Scripture
Throughout history, Mennonites have sought to be a biblical people. We have shared the traditional Protestant emphasis on the authority of Scripture as we look at doctrine. In addition, Mennonites also underscore the following emphases:
- the authority of Scripture for ethics, for the relation of church to society, and for church polity
- the interpretation of Scripture in harmony with Jesus Christ, in the sense that his life, teachings, death and resurrection are essential to understanding the Bible as a whole
- the congregation of believers as the place where individual understandings and interpretations of Scripture are to be tested
Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective says (and you will note that we do not use the term “inerrancy” but rather, “inspired, authoritative, reliable”:
Mennonites believe that all Scripture is inspired by God through the Holy Spirit for instruction in salvation and training in righteousness. We accept the Scriptures as the Word of God and as the fully reliable and trustworthy standard for Christian faith and life. We seek to understand and interpret Scripture in harmony with Jesus Christ as we are led by the Holy Spirit in the church.
Through the Holy Spirit, God moved human witnesses to write what is needed for salvation, for guidance in faith and life, and for devotion to God.
