crucial. Scripture is not an encyclopedia of every possible human knowledge. It does not teach you mathematics or medicine or carpentry. It does not answer every question your curiosity might ask. But it answers every question your soul must ask. It reveals everything you must know to glorify God, to be saved, to believe rightly, and to live godly. As we saw in Section 1, the light of nature is sufficient to leave man without excuse, but it is not sufficient to save. Scripture is sufficient to save. And not only to save — to sanctify. To make the man of God artios, complete and mature in every good work. The Two Forbidden Additions The Divines then draw a line that may never be crossed: "unto which nothing at any time is to be added." They specify two kinds of addition, and each was an urgent controversy in their day — and, as it turns out, in ours. The first forbidden addition is "new revelations of the Spirit." Here the Divines had in view the Enthusiasts — those who claimed that the Holy Spirit gives new revelations beyond what is written in Scripture. The Anabaptists of the Radical Reformation often claimed direct revelations from the Spirit, setting aside the written Word in favor of an inner light. In England, the Quakers taught that the Spirit speaks directly to the individual, and that this inner voice takes precedence over the external Word. Against all such claims, the Divines pronounce an absolute prohibition. The Spirit who inspired the Scriptures does not contradict the Scriptures. He does not add to the Scriptures. He does not give new revelations that supplement or supersede the written Word. The canon is closed. The Spirit's work now is not to give new truth but to illuminate the truth already given. As Calvin teaches, "The office of the Spirit is not to form new revelations but to seal on our minds the very doctrine which the gospel recommends." The second forbidden addition is "traditions of men." Here the Divines had Rome squarely in view. The Council of Trent had declared that unwritten traditions, handed down through the church, possess equal authority with the written Scriptures. Rome taught that the deposit of faith consists of both Scripture and Tradition — and that the church is the custodian of both. The Divines rejected this with the full weight of Reformation conviction. Traditions of men — however ancient, however venerable, however widely accepted — may not be added to the Word of God. The Bible alone is the rule of faith and life. As Robert Shaw writes in his exposition of the Confession, Rome "professes to receive the Scriptures as the Word of God, and yet she adds her traditions as a supplementary rule of faith — thus in effect denying their sufficiency." The "Nevertheless" — Three Important Clarifications But the Divines, with characteristic wisdom, do not leave the matter with a simple prohibition. They add a "nevertheless" that clarifies three vital points. First, they acknowledge "the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word." This is a crucial balance. Scripture is objectively sufficient — the truth is there, on the page. But the human heart, darkened by sin, cannot grasp this truth without the Spirit's illumination. The same Spirit who inspired the Word must open our eyes to see its glory. As we saw in Section 5, our full persuasion comes from the Spirit's inward work. But notice: the Spirit does not add new content. He illuminates what is already there. The doctrine of sufficiency is not a denial of the Spirit's work; it is the framework within which the Spirit works. Second, the Divines acknowledge that there are "some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature, and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed." This is one of the most carefully crafted sentences in the entire Confession, and it deserves our close attention. The Divines are making a distinction between the substance of worship and the circumstances of worship. The substance — what God commands in His Word — is fixed and unalterable. But the circumstances — the time of the service, the arrangement of the seating, the order of the liturgy in matters not commanded — these are not specified in Scripture and must be ordered by prudence. But note the crucial qualification: these circumstances are to be ordered "according to the general rules of the Word." Christian prudence is never autonomous. It always operates under the authority of Scripture. The general rules of the Word — that all things be done decently and in order, that worship be edifying, that the conscience not be bound where Scripture is silent — these rules govern every decision the church makes about circumstances. Francis Turretin explains this distinction with his characteristic precision. In his Institutes of Elenctic Theology, he writes that there are necessary things — the doctrines and duties that God has expressly commanded — and there are free things, or adiaphora, which are indifferent in themselves. But even the free things are not left to arbitrary human will. They must be ordered by the light of reason and the general precepts of Scripture. As Turretin says, "Christian prudence is not a license to innovate; it is wisdom in applying the general rules to particular cases."

Theological Depth

John Owen on the Perfection of Scripture John Owen, the prince of the Puritan divines, devoted much of his monumental work The Divine Original of the Scripture to defending the sufficiency and perfection of the written Word. For Owen, the sufficiency of Scripture was not an abstract doctrine but a pastoral necessity. The believer must know that everything needed for salvation is already in hand. Owen argues that the Scripture contains "the whole counsel of God" because it reveals the whole Christ. He writes: "The Scripture is the treasury of all saving truth. In it is contained the whole counsel of God concerning His own glory in the way of redemption, and the whole duty of man in order thereunto." This is a treasury that never runs dry. The more you draw from it, the more it yields. The poorest saint who has nothing but a Bible is richer than the richest king who has everything but a Bible. Owen also insists that the sufficiency of Scripture is a comfort to the weakest believer. You do not need to be a scholar to possess the whole counsel of God. You do not need to master Hebrew and Greek. You do not need to read the church fathers. Everything necessary for salvation is plainly set down in Scripture, and the Spirit who dwells in every believer opens the eyes of the heart to see it. As Owen writes: "The truth revealed in the Scripture is not hidden from the meanest believer who seeks it with prayer and humility." But Owen also sounds a warning. If Scripture is sufficient, then to neglect Scripture is to neglect the only provision God has made for your soul. There is no other fountain of saving truth. There is no other rule of faith and life. If you will not drink from this well, you will perish of thirst. Owen's words cut deeply: "He that despises the Scripture despises the only means appointed by God for his eternal blessedness." Francis Turretin on Necessary Things and Circumstances Francis Turretin, the great Genevan theologian, provides the most precise theological analysis of the distinction between the necessary things revealed in Scripture and the circumstances ordered by prudence. Turretin argues that this distinction is essential to preserving both the sufficiency of Scripture and the liberty of the church. Turretin defines three categories. First, there are things necessary for salvation — the doctrines of the Trinity, the incarnation, the atonement, justification by faith. These are expressly set down in Scripture and may not be altered. Second, there are things "by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture" — doctrines like infant baptism or the Trinity itself, which are not stated in a single proof text but are the necessary conclusion of the whole biblical witness. Third, there are circumstances — the time and place of worship, the form of church government in its external details — which are left to Christian prudence. Turretin's great contribution is his insistence that the second category — good and necessary consequence — is not a loophole but a legitimate principle of interpretation. As he writes: "It is not necessary that a doctrine be found in so many words in Scripture; it is sufficient if it can be deduced from Scripture by legitimate reasoning." This is how the church formulated the doctrine of the Trinity in the fourth century — not by finding the word "Trinity" in the Bible, but by putting together all that Scripture teaches about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and drawing the necessary conclusion. The divinity of Christ, the personality of the Spirit, the two natures in one person — all of these are deduced from Scripture by good and necessary consequence. The Compass, the Constitution, and the Full Treasury — Three Illustrations from the Puritans The Puritans loved to teach by illustration, and the doctrine of sufficiency gave them rich material. Let me offer you three images that have served the church well. First, Scripture is like a compass. A compass does not describe every rock and tree along the path. It does not tell you when to rest or how fast to walk. But it gives you the one thing you absolutely must have: true north. It orients you. It keeps you from wandering. So Scripture does not answer every question of circumstance, but it gives you the fixed points by which every decision must be oriented — the character of God, the gospel of Christ, the moral law, the goal of salvation. With these fixed points, Christian prudence can navigate the particulars. Without them, even the most prudent man is lost. Second, Scripture is like a constitution. A national constitution does not legislate every detail of civic life. It establishes the fundamental principles, the rights of citizens, the limits of government. Local by-laws and regulations fill in the details — but they must never contradict the constitution. So Scripture is the constitution of the church. It establishes the fundamental doctrines, the ordinances of worship, the moral law. The church may order its circumstances — the hour of worship, the form of the bulletin, the number of elders — but it may never enact a "by-law" that contradicts the constitution. The general rules of the Word always govern. Third — and this is perhaps the most beautiful — Scripture is a full treasury. Thomas Watson writes: "The Scripture is a spiritual treasury. It contains whatever is needful for salvation. He who has this treasury is rich toward God." The image is of a chest that contains everything you need for your journey to the Celestial City. Bread for the hungry, water for the thirsty, armor for the battle, medicine for the wounded, a map for the lost, a cordial for the fainting. And the key to this treasury is faith, and the hand that turns the key is the Holy Spirit. Beloved, do you believe this? Do you believe that everything you need is in this book? If you do, why do you run to other counselors? Why do you seek signs and wonders? Why are you restless, always looking for something more, when the fullness of God's counsel is already in your hands? Robert Shaw on Good and Necessary Consequence Robert Shaw, in his classic exposition of the Confession, devotes careful attention to the phrase "by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture." This was a point of controversy in the seventeenth century, and it remains one today. The Socinians — who denied the Trinity — argued that nothing should be received as a doctrine unless it is stated in the express words of Scripture. They claimed that deduction by consequence was a human addition to the Word. Shaw answers that if we reject consequences, we reject the very method by which the apostles themselves interpreted Scripture. When Peter stood up at Pentecost and declared, "This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel," he was drawing a consequence. When the author of Hebrews expounds the meaning of Psalm 110, he is drawing consequences. When Paul argues that Abraham was justified by faith before he was circumcised, he is drawing consequences. As Shaw writes: "It is impossible to explain or apply the Word of God without deducing consequences from it." But Shaw is careful to distinguish between good and necessary consequences and mere speculations. A good and necessary consequence is one that follows from the text by the ordinary rules of logic and language. It is not a clever inference that a clever mind might draw; it is what the text itself, rightly understood, necessarily entails. The Trinity is a necessary consequence of all that Scripture teaches about the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Infant baptism is a necessary consequence of the continuity of the covenant of grace. These are not human inventions; they are the Bible's own teaching, drawn out by careful reasoning under the guidance of the Spirit.

Puritan Application

Let us now bring these great truths down to the floor of our own souls. The doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture is not a weapon to be wielded in controversy alone; it is bread to be eaten, water to be drunk, light to be walked in. First, do you live as if Scripture is sufficient? This is a searching question. Many of us profess that the Bible is enough, but our lives tell a different story. We seek guidance from horoscopes, from personality tests, from the latest self-help book, from the wisdom of the world dressed in Christian language. We consult our feelings as if they were oracles. We wait for signs and confirmations, as if the Word of God were not clear enough to direct our steps. But if Scripture is sufficient, then it is sufficient for your decisions, your relationships, your trials, your grief, your work, your worship, your everything. The Puritans would ask: when you face a difficult choice, do you open the Word and search for principles to guide you? Or do you open your phone and search for opinions? The compass is in your hand. Are you looking at it? Second, do you add traditions of men to the Word of God? This is not only a Roman Catholic error, though Rome is its most conspicuous example. Every church, every tradition, every family has unwritten rules that can accumulate over time and bind the conscience where Scripture has left it free. The church that says, "You must worship in this style, or you are not truly Reformed." The parent who says, "You must court in this manner, or you are not truly godly." The conscience that says, "You must feel this way, or you are not truly saved." All of these are traditions of men, and they must be tested against the Word. Robert Shaw writes: "Where the Bible is silent, the church must be silent too — at least as to matters of faith and conscience." This is the great principle of Christian liberty. God alone is Lord of the conscience. Where He has not spoken, no man may speak in His name. Third, do you properly use the light of nature and Christian prudence? The Confession acknowledges that circumstances not determined by Scripture must be ordered by wisdom. This is not a license to do whatever seems right in your own eyes. It is a call to exercise sanctified judgment under the authority of the Word. The general rules of Scripture — that all things be done decently and in order, that love be the governing principle, that the weaker brother be considered, that the gospel not be hindered — these rules must shape every decision about circumstances. Consider how this applies to worship. Scripture commands us to sing, to pray, to read the Word, to preach, to administer the sacraments. But it does not tell us what time to meet, what instruments to use, what melodies to sing. These are circumstances, and they are to be ordered by Christian prudence under the general rules. One church sings only psalms; another sings hymns. One uses an organ; another uses a guitar. So long as the substance of worship is preserved and the general rules are observed, Christian liberty prevails — and Christian charity must prevail with it. Fourth, do you seek the Spirit's illumination when you read the Word? The Confession balances its strong affirmation of sufficiency with an equally strong acknowledgment that the Spirit's inward work is necessary for saving understanding. The Bible is not a textbook that any unconverted person can master by study alone. It is a spiritual book, and its truths are spiritually discerned. As John Owen writes: "Without the effectual work of the Spirit, the Word is but a dead letter. It is the Spirit who makes it a living Word, quick and powerful, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit." Therefore, beloved, never open your Bible without first opening your heart in prayer. Ask the Spirit who inspired the Word to illuminate the Word. Pray with the psalmist: "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law." The same Spirit who preserved the Scriptures through the ages is the Spirit who opens their meaning to the humblest believer. Fifth, rest in the comfort that everything needed is already given. One of the most blessed fruits of this doctrine is a quiet confidence. You do not need to wait for a new word from the Lord. You do not need to worry that God has left something out. You do not need to fear that the Bible is incomplete, awaiting a latter-day revelation to fill in what is missing. Everything necessary for God's glory — the worship He requires, the honor He is due, the name He has revealed — is in the Scriptures. Everything necessary for your salvation — the person and work of Christ, the way of repentance and faith, the promises of the gospel — is in the Scriptures. Everything necessary for faith — what you must believe about God, yourself, sin, grace, heaven, and hell — is in the Scriptures. Everything necessary for life — how to love your neighbor, how to raise your children, how to do your work, how to suffer, how to die — is in the Scriptures. Thomas Watson has a word for the weary soul: "Thou needest not run to the pope's indulgences, nor to the merits of saints. The Scripture is a full treasury. All thy debts are paid by Christ; all thy wants are supplied by the Word." Rest here, dear saint. The Bible is enough. Sixth, guard the closed canon with holy jealousy. The Divines say that nothing "at any time" is to be added to Scripture. Not in the first century. Not in the seventeenth century. Not in the twenty-first century. Not ever. The canon was closed when the last apostle laid down his pen. The faith was once delivered to the saints, and it will not be delivered again. This means that every claim of new revelation must be tested — and rejected if it claims to add to the Word. The prophet who says, "Thus saith the Lord," and speaks words not found in Scripture — he is a false prophet. The church that says, "The Spirit is doing a new thing," and points to something beyond the Bible — it is a deceived church. The inner voice that whispers, "God told me something He hasn't told you" — that voice is not the Holy Spirit. As John Owen warns: "The Spirit of God never reveals anything contrary to the written Word, nor anything beyond it as a new rule of faith and life." But guarding the canon also means guarding it from subtractions. We add to the Word when we impose rules God never commanded. We subtract from the Word when we ignore commands God has given. The God who said, "Thou shalt not add thereto," also said, "nor diminish from it." Do you preach the whole counsel of God? Do you believe it? Do you live by it? Or have you quietly removed the parts that make you uncomfortable — the doctrine of election, the reality of hell, the call to self-denial, the command to forgive? The sufficiency of Scripture is a comfort to the believing heart but a terror to the disobedient will. If Scripture is enough, then you have no excuse. Everything you need to know, you have been told. Everything you must do, you have been commanded. There is no missing piece that, if you had it, would make obedience easier. The Word is complete. And you will be judged by it. Let us therefore prize the Scriptures. Let us read them daily, with prayer and humility. Let us receive them as the whole counsel of God, sufficient for everything we need. And let us never add to them — whether by new revelations, traditions of men, or the devices of our own hearts — the words that God in His wisdom has not spoken.

Prayer

O Lord most high, whose Word is settled in heaven and stands firm upon the earth: we bless Thee for the Holy Scriptures, which contain the whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for Thy glory, our salvation, faith, and life. We thank Thee that Thou hast not left us to grope in darkness, nor to depend upon the shifting opinions of men, but hast given us a sure and sufficient Word. We confess with shame that we have often lived as if Thy Word were not enough. We have sought guidance from the world. We have added traditions of men to Thy pure commandments. We have looked for new revelations when the old, old story of Jesus and His love was already complete. Forgive us, we pray, for every addition we have made to Thy Word and every subtraction we have made from it. Grant us the inward illumination of Thy Holy Spirit, that we may read the Scriptures with understanding and receive them with saving faith. Open our eyes to behold wondrous things out of Thy law. Make the Word effectual in our hearts, that we may not only know the truth but be transformed by it into the image of Thy Son. Teach us to use Christian prudence in ordering the circumstances of worship and life, always submitting our judgments to the general rules of Thy Word. Give wisdom to Thy church, that in all things we may seek not our own preferences but Thy glory and the edification of Thy people. Keep us from binding consciences where Thou hast left them free, and from leaving them free where Thou hast bound them by Thy command. And guard us, O Lord, from every false prophet, every pretended revelation, every tradition that would add to Thy Word. Give us the Berean spirit, to search the Scriptures daily, to test every teaching, and to hold fast only to what is true. Let no man deceive us with vain words, for Thy Word alone is truth. When at last our earthly pilgrimage is done, and we shall see Thee face to face, we shall need the Scriptures no more — for faith shall give way to sight, and hope to possession. But until that day, let Thy Word be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. And may we ever glory in this: that the Bible is enough. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, the Word made flesh, who with Thee and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest, one God, world without end. Amen.