The Authority of the Word of God: A Pillar of Faith
posted by Navigators on November 1st, 2024
By Grant Dibden, first published in Compass, Summer 2024.
In Australia we live in a time characterised by shifting moral values and diverse worldviews. Popular culture tells us to look within to find out who we really are, to ‘be true to ourselves’, which is the key to living full and happy lives. As one 20-something said: “Morality is how I feel…You could feel what’s right or wrong in your heart as well as your mind…And if it feels good, then I’m going to do it”1. For many, they are their own determiners of authority – and that is completely unbiblical.
God’s Authority and the Bible
The Bible is authoritative because it is God’s word. God is a speaking God. He has spoken in creation, through the prophets, through His incarnate Word our Lord Jesus, and to individuals like the apostle Paul on the road to Damascus.
God’s words have been recorded in the Bible under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. There is an intimate connection between the Spirit of God and the word of God as close as the connection between breath and speech. Both the Hebrew (ruah) and the Greek (pneuma) can be translated breath or spirit. Where the word of God is, there the Spirit of God is. They cannot be separated. As Ephesians 6:17 says, “The sword of the Spirit is the word of God.” 2 Timothy 3:16 says that “All Scripture is God breathed;” or other translations: “All Scripture is inspired by God;” and 2 Peter 1:20,21 tells us that the prophecies of Scripture are not the words of men, but the Holy Spirit speaking through them.
The Father speaks, the Son is the word of God, and the Spirit inspires, illuminates and applies the word to us.
Jesus’ View of the Bible
Of great importance is Jesus’ view of the Bible. As he is God the Son, our view of the Scriptures should be the same as Jesus’ view of the Scriptures. In His teaching, Jesus constantly quoted and referred to the Scriptures2. He submitted to the authority of Scripture3 and said that God’s word is truth4 and that “not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”5
The Perfection of the Bible and the Extent of its Authority
The Bible has many human authors, but it ultimately originates from one divine author and therefore there are no errors in the original Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic manuscripts that the Bible was written in. So far as the Bible has been faithfully copied, translated and passed down, it is inerrant in its copies. And it should be noted that the copies we possess are very, very accurate.
There is nothing in God’s word that cannot be relied on or trusted. It is absolutely pure, free from any imperfection. It is “pure … purified seven times”, “perfect” and “flawless”6. Psalm 119:89 adds another dimension: “Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.”
Of course we must interpret it correctly, paying careful attention to the different genre (narrative, hyperbole, poetry, apocalyptic, parable and such like) and the historical and biblical contexts. When we do, we can be sure that it is utterly reliable, trustworthy and therefore authoritative in all it asserts. Indeed, the Bible is the ultimate determiner of truth and is authoritative in every area of human existence. There is no hint of its truthfulness and authority being limited to matters of faith and salvation. It corrects tradition, informs reason and interprets experience. It informs not only what we believe but also how we live. As the sword of the Spirit, the Bible is not a passive text but alive and active, convicting, correcting and transforming the believer7.
We can trust the promises of God that He makes in the Bible. We can trust that our sin has been dealt with; that Jesus has died in our place and exhausted the wrath of God. That we do indeed have eternal life and the sure and certain hope of being with God in the new heaven and new earth, where there will be no more weeping and crying and no more sin, for all eternity.
Thank you, Lord, for your word.
1 Preston Sprinkle, Divine Sex, Part 2: “Expressive Individualism”, Dec 2016
accessed on https://theologyintheraw.com/ on 25 Aug 24
2 For example Matthew 5:19; Matthew 22:31; Mark 2:25; Mark 12:10; Luke 11:28;
Luke 10:26; Luke 24:46
3 For example Matthew 5:17; Matthew 26:53-54; Luke 15:17; Luke 24:44
4 John 17:17
5 Matthew 5:18
6 Psalm 12:6, Psalm 19:7, Prov 30:5
7 Hebrews 4:12
Featured image: Pillars, using photo by Nikko Balanial on Unsplash.