truth on spiritual authority
Getting to truth on spiritual authority is absolutely critical. If we can't come to grips with what guides and instructs our spiritual journey then we are lost.
In a world of fake news and confusion about where to turn for "truth" we could listen to our heart --- but that would be a mistake.
We've collected some basics on authority. They are highlights from our BSF library and the answers are linked directly to the question for full Scriptural detail.
featured scripture-block
the bible truth on spiritual authority
The Bible’s own claim is that it is from and of God1,2,3,4,5,6. It’s what the Bereans used (at least the Old Testament) to confirm the claims of God’s messenger3. It also claims that all Scripture (Old Testament and New Testament) is inspired and from God1. The gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) testify to Jesus, the Son of God, the very personification of God’s word — in effect, the “living word”2. He, in turn, gave that word to the apostles6 who wrote it down4,5,7.
The Bible is the complete revelation of God1,2,6,7,9,10,11,12,13,14. While there was a time God spoke to man through prophets5,8, that time was replaced by the gospel revelation through His son, Jesus Christ and His time on earth5,9,10 and His appointed apostles7,9,10,11,12,13.
As of the first century, God’s word had been proclaimed throughout the whole world4,6,8,12,13. If the word was sufficiently complete in the first century to save individuals1,3,4,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13, how is it any less complete now and why would it be necessary for God to reveal more? The foundation7,9,12,13 would not still be being laid some 2,000 years later.
There is no precedent in Scripture for “Scripture Weighting.” Quite the contrary. All Scripture is divine and perfect1,7; they are His words5. God is the sole author1,5. Further, it is only when taken in its entirety that we get a complete picture2,7. It is consistently put forward as equal weight since “all” is always the standard for understanding — Old4,6 and New1,3. Never has God said, “Read it all, but you really only need to focus here.”
May we never scripture weight – whether by authorship, testament, or presupposition. Instead, seek to gather all that Scripture has to say on the matter and only then make careful conclusions.
The words of Scripture are in fact the words of God – all of them, regardless of who spoke them1,2,4,6,7,8. Jesus or the apostles8 were not speaking or teaching something different from person to person. They all were united in and messengers of the “all truth” of God the Father. It was the same with God’s prophets7 who spoke God’s literal word. If you are, or want to be, a disciple of Jesus you must continue in God’s word regardless of who spoke it or where it’s recorded in our our Old Testaments2,3,4,5,7. Jesus Himself2 removes any doubt that we are to give special weight to who spoke them.
getting to the truth on spiritual authority is pretty important
don’t you agree?
get all of the questions about spiritual authority
answered by scripture with the Bible Study Framework
Is God active among nations today?
Whether or not God is active among nations today is fundamentally a question of God's providence. When a country is engaged in a geopolitical struggle or even a war, we often find religious leaders and/or institutions being very vocal about God's position in it. In fact, we will often [more]
Is sola scriptura (scripture alone) enough?
Sola scriptura, meaning scripture alone, originated as a doctrinal position of Martin Luther's movement away from and out of the Catholic Church. As a Christian theological position, sola scriptura stands opposed to the elevation of authority above that of God's word. The Catholic Church recognizes tradition equal to scripture for [more]
Do Apostles exist today?
There are many in the religious world today that claim to be an apostle. More than simply "a messenger" (Greek meaning of the word "apostle"), a title of "Apostle" is given or assumed by individuals wishing to mimick the authority and power given to the original twelve. For example, the [more]
Who are the messengers of God?
God has relied on messengers throughout history, but tracking the messengers of God through Scripture reveals some interesting things about God's character and His word. It also has rather damning implications for "Churches" and individuals making claims about their own supposed "anointing" by God to speak His words today. [more]
What is required to understand the Bible?
Attempting to understand the Bible can be difficult. For many centuries, the Catholic Church taught that the Bible could only be understood by an ordained priest. In modern times, people like N.T. Wright and other well-credentialed theologians are often held up as having profound (even special or unique) insights [more]
Are Christians under the Ten Commandments today?
Scripture is clear that Christians are no longer under the "Ten Commandments"1,2,3,4,5,6,7. During his ministry, Jesus taught that the kingdom of God was replacing the Old Covenant1. The "Ten Commandments", as a representative part of the Mosaic Law or 'Old Covenant'8, were abolished4,8 and replaced in the person and [more]
Did Jude quote from the book of Enoch?
Some maintain that Jude quotes from the apocryphal book of Enoch. Often, this is put forward as a statement of fact in order to move forward to the much "larger" discussions regarding the meaning of extra-Biblical quotes, their place in Scripture, and the question of their inspiration. The book of [more]
Do miracles still happen today?
"It's a miracle!" That's an exclamation we hear often and have probably uttered ourselves. It might be used to describe passing a test you didn't study for or to sum up a great, come-from-behind victory. For example, the great Olympic victory by the U.S. Men's Hockey team is known as [more]
Is the Bible the complete revelation of God?
Whether or not the Bible is the complete revelation of God has profound implications on Christianity today. If the Bible isn't the complete revelation of God, then the door remains open to "other" revelation. "Other" could be other scriptural authority such as the Quran or the Book of Mormon. [more]
Does it matter where we worship God?
Where we worship God has often been debated through the years. Some hold to the idea that worship must occur in a cathedral -- an often ornate structure dedicated to the worship of God. Others don't take much stock in the structure at all, whether an official worship building [more]
How were false prophets identified?
The children of Israel were surrounded by prophets that claimed to be speaking for God but they were actually false prophets. In fact, by most accounts in the Old Testament, most "prophets" were false prophets and there were two kinds. First, there were prophets associated with other gods. For [more]
Is the Bible the word of God?
The word Bible is from the Greek and Latin meaning "book" or "books". The Christian Bible as we know it is made up of two Testaments or Covenants (Old and New) that together might also be referred to as the Holy Writ, Holy Scriptures or Word of God. [more]
Who said scripture interprets scripture?
This site is based on a scripture interprets scripture hermeneutic. It is rooted in the fact that all Scripture is from God, and that all scripture can be understood by anyone determined to do so. Hermeneutics is the theory and methodology of interpretation, especially the interpretation of biblical texts, wisdom [more]
Should you follow your heart?
The counsel to follow your heart is a common refrain from many. Or maybe you've heard someone say, "the heart wants what the heart wants?" Telling someone to "follow your heart" is usually meant to be aspirational and reassuring. The intent may be to give the individual confidence to [more]
Are Jesus’ words (red letter Bible) more important than other Scripture?
You've probably seen a red letter Bible. In fact, you probably own one. A red-letter Bible places all of Jesus' words in prominent red letters in order to stand out from all the other recorded words in Scripture. The red letter Bible is one of the many modern introductions [more]
