Authority of Scripture- Part 1

Main Idea- We understand authority as being in charge, or in some way having the ability to dictate, lead, or control. Obedience is called to be given to those in Authority. When looking at biblical authority, we often take that authority as permission to bend scripture into unrecognizable forms, or we misunderstand by thinking authority of scripture simply means that it is always right no matter what. In reality, the authority of scripture points to God having all authority, from Genesis 1 to Revelation. We understand scriptural authority as God’s authority.

Intro

Something I thought would be unique is starting off 2021 (sorry I wasn’t here last week) with a theological statement as a church.

We have this book, comprising of 66 books, all being written over a span of around 1000 years, covering the story of dozens of generations, all of which we believe to be woven into an intentional story for an intended purpose.

Some of the most interesting things about this book is that the most recent writings in this book are 1950ish years old and that no one in this room (most likely) has ever read this book in the original languages it was written in, and the original authors, for the most part, didn’t even write this for us.

Different languages, different cultures, different periods of history, different intended recipients (in general), and so many other obstacles, yet this book is THE book that we read and study and talk about in church, and we develop our entire faith around it, in a way.

What I want to talk about for the next couple of weeks is the claim that we make as a church, that the Bible is Authoritative

`What is authoritative

What is authority? If you've been around church for a while, you’ve heard that the Bible is authoritative, and you may even know exactly what that means.

What I have found, however, in both my own study and in conversations with others, is that the topic of Biblical authority is often misinterpreted or misused.

What is Authority? -According to the all-knowing Google machine

1. The power or right to give orders, make decisions and enforce obedience.

2. A person or organization having power or control in a particular, typically political or administrative, sphere.

3. Authority is defined as a person who is considered an expert in his field.

These are all incredibly interesting definitions of the word, and it shows us a general theme of how we interpret authority, as well as shows us that there is a bit of variety in the word

-It speaks of someone in control, who has the power to make decisions for others and expect obedience, in many different facets of life

-It also speaks of someone who is in a position of trustworthiness and knowledge, making them an “authority” on a practice, idea, or topic.

I think both of these can be addressed when we think of biblical authority

We find both examples of authority in scripture- we read of a God that gives commandments and laws to his people for them to follow.

We read of prophets and teachers that are supposed to be such masters of the scriptures and ordained by God to speak on certain matters, that they are the ones the Israelites were called to trust and believe when they would speak, teach, warn, or correct.

We can find both examples of authority in the Bible, but what does it strictly mean to say the Bible is Authoritative?

Does it mean that its rules, laws, and commandments are to be followed like they are explicit law?

Does it mean to take scripture in its most literal form on topics such as science?

Does it mean that if words of scripture are uttered on the street corner that we should demand that all humanity submit to it, no matter their beliefs?

Does it mean that we can pick and choose certain passages from this book and warp them to fit our political beliefs, and speak them as they are clear truths in whatever form we turn them into?

The issue with Biblical authority is that every question I just asked represents ways that the church has misused its authority.

It is a convenient line to use when quoting scripture, and we as Christians tend to use it as a trump card for all arguments- whether with our kids, fellow Christians, or secular people.

Also, many people take the authority of scripture to mean things completely skewed all together, whether they use it to manipulate others or manipulate the scripture itself to fit their ideals

This may not be you, but many Christians and churches are guilty of using such a core and powerful principle in such ways.

At the very least, I would argue, we are under-versed on the topic

Even if we feel we have a good understanding of what the authority of scripture means, we probably have a difficult time communicating an accurate and effective way to describe it.

This was definitely the case with me, and as I studied and learned, I found that I was close with my definition on the topic, but my articulation of the subject was rudimentary at best

My description of why this book is authoritative was partial and largely inadequate

for a while, I was content with a kind-of understanding of biblical authority, but here was what I realized

There is so much damage that could happen when people misunderstand or misrepresent the Authority of Scripture

Also, so much good can come of it if we understand it properly

Because of those 2 things, I feel that we need to as a church work through these things together, so that we are good stewards of what we find in the book.

I think as we discuss this, you will see why this is SO important to nail down

Authority of What?

Authority of scripture implies based on the definition of authority that the text has a certain power, and is in a position to be obeyed and trusted

Where does scripture receive this authority?

Here’s what is funny about the Bible- it answers that question before it states anything else

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Before ANY context was given- we are given this- there was nothing, and out of that nothing, God created the world we stand on, and the world we see with our eyes

2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Let there be light

Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters

Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.

Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth

Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night

Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens

Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds

Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.

God spoke everything into creation, speaking with authority as the creator of everything, and he deemed it good.

The Bible begins by declaring that which is authoritative- God

He exercises that authority by judging that creation- he declares it good

-Authority can be defined as being the expert- the most trustworthy on a subject

-Who is more of an expert of creation than the creator himself?

From God comes all things, and all things are judged by God- that declares Him as authoritative

Ultimate Authority

I have heard it said before that the Bible is our ultimate authoirty

Does anybody else hear how wrong that sounds?

We read at the very beginning of scripture that God is the authoirty- because he is the creater of everything, which means he has authority over ALL things

“The notion of ‘the authority of scripture’ is a shorthand for God’s authority” -NT Wright

This is the first theological claim I want us to make as a church on this topic

I want to brush a piece of scripture that we will go into more depth on later-

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness

When we say that the Bible is authoritative, we are first saying that God is authoritative, because the Bible states that “God breathed it out.”

(We will look at this passage more later) We need to understand that scripture is not THE ultimate authority, God is-

-and that Paul is teaching us here that it is not used for our own gain, but for righteousness

I taught over advent that human’s original sin was choosing their own version of Tov and Rah (right and wrong) over Gods. This was a symbol of humans choosing not to follow God’s authority

We now understand that God has the ultimate authority, and that we are called into obedience of that authority

I think it is good to look at the last words of 2 Timothy 3:16 as we close this morning- scripture is for training in righteousness

God is our ultimate authority, and he breathed scripture to have authority over us, so that we can pursue righteousness

As we continue on with this topic, please do not miss this important foundation- God has ultimate authority, and we are called to obey that authority by seeking righteousness