Bay Presbyterian Church - Biblical Authority

A Pastoral Letter on Biblical Authority

Affirmed by Session - 07/17/06

Reprinted - 07/25/06

Our Vision for Bay Presbyterian Church includes the expectation that we are obedient to Christ through the Scriptures. We are Christ-centered and we seek to hear Christ’s voice and draw nearer to him through the Scriptures. That central value is not consistently affirmed in churches today, and is denied in our society at large. This has created confusion and uncertainty for many. The purpose of this “Pastoral Letter on Biblical Authority” is to clarify the role and function of the Scriptures in the life of the Church and Christians at Bay Presbyterian.

Our understanding of Biblical authority has three dimensions. One is our understanding of its nature. The second is the role of Scripture in the life of Bay Presbyterian Church. The other is our use of the Scriptures themselves. It is not enough for us to understand the true nature of the Bible. We need to hear its message and obey if it really has authority for us.

As we consider these dimensions please prayerfully consider how God is directing you. We have the Bible because God desires to speak to us today. What place does Christ want the Scriptures to have in your life?

THE NATURE OF THE SCRIPTURES

Along with Christians of the Reformed tradition throughout the ages we are so bold as to proclaim that:

the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God written, given by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to be the infallible rule of faith and life.^¹

Let us consider carefully the meaning of the various elements in this statement.

The “Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments” are the 66 books which comprise the Bible recognized and were accepted as canonical by the Reformers. The books called the Apocrypha while inspiring and instructional are not included in this number.

The Bible has authority only because it comes from God and is “the Word of God written.” ^²

Whether it is persuasive in its arguments, inspiring in its message, appealing in its vision, or moving in its beauty is not the issue. As long as we accept the Scriptures as authoritative because we agree with them or admire them, we make ourselves the ultimate authority placing ourselves above the Scriptures and even God Himself.

We recognize its authority through the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and minds.³ The Spirit bears witness to the Word inwardly when we read and hear the Scriptures. Historical studies and archaeological evidence may well support the Bible’s reliability. Logical arguments can remove apparent reasons to doubt its claims. But we perceive its real authority only when we hear God’s voice speaking in the words of Scripture and recognize it as the Word of God.

Paul first used the phrase “inspiration”⁴ to describe how God was involved in the authorship of the Scriptures. More literally He wrote “all Scripture is God-breathed”,⁵ as the NIV puts it. Like the creation of Adam when God breathed into the creature of day and gave it life, God breathed into the Scriptures and gave them life. They are more than inspiring. They are inspired.

While Paul’s emphasis here is on the Scripture’s origin, God did not take pen in hand and write the Bible. However God was intimately involved in its authorship. Volumes have been written in a vain attempt to explain how the Bible was inspired. Yet the Bible itself is silent on that point. What it proclaims time and again is that all Scripture is inspired (that is God-breathed); that all Scripture originated with God and is continually given life by God.

The Holy Spirit⁶ continues to work in the lives of those who read the Scriptures with faith. We are dependent on God to make Himself known to us even in the Scriptures. If we are left to our own resources we will never hear or believe the witness of Scripture no matter how faithfully they were penned or transmitted. God Himself must bear witness in our hearts to His own Word so we will recognize it as Him and understand its message for us. In this way we depend on God to inspire us in our reading as much as we rely on His inspiration of the authors.

When it comes to understanding what we should believe and how we should live, we need an "infallible⁷ rule⁸ of faith and life” that we can count on as coming from God. But the Scriptures are far more than a list or rules and regulations. They tell the story of God at work in the world by the power of the Holy Spirit and in Jesus Christ. They tell of the people of God who have faithfully and falteringly followed Him. They testify of our need for a Savior and God’s goodness in providing one. They involve us in the discussions of the early Christians as they struggled to build the Church and proclaim the Gospel. They call us to live out the law of love which is fulfilled by service, witness and faithfulness beyond all rules and regulations. In all these ways and situations we meet a God whose character and actions remain consistently the same. This is the God we are to believe; this is the God we are called to serve; this is the God we are called to obey.

The Scriptures as a whole proclaim the God who claims our belief and obedience. It is the unified witness of the Scriptures we must heed in examining our faith and life. Individual verses taken out of context or to the exclusion of others may distort our understanding of God or our responsibilities. But taken together, interpreted in light of itself, the Scriptures provide a reliable standard and measure for our faith and life in Christ.

Throughout the ages God’s people have found that God will not mislead those who seek to know or follow Him. He will faithfully shepherd us in His ways. So we can trust the Scriptures with our whole life- in this world and for all eternity. They are indeed “infallible" because they tell us all we need to know about God, and all we need to know in order to follow God. They will neither lead us astray nor will they leave us ignorant. We can trust them as unreservedly as we trust God Himself.

THE ROLE OF THE SCRIPTURES IN THE LIFE OF BPC.

The Bible has a prominent place in the Values as well as the Vision of BPC. When we say our ministry is Biblical we are affirming that we are guided by the Bible in what we do and further that the place of the Bible must be prominent in our ministry. There are five ways in which we see this as true.

1. In Worship

The place of the Bible is central to our Service of worship as well as in the center of the Communion Table. The Bible is the foundation of all messages that are preached at BPC.⁹ This is in keeping with our Reformed heritage where the reading and proclaiming of God’s Word is the “highlight” of worship.

In our services you will notice that the Scripture passage is always read either just before the sermon or even during it. By putting them closely together we are affirming that the Sermon’s role is solely to bring the meaning of God’s Word to the people in ways that can touch their lives. Without the Good News proclaimed in the Bible, we have nothing to preach.

2. In Children and Youth Ministries

In all our ministries to children and youth we seek to instill a love and thirst for the Word. The Bible forms the basis of all we seek to teach.¹⁰ We carefully select our curriculum for all Church School ministries to ensure that it will equip the students to read and understand the Bible. In order to accomplish this it must present the content of the Bible in clear ways appropriate for the age group. Further it will foster the development of skills in reading and studying the Bible for themselves.

Most importantly, the curriculum and programming for all areas of ministry will aid the teachers and leaders in introducing the students to Jesus Christ, who is Himself the Lord of the Scriptures, the Word of God incarnate.

3. In Small Groups

Each small group has its own character and style but there are several elements necessary for them to function within the ministry of BPC. Central to every small group’s life is the Bible. We need to take the time to listen for Christ’s voice whether we are together for ministry or fellowship. Reading and studying the Bible together draws out understanding and impact of God’s Word that we would not have on our own. The great gift of Christian fellowship is the experience of meeting Jesus Christ, who promises to be present wherever two or three gather in His name. Reading and studying the Scriptures is essential for that to occur.

4. In Adult Education & Discipleship

All of our adult classes or discipleship groups have one of two perspectives. They are either directed at teaching the message of the Bible (either thematically or in a book by book method) or focused on teaching a Biblical approach to dealing with a life issue as a Christian. Whether a Tune in Tuesday or Sunday School class; men’s or women’s group; discipleship group or Bible study - conveying what God has to say to us in the Bible is the critical task.

In our Tune In Tuesday program you can find a comprehensive program of studying the Bible. Bethel Bible Series provides a year-long survey of the entire Bible. This is supplemented by the Walk thru the Bible program which presents each of the Testament in a one-day event We have a two-year cycle of Bible studies designed to cover the basic beliefs of the faith through the study of six New Testament books; and a five-year cycle of 15 studies to give the Bible student a growing understanding of the entire Bible.

5. The Goal of all our teaching...

The goal of all our teaching and preaching is to equip children, youth, men and women of faith to rightly read and receive God’s word to them in the. Scriptures, so they maybe obedient to Christ - more than learning what the Bible says, or how to conduct a Bible study, our goal is to raise up a congregation of people who are living out our Vision for BPC - people who are living Christ-centered lives and are obedient to Christ through the Scriptures.

THE USE OF SCRIPTURE

Whatever we say about the nature of Scripture means little if we don’t use the Scriptures as though they are authoritative. As James exhorted us, "Let us be doers of the Word and not hearers only.” So we must give some guidance on how to use the Scriptures in light of their authority.

1. Read the Scriptures regularly.

There is little doubt that ignorance of the Scriptures is a common plight today. This has not always been so. In an age when the Bible is more available than at any time in the history of the world it is less and less read. If you claim the Scriptures have authority in your life take the time to read them regularly. As you become familiar with them God can bring them to mind and instruct you in their meaning. It is extremely hard to remember what you haven’t read.

2. Pray that God will inspire your reading and study.

We rely on the Holy Spirit to help us recognize and understand God’s message for us. Though the Scriptures are inspired in their authorship we still need God’s assistance in softening our hearts, opening our minds, and speaking to our spirits. The beginning of all Scripture reading and study is prayer - recognizing God’s authority in our lives and our reliance on His grace.

3. Study the whole of Scripture.

Time and again we are moved to study Scripture because we are in search of the answer to a question or direction for a problem. But seeking God only at these times betrays our real intentions. They are to make God serve our interests and concerns rather than help us serve His.

If we genuinely want to grow in our faith and faithfulness we need to go beyond our own questions and concerns (this does not mean to deny them - rather don’t stop when they are met) and try to discover what God wants to tell us and where He wants to lead us. God has so much more than we can imagine for us to learn and do. He has given the whole of the Scriptures to us because He wants us to have the “whole counsel of God” not just disjointed fragments. Developing a systematic plan for reading and studying the Scriptures will take us into the fullness of God’s desire for us.

4. Let the Scriptures speak for themselves.

When we come to a familiar passage it is so easy to remember what we have been told it means or what we were taught in Sunday School. But we must let the Scriptures speak for themselves by trying to set aside what we expect them to say and read them with a fresh ear.¹¹

Take the time to read the passage over and notice what it says; what words it uses; what places, people and customs it describes. Then notice where it differs from what you expected or thought it should say. God may have something new to teach you in those very places where you are caught off guard. After all if you already know it, understand it and live it all perfectly - why would you need to have God speak to you?

Use Bible study aids, such as Bible dictionaries, atlases, handbooks and commentaries but always go back to the Scriptures themselves. If ever it doesn’t sound as though the Scriptures are saying what you have been told, keep praying that God will find a way to bring clarity. Sometimes it is when we keep seeking to understand "difficult" passages that we experience the richest growth

5. Remain faithful to the way God has led you while remaining open to the way God is leading others.

We are ultimately responsible to God for our own actions and beliefs. Regardless of who teaches or counsels us in the end we decide what we will accept as being of God. That is what we must honor and obey. However we are all fallible in our understanding and interpretation of God’s Word. For that reason we need one another. There may be ways we can help someone else come to a clearer understanding of God and His desire for this life. Or the same maybe true of someone else helping us.

When we find ourselves differing from other brothers and sisters in the faith we be willing to hold ourselves in tension for awhile remaining true to what we understand and trying to be open to anything new God maybe trying to show us: We do not doubt God’s Word but we need to be willing to admit that it is His Word and not our interpretation that is authoritative. In this time we must all prayerfully and studiously seek the whole counsel of God trusting that He will make Himself known to His people when we seek Him.

There maybe items where differences in custom and peripheral matters of faith do not cause a problem. But if there are central difference between how God is heard by individuals and the Body as a whole - we must acknowledge those differences and seek God’s guidance on how to address them. Never should we ourselves or others disobey what we believe God is telling us through the Scriptures. In the end we seek to obey Him not others. Where a common solution cannot be found it may be necessary for there to be a separation so both parties can remain true to the witness they hear in the Scriptures.

God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, has chosen to make Himself known to us. He has uniquely, powerfully wonderfully revealed Himself in Jesus Christ, the Living Word, and in the Scriptures, the Word written. Jesus says to us:

“Ask and it will be given to you; Seek and you will find;

Knock and the door will be opened for you.”

Because of the love and grace of God in Jesus Christ, we are confident that when we sincerely ask, seek, and knock - we will receive, find, and enter through the door of life eternal! Praise be to God!

Endnotes

The biblical references noted here to support the Pastoral Letter are not exhaustive and have been limited to the New Testament for brevity.

Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 1. Book of Confessions
Luke 5:1; Acts 4:31; II Corinthians 2:17; I Thessalonians 2:13; 11 Peter 1:21
Luke 24:45; I John 2:14; John 14:6, 16-17, 25-26
I Corinthians 2:10-11; Galatians 1:11-12
II Timothy 3:16
I Corinthians 2:6-10; II Peter 1:21; John 16:13-14
Matthew 22:1 6; John 1:14; 33:3; 8:31-32; 16:13; I Corinthians 2:13; Galatians 4:16; 1Timothy 1:5
James 1:21-22; John 14:23-24; Matthew 28:20; I John 3:24; Luke 11:28
Acts 2:42; 1 Timothy 4:13
II Timothy 3:15
Acts 17:11

Adopted by the Session of Bay Presbyterian Church on April 24, 1995

Developed from a draft written by Rev. Robert G. Armstrong, Executive Associate Pastor

Bay Presbyterian Church ~ 25415 Lake Rd. ~ Bay Village, OH 44140 ~ 440-871-3822 ~ www.baypres.org