How To Study The Bible Like A Pro - Class #6 - Principles Of Bible Authority Series

A. The Sufficiency and Authority of Scripture

1. The Bible is the authoritative source for the proclamation of the church and the norm by which that proclamation is tested.

It cannot be changed by any additions, subtractions or modifications offered by anyone no matter what position or authority they claim to hold.

Once a person attempts to conflate various verses, supplement, supersede, distort or subtract from the Bible, they enter into heresy.

2. The Bible is the absolute perfect revelation of Jesus Christ and the only infallible, inerrant, inspired source of knowledge about Him and the only reliable source to hear His voice.

3. Everything in the Cosmos is sustained by His Word.

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.” (Heb 1:1-4 ESV)

The writers of the New Testament lived in poverty and suffered tremendous persecution by the two most powerful cultures of the day. They willingly endured political disgrace, beatings, stoning’s, imprisonment and execution about the claims of Jesus and what He did while boldly insisting to their last dying breath that they had physically seen Jesus bodily raised from the dead.

4. The writers fully believed that they were recording the very inspired words (Scriptures) of God.

5. The vast majority of New Testament books were written somewhere from 50 AD to 70 AD.

There were numerous eyewitnesses, and there is no record of anyone alive at the time questioning their accuracy. It is true that there were many activities and sayings of Jesus not recorded in Scripture. However, the letters and writings that were chosen to be included in the New Testament were required to meet three major points of criteria. First, the author had to be an eyewitness to the events they wrote of, or directly taught about them by the Apostles. Second, the writings had to be consistent with church practice and tradition. Third, each writing had to be already in use by the church for teaching and accepted as the divine Word of God. (See 2 Tim 3:14-17)

6. Because the Bible is already inspired, it does not need any fresh revelation to be relevant (John 14:26, 16:12-13).

Dreams or visitations or prophetic words are not reliable. Only the written Word of God is. Jesus is God. Holy Spirit is God. The Father is God. All three are ONE. Their Word can be trusted, and it does not need extra-biblical help to be interpreted. The Bible only needs the Bible to do that.

7. The Bible says that “no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of any personal or private or special interpretation” (2 Peter 1:20 NIV).

It must not be used as only a source of inspiration for anecdotal stories in ‘feel good’ messages or consulted and used merely to support an idea or pet belief. It is the ultimate authority for the Christian and must point directly to the character and work of the Triune God. The Bible warns that there will be ignorant, uneducated and unstable people who will try and distort the Scriptures by bringing in meaning that forces it to conform to their opinions, thoughts, ideas, and agendas (2 Peter 3:16).

There are modern translations and paraphrases of the Scriptures that change God’s Word in such a way as to water down the message. There are even some translations that have led people to the belief that Jesus is merely a “son” of God, inferring that He is God’s offspring.

8. There is no need to seek God in any other place including the traditions of men.

9. The Bible is the foundation and center of all teaching and preaching in the life and worship of the church and within the daily lives of every Christian through reading, study, and sincere contemplation.

Christians need to be continually taught how to become a true Berean and learn how to understand what is written clearly (Acts 17:11). The Bereans were open-minded Jews living in Thessalonica who were willing and eager to examine the Scriptures to see if what the preacher (Apostle Paul) was saying was true and aligned with Scripture. They must be encouraged each week from the pulpit to daily read, search and study the Bible rather than to rely on anecdotal stories, testimonials, and extra-biblical sources, or expect a fresh direct revelation, dreams, and supernatural words of knowledge or personal prophecies.