01.B.2 Purity of Speech: Authority of Scripture

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Purity of Speech
Authority of Scripture

Key Passage: Psalm 12

Contents 1 Summary 2 Guided Reflection 3 Essential Truths Regarding the Authority of Scripture 4 Core Issues 5 Common Errors 6 Connecting Points to 5Cs 7 Connecting Points to 4Ds 8 Essential Truths (Conclusion)

Summary

In discussing the contrast between faithful men and sinful men, David condemns the evil speech that fills the world and yearns instead for the pure words of the Lord, which God preserves in the face of pervasive wickedness.

Guided Reflection

Picture a crowded market filled with the noise of animals, scooters and cars, vendors and buyers arguing price, crashing pots and pans in the stalls of those cooking food. Now here is a weeping distraught mother searching for a lost child. Will the child hear and recognize the voice of her mother amidst all the noise?

Penguins in Antarctica recognize the voice of their young and the parents are recognized by the young, in spite of the din of thousands of screeching voices.

Psalm 12 speaks of the many words in the world that might trouble us and disturb our rest in the Lord. Evil speech is a symptom of a world full of wickedness. Thankfully, God’s voice is preserved in the Scripture and stands out above the cacophony of noisy words.

In a further contrast to the chaotic noise of this world, we can be the soothing voice of security and hope. Let us echo the words of God as we refrain from speaking evil, speaking instead for the purpose of building, encouraging, and comforting (1 Cor. 14:3; Eph. 4:29). As we are faithful to the authentic Word of God, then our speech will identify us as children of God (Matt. 26:73; John 8:31-32; 43-47; Tit. 2:6-8).

Essential Truths Regarding the Authority of Scripture

The Authority of Scripture: God inspired the written Word and preserves the power and authenticity of that Word through time and across cultures so that it applies today with the same validity as when it was given through the original writers.

Core Issues

God not only inspired the revelation of Scripture, but also took providential steps to preserve His Word in order to ensure that we have in our hands the same revelation! Because it has been preserved, it retains the same potential to be illumined to our hearts by the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures which we read and study today bear the same authority as the documents originally written by the human authors. The “Authority of Scripture” signifies that it is from God and a true expression of His voice.

1. Meaning of “the Authority of Scripture”

a) Authority means that the Scriptures are authentic as the Word of God expressed in writing to all people across all time. The present words are a faithful record of the original writings.

b) Authority means that they have application to our lives today. Because of inspiration, the Scriptures are universal in their applicability; they apply to all nations, in all cultures, across time, until the end of the world.

c) Authority means we can and must respond. It is more than the idea that they are a binding set of rules. Authority means that the Scripture is valid in conveying the terms and benefits of the divine pardon for sin as provided in the atoning death of Christ as well as the consequences of rejecting pardon. God’s promises are true (2 Cor. 1:20; 2 Pet. 1:1-4). We can read the words today and find life, exactly as the original writers intended (John 20:31).

d) Authority also means that the Scriptures carry the power to overcome temptation and the power of darkness. The commands of Scripture direct us into the righteousness in which God wills for us to walk. When we are tempted in the direction of sin, we can, like Jesus, appeal to our submission to what “is written” (Matt. 4:1-11). Furthermore, God specifically promises us authority over Satan (Luke 10:19; 1 Cor. 10:13; Mark 16:17; 1 John 4:4; Rev. 12:11).

e) An essential implication of authority is inerrancy. A liar or a person who is mistaken does not have authority. The Scriptures, however, are trustworthy: free from error in all that they affirm. The Scriptures, in all they declare, do not contain any contradiction, inconsistency, factual mistakes, or false representations of God and His works (Num. 23:19; Tit. 2:1; Heb. 6:18). We can trust that any apparent contradiction will be resolved through diligent study and proper understanding. God’s Word is true (Ps. 19:9; 89:34; 119:89-90, 160; John 17:17).

f) Authority means that the Scripture is a true expression of the voice of God to believers (Heb. 12:25-27; 13:5-6). For example, James quotes a proverb and states that it is God who said it (Jam. 4:6 with Prov. 3:34). The Scriptures are God’s Word. Any believer who takes them in their intended meaning can be confident that those words convey God’s heart and His will (Ps. 119:68).

2. Preservation

The present authority of Scripture is only possible as a result of the providential work of God whereby He preserved His words to the present day. Therefore, in spite of the passing of time and in spite of cultural differences, the Scriptures have been preserved and accurately transmitted so that they bear continuing authority as the authentic voice of God calling us to fellowship with Him.

a) God has preserved His words in spite of relentless persecution (Jer. 36:1-32). Faithful disciples through the centuries have treasured the Scriptures even under threats of death. They have been willing to die for the sake of the Word of God which they have valued, safeguarded, and sought to distribute to others.

b) God has preserved His words in the face of intentional efforts to pervert and corrupt (2 Thess. 2:2; Rev. 22:16-21). Even teachers of error, in promoting false texts, commonly attack the readings as found in authentic texts.

3. Transmission

Though thousands of years have passed, the Scriptures have authority today because they have been accurately transmitted through the generations as a result of God’s sovereign supervision and intervention. Across time and cultures, God maintains their authenticity so that His voice can be heard in what is written.

a) God overcomes human fallibility and propensity to error in providing a faithful record of the original written revelation through diligent stewards (Rom. 3:2). Godly scribes, working together in a labor of deep devotion, labored to carefully copy the sacred writings, meticulously comparing new copies to the old ones known to be authentic by the community of faith.

b) God overcomes the principle of decay in the natural world where moth and rust corrupt, by providing protected ancient copies that confirm the readings of our present texts. The Dead Sea Scrolls, containing most of the Old Testament, date from before the time of Christ. Manuscripts written a thousand years later read exactly as the texts of the Dead Sea Scrolls. With respect to the New Testament, a massive collection of thousands of manuscripts confirm the correct reading of our text, even to the very letter (Matt. 5:17-18).

c) The majority of New Testament manuscripts agree on 99% of the readings. There are a few differences and variations between some of the texts in spelling or other minor grammatical points. However, none of the essential doctrines are affected by these variations. Many of the variations involve the omission of a single word, which does not alter the meaning of the passage in any significant way. For example, most manuscripts have the word broken in Luke’s account of the Last Supper, but some omit it (Luke 22:19). Matthew and Mark do not include broken in their accounts (Matt. 26:26; Mark 14:22). While the use of the word adds to our understanding, its omission does not change the meaning of the passage or the doctrine of the atonement.

4. Translation

Even when the Scriptures are translated from their original languages, they maintain their inspired character and authority (1 Cor. 14:21).

a) The many ancient translations have been part of the means by which God preserved and transmitted the original Word to the present. These early translations from the original languages point to the same authentic source texts.

b) Even though it is translated, it is still declared to be the Word of God (e.g. Rev. 16:16). New Testament writers quote various translations of the Old Testament, but they still identify their references as the authoritative Word of God. For example, the Old Testament word Adonai (Lord) is translated into the Greek word Kurios (Lord). The New Testament writers were also quite comfortable using the word Kurios to translate YHVH (I Am). Both of these usages are fully identified as Scripture (cf. Matt. 1:22-23; 22:37, 41-46; Acts 2:34-36). Scripture maintains its authority when translated.

c) The inspiration and universal authority of Scripture is confirmed by the fact that the Bible has been translated into hundreds of languages, more than any other document in the history of the world (Phil. 2:11; Rev. 5:9). To whatever language group the Bible is taken, it always demonstrates its divine origin by transforming lives.

5. Interpretation

When those Scriptures are rightly expounded and explained, the purposes of God are disclosed in an expression of the authority of the Word of God.

a) When gifted teachers explain the meaning of the words so that the people can understand, then the result is great blessing and salvation (Neh. 8:1-12; Acts 8:4-8, 28:23-28, 1 Thess. 2:13).

b) When any believer, even in conversation, shares and explains the Scripture, its transformational power is evident (Acts 8:29-39; 18:26).

c) There is a right way to teach and use the Scripture (Acts 18:26-28; 1 Tim. 1:8; 4:6-7; 2 Tim. 2:2, 15). The proper approach is to take the words in the normal sense as intended for human language, based on consistent Scriptural usage. A more detailed study on the subject of Biblical interpretation can be found in “What Does the Bible Say?” by Dr. Malcolm Webber.

6. Illumination

The Word of God, as recorded in the inspired Scripture and preserved to this generation, is then brought to light in the believer’s heart by the Holy Spirit, Whose role is to reveal Jesus and impart understanding.

a) Illumination also includes the removal of the inherent blindness that plagues all unbelievers (Rom. 11:25; 2 Cor. 3:12 – 4:4). Though the truth is there to be seen, it is indiscernible to those who are blind. God must open their eyes.

b) Illumination is not the introduction of new revelation, but the shedding of light by the Spirit on truth that has already been revealed. A clock in a dark room tells the time, but without a light we can’t see it (2 Cor. 4:5-6; Is. 9:2; Matt. 4:16).

c) An aspect of illumination is the Spirit bringing revealed truth to our recollection (John 14:26). We may have a wonderful recipe for a delicious meal in a big book, but it will be difficult for us to prepare the meal if we can’t remember it or find the page. The authority of God’s Word is applied practically through the illumination of the Holy Spirit.

Common Errors

1. Scripture is only one authority among many of equal value to be used to arrive at truth.

Similarly, scholars may refer to various authors on a particular subject, and then having gleaned what they feel is right, reach their own scholarly conclusion as to the truth.

a) The correct view is to take Scripture as supremely authoritative.

i) Jesus pointed to the authority of the Scriptures as the basis for His own ministry. Jesus himself declared that all of the Jewish Scriptures spoke of Him (Luke 24:24-27, 44-48; John 5:39).

ii) The disciples pointed to the Scriptures as the authority for their own ministries (Acts 1:16-20), for the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:14-18), and for their doctrine with frequent appeals to numerous passages.

b) We may find valuable ideas in writings outside of the Scriptures. The disciples referred to spiritual concepts derived from sources other than Scripture (Acts 17:28-29; Jude 14-15), but even the best efforts of men must be measured against the Scriptures, the ultimate truth (Is. 8:20; Acts 17:11).

2. Only the moral concepts and thoughts of Scripture are from God, not every word.

This error assumes that we must sort through the Bible’s “outdated ignorance and mythology” to find true moral concepts that originated with God. It is wrongly believed that many historical details of Scripture are inaccurate, and often it is stated that “The Bible is not a science book,” as if to allow for errors in these non-spiritual matters.

a) However: All the words of the Scripture are authoritative, not just the ideas and thoughts (Ps. 12:6; 2 Tim. 3:16-17).

b) In the biblical record, the Scriptures are treated by Israel and the Church as completely true in every word (John 10:35).

c) As the writers delivered the Scripture, it is often asserted that the very words are from God (Jer. 1:7-9; Ex. 4:10-12). Those who gave us the Scripture understood that it was words, not general concepts, that they were delivering from God to the people (2 Sam. 23:1-2; Is. 2:1-2; Amos 1:1; Ex. 34:27-28; Rev. 1:1). The specific words are seen as from God, even to the use of singular or plural (Gal. 3:16).

d) The term Scripture means “what is written,” signifying that the words, not just ideas are from God (2 Pet. 1:20-21). Scripture is frequently cited under the phrase, “It is written,” to invoke the idea of sacred infallible authority (about 80 times, e.g. Matt. 2:5; 4:4; 21:13; John 12:14).

3. Upholding the Bible as authoritative is a form of idolatry (almost as if to discourage obedience to Scripture under the claim that “we should put God first”).

a) The correct belief is that God inspired the Bible, so the words of the Scripture are His words, and His true revelation of Himself. We esteem the words because we worship God, the Ultimate Author (Ps. 119:97, 119, 127). A person soon to be married cherishes a letter from a fiancé. There is no question that the true love and devotion is not for the paper, but for the one who wrote the letter. It is through the guidance of the Scriptures that we know what it means to put Him first.

b) Our attitude toward the words reflects our attitude toward the One who spoke them. If we do not believe His words we make Him out to be a liar (1 John 5:10). Our devotion to Him is demonstrated by our obedience to His Word (John 14:21-24; 1 John 2:3-5).

c) In some cases, people stand when a Bible is opened and read. Though such an act is not required, it demonstrates that reverence for the Scripture is acceptable and certainly not idolatry (Neh. 8:5; Luke 4:16-20). We also pore over it and study it diligently, often underlining and making marginal notes. Respectful care for the physical book is not at all inappropriate since it has cost so many people so much, even their lives. We value the book because we reverence the life-giving truth written in it (Ps. 56:4; John 20:31). Psalm 119 in its entirety describes the majesty of the Scripture and the proper attitude of devotion to it.

Connecting Points to 5Cs

Connecting Points to 4Ds

Experiential dynamic:

Scripture was not passed down mouth to ear, from one person to the next, secretly and individually as in the game where a phrase is passed from person to person until the original line becomes nonsense. On the contrary, witnesses worked together to transmit written words to the next generation, under the watch of previous copyists, diligently consulting previous manuscripts.

As an experiment, pass a phrase orally from one ear to the next. Use a phrase of about ten words, perhaps just one sentence from this writing. It will be amusing to see what is left at the end.

Then pass a phrase in writing from one group of three people to one new individual. The new individual will then copy the phrase exactly and retain it. The three will observe the newest copy for accuracy. After the third copy has been made, set aside the original until the end of the exercise. Have one of the original three leave the group and again add a new recipient. This person will likewise copy the phrase from the previous copy, comparing it to the previous copies. Do this with eight new recipients. As a new copier is added, the oldest of the group leaves with his/her copy so that the newest copy is made from the most recent with comparison to three preceding copies. When all have made their copies compare the latest with the original. How close are they?

Instructional dynamic:

Read through Psalm 119. Make a list of the terms referring to the Scripture. For example, law, testimonies, statutes, etc. What are the writer’s responses to the Word of God? What are your responses to the Word of God? Make this “your psalm” for at least a week, reading it daily, several times if possible.

Essential Truths (Conclusion)

1. We can confidently approach the Scriptures as a reliable and relevant expression of the voice of God. The words of Scripture bear authority as the authentic expression of His heart toward us.

2. The Scriptures were transmitted through blood and sweat. Many gave their lives to see to it that the Scriptures were faithfully copied and handed down through succeeding generations. Copyists throughout history were diligent and meticulous, striving for absolute accuracy as God directed their efforts, so that we continue to have the authoritative Truth to this day.

3. We must be diligent to let our own words echo the Word of God, speaking things that edify others and honor God (Tit. 2:7-8; Eph. 4:29).

4. We should be diligent to preserve the truth of the Word of God, submitting to its authority in our lives and teachings. Just as God has preserved the accuracy of the Scriptures from their writing to this day, so our lives should express its truth.