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What Is Sola Scriptura?

Sola scriptura — "by Scripture alone" — is the confession that the Bible, as God's breathed-out Word, is the only infallible rule for what Christians believe and how they live. Church tradition, confessions, and teachers are valuable but always subordinate to, and judged by, Scripture.

Key Passages

Common Questions

Does sola scriptura mean ignoring church history?
No. It means Scripture alone is infallible and final. Creeds, confessions, and theologians genuinely help us understand the Bible — they just never outrank it.
Where is sola scriptura taught in the Bible?
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (Scripture is God-breathed and sufficient to equip), Psalm 19:7-11, and Isaiah 8:20 ("to the teaching and to the testimony").

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