Running Head: BIBLICAL THEOLOGY: AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE
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Biblical Theology: Authority of Scripture
CLED 700-C01
March 12, 2022
Dr. Douglas White
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The authority of God’s Word has been a debated topic for centuries. “Did God really say...,” a
questionable, yet plausible, conclusion for many who approach this subject. Its beginnings founded in the Garden
of Eden where the serpent approached Eve with this very line of questioning that causes a cosmic rift in the world
God just created (Genesis 3). Is scripture authoritative? Some would agree, yes, it is. Is it authoritative today or do
we need more? Short answer is no. The authoritative, sufficiency, inerrancy, and infallibility of scripture is what
we will argue for.
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References
Allen, D. L. (2000). A tale of two roads: Homiletics and biblical authority. Journal of the Evangelical
Theological Society, 43(3), 489.
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The author lays out the foundation for a topic that has been debated throughout the centuries, the
authority of Scripture. From the reformation era to the Enlightenment period, to liberalism, attempts are
made in effort to return to the roots of biblical Christianity. The Bible, written by human hands and
human authors simply cannot provide a solid theological and revelatory basis for its authority. For some,
the human witness of the Bible is nothing more than human speech. In other words, God’s word is mere
presentation than authorial in nature. This article is helpful as the author counters the later belief in his
defense of the authority of the Scriptures.
Allert, C.D. (2007). Evangelical Ressourcement: High view of scripture? Baker Academic
The reformation sparked a movement in 1517 as Martin Luther called the catholic church back to the
Bible. As a monk studying the scriptures, and comparing them to the catholic teachings, he came to
understand that there was no higher authoritative than Scripture alone. This resource presents scripture
alone as being the highest view and authority for the church as we explore the inspiration and inerrancy
of the Bible. How does a high view of Scripture inform our ecclesiological practices through what we
have written and revealed and not by adding anything else to it? While doctrine divides, scripture does
not.
Beker, C. (1992). The Authority of Scripture: Normative or Incidental? Theology Today, 49(3), 376.
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As with Allen, Beker mentions the long rocky road since the reformation in defense of the authority of
Scripture. This resource is helpful that it defends the truth of Scripture by proving that the words in which
we read are not incidental in their written, but in fact, normative and cohesive. To say they are merely
incidental shows that they are in fact not authoritative. Beginning with the reformation, in how Luther
understood that Scripture alone was the authority of the Church in both life and practice. This helps us to
bridge the historicity, as well as the harmonious union of the Gospels as witnessed in Scripture.
Blackaby, H., & R. (2001). Spiritual Leadership. B & H Publishing Group.
This resource is beneficial as the author breaks down leadership character from both the secular and
church worlds. What is most notably is the fact that both groups believe in the importance of integrity.
Paul’s letter to the Galatians highlights and defends his apostleship. The miracles and signs that Jesus
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performed proved His ministry and that the Father truly sent Him. So, we have this recurring theme all
throughout the Bible where men of God, as well as Jesus Himself, lives and integrity were proven as a
testimony to their character.
Bloomberg, C. (2014). Can We Still Believe the Bible? Brazos Press.
This author, much like the majority here, tackles the issue of trusting the translations and biblical
mysticism. Truth today is subjective apart for the objective truth of Scripture. In the days of the Judges,
everyone did what was right in their own eyes. It is no different today as the attack on Scripture and its
inerrancy continue to reign forth. “Did God really say?”, the number one question from the Fall in the
Garden of Eden is the pinnacle today. Issues from evil, women’s roles, slavery, ethics, homosexuality,
leadership, relationship of the four gospels. etc., all stem from misinterpretation and/or misunderstanding
what God has revealed. While the author makes illusions to these topics, it is not the focus of his work.
Neither is it ours. His focus is geared towards what has historical narrative proved throughout the years
as to the sufficiency of Scripture.
Cooper, M. (2005). The Transformational Leadership of the Apostle Paul: A Contextual and Biblical Leadership
for Contemporary Ministry. Christian Education Journal, 2(1), 48-61.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/073989130500200103
The Apostle Paul, who has contributed over half of the New Testament writings, was determined at any
cost to proclaim Christ and Him crucified through the authority that Christ had given him. Having to
defend his apostleship to prove that he indeed was the mouthpiece for God, positioned him to author
much of the NT as he established churches and leaders within. With this in mind, the text of scripture
must remain intact exegetically as we explore how Paul’s leadership to the various churches proves
witness to the inerrancy of scripture. As Paul states how the Scriptures are God-breathed, he is attesting
to their inerrancy and as God’s representative, their authority to the church.
Elwell, W. A., & Treier, D. J. (2017). Evangelical dictionary of theology. Baker Academic, a
division of Baker Publishing Group.
It would be helpful to gain a brief, but thorough understanding of what do we mean by the
Scriptures being not only authoritative, but inerrant, inspired, and sufficient. This resource
breaks down for us several key terms that will aid our research. Terms like inerrancy,
canon, authoritative, infallible, sufficient, servant, slave, etc. are terms that we will discuss
in length.
Flaniken, F. (2006). IS THE BIBLE RELEVANT TO SERVANT-LEADERSHIP? The Journal
of Applied Christian Leadership, 32-39.
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Leadership in the world through many multi-billionaires like Elon Musk, Tyler Perry, Tim
Cook, Oprah Winfrey and the likes looks very different from leadership in the Bible. Some
people would regard the named mentioned as self-serving, that is, they are merely
instruments to their own self-serving needs. Yet, the Bible knows nothing of being self-
serving. This resource is helpful in that it compares the biblical authority of leadership with
many leaders listed in the Bible like Jesus, the Apostles and Paul. How the overall teaching
for the church is seeking to serve the needs of others. Serving not to gain anything by it but
serving through giving all that we have to offer without asking anything in return.
Garner, D.B. (Ed.). (2012). Did God Really Say? Affirming the truthfulness and trustworthiness
of scripture. P & R Publishing
How do we know what we have contained in the 66 books of the Bible are indeed the very
words of God? The translators could have omitted or added, which then taints what we are
reading. We have heard statements and questions like these more times than we can count.
The Bible has been debated far many times throughout the centuries and yet this one thing
reigns true, it proves itself not only in the pages of its writings to be infallible, but we can
look back over history and see how the Bible has stood the test of time. History is the best
litmus test we have to the accuracy of Scripture. It is not the only test, but the best as
countless witness and countless prophecies have come to past only to prove what was said
was indeed the very words of God. For if we cannot truth in the reliability of God’s Word,
the Church has no leg to stand on.
Geisler, N.L., & Roach, W.C. (2012). Defending Inerrancy: Affirming the accuracy of scripture
for a new generation. Baker Books.
This resource is helpful in defending the inerrancy of Scripture as many today do not
regard Scripture as the final authority for life and godliness. Challenges to the nature of
God, truth, and language opens the door to not see the objectivity of Scripture but receive it
with subjectivity in our modern times. Debate since the beginning of the Church, even
during the life of Christ, history has proven that many parts of the Bible has been regarded
as either being totally inerrant or a much later view, there is limited inerrancy. This
resource will aid in looking at both views considering what Scripture teaches.
Henderson, J. (2017). The Authority of Scripture. Lutheran Theological Journal, 51(3), 146-151.
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What makes this resource helpful is its fundamental understanding from a Lutheran
perspective and in accordance with their confession written in the Book of Concord, like
the London Baptist Confession of 1689 or the Westminster Catechism, whereby doctrinal
confessions glean their origins from historical Christian orthodoxy. The standard of rule
was that all authority in the Church was derived from both the Old and New Testaments
alone, and not from human wisdom, an angel, or other entity outside Holy Scriptures. It is
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to be the ultimate standard, judge, and canonical rule that governs God’s church that is
both inspired and divine in origins.
Jenkins, A. K., & Preston, P. (2016). Biblical scholarship and the church a sixteenth-century
crisis of authority. Taylor and Francis.
Is the Bible inerrant? Is it essentially and truthfully, without error, and can we trust what
we read in its pages? Jenkins and Preston answer this question and more as they go back
to the 16th century, primarily, to the start of the reformation era. Is what the translators
translated and interpreted true to the original manuscripts, or has they been tainted. Men
have debated authorial intent for ages now. The Catholic church has been the primary
authority of God through the Vulgate, but a call to a greater and higher authority,
scripture themselves, challenged the Vulgate during the reformation period.
Keathley, K., & Draper, J. T. J. (2001). Biblical Authority: The critical issue for the body of
Christ. B&H Publishing Group.
Defending the faith against false doctrine, like the false views on the Person and works
of both Christ and the Holy Spirit, false views on baptism, on salvation, on the church,
etc., requires one to understand these critical doctrines as one’s eternal state hangs
in the balance. For salvation through grace and faith alone in Christ alone to be
authentic and sufficient, what the Bible teaches on such must be sufficient and
authoritative. Scripture must be the absolute standard of truth by which all things are
judged. Keathley and Draper contributes greatly to this task of defending the inerrancy of
Scripture by refuting human wisdom for biblical revelation as they trace its origins
through the centuries.
Laniak, T. S. (2006). Shepherds after my own heart: Pastoral imagery and leadership in the
Bible. Inter Varsity Press.
The bible is filled with countless examples of the shepherd-slave motifs. This resource help
to aid our study together on biblical authority in leadership as the types and shadows from
men like Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, all help to point us forward to the Person and
Work of Christ. By examining different aspects of shepherd leadership, we will discover
that while each man is corrupt, sinful, and essentially dead in sin, God uses them unto His
glory as we are looking forward to Christ, the ultimate fulfilment and greatest Shepherd of
them all.
Merkle, B.L., & Schreiner, T.R. (2014) Shepherding God’s Flock: Biblical leadership in the New
Testament and Beyond. Kregel Publications.
Ware lays out key elements to church leadership as prescribed in books like Ephesians, 1
& 2 Timothy, and Titus. Is church leadership simply an understatement or overstatement?
What qualifies an individual for leadership and where do we look to for that answer? To
answer this, we look to the Author and Finisher of our faith, the one in whom the entire
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church is held together, Jesus Christ. Does Peter’s understanding and explanation to who
Christ is and Jesus’s response to the building of His church suffice or do we look
elsewhere?
Myung, J. C. (2015). Servant leadership in Paul's Epistle to the Philippians (Order No.
3715324). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1710737972).
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In his dissertation, author Myung lays out his theological framework of Paul’s letter to the
Philippians as he examines not only his life, but the work of Paul throughout his ministry.
Most notable, that Paul did not simply talk the talk, but he spoke in a way that
demonstrated what he taught the church. This resource is critical to servant leadership and
biblical authority as we not only need leaders who can give direction but demonstrate them
as they lead. For Paul, it was encouraging them to follow him as he followed Christ. The
same holds true for today as we strive to become like Christ in every aspect of life, unto the
praise and glory of God.
Padgett, A.G. (2011). As Christ Submits to the Church: A biblical understanding of leadership
and mutual submission. Baker Academic.
Mutual submission in the world looks different from what the bible teaches. The roles of
women for example takes a beating as women are becoming more dominant in the home,
church, and workplaces. When scripture teaches that woman are to remain silent and
receive instruction with all submissiveness, as in all the churches, and to not exercise
authority over a man (1 Tim 2), some women in the world and church culture view Paul as
being a male chauvinist. Scriptures that silence women are not seen as authoritative but
subjective to the times and cultures. This resource gets to the heart of the matter and places
the focus back on Christ as the foundational Leader and final authority of Scriptures.
Peckham, J. (2016). Canonical Theology: The biblical canon, sola scriptura, and theological
method. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
You may have heard this phrase from other biblical scholars that “the Canon of scripture”
is closed. Yet, you may not know what exactly they mean by what they say. The word
“canon” just mean rule or measuring guide by which we arrive to many of our doctrinal
statements for the church. Church doctrine is derived from Scripture alone. The canon
consists of all 66 books of the bible that has been proven to contain authoritative words of
the Lord. Yet, most would put on par extra-biblical works like the Apocrypha or the Book
of Maccabees or even book of Enoch as being just as authoritative as the canon. This
resource helps to establish that only what we read in our Bibles is the final and only
authority for the Church.
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Strauch, A. (1995). Biblical Eldership: An urgent call to restore biblical church leadership.
Lewis & Roth Publishers
Church leadership is one critical area whereby much warning is given to those seeking to
lead or become teachers, and the criterial for those aspiring to be church leaders. This
resource helps us to discern and return to biblical leadership in areas like male qualified
pastoral leadership. Leadership that is both shared and servant-minded yet does not cross
assigned biblical roles as God ordained. This resource helps us navigate leadership through
the life of Christ and His Apostles, Paul, Peter, James, and the writer to the Hebrews. How
each of these men work in unison, with all humility and oneness in heart, to defend the
faith.
Vanhoozer, K.J. (2016). Biblical Authority After Babel: Retrieving the solas in the spirit of mere
protestant Christianity. Brazos Press.
This work helps us in our studies as this author revisits the dawn of the reformation period
and all that the reformers advocated for, which was for the only and highest authority for
God’s church, the Bible. Surveying the fruit produced in making disciples of Christ in
many reformed protestant churches, numbers mean very little. The question asked is this,
“has Protestantism bear much fruit that points sinful man to holy God, or has it bear none
like the cursed fig tree?” This resource helps us to trace fruit bearing Christianity
backwards as we look forward to where the church is today.
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