Is Sola Scriptura Biblical?

The doctrine of Sola Scriptura — that Scripture alone is the ultimate authority in matters of faith and practice — has been a cornerstone of Protestant theology since the Reformation. Proponents argue that the Bible itself claims sufficiency (2 Timothy 3:16-17), that the early church fathers appealed primarily to Scripture, and that church traditions have historically introduced errors that only biblical correction could address. They point to Christ's own rebukes of the Pharisees for elevating tradition over God's Word as a model for the church today. Critics, particularly within the Catholic and Orthodox traditions, contend that Sola Scriptura is itself unbiblical — a self-refuting doctrine nowhere explicitly taught in Scripture. They argue that the Bible emerged from the living tradition of the Church, that the canon itself was determined by ecclesial authority, and that passages like 2 Thessalonians 2:15 explicitly command believers to hold to both written and oral traditions. The proliferation of tens of thousands of Protestant denominations, they argue, demonstrates the practical failure of Scripture-alone interpretation. This debate strikes at the heart of Christian epistemology: How do believers know what they know about God? Is Scripture a standalone, self-interpreting authority, or must it be read within the interpretive framework of Sacred Tradition and the Magisterium? Both sides bring substantial historical and exegetical evidence to the table.