Scripture as one authority among several
Serious error
The view that the Bible is one source of authority alongside others, such as church tradition, official teaching, reason, or experience, with none of them finally over the rest.
Also called: One authority among several, Scripture and tradition, co-equal tradition
What it means
In this view, the Bible is honored but does not stand alone at the top. It shares authority with something else: a body of church tradition, the teaching office of a church, the conclusions of reason, or personal and community experience. When these disagree, the other authority may interpret, qualify, or even override what Scripture says.
This takes several forms. Some traditions hold that Scripture and sacred tradition together form one deposit of faith, interpreted by the church's teaching office. Some newer churches give present-day prophecy or a leader's revelation equal weight. Many progressive churches treat experience or moral reasoning as able to correct the Bible.
The Reformation confessions reject every such arrangement. They teach that Scripture is the only infallible rule, and that everything else, however venerable, is to be judged by it.
What Scripture says
Jesus says the leaders nullified the word of God by the tradition they handed down.
Worship is in vain when it teaches human rules as though they were doctrine.
Paul warns against being taken captive by philosophy and human tradition instead of Christ.
Every word of God is flawless; do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you.
Every claim to speak for God is tested by his law and testimony.
What is wrong with it
Scripture is the only word that is breathed out by God. Jesus held the traditions of his day under the written word and condemned them where they contradicted it. The apostles told the churches to test everything, even apostolic preaching, by the Scriptures. No other source shares that God-breathed character, so none can share its authority.
How it undermines the truth
It undermines the supremacy of God's voice. When two authorities stand side by side, the one that interprets the other becomes the real master. In practice, the church's office, the latest revelation, or the reader's experience ends up deciding what Scripture is allowed to mean. It also undermines the gospel, because added traditions have historically added conditions to grace.
How it can harm a church
Members are bound by rules and teachings God never gave, and their consciences are burdened accordingly. They lose the freedom to test their leaders by the Bible, since the leaders hold another authority the Bible cannot overrule. Over time, error can enter the church with no way to correct it, because the one standard that could correct it has been placed on equal footing with the error.
This page describes a teaching, not the faith of any person who holds it.
Where it comes up
Confessions: WCF 1.6; WCF 1.10; LBCF 1689 1.6; LBCF 1689 1.10
On this site: Scripture
Related terms
Sola ScripturaHistoric orthodoxy
Scripture alone is the final and infallible authority over the church, by which every other authority is judged.
Sufficiency of ScriptureHistoric orthodoxy
Scripture contains everything we need to know for salvation, faith, and life, so nothing needs to be added to it.
Limited inerrancyFlagged as a concern
The view that the Bible is reliable for salvation and faith but may contain errors in history, science, or other details.