“Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.”
– St. Jerome
“Because the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit, it is rightly called the Word of God written. God is revealed in his mighty works and in the incarnation of our Lord, but his works and his will are made known to us through the inspired words of Scripture. God “has spoken through the prophets” (Nicene Creed), and continues to speak through the Bible today. (Hebrews 1:1-2; 3:7-11; 10:15-17; 12:25-27)”
“The Old Testament is to be read in the light of Christ, incarnate, crucified and risen, and the New Testament is to be read in light of God’s revelation to Israel. As Saint Augustine says, “the New is in the Old concealed, the Old is in the New revealed.” (Hebrews 8:1-7; Augustine, Questions in the Heptateuch 2.73)”
“Holy Scripture is “God’s Word written” (Articles of Religion, 20), given by the Holy Spirit through prophets and apostles as the revelation of God and his acts in human history, and is therefore the Church’s final authority in all matters of faith and practice. (2 Timothy 3:16)”
– From To Be A Christian: An Anglican Catechism
The canonical books of the Old and New Testaments are trustworthy as “God’s Word written,” sufficiently teach God’s will for His world, and have supreme authority for faith, life, and the continuous renewal and reform of the Church. They are inspired, infallible, and “contain all things necessary for salvation.” (Articles of Religion, 6)
As such, the Church’s preaching, teaching, and entire life must be thoroughly rooted in and informed by the Bible. As St. Jerome said, “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.”