Warner/Jackson Debate on Tradition as Religious Authority

 
 
 Proposition: 
 Scripture alone is authoritative for the Church in matters of doctrine
 
 Affirm:  George A Jackson
 Deny: Matt Warner
 
 
 
 I will now define the proposition I will affirm.
 
 Scripture: The inspired writings of the Old and New Testament: The Bible
 
 Alone: Only, exclusively, standing by themselves.
 
 Authoritative: Being true and dependable.
 
 The Church: Christians
 
 Matters: In all affairs or situation being considered.
 
 Doctrine: Teaching. What is taught. A body of instructions. 
 
 I will use the inspired writings of the Old and New Testament which claim for themselves that 
 they alone are the standard of authority in the church today.
 
 We will show that the Bible is God's complete and final revelation to man and can be seen in the 
 following text:
 
 1. "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not 
 speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to 
 come."
 (John 16:13)
 Speaking to the apostles in the upper room, Jesus made the above statement: that the Spirit of truth 
 would "guide you into `all truth`" How much truth is "all truth."? Notice the Spirit `shall not speak 
 of (from) Himself.  `So we know the "all truth" will be given only to the apostles while they lived. 
 No new doctrine, no new truth, no new tradition. Jesus was given the truth by the Father, Jesus in 
 turn gave the truth to the apostles, and the Spirit was to bring to their remembrance the "all truth" 
 that Jesus had taught them. (John  13:3; 16;15; 14;26).   "Scripture alone is authoritative for the 
 Church in matters of the truth."
 
 2.  " Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful 
 for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was 
 once delivered unto the saints." (Jude 3).
 Jude makes it very clear that "the faith" (gospel, Gal.1:23), was "once delivered (past tense) unto 
 the saints." If the faith, at the time of Jude`s writing, had already been delivered to the saints, what 
 more could be delivered?
 
 "Scripture alone is authoritative for the Church in matters of faith."
 
 3.  "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book: If any man 
 shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And 
 if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his 
 part out of the Book of Life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this 
 book" (Rev 22:18-19). This Scripture plainly teaches that no man has the authority to add or take 
 away from the book. Why would God prohibit adding to His written word, but allow man to add 
 to His word by "tradition'? The prohibition is not only against adding or taking away from the 
 written, but also from all perversions of the truth, either written or spoken by tradition.
 
 "Scripture alone is authoritative for the Church in matters of Doctrine."  
 
 4.  "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, 
 that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you." (Deut. 4:2). 
 Man has no authority to: "add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish 
 ought from it," The same as in the New Testament. The prohibition is not only against adding or 
 taking away from the written, but also from all perversions of the truth, either written or spoken by 
 tradition. Plain enough!
 
 "Scripture alone is authoritative for the Church in matters in keeping the commandment."
 
 5.  "Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.(Prov.30:6). Man is 
 again warned not to add to God's word.
 
 "Scripture alone is authoritative for the Church in matters of reproof."
 
 6. "Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for 
 ever." (Ps.119:160). From the very beginning, God's word has been true...and `every one` last 
 forever.  
 
 "Scripture alone is authoritative for the Church in matters of what is true."
 
 7. "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the 
 prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved 
 by the Holy Ghost." (2 Peter 1:20,21). Every word spoken or written did not come from the 
 private thoughts or imagination of the holy men, but came from the Holy Spirit, as He moved 
 them to speak or write.
 
 "Scripture alone is authoritative for the Church in matters of interpretation."
 
 8. "If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;" 
 (John 10:35). Here we have from Jesus Christ Himself that the "scripture cannot be broken" or "is 
 true forever" Jesus is speaking of the `written word of God. What does it mean? It means that the 
 Bible is God breathed: inspired, It speaks of the Scriptures, both the Old Testament and the New 
 Testament. It means Jesus believed the Bible. It means the Bible is the only infallible word of 
 God, the one that will judge all mankind. It means it cannot be added to, or taken away from.
 
 "Scripture alone is authoritative for the Church in matters that cannot be broken."
 
 9. "...It is written..."Matt 4:4,7,10)
 In the temptation of Jesus, three times He resisted Satan, saying, "It is written.  In stating "It is 
 written," Jesus used the exact same phrase that is used in the Bible forty six times. Never once did 
 Jesus make reference to any other source than the `written word" 
 
 "Scripture alone is authoritative for the Church in matters of what is written."
 
 10. "Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of 
 God." (Matt.22:29) How does one err? "not knowing the scriptures'!
 
 "Scripture alone is authoritative for the Church in matters erring."
 
 11."To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is 
 no light in them." (Isaiah 8:20). If one speaks not according to God's word, "it is because there is 
 no light in them."   
 
 "Scripture alone is authoritative for the Church in matters of the Light."
 
 12. "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify 
 of me." (John.5:39). What testifies of Christ? the scriptures!
 
 "Scripture alone is authoritative for the Church in matters that need searching."
 
 13. "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that 
 believing ye might have life through his name." (20:31). "But these are written" Why? "that ye 
 might believe"
 
 "Scripture alone is authoritative for the Church in matters of believing."
 
 Conclusion:
 The Scriptures alone are authoritative and are the sole inspired writings of the Old and New 
 Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. They are exclusively, standing by themselves, 
 being true and dependable for Christians in all affairs or situation under consideration in the 
 church.
 
 Affirm
 George A. Jackson