James White is an interesting guy. Most people who talk about him come out on polarizing extremes, either you love him or you hate him. Perhaps this is because he tends to tackle issues that are laced with theological explosives. In his book Scripture Alone Dr. White does not part with his tradition…
“…every attack upon the Christian faith includes, in some form or another, a denial of sola scriptura. Whether it takes the form of blatant denial of scriptural inspiration or comes in the subtle assertion of the need for an ‘infallible authority’ to interpret the Bible for you, the goal is the same. God’s voice is either completely muted or blended in the voice of man so that one is never sure which voice is speaking. In either case, the authority of God’s Word is compromised and room is made for man’s ideas and schemes.” (p. 25)
As expected White pinpoints the unbiblical teachings of those who deny sola scriptura, the Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Muslims, and Roman Catholics to name a few. However, the contemporary evangelical church is not without thoughtful inclusion in the list of those who undermine the Bible’s sufficiency. Sadly many today have a preoccupation with God speaking to them through impressions, dreams, and even audibly.
In the first four chapters White explains the biblical doctrine of sola scriptura. He spends a healthy time unpacking what Scriptural Sufficiency actually is, as opposed to the all to common unfair characterization of it by its opponents. “Sola scriptura literally means ‘Scripture alone.’ Unfortunately, this phrase tends to be taken in the vein of ‘Scripture in isolation, Scripture outside of the rest of God’s work in the church.’ That is not its intended meaning; again, it means ‘Scripture alone as the sole infallible rule of faith for the church.” (pp. 27-28)
In chapters 5-8 White deals with various questions with respect to canonicity, Gnostic gospels, and allegations of contradiction and corruption. As you would expect, White interacts with the Roman Catholic teaching on authority, tradition and the development of doctrine (chapter 9).
A most helpful feature in this book is the dialog that buttresses each of White’s chapters. As an experienced debater White provides an abundance of real life conversations with those who would deny the sufficiency of Scripture. This feature alone makes the book worth your read. Add to this the healthy teaching on the topic and you have a valuable tool for the believer.
You can pick the book up at Amazon.
