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What the Thirty-Nine Articles Teach About Scripture and Authority

Rev. C•D•F• Warrington, M.Div.
By Rev. C•D•F• Warrington, M.Div.

Ordained Minister, M.Div.

April 11, 2026

2 min read

scripture
Historic Anglican scroll depicting scripture and authority in the Thirty-Nine Articles

One of the defining marks of the English Reformation was its insistence on the supreme authority of Holy Scripture. The Thirty-Nine Articles address this directly in Articles VI through VIII, laying out a robust doctrine of Scripture that remains one of the most important contributions Anglican theology has made to the broader Protestant tradition.

Article VI: Scripture Contains All Things Necessary for Salvation

Article VI makes a sweeping and definitive claim: "Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the Faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation." This is the Anglican principle of sola scriptura — not that tradition is worthless, but that Scripture alone is the ultimate authority in matters of faith and salvation.

The Canon of Scripture

Article VI also addresses the canon, listing the books of the Old and New Testaments and noting that the Apocrypha, while read in the church "for example of life and instruction of manners," is not used to establish doctrine. This was a careful middle position: neither dismissing the Apocrypha entirely nor granting it the same authority as Scripture.

Article VII: The Old Testament and the New

Article VII affirms the unity of the two Testaments. The Old Testament is not contrary to the New; both bear witness to the same God and the same plan of salvation. The ceremonial and civil laws of Moses do not bind Christians, but the moral law — including the Ten Commandments — remains in force.

Article VIII: The Three Creeds

Article VIII affirms the Nicene Creed, the Apostles' Creed, and the Athanasian Creed — not as independent authorities, but because "they may be proved by most certain warrants of Holy Scripture." This is a significant theological move: the ancient creeds are honored, but their authority is derived from and accountable to Scripture.

Together these articles set out an Anglican epistemology for theology: Scripture is the primary authority, the ancient creeds are faithful summaries of Scripture, and tradition has a real but subordinate role. It is a position that remains distinctively Anglican — neither the Roman Catholic elevation of tradition to equal status with Scripture, nor a bare biblicism that ignores the Church's historic wisdom.

Tags:scripturethirty nine articlesauthorityanglicanism

Frequently Asked Questions

What do the Thirty-Nine Articles say about the authority of Scripture?

Article VI of the Thirty-Nine Articles, adopted by the Church of England in 1571, declares that Holy Scripture contains all things necessary for salvation and that nothing not found or proved by Scripture is to be required as an article of faith. This affirmation of Scripture's sufficiency placed the Church of England firmly in the Protestant tradition while stopping short of the more detailed inerrancy language found in later Reformed confessions. The Articles define the canonical books of the Old Testament in accordance with the Hebrew canon, with the Apocrypha assigned a secondary status for instruction but not for doctrine.

How do the Thirty-Nine Articles define the relationship between Scripture and tradition?

The Thirty-Nine Articles subordinate church tradition and councils to the authority of Scripture, stating in Article XXI that general councils 'may err, and sometimes have erred, even in things pertaining unto God.' This was a significant departure from Roman Catholic teaching, which gave binding authority to magisterial tradition alongside Scripture. Archbishop Thomas Cranmer shaped this position during the reign of Edward VI, and the Articles were finalized under Elizabeth I in 1571, establishing a Reformed-leaning but catholic Anglican settlement.

Are the Thirty-Nine Articles still binding on Anglican clergy today?

The canonical status of the Thirty-Nine Articles varies across the Anglican Communion. In the Church of England, clergy are required to affirm the doctrine of the Church as found in the Articles (though not to subscribe to every statement individually) under the 1975 Worship and Doctrine Measure. In the Episcopal Church (USA), the Articles appear in the Book of Common Prayer as historical documents but are no longer required as a subscription standard. Conservative Anglican bodies such as the Anglican Church in North America continue to affirm the Articles as doctrinal standards.

Who wrote the Thirty-Nine Articles and when were they finalized?

The Thirty-Nine Articles grew out of earlier Edwardian formularies, most notably the Forty-Two Articles drafted by Thomas Cranmer in 1553, which were never formally authorized before Edward VI's death. Under Elizabeth I, Archbishop Matthew Parker revised and reduced these to the Thirty-Nine Articles, which were adopted by Convocation in 1563 and received royal authority in 1571. They represent a settlement of Anglican doctrine that sought to be broadly Protestant while avoiding the more polemical precision of continental Reformed confessions.

What is the Thirty-Nine Articles' teaching on salvation?

Articles IX through XVIII address salvation, affirming original sin (Article IX), justification by faith alone (Article XI), predestination to life for the elect (Article XVII), and rejecting the idea that works before justification have any merit before God (Article XIII). This soteriological framework is broadly Reformed, influenced by Cranmer's contacts with continental Reformers such as Martin Bucer, who resided in England from 1549–1551. Article XVII on predestination is carefully worded to comfort the elect without making reprobation a cause of despair, reflecting the pastoral intent of the English Reformation settlement.

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