Justin Steckbauer
11/03/13
Biblical Authority
(This is a short academic paper I wrote on Biblical authority.)
The Bible
claims to contain the written word of God transmitted through the
revelation of his truth, communicated (inspired) through human writers. 2
Timothy 3:16 (ESV) states, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training
in righteousness.” The Bible claims within it's pages to be breathed out
by God himself. The Bible's authority comes from God himself in his
communication of timeless truth. The message in the Bible stands out
from all other books ever written in that it's words provide a link to
the supernatural, and the result is transformed lives.
There are many
reasons to believe the Bible is in fact the truthful word of a
supernatural creator. The Bible is highly accurate historically, when
compared to events cited in outside sources historically. The Bible has
sold the most copies of any book ever written. It's also important to
note that every human being on the planet seems unable to find
fulfillment in human endeavors. This seems to suggest that we are
created with eternity in our hearts, and need a connection to a loving
higher power to satisfy us. The best evidence for the Bible is probably
in the perfect life of Jesus Christ. His words cut through the most
obstinate readers, and communicate the perfect lifestyle for all humans
to follow.
The Bible was
written by normal people of various occupations and lifestyles, but it
is also the perfect word of God. 2 Peter 1:21 (ESV) states, “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.” Inspiration means that the
Holy Spirit works through divinely chosen individuals to communicate
God's truth accurately. There is no flaw in that process, no possibility
for the human to make a mistake, so what's written is considered
utterly truthful and authoritative. There are no flaws in the Bible. It
is correct historically, geographically, and scientifically. The Bible
itself teaches that it is inerrant (2 Timothy 3:16). Jesus Christ viewed
the Bible as without flaw (John 10:35 ESV). The Old Testament prophets
indicated they were communicating God's truth (Exodus 4:14-16). The
Bible has always been considered accurate until recent times,
historically the church has regarded it as inerrant. If the Holy Spirit
does communicate without flaw the truth of God to divinely chosen human
writers, then it must be inspired as well as inerrant.
Since the Bible is
true and without flaw, then I need to accept God's authority over my
life. I don't recognize the Bible's authority over my life, that would
be biblolatry. I do recognize God as sovereign, my personal Father. It's
not by his law or even by his written word that I'm able to follow his
commands. It's by the reception of his son Jesus Christ as savior, that I
then undergo a trans-formative process through the indwelling of the
Holy Spirit. I learn of God through the Bible. It effectively transmits a
perfect message, but my Father is the only authority. There is no way
for me to obey even some of his commands without the Holy Spirit. It is
impossible for me to live eternally without Jesus Christ. I just try to
improve a little bit everyday on this Christian journey, and instead of
doing it alone, I constantly pray to my Father for support and guidance.
