Sola Scriptura: The Final Authority in an Age of Babel

The Rev. Dr. Ronald Moore

Aug. 13 2025

The Protestant Reformation stood not simply as a protest against Roman abuses, but as a bold return to foundational truths long buried beneath the weight of tradition. Among these truths is Sola Scriptura—“Scripture alone”—a principle that insists the Holy Scriptures are the final and ultimate authority for faith and practice. Not the only authority, but the highest. In a world where opinions are mistaken for truth and feelings for moral law, this doctrine stands like granite against the tide.

To be clear, Sola Scriptura is not nuda Scriptura—a rejection of all tradition or church teaching. Anglicanism, in particular, has always respected the tradition of the Fathers, the Creeds, and the historic Church. But it insists that all such things are subject to the bar of Holy Writ. Scripture alone is norma normans non normata—the norm that norms all other norms.

The Scriptural Basis for Sola Scriptura

St. Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NKJV):

“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 complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Note the language: complete, thoroughly equipped. If Scripture alone can do this, what more is needed for salvation and godliness?

Jesus Himself held the Scriptures in highest regard. When tempted by Satan, He did not engage in philosophical speculation or appeal to tradition—He said, “It is written.” Three times. Even the Son of God submitted to the authority of God’s Word.

Why Sola Scriptura Still Matters

In a time when pulpits are often filled with motivational speeches and pop psychology, the cry of Sola Scriptura is not only relevant—it is essential. The Church today faces a thousand competing voices: from liberal theologians who twist the text to accommodate culture, to so-called prophets who elevate personal revelation above the written Word.

Scripture has become, for some, just one voice among many. But if every man does what is right in his own eyes (Judges 21:25), then we are not a church—we are a crowd.

The authority of Scripture is not merely a theological stance—it is the bedrock of orthodoxy. It guards us from error, centers us on Christ, and unites us with the saints of old who heard the same Word and bowed before the same Lord.

The Anglican Witness

As Anglicans, we are bound by the Articles of Religion, which in Article VI affirm:

“Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man…”

Our liturgy is soaked in Scripture. The 1928 Book of Common Prayer, in particular, is a masterwork of biblical theology—our collects, canticles, and readings form a lectionary catechism, training the soul to know and love the Word.

Yet even we must be wary. There is a temptation to let tradition obscure Scripture, or to let beautiful liturgy replace obedience to the text. Sola Scriptura demands that we examine all things—yes, even cherished customs—in the light of God’s revelation.

Scripture Alone, but Never Alone

Sola Scriptura does not mean the Bible interpreted in isolation. The Reformers upheld the role of the Church in reading and preaching the Word. The Holy Spirit speaks not to lone individuals on mountaintops, but to the Church gathered, hearing the Word rightly divided and faithfully taught.

That said, Sola Scriptura places a holy burden upon the individual Christian: you must know the Word. You must read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest it. God has spoken. The question is not whether we have heard, but whether we have listened.

A Call to Return

The Church does not need new revelations. It needs renewed submission to what God has already said. It does not need cleverness, but clarity. Not innovation, but fidelity.

Let the Church tremble again—not before the changing winds of culture or the fads of academia—but before the unchanging voice of Scripture.

Let the bishops, priests, and deacons return to the Word. Let the fathers read it aloud in their homes. Let the youth find joy in the Psalms and Proverbs. Let the faithful hunger again for what is written, and trust that God’s Word will not return void.

In a world awash in confusion, we must build on rock, not sand.

And the rock is written.

The Rev. Dr. Ronald Moore is the Vicar of St. Luke's Anglican Church in Corinth, Mississippi. You can find his books at amazon.com/author/ronaldhmoore