Lesson 5 The Power of God’s Word: Authority
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:16)
“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor 2:14)
Firstly, Revelation is God’s communication of his truth to particular persons at a particular time. Secondly, Inspiration is the preservation of that communication so that it can be known to others. Inspiration guarantees that what the Bible says is the same as what God says.
Thirdly, the Bible therefore has an infallible Authority. However, as we read the Bible we need to be convinced that it is indeed inspired by God and to be able to understand its meaning before we can hear God speaking to us through it. For this to happen we need the internal working of the Holy Spirit illumining our hearts(Illumination)
Definition of Authority
The authority of the Bible means that it defines for us what we are to believe and how we are to live our lives by virtue of it being the Word of God.
Components of Authority
The objective word, the written Scripture, together with the subjective word, the inner illumination and conviction of the Holy Spirit, constitutes the authority for the Christian.
Illumination of the Holy Spirit
The illumination of the Holy Spirit is needed for us to understand and be certain of the meaning of the Bible because of human finiteness and human sinfulness. We are finite beings while God is infinite. Therefore we are necessarily limited in our ability to fully comprehend revelation on our own. The problem of human finiteness is compounded by human sinfulness. Because of sin, our spiritual discernment is affected. Sin limits our ability to comprehend Scripture. Therefore we need the working of the Holy Spirit to enable us to hear God through the Scriptures.
Human sinfulness prevents people from having spiritual understanding
(Mat 13: 13-15) Jesus speaks about people who see without perceiving and hear without understanding. Their hearts have grown dull and they cannot really hear or see.
(Rom 1:21) Paul writes of people who did not honor God. Their thinking had become futile while their hearts were darkened.
(2 Cor 4:4) The minds of unbelievers have been blinded by the devil
The need for the Holy Spirit
(1 Cor 2:14) Without the help of the Holy Spirit people cannot have spiritual discernment.
(1 Cor 2:11) Only the Holy Spirit knows the thoughts of God.
The work of the Holy Spirit
(Eph 1: 17-18) The Holy Spirit imparts wisdom and revelation and enlightens our hearts
(2 Cor 3:16-18) The Holy Spirit removes the veil over our minds to enable us to behold the glory of God
(Rom 2:29) The circumcision of the heart is done by the Holy Spirit.
(John 14:26) The Holy Spirit will teach believers all things and bring to their remembrance all that Jesus had taught them
(John 15:26-27) The Holy Spirit will testify about Jesus and He will enable the disciples to be witnesses too.
(John 16:8) The Holy Spirit convicts people of their sin bringing a sense of guilt upon them
(John 16:13-14) The Holy Spirit will guide all believers into all truth. He will not speak on his own authority, but will speak whatever he hears. In the process , he will also glorify Jesus.
(John 14:17) The Holy Spirit is designated as the Spirit of truth.
(1 Thess 1:5) The Thessalonians accepted the message as from God with conviction that was a result of the work of the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion
God himself is the ultimate authority over our lives. Since the Bible expresses his will to us, the Bible therefore carries the same authority over us. To disbelieve or to disobey any word of the Bible is to disbelieve or disobey God. This biblical authority has two components. The written word, correctly interpreted, is the objective basis of authority. The inner illuminating work of the Holy Spirit helping us to understand the meaning of the written word is the subjective basis of authority.
Review questions
“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor 2:14)
Firstly, Revelation is God’s communication of his truth to particular persons at a particular time. Secondly, Inspiration is the preservation of that communication so that it can be known to others. Inspiration guarantees that what the Bible says is the same as what God says.
Thirdly, the Bible therefore has an infallible Authority. However, as we read the Bible we need to be convinced that it is indeed inspired by God and to be able to understand its meaning before we can hear God speaking to us through it. For this to happen we need the internal working of the Holy Spirit illumining our hearts(Illumination)
Definition of Authority
The authority of the Bible means that it defines for us what we are to believe and how we are to live our lives by virtue of it being the Word of God.
Components of Authority
The objective word, the written Scripture, together with the subjective word, the inner illumination and conviction of the Holy Spirit, constitutes the authority for the Christian.
Illumination of the Holy Spirit
The illumination of the Holy Spirit is needed for us to understand and be certain of the meaning of the Bible because of human finiteness and human sinfulness. We are finite beings while God is infinite. Therefore we are necessarily limited in our ability to fully comprehend revelation on our own. The problem of human finiteness is compounded by human sinfulness. Because of sin, our spiritual discernment is affected. Sin limits our ability to comprehend Scripture. Therefore we need the working of the Holy Spirit to enable us to hear God through the Scriptures.
Human sinfulness prevents people from having spiritual understanding
(Mat 13: 13-15) Jesus speaks about people who see without perceiving and hear without understanding. Their hearts have grown dull and they cannot really hear or see.
(Rom 1:21) Paul writes of people who did not honor God. Their thinking had become futile while their hearts were darkened.
(2 Cor 4:4) The minds of unbelievers have been blinded by the devil
The need for the Holy Spirit
(1 Cor 2:14) Without the help of the Holy Spirit people cannot have spiritual discernment.
(1 Cor 2:11) Only the Holy Spirit knows the thoughts of God.
The work of the Holy Spirit
(Eph 1: 17-18) The Holy Spirit imparts wisdom and revelation and enlightens our hearts
(2 Cor 3:16-18) The Holy Spirit removes the veil over our minds to enable us to behold the glory of God
(Rom 2:29) The circumcision of the heart is done by the Holy Spirit.
(John 14:26) The Holy Spirit will teach believers all things and bring to their remembrance all that Jesus had taught them
(John 15:26-27) The Holy Spirit will testify about Jesus and He will enable the disciples to be witnesses too.
(John 16:8) The Holy Spirit convicts people of their sin bringing a sense of guilt upon them
(John 16:13-14) The Holy Spirit will guide all believers into all truth. He will not speak on his own authority, but will speak whatever he hears. In the process , he will also glorify Jesus.
(John 14:17) The Holy Spirit is designated as the Spirit of truth.
(1 Thess 1:5) The Thessalonians accepted the message as from God with conviction that was a result of the work of the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion
God himself is the ultimate authority over our lives. Since the Bible expresses his will to us, the Bible therefore carries the same authority over us. To disbelieve or to disobey any word of the Bible is to disbelieve or disobey God. This biblical authority has two components. The written word, correctly interpreted, is the objective basis of authority. The inner illuminating work of the Holy Spirit helping us to understand the meaning of the written word is the subjective basis of authority.
Review questions
- “If you have the Bible without the Spirit, you will dry up. If you have the Spirit without the Bible, you will blow up. But if you have both the Bible and the Spirit together, you will grow up.” Discuss the statement.
- What do we mean by the objective and subjective components of biblical authority?
- What is the difference between illumination and revelation?
- What is the place of the church, the preacher, human reason or tradition in the context of the interpretation of the Bible?
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