The Authority of the Bible

Mike Johnson

The Bible teaches about the authority of God, Christ, and the apostles (Ps. 50:10-12; Heb. 1:1-2; Mt. 16:19, 17:5, 18:18; II Cor. 5:20; Phil. 4:9).   Also, the Holy Spirit played a role as he guided the apostles “unto all truth.”  Consider now the authority of God’s Word, the Bible.

Christ gave the apostles authority to reveal God’s Will to man (Mt. 18:18; Jn. 16:8).  However, the apostles eventually died.  What is our guide today?  It is the inspired Word of God — the Bible.

Consider the teaching of Paul in Ephesians 3:3-5.  This passage says, “how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets. . .” The particular “mystery” Paul has in mind is found in verse 6 (“that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body”). Still, what he says would be true generally.   He wrote down this mystery (revealed to him as an inspired writer), so it could be read and understood.  It is called a “mystery” in the sense that previously it had not been revealed.  Paul, and other inspired individuals, guided by the Holy Spirit, presented the mind of God to man.

I Corinthians 2:12-13 says, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.  These things we also speak not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”  The NASB renders the last part, “combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.”

In I Thessalonians 2:13, Paul wrote, “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.”  Negatively, he states they had not received his preaching “as the word of men”; positively, they had received it as the “Word of God.”  Paul was thankful they had accepted him as an inspired teacher of God’s Word.

There are other passages in I Thessalonians, where Paul points out that his message was from God. In chapter 4, he revealed that the commandments which he taught were “through the Lord Jesus,” and the person who rejected their teaching “does not reject man, but God who has also given us his Holy Spirit” (vs. 2, 3, 8).  Later, when instructing them about the second coming of Christ (4:15), Paul said, “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord . . .”

In I Corinthians 14:33, Paul said, “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.”  Paul and other inspired people revealed God’s commandments through the written word.

The Bible is the inspired Will of God (II Tim. 3:16-17).  It is the “oracles of God” (II Pet. 1:3); it is the final revelation for us (Jude 3); it is all that we need (Jas. 1:25); it will save us eternally (Rom. 1:16, James 1:21) if we obey it (James 1:22).

Paul, and other inspired people, revealed God’s commandments through the written word.