Scripture Supports and Explains Itself
One remarkable feature of the Bible is how Scripture interprets Scripture – it often explains itself through cross-references. An example is an obscure Old Testament admonition clarified by the New Testament.
Apostle Paul reminded the church “as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the Lord’” (1 Corinthians 1:31, NKJV). The prophet Jeremiah expands on this earlier: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom… nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me” (Jeremiah 9:23–24, NKJV).
In other words, what might seem a cryptic saying in by Apostle Paul is affirmed and elucidated by Jeremiah: our “boast” or glory should be in knowing the Lord (Yahwah), not in ourselves. This internal consistency is not an accident – the Bible frequently quotes and clarifies earlier scriptures, forming a self-reinforcing tapestry of truth.
Early Christians recognized this self-explaining quality and authority of Scripture. For instance, Clement of Rome (1st century) urged believers to obey what is written in Scripture. He even quoted the same verse from Jeremiah, writing: *“Let us act according to that which is written (for the Holy Spirit says, ‘Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom’)… Look carefully into the Scriptures, which are the true utterances of the Holy Spirit.”
Clement’s exhortation shows that from the very start, the church was taught to ground its beliefs in the written Word of God. The New Covenant authors themselves did this repeatedly – for example, when Jesus was tempted, He answered “It is written” each time, quoting Scripture as the final authority rather than any human opinion (see Matthew 4:4–10). The pattern was clear: Scripture’s own words are the ultimate explanation and support for the truth, so every teaching must be measured against what has been written.
The Bible Instructs Us to Rely on the Written Word
Scripture not only explains itself; it explicitly teaches believers to rely on the written Word of God as the foundation of truth. In contrast to mutable oral lore, the Bible commends a faith anchored in the fixed testimony of Scripture. Below are several ways the Bible emphasizes relying on Scripture:
Not Beyond What Is Written: The Apostle Paul taught the early churches “not to think beyond what is written” (1 Corinthians 4:6, NKJV). In other words, believers were not to go outside the boundaries of God’s written revelation. The written Scriptures were to be the rule by which teachings were tested, preventing prideful innovations.
Noble Bereans – Checking Everything by Scripture: In Acts, the Jews in Berea are commended as “more fair-minded” because “they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11, NKJV). Rather than just accepting oral teaching at face value, they verified every new teaching against the Scriptures. The Bible thus praises those who test even an apostle’s message by the written Word – a strong example that Scripture is the final court of appeal for truth.
Scripture Fully Equips Us: The Bible teaches that the written Word is sufficient for our spiritual needs. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17, NKJV).
Because Scripture is God-breathed, it thoroughly equips believers – implying we do not require extra (outside)-biblical traditions to be complete in our faith. God’s Word contains all necessary truth to teach us, correct us, and train us in righteousness.
Jesus vs. Tradition of the Elders: Jesus Himself warned against elevating human traditions to the level of Scripture. He rebuked the religious leaders, saying, “making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down” (Mark 7:13, NKJV).
Their oral traditions had strayed so far that they contradicted God’s written commandments, thus “nullifying” God’s Word. Christ’s response was to reassert what Scripture said (e.g. “For Moses said…” in Mark 7:10) over their traditions. This shows Jesus expected God’s written word to take precedence over any human customs.
Warning Against “Tradition of Men”: Likewise, Paul cautioned believers: “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men… and not according to Christ.” (Colossians 2:8, NKJV). Here “tradition of men” refers to teachings handed down outside of God’s Word. Paul saw such man-made traditions as a spiritual threat that could “cheat” or captivate believers, pulling them away from Christ’s truth. The implied solution is to hold fast to apostolic Scripture (what is “according to Christ”) instead.
No Adding or Removing: The principle of not altering God’s Word appears throughout Scripture. For example, an early Christian handbook (the Didache, c. 1st century) echoed Scripture by instructing, *“Do not add anything to these words and do not take anything away. This reflects commands found in the Bible itself (cf. Deuteronomy 4:2, Revelation 22:18–19). The early church understood that the faith once delivered should not be supplemented by new revelations or edits. God’s Word was seen as complete and inviolable – our role is to preserve and obey it, not modify it with extra traditions.
Early Church leaders consistently pointed people back to Scripture as the primary guide. In the late 1st century, Polycarp – a disciple of the Apostle John – assumed Christians were “well versed… having been trained in the sacred Scriptures.” For them, “scripture” meant the established writings (the Hebrew Bible and the growing corpus of apostolic writings). Appealing to Scripture was the default in preaching and teaching. This heavy emphasis in the Bible and among earliest Christians shows that reliance on God’s written Word (rather than fluid oral lore) was considered essential for maintaining true doctrine.
Different Results: Scripture vs. Oral Tradition
Relying on Scripture versus approximate oral tradition produces very different outcomes. The written Word provides a stable, unchanging standard that guards the truth, whereas purely oral traditions, when unchecked by Scripture, tend to drift over time. Jesus and the apostles confronted this issue, and history later bore it out:
In Jesus’ Time – Tradition Drifted from Scripture: By the first century, the Jewish leaders had developed a body of oral traditions (the “tradition of the elders”). Over generations these teachings strayed from the intent of Scripture, even contradicting it.
For example, they created loopholes to avoid supporting one’s parents (the “Corban” rule), which violated the commandment to honor father and mother. Jesus exposed how “your tradition” had caused them to “reject the commandment of God” (Mark 7:9-13). The result of relying on those oral traditions was a religion that looked pious but nullified God’s requirements.
In contrast, had they stuck to the exact words God gave (e.g. Scripture in the Law of Moses), they would not have gone astray. This stark example shows that oral tradition, especially as it accumulates changes, can lead people far from God’s original truth, whereas clinging to the written text keeps one aligned with God’s intent.
The Apostles Predicted Post-Biblical Deviations: The New Testament writers foresaw that deviations would worsen if people abandoned Scripture for man-made teachings.
Paul warned that after his time, people would “not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires… heap up for themselves teachers” and “turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” (2 Timothy 4:3–4, NKJV). This is a prophecy of a drifting into error – fables and novel teachings – once the anchor of sound doctrine (recorded in Scripture) was neglected.
Similarly, “the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1, NKJV). Paul then specifies these false doctrines would include “forbidding to marry (as Roman Catholics forbid priests to marry), and commanding to abstain from foods” (1 Timothy 4:3, NKJV) – rules not taught in New Covenant Scripture.
Tragically, history shows exactly this happening: in later centuries, certain church authorities introduced mandatory celibacy (forbidding marriage for clergy) and strict dietary rules on certain days (abstaining from meats, etc.). These were human traditions developed over time, not commands found in the Bible – in fact, they fulfill the very departures Paul warned of.
By the medieval era, reliance on extra-biblical tradition led to practices like indulgences, the veneration of images, and other innovations that had no basis in the apostolic Scriptures. In effect, as the church placed oral/clerical traditions on par with or above Scripture, the original biblical teachings were obscured, and corruption crept in.
Scripture as the Corrective: The divergence caused by unrestrained tradition underscores why Scripture must remain the supreme authority.
Whenever the people of God realized they had drifted, the remedy was a return to the Scriptures themselves. For example, King Josiah, upon finding the lost Book of the Law, realized how far Israel’s practice had strayed; he instituted reforms based on the written Word (2 Kings 22–23). The Christian Church of God from Jerusalem today is doing the same thing, instituting reforms.
In the early church, when false doctrines arose, leaders like Paul refuted them by appealing to the gospel and Scripture, not by citing secret traditions. And much later, the Protestant Reformation was essentially a call to return to sola Scriptura – the “Scripture alone” principle – because by then many traditions (e.g. selling indulgences for forgiveness) blatantly contradicted the Bible.
Scripture has a refining and correcting role: it is the plumb line that reveals where human ideas have deviated. As Isaiah 8:20 says, “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” In every age, teachings must be evaluated “according to this word” (the written Word of God). If a doctrine can’t be found in or supported by Scripture, it carries no light as God’s will.
In summary, the Bible consistently teaches us to build our faith on the solid rock of God’s written Word. Scripture validates itself through internal harmony and fulfills itself through its own explanation. It explicitly commands us to hold fast to the inspired writings as our final authority.
When Christians have done so, the church has been kept on course, enjoying unity in essential truth. But when “approximate” oral traditions or evolving human teachings take precedence, the result is confusion and departure from God’s intent – as seen in both biblical examples and church history.
The antidote is always a return to Scripture, and to repent. As the early believers demonstrated by searching the Scriptures daily, and as the early leaders like Clement urged, the Word of God recorded in Scripture is the trustworthy foundation for truth. It teaches, corrects, and even rebukes our traditions, and it equips us fully for salvation in Christ.
Therefore, we are called not to boast in ourselves or any human tradition, but to “boast in the Lord” and His Word alone. Embracing that biblical principle will yield a faith that is pure, unified, and resistant to the distortions of time.
Sources: The Holy Bible, New King James Version; Early Christian writings and citations as noted (Clement of Rom
e, Epistle to Corinthians; Didache 4.13; Polycarp, Letter to Philippians).
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