The Authority of Scripture (4 of 5)

On Wednesdays we “walk in the Word” through study & application of Biblical doctrine. Rightly understanding Biblical doctrine fuels doxology, delight in Jesus, & gospel centered discipleship. Today we resume a survey of the Doctrine of Scripture (Bibliology), embracing the authority of Scripture. Previous posts  include:

Delighting in God’s Word     The Sufficiency of Scripture   The Clarity of Scripture
                                                 Trusting the Bible (with Sandy Willson)

 “Contemporary people tend to examine the Bible, looking for things they cannot accept, but Christians should reverse that, allowing the Bible to examine us,    looking for things God cannot accept.”  
​(Tim Keller, quoted in Tim Keller, On the Christian Life by Matt Smethurst)
 
                          Confused Culture
I will never forget sitting in my first college Bible class. The professor began his lecture asking, “Who in here believes Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John wrote the gospels that bear their names?” I raised my hand, one of three or four to do so. The professor immediately began using us as examples of naivety, promoting academic study the Bible. His basic premise was that the Bible is like any other book, including truth but not truth itself, and we definitely should not trust all we read- not even the claim of authorship (human or Divine). I did not do well in that class.
 
When we say the Bible is authoritative, we celebrate God’s authorship of Scripture, that it is without error in its original languages, and that the Bible is both the foundation of life and the formative authority for all life.  These claims are crazy talk in our culture because absolute, objective, truth has been rejected and replaced with subjective truth claims leading to confusion.  Consider these common cultural contradictions:
 
“There is no absolute truth.” Stated as absolute truth by the philosopher.
“All authority should be questioned.” Except the authority of the person saying this.
“Power structures must be deconstructed.” Says the tenured professor tethered to institutional power.
“All narratives are equally valid.” Says the sociologist as she elevates her narrative and devalues others claiming superiority.
 
In this context of cultural confusion and contradiction, Christians must elevate God’s word as absolute truth, the supreme authority for all of life, and the true narrative of the world. When we do, everything in our discipleship will be different: Decision making, identity, relationships, priorities, purpose, ethics, hope, demeanor… everything. Today's difficulty in discipleship  is the loss of distinction due to delusion from our contradictory culture.  Christians must reclaim the authority of Scripture in our life and leadership.
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 “There can be no doubt whatsoever that all the troubles in the Church today, and most of the troubles in the world, are due to a departure from the authority of the Bible.” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

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               Clarity on Biblical Authority
The Bible has several attributes, three of which are essential to understand the authority of Scripture. Consider these three I’s: Inspiration, Infallible, and Inerrant.
 
Inspired: God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16). Scripture originates in God, written through human authors carried by the Holy Spirit. Example: "For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." (2 Peter 1:21).
 
Infallible: Incapable of error due to divine nature. Rooted in God's truthfulness: “It is impossible for God to lie” (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18).Example: "Every word of God proves true." (Proverbs 30:5)
 
Inerrant: Without error in the original manuscripts (graphe). If tensions or paradoxes appear, the fault lies in human interpretation, not God's authorship.Example: “The Scriptures cannot be broken…” (John 10:35);  “The words of the Lord are pure…” (Psalm 12:6) 
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"The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed, and obeyed, depends not upon the testimony of any man, or Church; but wholly upon God (who is truth itself) the author thereof: and therefore it is to be received, because it is the Word of God."  (Westminster Confession of Faith 1.4)
 

The Scriptures do not tell us everything about everything. If they did then I would be better at golf and math, and there would be better, cheaper, coffee available to all. But Scripture is the authority over everything. Another “i-word” helps us navigate this reality- Interpretation. Scripture is the ultimate standard for how we understand Scripture, helping us see the Bible’s internal coherence and consistency. The Holy Spirit illuminates God’s word, guiding us in the interpretation and application of Scripture’s authority for every situation. 
 
Scripture is God’s word, comprehensively reliable for all of life. God’s Spirit wrote God’s word for God’s people, and God cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18; Numbers 23:19). Jesus upholds the authority of Scripture, elevating the truth of God’s word, while promising the Spirit of Truth will illuminate God’s word (John 16:13-14; John 17:17; 1 Corinthians 2:12-13). God’s people must embrace God’s truth, embracing its authority to form us as foundation for all of life.
 
 “Everything I need to learn in order to live to the glory of God and enjoy him forever I will find in the application of Scripture.” - Sinclair Ferguson 
 
Everything in discipleship is different when we elevate the authority of Scripture: Decision making, identity, relationships, priorities, purpose, ethics, hope, demeanor… everything. The difficulty in discipleship today is the loss of distinction due to the delusion of our contradictory culture.  When the authority of God's word is reclaimed as our delight, then doxology will characterize our discipleship.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What is the ultimate, formative authority in your life?
 
-Where do you see the confusion and contradiction of culture in regards to truth, narratives, and authority?
 
-How can the Bible be more of the foundation for your life and the formative authority for all your life? Be specific 

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