(All quotes from Scripture are taken from the King James Version of the Bible)

2 Timothy 3:15--"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" This verse illustrates the proper teaching about the Holy Scriptures and shows what tremendous benefit they have when used correctly. Incidentally, when Timothy was a child, the New Testament did not exist. Paul is speaking here of the Old Testament, but the Church applies this to the New Testament as well.

2 Timothy 3:16--"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" This verse also shows what the Bible is to be used for, but does this mean that the Bible alone is the only measure by which Christian Truth is judged? Not according to the Bible. In 1 Timothy 3:15 St. Paul says, "But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth". According to the Bible, the Church is the pillar and ground of the Truth.

2 Peter 1:20--"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation" This passage clearly shows that the Bible is so sacred that it was not meant to be interpreted by every person who just happens to pick it up. Since the Church is the pillar and ground of the Truth, it should be obvious who the interpreter of Scripture is.

Acts 8:30-31--"And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him" This is a clear Scriptural example that shows the Bible is not meant to be interpreted privately. The eunuch, when asked if he understands what he is reading says, "How can I, except some man should guide me?" And who guided him? The Apostle Philip by the Holy Spirit. Remember, the Apostles were ordained by Christ (John 15:16--"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you") and had the authority to teach.


We know that since all Scripture is given by inspiration of God that it is inerrant. But is the Bible the only source of teaching and the final authority for Christians? If the Bible were the only source of teaching for the Apostles, then Jude in his epistle would not have quoted from two books that were rejected by the Church as Apocryphal. In Jude 1:9 we read, "Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee". This quote is from an Apocryphal work called "The Assumption of Moses". Again in Jude 1:14-15 we read, "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him". This quote is from the Apocryphal book of 1 Enoch chapter 2:1. Non-Orthodox who say that the Apostles only used the Bible to teach do not take these verses into account. We must be very careful not to distort the Scriptures to fit our own personal views. By doing this, we not only dishonor the Sacred Scriptures, we blaspheme God as well.