Recently I returned from a conference that focused on the Lutheran
Christian understanding of the authority of Scripture. Over the weeks
ahead, I will be sharing details as opportunities arise. In the space
of this article, let me simply convey the two words from the first
keynote address that reverberated throughout the conference:
clear and sufficient.
Dr. Hans Hillerbrand, a Professor of Religion at Duke University
and an evangelical Lutheran, specializes in both Reformation history
and the study of modern Christianity. So he provides an expert
assessment of where Lutheran Christianity started and where it finds
itself today. He kicked off the conference with a lecture on the
changing views of the authority of Scripture over the centuries. While
its authority has always been acknowledged in the Church, exactly
how this authority is to be understood has been controversial.
By the 16th century, the church (pope, bishops, and
priests) functioned as the interpreter of Scripture and defined
biblical truth. Church “tradition” (that is, decisions outside of
Scripture made by church authorities that shaped life for the
faithful) also was elevated to equal authority alongside Scripture.
Out of this context, Martin Luther stepped out.
First, he argued that “Scripture interpreted itself” as a
self-evident message, thus eliminating the need for an intermediary
interpreter (that is, church hierarchy). Under the guide of the Holy
Spirit, Luther insisted that Scripture was clear as one read it, its
truth obvious for the life of faith in all matters. Scripture does not
try to trick us or make us search for hidden, secret meanings. Rather,
it clearly reveals the heart and revelation of God. Thus, the
clarity of Scripture becomes a hallmark of the Lutheran
Christian development, and Luther put the Bible into hands of the
people with the first German translation.
Secondly, in addition to Scripture’s clarity, Luther further
insisted on the sufficiency of Scripture. He rejected
all non-biblical authorities and argued that the “Word alone” had
authority for the faithful. Other sources outside of Scripture were
unnecessary—and often misleading—as the people of God walked the way
of faith in making daily decisions regarding life, vocation,
relationships, morals, salvation, ethics, etc. The Bible provided
sufficient revelation for all matters of faith.
The Bible as “clear and sufficient” provided the
foundational view of the authority of Scripture for Lutheran
Christianity in the formative stages. In fact, this very insistence
was the pivotal force leading to the schism of the 16th
century during the time of the Protestant Reformation.
Of course, all sorts of developments since then, in church and
culture, have chipped away at this foundation. Today we find
ourselves, in Dr. Hillerbrand’s assessment, at a Tower of Babel: We
think our knowledge and personal opinions surpass Scripture; we have
taken authority into our own hands. No wonder so much confusion,
babbling, and outright defiance of God’s Word sweeps through the
church today, bringing us back to the crossroads: How shall we
understand the authority of Scripture?
Sisters and brothers, two words convey the only understanding that
provides a Godly, solid foundation for faith and life—clear and
sufficient. Let us boldly and with confidence in God’s Word
step out of our context in this 21st century to live and
proclaim this message once again.
In His Word,
