Biblical authority is a relatively simple idea. It basically means that the Bible is our ultimate authority. When it comes to matters of faith or doctrine, the Bible is the first, last, and only word on the matter. That does not mean we do not look to those who are more knowledgeable to explain what the sacred scriptures say, but rather that the Bible is the final authority on all matters. Creeds, confessions, catechisms, and statements of faith are an attempt to categorize and summarize those doctrines found in the Bible, but are in no way superior to, or equal with, the truths found in the Bible. Neither are any rules or traditions of any church, pastor, or denomination.
The Bible is God's special revelation to mankind. There are two types of revelation: General Revelation and Special Revelation.
General revelation are those things generally seen or experienced by all mankind. For example, creation itself is general revelation. The order of the universe, the complexity of the human body, and the instincts of animals all provide proof that there was creator, as Psalm 19:1 states:
"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork."
These things are not scientifically possible through the false pretense of evolution. Even Darwin admitted in his Origins of Species, Chapter 6-Difficulties of the Theory:
"To suppose that the eye with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree."
The scientific Law of Biogenesis states (in my own words) that life only comes from life. I've already posted more than my intended scope of this topic, but at least this gives you a place to start your own research.
Special revelation comes in many forms, such as the person of Jesus Christ (and the fulfilled prophecies concerning Him), visions, prophets, and the Bible, among many other forms. Baptists, as well as many other denominations, believe the Bible to be the literal, infallible, inerrant Word of God. This does not mean God physically wrote the Bible, but rather used men, though His inspiration, to write what he wanted us to know. II Timothy 3:16 states:
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"
However, there is some debate among those who hold to this truth. On one hand, some people believe that the Bible we have today is inerrant. Those who believe this use Psalm 12:6-7:
"The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever."
Others believe that the original transcripts were inerrant and infallible, but that the copies, over time, could have elements of human copyist errors.
I will not state my view on this debate, but I will suggest reading my previous post titled "King James Version Only? Yes!!!"
I do believe the Bible is the Word of God. It is my sole authority. The Reformation brought about a Latin phrase, sola scriptura, which means "by Scripture alone". Our source of truth should be found in the Scriptures alone. As mentioned previously, this does not discourage learning from other sources. Rather, it means that when anything is contrary to the Scriptures, or a question arises, the Bible IS the ultimate authority, and has THE final the word on any subject matter.
There's an old saying that states "The Bible says it, I believe it, and that settles it." As cheesy as this cliche may be, it is a basic stance for Baptists, as well as most fundamental Bible-believing Christians.
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2 comments:
my brother
a quick question-what if it doesn't settle it? Have you ever had times of nagging doubt in your life? If you are honest i think you will answer yes-in fact i believe that this doubt is biblical "lord i believe help thou my unbelief"-in the KJV.
So i reject the God said it i believe it that settles it statment. I don't think God intended things to be that easy for us. Paul talks about working our your faith-if it was that easy a pillar of faith like paul should have had no working to do-no fear and trembling to suffer through.
Sorry but it is too pat. As to the bible being inherent i'm not sure it even claims this. All of God's word is beneficial sure but...
What do we do with the parts of scripture that were dropped by different groups of people over time through various processes and events? The basics are true (to that i hold) but that every word is infallible-in what translation? Sorry but i'm not sure i can hold to that.
What is more important however is the reality that every person reading the word comes to it with certain colored glasses. Noone is impartial-it is impossible to set aside your cultural/denominational/political ideas totally and read it as a blank slate. So then the question ins how much of our understanding is truly God's Word and how much is our twisted interpretation. IF this wasn't so then we wouldn't have so many varried views within the universal church. We are human and we naturally impose ourselves on the reading-it is unavoidable and anyone who claims to be able to read it purely is fooling themselves.
So if the book itself was "soiled" by human decision making and then is interpreted by mortals with preconcieved ideas how certain can we be of our conclusions.
Don't get me wrong i have great faith in God working through his word in my life and others-i just think we need to get out of the way and drag our judgemental notions with us.
Just some thoughts.
Tadd,
I use that passage as a prayer often. These are all valid points. The Bible does not clearly state it is inerrant. Neither does it clearly teach of the Trinity. These are facts that have been concluded by inference from several passages of Scripture. I believe the Bible was inerrant when the original manuscripts were written. Admittedly, I believe there could be errors, but I don't believe they are errors pertaining to major doctrinal points. Many Baptists would would disagree with me on this, and insist the Bible as we have it, (KJV only) is inerrant. Each person has to make up their own mind on this matter. I believe the KJV is the best version we have, so far, but it is not the original.
A problem arises when one claims the Bible is not inerrant. What part? If we can't trust a particular portion, then how can we trust any portion? Does an error do away with the Deity of Christ, or his atoning death? Does an error change how the Holy Spirit works in our life, or do away completely with the Trinity? Is salvation offered to the Gentiles, or was that an error put in later on? If the earth is millions of years old, and dinosaurs died long before humans walked the earth, then the Genesis account of how sin entered the world is wrong. If that is wrong, what else is? This is why we must choose carefully where we stand. Charles Ryrie may have put it best: "Perhaps the tension would be erased if we defined inerrancy positively-the inerrancy of the Bible mean simply the Bible teaches the truth." This is point you touched on. The basic underlying truths are there. There may be human mistakes in copies, or errors in insignificant historical data. Some errors may just be our viewpoint. Is an approximation error? To say the sun rises in the East is an error. We all know the sun doesn't rise, but rather the earth rotates until it is in view. I do believe the cannon, as found in the KJV, was divinely inspired. If you get a chance, print and read the booklet I linked to in my KJV Only post.
Here's my summary thoughts. When it comes to doctrinal issues, the Bible is inerrant. Not all of the Bible is meant to be read literally, as much of it is symbolic, and there is also the occasional hyperbole. The originals were God-inspired, and the KJV is the closest we have to those originals, but not completely inerrant. However, those inerrancies are not detrimental to doctrinal or theological issues.
That being said, my view on this may change as I learn more and study the Scriptures further.
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