Episode #1—The Foundation that Holds: Building Healthy Churches on the Authority and Sufficiency of Scripture

Africa is experiencing rapid church growth, becoming one of the fastest-growing regions in the world for Christianity. However, not all growth is healthy growth. There are different kinds of growth—healthy growth that builds up the body of Christ, and growth that resembles a tumour, expanding through disease rather than vitality.

Much of the so-called church growth in Africa is disconnected from the truth of God’s word. Nominal Christianity abounds, and prosperity theology, which contains no biblical gospel, has gained enormous influence. The concern is not merely about the multiplication of churches, but whether these congregations are genuinely grounded in the word of God. Are they truly churches at all? Without a foundation on Scripture, they are like houses built on sand rather than solid rock.

The Bible teaches that Scripture must be our final authority for all that we believe and do. Intimately connected to this is the conviction about the sufficiency of Scripture—that it is sufficient for all we need that pertains to life and godliness. A local church must have these convictions if it is going to be a healthy church.

God has revealed to us in his word all that we need to know about him. This doesn’t mean Scripture is exhaustive—in eternity we will continue learning new truths about God—but the word of God is sufficient for all we need to know about him at this point. It is sufficient for salvation, spiritual growth, and therefore sanctification. We don’t need additional revelation.

This stands in stark contrast to movements like the prosperity gospel, which claim special revelation about illnesses or prosperity that can only be accessed through particular prophets or leaders. Such claims undermine the sufficiency of Scripture.

How can a church practically live under the authority of God’s word? First, there must be teaching about the authority of God’s word. The best way to do this is to teach God’s authoritative word itself. As church leadership grounds the congregation through expositional ministry—expositing, explaining, and teaching the Scriptures—people come to experience the authority of God’s word.

But teaching alone is not enough. We must practically apply biblical authority in every area. We cannot say we believe in the authority of Scripture but then question the sufficiency of the gospel. We cannot claim to believe in the authority of God’s word but refuse to obey and submit ourselves to its authority.

For instance, if we say we believe in the authority of God’s word, how can we ignore what the Bible teaches about discipleship, church discipline, or the ordinances? The best way to equip people about the authority of God’s word is to treat it as authoritative. This will have a huge impact on every aspect of ministry, beginning in the pulpit.

In 2 Timothy 3:15–16, Paul writes to Timothy: “From childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Note that Paul speaks of salvation not just as justification, but as encompassing sanctification and ultimate glorification. Warren Wiersbe memorably summarised this passage by saying the word of God is authoritative and sufficient to teach us what is right, what is not right, how to get right, and how to stay right.

Sanctification is the process of becoming more like Christ, and God’s word is essential for this transformation. Jesus himself prayed in his High Priestly prayer, “Father, sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). He defines for us that the word of God sanctifies us, and within that we find both the authority and sufficiency of Scripture.

If a professing Christian has to dust off his Bible every Sunday morning, there’s a good chance he’s not taking seriously the authority and sufficiency of Scripture during the week. The word must not only be central in the pulpit but also in our individual lives as church members. When we face problems—whether marital difficulties, challenges with children, or conflicts with other church members—Scripture is where we need to run for answers and guidance.

Every aspect of church life must come back to one question: What does God’s word say about this? Or, more specifically, what does the text say?

When dealing with counselling, we shouldn’t simply grab the latest pop psychology book. What does Scripture say about this matter? This doesn’t mean psychology cannot offer some insights, but it doesn’t have the authoritative answers—only God’s word does.

The pulpit remains key in this endeavour. Teaching by example demonstrates to people that this is what God’s word says, and it carries its own authority. This builds people up and gives them confidence in the word. Through the ministry of the word, whatever form it takes in the church, the congregation should go away saying, “That makes sense. I see that.” This gives them confidence that they too can go to the word of God, study it, and apply it to their lives.

1. The centrality of Scripture extends beyond preaching. Colossians 3:16 reminds us to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” The whole aspect of worship is bound up in the word—the preaching, the singing, the praying, and the ordinances.

   If we’re not careful, we can undermine the teaching ministry through our singing. If we sing songs that are not biblical, or worse, songs that actually contradict the truth of God’s word, we undermine what is being preached. It’s remarkable how easily heresy can slip in through songs compared to sermons. This is why elders bear responsibility for what is sung in corporate worship—we are responsible for teaching truth in all aspects of church life.

At Brackenhurst Baptist Church, these convictions have shaped decades of ministry and practice. The church had already been grounded in the authority of Scripture for 15–20 years before the current leadership arrived. The congregation was built from its foundation on the conviction that God’s word is God’s word—inerrant and infallible.

This strong foundation made reformation over the years relatively straightforward. The congregation already understood that God’s word is authoritative, so leadership could simply teach it. Together, the church could ask: What does the text say? What does God expect us to believe about this? What does he expect us to do as a church because of this?

Church planters must lay this foundation from the beginning. Those reforming existing churches sometimes face a more challenging task if the foundation is weak. But when a church is grounded in the authority and sufficiency of Scripture, reformation can proceed—not without some difficulty, but with clarity and confidence.

What should someone do if they find themselves in a church that does not view the word as sufficient or authoritative? Spurgeon was once asked about defending the Bible. He said he doesn’t defend it—it’s like a lion that doesn’t need defending. Just let it out of its cage.

The same is true with Scripture. Take the sword of the Spirit and wield it. If people don’t believe the sword cuts, the best way forward is to let them experience its sharpness. Go to the pulpit and teach God’s word verse by verse. As you teach the word of God expositionally, the Bible authenticates itself. You don’t have to persuade anybody through eloquence alone—you must be persuasive in the sense of knowing what you’re talking about and taking seriously what the word meant to the original author and audience. But as you explain this faithfully, it’s remarkable how people recognise truth and submit to its authority.

The Reformers spoke of the analogy of faith—proving Scripture by Scripture. Biblical theology demonstrates this beautifully, showing patterns, common themes, and metaphors woven throughout Scripture. As people see this coherence, they gain great confidence in God’s word.

Moreover, when leadership models obedience—saying “because God’s word says this, this is what we need to do as a congregation”—they are demonstrating faith in action. Faith, after all, is acting upon God’s word because we trust his character. As people see this lived out, they develop their own convictions. Over time, the effect snowballs.

If a church is completely off the rails, it may be wise to leave before going down with a sinking ship. However, many churches have pastors who simply haven’t been trained well. They don’t understand the sufficiency of Scripture, the authority of Scripture, or expositional ministry. In such cases, the charitable response is to come alongside them in the right spirit and say, “Can we talk about the ministry of the word? I don’t feel like I’m being fed.”

Every pastor has heard this concern. Sometimes it’s just an excuse, but sometimes there’s truth to it. If a pastor is open to the conversation, members can share helpful literature and resources. What you shouldn’t do is tell them to listen to your favourite preacher and copy his style. There are pastors around the world who love God and love the gospel but have not been trained well. They simply need encouragement and guidance. Many such men have seen their lives and ministries transformed as they’ve returned to Scripture and begun preaching it expositionally.

Building a church on the word of God is not merely about believing the right doctrines—it’s about allowing Scripture to shape every aspect of church life and practice. From the pulpit to personal discipleship, from corporate worship to counselling, from membership care to leadership decisions, God’s word must be our final authority and our sufficient guide.

When churches are grounded in these convictions and live them out practically, they experience healthy growth—not the diseased growth of movements disconnected from biblical truth, but the organic, Spirit-empowered growth that comes from being rooted and built up in Christ. This is the kind of church that weathers storms, transforms lives, and brings glory to God.