Scripture Alone vs. Scripture and Tradition
Last updated: 2026-04-10
Christians should approach the appeal to Sacred Tradition by holding fast to the principle of Sola Scriptura, recognizing that the Bible alone is the infallible, sufficient, and supreme rule for faith and life. While Reformed traditions hold that historical creeds and church documents are valuable witnesses to the truth, they maintain that any human tradition must be tested by and subordinate to the clear, written Word of God.
📖 The Supremacy of the Written Word
The Reformed faith, as articulated in the 1689 LBCF Ch.1 §6, asserts that the whole counsel of God necessary for salvation and life is either expressly set down in Scripture or necessarily contained therein. We hold that the Bible is the only infallible authority. When human traditions are proposed as equal to or necessary alongside the Scriptures, they must be rejected, for as the Second Helvetic Confession notes, we are not to allow anything to be added to or taken from the Word of God, which is sufficient unto godliness.
Sources: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 · 1689 LBCF Ch.1 §6 · Second Helvetic Confession
⚖️ The Regulative Principle and Judging Tradition
We do not despise the wisdom of the past, but we follow the example of the early church by proving all things. As the Second Helvetic Confession emphasizes, we may modestly dissent from church fathers or councils when they set down things contrary to the Scriptures. We reject human traditions that hinder the law of God. Our Lord Jesus Christ himself rebuked the religious leaders of his day for elevating the traditions of men above the divine command, stating in Matthew 15:3, "And he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?" True interpretation is found in Scripture itself, as the infallible rule of interpretation is the Scripture itself (1689 LBCF Ch.1 §9).
Sources: Matthew 15:3 · 2 Peter 1:20 · 1689 LBCF Ch.1 §9 · Second Helvetic Confession
Scripture asserts its own total sufficiency for salvation and godliness, serving as the sole infallible rule for the Church. While Reformed traditions value the witness of the early church, they maintain that Scripture is the final judge of all teaching.
📖 The Fully Sufficient Word
The Holy Scriptures are not merely helpful; they are entirely sufficient. As noted in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, every word is breathed out by God to thoroughly equip the believer for every good work. Because the Scriptures are the breath of God, they need no supplementation from human traditions or new revelations to reveal the way of salvation or the life of holiness. As expressed in the 1689 LBCF Ch.1 §6, the whole counsel of God is either expressly set down in Scripture or necessarily contained therein, and nothing is to be added by the inventions of men.
Sources: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 · 1689 LBCF Ch.1 §6
⚖️ The Only Infallible Rule
The Scriptures stand alone as the authority to which all other voices must bow. Because all men are prone to error, we reject any tradition—regardless of its age or the number of people who hold it—that contradicts the written Word. The Belgic Confession Art. 7 reminds us that it is unlawful to teach otherwise than the Scriptures, even if an angel were to do so. We are instructed to 'try the spirits,' a command that implies we have an objective, infallible standard by which to judge all claims (1 John 4:1).
Sources: Belgic Confession Art. 7 · 1 John 4:1
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