Deutero Q

Hundreds of times in the Old Testament alone we find phrases such as “The Lord spoke,” “Thus says the Lord,” and “The word of the Lord came.” Expressions such as these make it clear that in the Bible we encounter not simply humanity’s word about God, but God’s Word about humanity. Therefore, the Bible is authoritative because it has come from God.

In the Westminster Confession of Faith, we find an excellent statement on the authority of Holy Scripture: “The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed and obeyed, dependeth not upon the testimony of any man or church, but wholly upon God (who is truth itself), the author thereof: and therefore it is to be received, because it is the Word of God” (1.4). I once heard a theologian refer to that declaration as the finest statement on the authority of Scripture in all of Protestantism.

The Confession of Faith goes on to say, “…our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth and divine authority [of the Bible] is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit, bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts” (1.5).

Notably, the confession does not refer to fulfilled prophecy, the unity of the Bible, “the heavenliness” of its contents, or anything else in referencing the ultimate authority of Scripture. While these things have their place, and can certainly be of use in the area of apologetics (i.e., the defense of the Christian faith), the ultimate authority of the Bible derives from its divine Author. The Bible is true and authoritative because it reflects the nature of its Author!

The Bible is the self-authenticating and authoritative Word of God. The Christian knows this because the indwelling Holy Spirit has confirmed it in his or her heart. And because the Bible is the Word of God, not merely the word of human beings, we need to believe it and obey it.

One of my personal and pastoral pet peeves (try saying that three times fast!) is hearing a preacher stand in the pulpit and, right before reading Scripture to the congregation, say, “Listen for the Word of God.” Such is a common practice among theologically liberal ministers. Rather than, “Listen to the Word of God,” they often say, “Listen for the Word of God.” The difference is subtle yet significant. Ministers who embrace the complete inspiration and authority of the Bible affirm that what Scripture says, God says. Ministers who believe thusly can wholeheartedly say, “Listen to God’s Word.”

Conversely, ministers who deny the God-breathed nature of Scripture believe that the Bible is primarily a human document that contains the Word of God. Therefore, as the Bible is read, it is the responsibility of the hearer to decide what is and what is not God’s Word. Consequently, those who doubt the Bible’s plenary inspiration and authority are prone to say, “Listen for the Word of God.”

To be sure, we are living in a time when the Bible’s authority is questioned and its teachings are ignored, doubted, and twisted, even by people within the church. This should not surprise us, for the Bible speaks of people who abandon the faith and follow false teachings (1 Tim. 4:1-3) as well as distort God’s Word to their own destruction (2 Pet. 3:16).

Scripture also says, “the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths” (2 Tim. 4:3-4).

We do well to remember the God-breathed nature of the Bible, interacting with it reverently and responsibly. Let us bear in mind that what the Bible says, God says.

In the words of a wise old Puritan, “The two Testaments are the two lips by which God hath spoken to us.”