This is a series based on short papers I’ve written for my church’s elder class. We are going through Boice’s Foundations of the Christian Faith and discussing different subjects out of our church statement of faith. Where appropriate I’ve edited them slightly to make them more general in tone as opposed to specific to my church, as well as expanded on areas that could use it since these were originally written to fit into a five-minute presentation time.
This entry’s subject: What is the Bible, and what does it mean for it to be an authority for the church?
Scripture holds a position in the Christian faith above all other rules, authorities, or leaders. It explains and displays God’s existence, and His nature, character, and actions are demonstrated and displayed through the text. We can deduce from creation itself that there is a Creator who has made all that is. But what the Bible does is place its reader in the position of hearing not just that God is, but that everything that exists is under His authority, and that it all serves to give Him glory. It declares that God is eternal, that He can be known on a personal level, and that He is actively working in His creation for His glory and for our good. We see this when we study it, and the more we learn about what it says and even how it came to be, we see how determined God is to complete His great work in redeeming creation.
That is why what Paul says about Scripture in 2 Timothy 3:16 is so important, that “All Scripture is breathed out by God.” What God reveals to us is the standard by which everything else is judged, specifically because it is His very speech. There cannot be a higher standard by which we can judge ourselves, because God has spoken clearly and directly through the writers of Scripture. And even better, He hasn’t left us alone to understand it by our own wisdom, but has blessed us with His Spirit to guide us.
One of the classic standards of the Reformation era was the phrase sola scriptura, meaning “Scripture alone.” But that didn’t mean that we need only the Bible and nothing else to live life as Christians. A fuller expression of this idea would be that “Scripture alone is the sole infallible rule of faith for the church.” We have other rules of faith – a church’s statement of faith or creed, for example, as well as traditions within denominations and teachings of wise people that have come before us and lived life in Christ. But they all must submit to Scripture as the measure by which they are judged. And it is lived in and with the church – one man alone with no others who may hold him accountable might land wherever he may wish, but among God’s people he has others who will minister to him like Priscilla and Aquila did to Apollos, in correcting and guiding him in his understanding and faith.
Whenever others attempt to place other rules of faith alongside Scripture, ultimately they must either fall beneath it or become an interpretive guide for it. The Roman Catholic church claims that Scripture, church tradition, and the teachings of the magisterium are equals in guiding the church, yet in practice it ultimately becomes the words of their leadership or tradition that influence how Scripture is understood. Mormons claim that they believe that the Bible is God’s Word, yet their leadership appends the phrase “so far as it has been correctly interpreted” to that concept. Ultimately, the Bible falls beneath the opinions of the current prophet of the LDS church and its meanings filtered through his claims.
For Scripture to serve as the standard by which we may minister to believers in “teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness,” it must be held above our human wisdom and desires, and instead all of those things must rub up against it and be guided by it. It must be more than base information to know, but it should guide our thoughts and correct our heart’s desires. By God’s grace we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us to minister His Word through one another. Even where disagreements grow, He teaches humility and patience, and reveals that what He has revealed belongs to us and is worthy of trust and obedience.
How have you seen this work out in your life and faith? Where do you struggle with this? We welcome all questions and discussion below in the comments.
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