The Authority of The Holy Scriptures
[NOTE: The abbreviation ‘cf.” means to ‘compare’. Turn and read the
Scripture(s) referred to.]
INTRODUCTION:
-Every child of God should love the Word of God, and be a lifetime
student of it. Each one should be willing to submit to the Word of God
in his life and thus be an obedient, faithful child of God.
-Throughout this Booklet the English King James Version (K.J.V.)
is what is referred to as the Word of God, the Scriptures, the Bible, etc.
It is also known as the Authorized Version (A.V.). It was translated
from the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Koine Greek scriptures. Our
trust and faith is not in the translators, but in the Lord, to have overseen
and preserved His Word precisely as He wanted it.
-We should always depend upon the Lord to use His Word when we hear
it, read and study it, to impress upon us exactly what we need to be
taught and/or to be reminded of by Him.
-We are very thankful to the Lord that He, in His love, grace, mercy and
goodness toward us, has provided us with His Word of truth. To Him be
all the praise, honor, glory and thanksgiving. He is the One that we
should always strive to please.
-We want to thank, praise and exalt our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ,
the living Word in flesh. In Him only is there eternal life. He is life.
-Only by God’s Word can we know how to be born again of God and how
to serve Him in an acceptable manner. God’s ways for these are very
narrow and restrictive. Neither of these can ever be attained by human
effort nor reasoning, human logic nor worldly wisdom.
-Bible commentaries, textbooks, other writings beside the Bible, YouTube
videos, etc. can never replace the Word of God. There is just no
substitute or alternative to the Scriptures.
-The Scriptures declare that “..Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to hearken than the fat of rams” (I Samuel 15:22). How would
we know what to obey and what to hearken to, if we did not have the
Word of God?
-We hope this booklet will be an encouragement and a challenge to all of
us:
---To read and study the Word of God more, and then to submit
more to the authority of the Word in our lives, and be more
obedient. [Just as we learn to submit to the authority of our
parents, the government and to the Lord’s church of our
membership, so must we learn to submit to the Scriptures.]
---To seek the Lord’s help more in understanding His Word, so we
can always rightly divide it.
---If need be, to develop a higher and greater view, appreciation
and perception of the Scriptures, and never approach the
Scriptures casually or lightly, but with great respect for what
they truly are, the very Word of God.
I. THE WISDOM
-The wisdom in submitting to and obeying the Word of God: Jesus said,
“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth
them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house
upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came,
and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not:
for it was founded upon a rock.
And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth
them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his
house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods
came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it
fell: and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:24-27).
[It is the fool who hears the Word of God and does not submit to its
authority in his life and who does not obey it. This would include
me, you, or anyone else.]
II. THE AUTHORITY
-The Authority of God’s Word is the same as the Authority of God Himself
since He is the source, the author, the originator of all Scripture. Since
God has authority over the lives of His children and over His New
Testament churches, then the Word of God has the same authority.
Jesus is ‘the Word’ (John 1:1-3, 14; Revelation 19:13, “...His name is
called The Word of God.”). He and the written Word of God are in
perfect harmony, agreement and unity. They have the same authority.
As children of God we should desire to, and willingly submit to this
authority over us.
-The infinite greatness of God gives us an insight into the greatness of His
Word. God is the eternal one, true and living God (Jeremiah 10:10;
I Thessalonians 1:9). He is from everlasting to everlasting (Psalm 90:2;
93:2; Micah 5:2). He is all-powerful, all-wise, all-knowing, all-present
(Psalm 139). He fills heaven and earth (Jeremiah 23:24). How great
God is! The logical implication is that His Word also is great.
-Jesus told His church, “..All power is given unto me in heaven and in
earth” (Matthew 28:18).
-Children of God have been bought with a price. We are not our own.
We belong to our Heavenly Father (I Corinthians 6:19, 20). It is only
right that He and His Word have authority over us and over all of His
children.
-The Lord’s true New Testament churches have also been purchased with
the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. “Take heed therefore unto
yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost
hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which He
hath purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). They belong to
Him. He and His Word have authority over His churches.
-A problem is that the old natural man, with its pride, resists submitting to
anything or anyone. We need the Lord’s help to realize our need to
submit to the Word of God and to not resist. We should ask the Holy
Spirit to convict us and to humble us when we are lifted up in pride.
-We should delight in the Word of our Lord. “Praise ye the LORD.
Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly
in His commandments” (Psalm 112:1).
-It is not grievous, but joyous, for God’s children to submit to His Word.
“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and
His commandments are not grievous” (I John 5:3).
-Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek
and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my
yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30). [The way
for the child of God to ‘learn of’ Him is by reading and studying the
Bible, and then submitting to and obeying the Bible and growing
spiritually. Also, it includes faithfully praying and assembling together
with, and as part of, a true New Testament church to worship the Lord.]
III. THE SOURCE
-The Word of God is from God Himself and not from man, not from angels
nor from any other source.
-“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when
ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it
not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God,
which effectually worketh also in you that believe” (I Thessalonians
2:13). [They did not receive it as the word of Paul. It was not that ‘Paul
said’, but that ‘God said’. We should always emphasize in speaking
about the Bible that it is all God’s Word and that every word was
inspired of God. God used men to pen His Word, but the Word came
from God and the men were obedient, holy ‘instruments’ used of God.]
-“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly
furnished unto all good works” (II Timothy 3:16,17). [The word
‘inspiration’ means ‘God-breathed’.]
-“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any
private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by
the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by
the Holy Ghost” (II Peter 1:20, 21). [ Prophecy in this sense
would be inclusive of the entire Word of God, the Scriptures. Even the
last book of the Bible is called ‘prophecy’ (Revelation 1:3 22:10).]
-“But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God”
(Matthew 4:4). [Every Word of God proceeded out of God’s mouth,
thus, ‘inspiration of God’ of all scripture, every word.]
IV. THE IMPORTANCE
-God’s name is excellent, high, holy and it is great. “Let them praise thy
great and terrible name; for it is holy” (Psalm 99:3). “Let them
praise the name of the LORD: for His name alone is excellent; His
glory is above the earth and heaven” (Psalm 148:13).
-Yet God Himself puts such great importance upon His Word, in that He
has magnified it above His name: “I will worship toward thy holy
temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy
truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name” (Psalm
138:2). [If the LORD Himself puts such great importance upon His
Word, how much more should we.]
-The Lord has inspired and preserved a perfect Book to instruct man on
how to be saved and be given God’s gift of eternal life, becoming a
child of God and then how to serve God in the way that He commands
so that He will be well pleased and will be glorified. In this present age
God’s children must serve Him in one of His true New Testament
churches to please Him and so that He will receive glory (cf. Ephesians
3:21).
-Only in the Word of God can a saved person, having the indwelling Spirit
of Christ, find, understand and know the ways and thoughts of God that
He has given for His children in this life. “For my thoughts are not
your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
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). “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and
knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His
ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord?
or who hath been His counsellor?” (Romans 11:33, 34).
-The natural man’s way: “There is a way that seemeth right unto a
man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 16:25).
This is the way of the world. All they have is human reasoning, logic
and worldly wisdom (“…earthly, sensual, devilish” (James 3:15)).
The only way to know the things of God is through His Word with the
help of the indwelling Holy Spirit (cf. I Corinthians 2:11). Even some
so-called ‘Bible scholars’ only have and use human and worldly
reasoning and wisdom. We must always beware and be on guard.
-The yielding to the authority of our heavenly Father and His Word is well
pleasing to Him. Even as children in this life are to submit to the
authority of their parents: “Children, obey your parents in all things:
for this is well pleasing unto the Lord” (Colossians 3:20), so much
the more should children of God be obedient to the authority of our
heavenly Father and His Word.
-His New Testament churches must always continue to submit to and
conduct our lives under the authority of God’s Word and never
compromise it. Submitting to the Word of God will be very unpopular in
this world, but again, the Lord’s churches belong to Him and should
strive only to please and honor Him. Part of the very definition of one
of Jesus’ true New Testament churches is that it must be “…the pillar
and ground of the truth” (I Timothy 3:15). If a church compromises
‘the truth’ then it is in danger of becoming a religious organization, that
is not a true New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ. We must
stick to the Word of God no matter how unpopular it is in this world.
-We need to have great conviction in our lives about this.
-Consider the following Scripture passages that also deal with the great
importance of the Word of God:
THE WORD OF GOD IS PURE, PRESERVED, PERMANENT AND PERFECT:
-“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” (Psalm
12:6, 7). [The Word of God is true and it is completely and eternally
trustworthy. Some seek to find mistakes and errors in the Word of God.
They may believe, due to their pride, that they have superior knowledge
and wisdom, and because of their ‘much learning’ are able to ‘correct’
the Word of God. In so doing they may cast doubts in the minds of
some hearers of the purity and accuracy of the Word of God. The
problem is with that kind of people and not with the Word of God. The
Word of God endures! It will stand for ever (cf. Isaiah 40:8).]
-“The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony
of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple” (Psalm 19:7).
-“For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89).
-“Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it” (Psalm
119:140).
-“Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their
trust in Him” (Proverbs 30:5). [Even one letter makes a difference,
but the Lord is so very specific and precise, as in Galatians 3:16, not
’seeds’, but ‘seed’, with no ending ‘s’.]
-“But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word
which by the gospel is preached unto you” (I Peter 1:25). [It is by
the Word of God that the gospel of Jesus Christ can be preached.]
-The Word of God is completely trustworthy.
THE WORD OF GOD IS PERTINENT AND PRACTICAL:
-(See Matthew 4:4 above. Man is to live by every word that
proceeds out of God’s mouth, His Word.)
- “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”
(Romans 10:17). [Since faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is necessary for
a person to be saved, and faith comes by hearing the Word of God,
we conclude that the Word of God is very practical and of great
importance.]
-Faith is very important after a person is saved. He is to conduct his life
by faith, and faith comes by hearing the Word of God. “(For we walk
by faith, not by sight:)” (II Corinthians 5:7).
-We must walk by faith in order to please God. “But without faith it is
impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe
that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek
Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Again, faith comes by hearing the Word of God.
-Hebrews chapter 11 tells of several who believed God’s Word, submitted
to its authority and obeyed it. Noah is but one example: “By faith
Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with
fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; ..” (Hebrews 11:7).
-The prophets heard God’s Word and then submitted to its authority.
There are many examples, here are a few:
--Abraham (in his obedience to offer Isaac)
--Jeremiah
--Elijah (He allowed the ravens to feed him and allowed the widow to
sustain him. This was all at the command of the LORD.)
--Jonah (He finally submitted to God’s Word, obeyed it and God greatly
blessed the people of Nineveh and many others.)
-The New Testament church members submitted to it. There are many
examples, here are a few:
--By assembling to worship the Lord.
--By going and taking the gospel to many people in many areas.
--By baptizing those that received Jesus as personal Saviour.
--By teaching the Word of God.
--By showing forgiveness.
--By being active in Praying.
--By loving the Lord and others.
--By supporting other churches.
--By studying the Scriptures.
--In many other ways.
-The greatest example of all: The Lord Jesus Christ submitting to the
Father. His was a perfect submission to the authority of the Father. He
was obedient. He only spoke the Words that the Father gave Him.
THE WORD OF GOD IS POWERFUL:
-The LORD said, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my
mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish
that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent
it” (Isaiah 55:11). [God’s Word, from His mouth, and He sent it.]
-“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any
twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul
and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the
thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). [A reminder that
it is not the preacher or the teacher that is powerful, it is the Word of
God, and the God of the Word. A man can’t convict anyone, he can’t
draw anyone to the Lord, etc. But the Lord can and He does.]
-“And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which
are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in
Christ Jesus” (II Timothy 3:15).
-“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of
God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first,
and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).
-It was by His Word that the Lord spoke all creation into existence. By His
Word the Lord sent the flood in the days of Noah. His Word, spoken
and written, is very powerful. And it has AUTHORITY.
THE WORD OF GOD WILL BE PRESENT ON JUDGMENT DAY:
-On Judgment Day the Lord Jesus Christ will be the Judge. His righteous
judgment will be according to the same rule that we have available to
us in this life, the Word of God.
-“So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of
liberty” (James 2:12). [cf. James 1:25]
-Jesus stated, “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words,
hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same
shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48).
THE WORD OF GOD IS PERSONAL:
-The individual is to hear it, read it, study it, believe it, submit to it, obey it,
hide it in his heart, meditate on it and rejoice in it. God speaks to His
children and to His churches through His Word.
-“Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest
observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant
commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left,
that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of
the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate
therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according
to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way
prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I
commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid,
neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee
whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:7-9).
-“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth
not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (II Timothy
2:15).
-“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your
own selves” (James 1:22).
-“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep
His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God
shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing,
whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14).
THE WORD OF GOD IS PRECIOUS:
-“He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall
doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with
him” (Psalm 126:6). [The ‘precious seed’ is the Word of God. Consider
the parable of the sower and the seed in Matthew 13, Mark 4 and Luke
8.]
-“Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and
understanding” (Proverbs 23:23).
THE WORD OF GOD IS TRUTH:
-“Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy
righteous judgments endureth for ever” (Psalm 119:160).
-“For the word of the LORD is right; and all His works are done in
truth” (Psalm 33:4).
-“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth”