The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, consisting of 66 books, are verbally inspired by God and inerrant and infallible in the original writings, and that they are of supreme and final authority. (Matthew 5:18; John 10:35; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 1 Thessalonians 2:13)
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Since the Bible is God’s Word, we believe it has unique authority over us. It is not the only authority, but it is the highest authority. We are bound to believe what it teaches and follow what it commands—as individuals and as a church. We have every reason to do so joyfully, because God only commands what is right and good. If we decide that we would rather be our own judge of right and wrong or true and false, we are in great danger. After all, rejecting God’s authority was the original sin (Genesis 3:1-7).
In my sermon on Sunday I focused on how to actually live under the authority of Scripture. I tried to make the case that not only should we believe what the Bible teaches, but we should let it “read” us. It is the only book that illuminates our lives (Psalm 119:105, 130) and penetrates our thoughts and motives (Hebrews 4:12).
But sometimes the truth of the Bible doesn’t come the way we expect. Instead of a list of principles, we get stories, poetry, prophecy, and letters written to people in other times. I can only conclude that the book we have is the book God wants us to have. So let’s get more familiar with the Bible. Let’s take it on its own terms. Let’s learn to be good readers and faithful interpreters. We can’t live under the authority of Scripture unless we engage seriously with the Bible.
Here are some good resources for doing so:
How to Read the Bible - Video series by The Bible Project
How to Read the Bible for All its Worth - An excellent, readable introduction to biblical interpretation
Get a study Bible that can help you understand what you are reading. I recommend the NIV, NLT, or ESV Study Bible.
Here is an article for learning more about the concept of the authority and inerrancy of Scripture
Questions for reflection
When there is a conflict between what you want to do and what the Bible teaches, who wins?
When was a time that God spoke to you clearly through His Word? What did you do about it?
What parts of Scripture do you have the hardest time believing? It could be that you are interpreting the passage wrongly. It could be that you don’t understand the background. It could be that you don’t want to believe something because your life will have to change. Come to God with a heart that wants to believe his truth, and ask him to help you.