...park did not go according to routine as normal. A jogger that regularly runs through the park suddenly approached me. He told me his name, but the next words that came out of his mouth were: “How do you sit there morning after morning and read that Bible. What drives you to do it, and what do Christians find so authoritative about it?” I didn’t respond right away, but after taking a few seconds, I concluded: The term ‘authority,’ when applied to the Bible, also has an application to words spoken or written whose accuracy has been established and whose information can consequently be trusted (McDonald). To say the Bible has authority means that these words have the power and right to command. This authority comes from God and we are meant to give our lives over to this supreme authority. Hence, we worship the God of these words, and not the words themselves. John 5:23 states, “He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.” This evidences that Jesus and God are equal. Since Jesus and God are one, this means that Jesus has this authority as well. Biblical inspiration is a super-natural influence of the Holy Spirit upon divinely chosen agents in consequence of which their writings became trustworthy and authoritative. In II Timothy 3:16, the scripture is referred to as “God-breathed.” This explains that while man wrote the physical inscription, the words were given to man from God, and are wholly trustworthy and authoritative. Every word of scripture was...
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...answers God has provided for us, the Bible. I find it hard to explain God’s authority to an unbelieving individual talk less of the Bible’s authority. If a person doesn’t believe the bible, it can be a task to convince them that it has any authority. It is easy to explain the authority of the government or police, because these are authorities they are subject to and they can see, but when to comes to the authority of God and the bible, it is a different perspective. God has given us the Bible as a gift of love for us His children to follow until He comes back. It is the divine truth to all of humanity. The Bible is God’s revelation in written form to man. That is where the authority of the Bible comes from, the divine revelation of God Himself. Biblical inspiration is the doctrine in Christian theology concerned with the divine origin of the bible and what it teaches. Compared to the modern definition of inspiration, which is the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something especially to do something creative, biblical inspiration is God breathed, divine influence of the Holy spirit. God revealed Himself to selected people whom he had inspired to write the books of the Bible. In 2 Peter 1:21 the bible says for prophecy never had it’s origin in the human will, but prophets, thou humans spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. Inerrancy states that the Bible’s word is accurate, authoritative and free of error. There are four separate arguments...
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...teaches it own inerrancy. We should accept the Bible’s claim about itself. So the Bible’s authority comes from the inspiration of GOD, because God is the author of the Bible. Biblical Authority must begin with God himself. For in him all authority is located. God is his own authority, for there is nothing outside of Him on which his authority was founded. So the Bible is GOD’s word and if there was nothing before GOD to base the Bible on then GOD is his own authority as well as His word. When it comes to the Bible inspiration is the guidance or influence of the Holy Spirit on human writers of Scripture so that GOD controlled them in such a way that what they wrote was exactly what GOD wanted to say without error. Whatever GOD wanted to say in the scripture, His Holy Spirit inspired the writer of the scripture to write exactly what GOD wanted, how GOD wanted it, and the way GOD wanted it written without error or human flaw. Isaiah 55:8 says “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.” This is why the Bible is without error. If we say that there is not inerrancy of the Bible, then we are saying GOD is a liar, and that He and his Word are not perfect. My definition of inerrancy according to the Bible is that the word of GOD has not errors. The Biblical Argument for Inerrancy states that we must believe inerrancy because the Bible teaches its own inerrancy. We should accept the Bible’s claims about itself....
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...THEO104 Phillip A Johnson #L23636707 The Authority of the Bible The purpose of this paper is to share some thoughts of what we learned over this semester. Many thoughts will come from what I have written during the class and from the Core of Christianity, Elmer Towns. The topics I chosen to discuss is Does the Bible have authority, Did Jesus claim to be God and How can we be confident that Jesus is returning. Let us first look at the word authority. Authority means “the power to determine, adjudicate, or otherwise settle issues or disputes; jurisdiction; the right to control, command, or determine.” ("authority.") This authority can come from a teacher, pastor, principle or anyone else that has the ability to control or command someone or something. The Biblical definition, states that authority is “the legal and/or moral right to exercise power, or power that is rightly possessed. We recognize the Bible is the most significant book in the history of civilization. In the context of Jewish history, the Bible’s impact on politics, history, and religion is without comparison. Along with establishing the covenant-based legitimacy of the Jewish people and their history, the Bible’s political impact is exemplified through prophetic politics, the power of kings, and the effects of political authority. Biblical archeology has discovered biblical structures which supports the historical validity of the Bible. The Bible’s effect on history, politics, and religion has shaped...
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...according to John, starts with one of the most important ideas of the inerrancy and authority of the Bible. The Bible is inspired by God and is from God, because it is a part of God as we can clearly find in the first part of John. Many today argue the inerrancy of the Bible, even though scripture says, “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to them that put their trust in him”. (Proverbs 30:5) We must trust the infallible Word of the Lord. The Bible’s authority comes directly from God, and His revelation is used to understand that authority. He is the founder and maker of all, and as such, his Word has the right and power to command just as God does. Paul declares that, “every scripture” is God breathed. He was aware that he was being guided by the Holy Spirit and the words that he transcribed had power and authority. Among other writers of scripture, Paul was merely chosen to translate into human form, the revelation of God. Since the Holy scriptures retain the power of God, It, as a result, establishes its own inerrancy. It is inerrant because it is pure and true, without fault or error, and cannot be disproven by man. “Human knowledge is limited in two ways. First, because of our finitude and sinfulness, human beings misinterpret the data and…secondly we do not possess all the data that comes to bear on the Bible.” (Elwell, pg. 156) While we cannot scientifically prove the Bible’s inerrancy there is, in the same token, no way to disprove its pure truth. The Bible...
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...through his disciples. Since the authority belongs to God, our command as Christ followers is to follow Jesus’ example of how he lived in the Bible. According to the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, “Authority is the right and power to command, enforce laws, exact obedience, determine or judge.” In respect to the Bible, this means that because it is authoritative, we must follow the laws given by its word. This empowerment belongs to God, and to God alone. Matthew 21:23-24 states, that Jesus’ authority came from God his Father, the one who sent him to Earth. The Bible’s authority, comes from God, but was not written by God, or Jesus themselves. The people chosen to write the books of the Bible were chosen specifically by God, and were inspired through the work of the Holy Spirit. Along with authority and inspiration, comes the discussion of inerrancy. Inerrancy is the view that the entire Bible is completely accurate and true. There are four arguments for inerrancy, including The Biblical Argument. This argument states that if God has authority over the Bible, then it has to be inerrant because God is truth. The Bible is the word of God; therefore, it is without error. The Bible indicates divine communication. Prophets were given the words to write by a divine message, which contained total and absolute truth. The Bible also reveals that the authority of God requires inerrancy. Every detail in the Bible will be fulfilled proving God’s authority over its contents. If the Bible...
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...the battles lost today, Christians have already won the war, as the Church recognizes, however, that she exists in an interim state, she eagerly awaiting the return of Jesus Christ, and the consummation of all of God’s purpose. The “already” shows that Jesus is the fulfillment of all prophesies of the Old Testament. He is the true interpreter of Mosaic Law (Matthew 5:17-48, Hebrews 3:1-6), the new Joshua whom gives final rest to believers (Hebrews 3:7-4:13). He is the fulfillment of God’s true wisdom transcending the wisdom of the Old Testament (Colossians 2:1-3). He is the final prophet predicted by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15; Acts 3:22-23; 7:37). The promises of the fulfillment of the kingdom are evident in His miracles, healings, and authority over demons (Matthew 12:28). Jesus is the one who will sit on David’s throne forever, thus fulfilling the already. The “not yet” indicates that the church of God is, however, in an interim state, as it awaits the return of Jesus Christ, and attempts to live out God’s purposes. The church is in a sense the new community of God, filled with believers, both Jew and Gentile, as the laws of the Old Testament no longer have a hold of the believers. God’s new temple church is indwelt with the Holy Spirit, and is commanded to love one another (John 13:34-35). The church awaits Christ return in love as they attempt to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20). As one combines the “already but not yet,” they begin to see that...
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...Scripture and shows us the importance of Scripture in pointing man to God. The doctrine of sufficiency also means that no one should take away or add to scripture. In fact there is even a curse for doing so in Revelation 22:18-19. God has given us enough to point us to himself and to teach us how to have a right relationship with him. Scripture helps us hear God’s voice and live a life that is able to please him. The Bible’s sufficiency is why Martin Luther was able to cry out with confidence “sola Scriptura,” which mean “Scripture alone (53).” He understood the depths and riches of Scripture and how it had everything needed in order to know God and have salvation in...
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...Christian has been heightened. There have been several questions raised that deserve not only an answer, but diligence in the research and understanding necessary to answer with confidence, vigor and enthusiasm. The first question that will be answered is simple in thought, but more complex in true understanding. Does the Bible have authority? Next, we will discuss the importance of personal testimonies in sharing the gospel. Finally, we will look at life as a Christian. If a person is a Christian, does it matter how they live their life? Throughout the following pages these questions will be explored and answered fully, truly and completely. II. Section One: Does the Bible have authority? Many people read the Bible with cynicism in their hearts and attempt to be overly critical as a result. This is true for both Christians and non-believers alike. In some ways it seems easier to look for a mistake or try to disprove scripture instead of having true faith. This poses the question. Does the Bible have authority? If so, where does its authority come from and how do we know? There are many arguments that show the Bible’s authority and confirm the scripture is the word of God. The most powerful to me personally is the convicting, convincing and converting power of the message. The power of the Bible made itself clear to me as I was reading an old Bible I found in my Grandfather’s things after he passed. I was going through some of his things and began...
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..."No matter how hard we try to transform its message, the message will try harder to transform us." (Brown, 1965, 183) This essay will explore whether or not the bible should serve as an ultimate authority for Christian ethics and discover how synonymous Biblical ethics are with the ethics of Christianity. This piece will also look at what it is about the Bible that recommends it as such a major authority of morality and ethical practice. The bible is seen as a ‘guidebook’ for a Christian, giving details on how they should live according to God’s law; however, questions negating the validity of this belief in God’s law often come to the forefront. The Bible permits the stoning to death of adulterers. Something which in contemporary society seems atrocious. A point to be aware of is the huge cultural difference between the bible and contemporary life. If we focus on the difference between the Old Testament and modern day life the cultural difference is one of the chief factors behind the difficulty of using the bible in ethics today. The bible is written in a culturally conditioned format. Language, racial attitudes and the different emphasis on aspects of life including holiness and purity, all count towards the invisible barrier when discussing how synonymous biblical ethics are with the ethics of Christianity. (Rodd, 1995, 89). An issue that arises more than often when discussing biblical and Christian ethics is sexuality. Different churches hold different values and...
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...THE BIBLE’S INFLUENCE ON ENGLISH-AMERICAN LITERATURE by Zhang Lanlan June, 2007 Xiaogan University Abstract As the sutra of the Christianity, the Bible has a great influence on both English and American literature and offers an eternal theme of their literary creation .English and American writers use stories of the Bible by three main methods. First, they quote person's names or stories of the Bible as the characters' names or plots of the creations from the Bible directly. Sometimes they make some changes on the original stories. Sometimes they quote stories directly from the Bible as the writing materials. Second, they make use of symbolic meaning of the Bible by some technical such as simile, metaphor and symbolism, so that the stories could exert a great influence on contrasting with the new products. Third, they merge the plots of the Bible to give connotative efforts to the readers. Exploring the methods helps us know the western culture and consciousness, have a good appreciation and study for the English-American literature. key words: English-American literature ; the Bible; methods 《圣经》在英美文学作品中的影响 摘要 作为基督教的经典，《圣经》对英美文化影响深远，为英美文化创作提供了永恒的母题。英美作家化用《圣经》故事的主要方法有：直接引用《圣经》中的人名作为作品的人物名称，或直接引用《圣经》故事或对原型故事进行变形或处理，作为创作素材；通过比喻，隐喻或象征等手法，把《圣经》故事的寓意融汇到作品情节中或人物性格里，使这些故事发挥有力的陪衬作用；使作品中的人物，故事和情节与《圣经》故事大体对应，让《圣经》能穿越时空的限制，从而发挥隐含的参照作用。 探讨英美作家化用《圣经》的方法，有助于我们了解英美文化的思想意识，更好的学习，欣赏乃至研究英美文学作品。 关键词：英美文学；《圣经》；方式 ...
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...Persecution is an unavoidable truth for Christians. Christians are different from the world. Consequently, they face judgment, hatred, and persecution. Yet, the question remains; how can Christians respond in a biblical way, towards a persecuting government. The story of Polycarp, a bishop who faced persecution from the Roman government, is a model example of a biblical response to persecution. During Polycarp’s time, the time of the early church, persecution of Christians was rampant. In that period, being a Christian usually meant torture or death. Polycarp reacted to persecution without violence or resistance. Polycarp’s response to persecution was biblical because he followed Jesus’ example, submitted to his authorities, and refused to renounce his faith. Polycarp’s reaction to persecution is an ideal and biblical model for Christians, as Polycarp is following the example of Jesus during his suffering. Christians should look to Jesus as the ideal example for everything. As Christ faced torture, ridicule, and crucifixion, he did not fight back, though he...
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...basis of education. The Holy Scriptures are the perfect standard of truth and should be given the highest regard in education. In the Garden of Eden, God illustrated a model school where He himself was the Teacher and the first couple were his students. God was after the highest good of his students that they may not be idle. He had given them a useful occupation that will strengthen their body, expand their mind and develop their character. Generally, the students of highest education must be fitted more and more to fully reflect the light of the knowledge of His glory. God gave humans the power of choice. Sin was brought into the world when our fist parents chose to distrust God’s goodness, have disbelief of His word, and reject His authority. However, through redemption the communion with God is made possible again. Hence, the work of education and redemption are one. And the great principles of education are unchanged throughout ages for these principles are the character of God. God provided illustrations from history...
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...Was the first copy of the bible from every book have a truth in it. “The Scripture has authority because God has all authority. And because God is the author of all Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16), Scripture is authoritative. God is the basis for the Bible’s authority. Since God has ensured the transmission of the message of His Son and since He reinforces this message by His own authority, mankind has only two choices: to obey Him or reject Him. The fact that God gave us the Scripture is the reason we know that it is accurate and that it is exactly what He wants us to have. And because God has spoken it, we can be confident in the Scripture’s authority. It is true and represents faithfully His offer and promise of forgiveness and eternal life to those who meet His criteria of belief in His Son”(Landis, 2007). On the other side of the spectrum, here is another point of view.“And even those sparse accounts are shrouded in controversy, with disagreements over what parts have obviously been changed by Christian scribes (the manuscripts were preserved by Christians), the fact that both these authors were born after...
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...Desiree Savath APA THEO 201-B32 Inerrancy through Inspiration That is a very good question, because in society today there are many people questioning inerrancy and authority of the Bible. They want proof that the Bible is inerrant and wonder about the Writer’s inspiration. By saying that the Bible has authority, one needs to show and prove from where it comes. First, “Authority is the right and power to command, enforce laws, exact obedience, determined or judge.”(Elwell, Walter A., 2001, p. 153.) Many people may not understand how important authority is for a book that had been written centuries ago. This authority comes through God because He says it is so. “…Thus saith the Lord,” (Isaiah 44:6, KJV) has been written throughout the Old Testament to show His authority and truthfulness. This was also proven in the New Testament of God’s word. “…thy word is truth.” (John 17:17b, KJV). One must know that God is Truth and the Holy Bible is His Word. This sort of knowledge will lead one to arrive at the fact that the Bible is true and authoritative. The Bible is God’s inspired Word given to the scripture’s writers. “The content of the Bible teaches that it was given by the process of inspiration of God so that the words were God’s word and that they are accurate and reliable, hence they are authoritative.” (Towns, Elmer L., 2008, p. 66). We read that in the Bible the prophets were “carried along” by the Holy Spirit to speak the Words of God rather than their own. (2 Peter...
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