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Examined Doctrine

John Piper on Authority of Scripture

B. 1946 · REFORMED BAPTIST
STANDARD SCHOLARLY ACCOUNTAFFIRMS°
STANCE

Scripture alone is the final, only infallible authority

THE POSITION

Sola scriptura and inerrancy.

WHY THERE IS NO QUOTATIONOne quotation, on spiritual-warfare, from a freely published Ask Pastor John episode, and copyright is not the reason the rest have none. This map quotes MacArthur, Heiser and Sproul at length, all modern authors in copyright, and the Sproul pass was built on freely published video rather than his books. Piper is in the same position: what is missing for the other ten positions is a primary-source pass, which nobody has run. They are established — well-attested accounts of his views, not checked against his own words — and they stay there until someone does the work.

SCRIPTURE
2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17 · BSB

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.

22 OTHERS HOLD THIS

Jacobus ArminiusVoddie BauchamCalvinJonathan EdwardsThe Church of Eleven22 Statement of FaithCharles Grandison FinneyBilly GrahamM. HeiserJosh HowertonTim KellerSecond London Baptist ConfessionLutherJohn MacArthurPhilip MelanchthonGavin OrtlundJohn OwenJustin PetersR.C. SproulWesleyWestminster ConfessionGeorge WhitefieldZwingli
Scripture with tradition and church teaching officeAQUINAS · BASIL THE GREAT · CHALCEDON · CHRYSOSTOM · CONSTANTINOPLE I · EPHESUS · NICAEA I · WILLIAM OF OCKHAM · JOHN DUNS SCOTUS
Scripture supreme, recognized and interpreted through the churchATHANASIUS · AUGUSTINE · IRENAEUS
See all 36 figures on authority of scripture →

ABOUT THIS FIGURE

Longtime pastor of Bethlehem Baptist, Minneapolis, and founder of Desiring God. Reformed soteriology combined with continuationism and historic premillennialism.

1 OF 11 POSITIONS QUOTED
Everything John Piper holds →
Cite this page

"John Piper on Authority of Scripture", Examined Doctrine, July 2026 edition, https://examineddoctrine.com/position/piper/scripture-authority (archived at https://examineddoctrine.com/editions/2026-07/position/piper/scripture-authority).

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