Chapter 50: The Authority of God's Word

The Bible is God’s revealed Word and has tremendous authority in our lives, but for it to benefit us, we must embrace and submit to its truth.

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; ¹⁷so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NASB)

Every person needs to be taught the truth about God, sin, righteousness, mercy, and what it means to live in harmony with the Holy Spirit through grace. That is why I wrote this series of teachings. None of us is has the capability of going it alone. All of us need constant input from the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and one another. This can only properly happen in the context of the kind of relationships God wants us to have in the church.

In his only letter to the church, James, the Lord’s brother, wrote that we should “humbly accept the Word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.” (James 1:21b NLT)

Every follower of Christ must decide what relationship he or she will have with the Bible. This is one of the most important life decisions we will ever make.

Some regard the Bible as a book written by men that is full of errors and outdated cultural biases. Others believe the Bible “contains” the Word of God but should not be taken literally. A third “higher” view is that the Bible in its original form is the inspired and infallible Word of God. This is the one that the apostle Paul embraced, as shown in our opening Bible selection. Which view we adopt will affect everything else in our lives.

The first view is an outright rejection of God’s revealed truth. The second leads us to the edge of the slippery slope where we get to decide what parts of the Bible to accept and what to reject. This cafeteria approach to the Bible makes us arbiters of truth, a position we are not equipped to handle. There is only one Person who is called “the truth,” our Lord Jesus. (John 14:6) He is the only arbiter of truth, and he said that scripture cannot be altered or “broken.”

And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered… John 10:35a (NLT)

I grew up in the Catholic Church, which regards Scripture to be on an equal footing with church tradition. No one ever told me that I must believe that every Word of the Bible is the truth until after I was born again. Could I submit my life to what is written in the Bible? Could I give the written scriptures the authority to have ultimate sway in my life? How could I resolve this crisis?

The resolution came through the application of Holy Spirit logic. After the Holy Spirit opened the “eyes of my heart” (Ephesians 1:18) to the truth, I knew that Jesus is who the Bible says he is and that He rose from the dead. I figured that being the resurrected Lord of lords qualifies Him as an authority on spiritual matters. Jesus believed that the Scriptures were infallible and the literal Word of God. In fact, he used his faith in the truth of God’s Word to defeat the temptations of Satan.

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’ ”  Matthew 4:4 (NASB95) —

Like Jesus, we are to live by “every” Word that God has spoken and is recorded in the Bible.

Since Jesus knows a lot more than I do about such matters, I decided to trust His judgment. I made the decision to accept the authority of the Bible as God’s infallible Word.

This means that when the Bible was originally inspired by God’s Spirit and written, it was without error. The Holy Spirit superintended the transmission of the scriptures down through the ages, as shown by the discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls. The rule of thumb we use is that the older the original manuscript, the more reliable it is. As a result of ongoing archaeological discoveries, translators today have access to much older documents than did the men who worked on the King James Version, for example.

Regardless of how accurate the original documents are, modern translators are tasked with rendering an accurate version of the original in our own language. This has many challenges, not the least of which is what is called translator’s bias. All of us bring our own world view, presuppositions, and theological leanings into the mix. For this reason, it is advisable to know as much as we can about the original languages, read various translations, and use notes and commentaries to help us understand difficult passages. First and foremost, however, we should rely on the Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth. (John 16:13)

But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.  1 John 2:27 (NLT) —

Therefore, we should never place our ultimate confidence in any one translation, such as many do with the King James Version. To do so reveals that we have put ultimate confidence in the work of a few translators using less than the best original documents. Instead, let’s put our trust in the Spirit of God who has made sure that the Word of God has been accurately transmitted down through the ages, but that all translations are subject to human error.

In conclusion, it is wise for us to rely on the Spirit of God, multiple translations, and the insights God has given to serious students of the Bible through the centuries.

Each follower of Christ must settle the issue of surrendering to the authority of the Bible, or we will be held back in our spiritual development. It is said that Billy Graham also struggled in this area as a young preacher, but after he decided to accept the Bible without reservation, his ministry took off.

The Bible’s authority is self-authenticating.

There is no higher authority to which we can turn to validate it, except to the Author himself. That is why it is profitable for us to have a relationship with the Holy Spirit who inspired it. As we read and meditate on its words, the Holy Spirit works inside us to convince us of its truth. Once we come to this point, we will be able accept its commands, warnings, and encouragement.

It is important that we accept the words of Bible without deleting or adding anything.

You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. Deuteronomy 4:2 (NASB)

Jesus also said:

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. ¹⁹Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:17-19 (NIV)

Jesus’ view of Scripture was and is extremely high. He was able to overcome the devil’s temptations by saying, “It is written.” He was able to make sense out of all the suffering He had to endure by saying, “It is written.”

God’s Word is the key to understanding and navigating life.

Jesus told us that the words written in the Bible have a spiritual component. We cannot approach God’s Word merely intellectually, as we would some subject taught in school. Unless we understand that God’s Word is “alive,” we will miss out on much. Jesus said:

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. John 6:63 (NASB)

The Word of God is not just ink on paper. Jesus is the embodiment or incarnation of the Word of God, the eternal and divine Logos, who came in the flesh as a human being.

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.  John 1:14 (NASB95) —

When we read and meditate on the Bible, the Holy Spirit enlivens and empowers the words which are powerful and able to discern the thoughts and intents of our hearts.

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. ¹³And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Hebrews 4:12-13 (NASB)

Peter told Jesus, “You alone have the words that give eternal life.” (John 6:68)

To reject the Bible’s authority is to reject Jesus as Lord. To accept the authority of God’s Word is to make a place for Jesus to rule in our lives.

If we reject God’s Word, we reject His means of bringing correction, faith, change, and life to us. When our hearts truly hear God’s Word through revelation, faith springs up in our hearts. The Word of God can transform us and is the means of the release of God’s power here on earth. But we must believe it. If we reject God’s Word, we question God’s infinite wisdom and awesome knowledge and understanding. In short, we elevate our puny reasoning above the mind of God! This is a serious mistake and shows that we have a dangerous independence and pride.

Accepting the authority of our Lord and his Word brings humility into our lives. We learn to put more confidence in him and the Bible’s teachings than we do in ourselves or other human authorities.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. ⁶In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. ⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil. Proverbs 3:5-7 (NASB)

God wants us to admit that we do not know all things or are able to even think like God in many cases. His ways and thoughts very often are not like ours at all.

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. ⁹"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 (NASB)

Until we come to the place of leaning more on God’s Word than on our own understanding, we are not really disciples at all.

Here is how Jesus put it.

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; ³²and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." John 8:31-32 (NASB)

A disciple can be easily identified by his or her relationship to God’s Word. A person who highly esteems and bows before the authority of the Word of God is the real deal.

For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being," declares the LORD. "But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word. Isaiah 66:2 (NASB)

Once we submit to the authority of the Word, we can use that authority for good. God’s promises can be taken at face value and become the basis for our faith. God’s promise coupled with our faith releases God’s power. God wants his Word to be more real to us than our own reasoning and experience. When we trust in what the Bible says despite contradictory evidence, feelings, or reasoning, we pass the test that Adam and Eve failed and become overcomers. Choosing God’s truth over the lies of the devil is a form of worship. Paul wrote that we can “…walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Cor. 5:7) The victory that overcomes the world is our faith. (1 John 5:4) God’s Word is “a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105)