The Authority of the Bible

MEMORY VERSE: “Every inspired scripture has its use for teaching the truth and refuting error, or for reformation of manners and discipline in right living.” —II Timothy 3:16, New English Translation

DEUTERONOMY 6:4-7; ROMANS 16:25-27; II PETER 1:16-19

IT IS fundamentally important for every dedicated child of God to recognize the divine authority of the Scriptures as above the opinions of men and traditions. The fundamental truths of the Bible are set forth in such clear terms that there should be no controversy concerning their meaning.

God said to Adam concerning the forbidden fruit, “In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Gen. 2:17) Four thousand years later the Apostle Paul wrote, “The wages of sin is death.” (Rom. 6:23) There is no mistaking the meaning of these texts of Scripture; but those who hold to the tradition that eternal torture is the punishment of sin insist that death does not mean death; that it means torment in a fiery hell. If we are to interpret the Bible after this manner we can make it teach almost any absurd notion that our minds might conceive.

But to do this is to ignore the authority of the Word, and to wrest the meaning of the Scriptures; and this is a great sin in the sight of God, and altogether contrary to the admonition Moses gave to the people of Israel in Deuteronomy 6:4-7. The Ten Commandments epitomized the Word of God to the Israelites. These commandments set forth their duty to God, and their proper relationship with one another. Moses, in turn, summed up these two aspects of the commandments, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” (Deut. 6:5) Speaking for the Lord, Moses also said, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”—Lev. 19:18

“These words,” Moses said, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” (Deut. 6:7) This should be the desire of all the, Lord’s people with respect to the Word of God, for that Word is truly the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Paul reminds us (Rom. 16:25-27) that it is through the power of the Gospel that we are established in the “mystery which was kept secret since the world began, but is now made manifest.”

Paul again speaks of “the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Col. 1:26,27) The statement, “Christ in you, the hope of glory,” is a reference to our hope of sharing in the heavenly glory with Jesus, and of reigning with him in his glorious thousand-year kingdom. This great truth is witnessed to Gentiles as well as to Jews, but the only ones to benefit from it are those who, recognizing the authority of the Scriptures, lay hold upon its promises by faith, and accept Christ Jesus as their Head and Lord.

Peter reminds us (I Pet. 1:16-19) that we have not followed “cunningly devised fables” in accepting the Word of God. He speaks of Jesus’ appearance on the mount of Transfiguration, and explains, according to the Revised Standard Version, that by this vision “we have the prophetic word made more sure”—further corroborated. And it is to this prophetic Word, not to traditions, that we should take heed, says Peter, “until the day dawns and the morning star” arises in our hearts.

Our memory verse sums up the thought of the lesson b. telling us that “every inspired scripture has its use for teaching the truth and refuting error, or for the reformation of manners and discipline in right living.” As followers of the Master we should endeavor to realize that every inspired statement of the Word is the voice of God speaking to us, and in this realization be quick to hear, learn, and obey, endeavoring thus to have our lives conformed to his will.

QUESTIONS

Can we grow in grace without recognizing the authority of the Word of God in our lives?

How did Moses sum up the intent of the Ten Commandments?

What is the “mystery of the Gospel?”

How do we benefit from the Transfiguration Vision?

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