The Four Characteristics of Scripture (1) Authority

5.Objection: This is a Circular Argument

“We believe that Scripture is God’s Word because it claims to be that. And we believe its claims because Scripture is God’s Word. And we believe that it is God’s Word because it claims to be that, and so forth.”

All arguments for an absolute authority must ultimately appeal to that authority for proof: otherwise the authority would not be an absolute or highest.

“My reason is my ultimate authority because it seems reasonable to me to make it so.”

“Logical consistency is my ultimate authority because it is logical to make it so.”

“The findings of human experiences are the ultimate authority for discovering what is real and what is not, because our human senses have never discovered anything else: thus human sense experience tells me that my principle is true.”

“I know there can be no ultimate authority because I do not know of any such ultimate authority.”

How then does a Christian, or anyone else, choose among the various claims for absolute authority?

Truthfulness of the Bible will commend itself as being far more persuasive than other religious books such as Book of Mormon and Qur’an

6.This does not Imply dictation from God as the sole means of communication.

The fact that all the words of Scripture are God’s words should not lead us to think that God dictated every word of Scripture to the human authors.