The Authority of the Word of God

Introduction

1. Definition of Authority
2. Divine Origin of the Bible
3. The Bible, Reason and the Spirit
4. The Importance of Internal Work of the Holy Spirit
5. Application to the Contemporary World.

Conclusion

Bibliography

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Introduction

Authority of the Word of God is significant to be understood by the one who trust in
God. Because it is the God‟s given power and Bible is claimed to be the final authority.
This research paper is to present in order to understand the authority of God‟s Word in the
better way. The definition, the Divine origins, the comparison of Bible and reason and Spirit
in interpretation of scripture, the important of the inner work of the Holy Spirit and the
application for present world will be detail discussion in the following.

1. Definition of Authority

The Greek work exousia is sometime translated as “right or power” (John 1:12 and
John 19:10) and sometime “authority” (Matthew 7:19). Authority may be bestowed or
inherent. The Bible has a real authority in itself as the authentic embodiment of God‟s self-
disclosure. It is established by its own claim that „it is the word of God‟ such declarations as
“this is what the Lord says”1. The ability to command and receive obedience is referred to
as authority. Authority comes from God; at times it relates to certain privileges and rights,
and at other times it relates to the right to use force. 2 Scripture is a source of life and
authority that is created in the present as it is read and heard, not a storehouse of authority
that was established in the past.3

The dictionary defines authority as having the capacity to direct or control

2. Divine Origin of the Bible

Because of a message with divine authority, the Bible is said to be a book from
God.4 Rome became the new location of the church's center of power, replacing Jerusalem.5

1
J. R. McRay, Bible Authority of Evangelical Dictionary of Theology (Michigan: Baker Academic,
2001), 153.
2
Don Thorsen, An Exploration of Christian Theology (Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publisher, 2008),
27.
3
Gail, R. O‟Day, “Today this Word is fulfilled in Your Hearing: A Scriptural Hermeneutic of Biblical
Authority: Georgia” Word and World Theology for Christian Ministry 26, no.4, (2006): 357.
4
Norman Geisler, Systematic Thelogy “in volume one” (Minneapolis: Bethany House, 2002), 169.
5
Thorsen, An Exploration of Christian Theology, 27.

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Two things indicate that the Bible is divinely inspired: first, every reference to the
scripture's divine authority in the Bible refers to the original text, which was given by God.
By comparing parallel passages, one may discover that not all copies of the original text are
flawless and contain little errors. This is the last word, according to the Bible (Ps. 138:2).6

The Bible possesses divine authority because it is the inspired word of God. This
authority is shown in numerous ways, the first of which is that it serves as the last authority
regarding matters of faith and conduct. 2:16–17 in 2 Timothy. Jesus adds that the word of
God is superior to all human wisdom. Since the Bible is the inspired word of God, it speaks
with divine authority (Matthew 15:3-6). "I have said that you are gods; it is not written in
your law"? If he referred to those as gods, to whom the divine word was revealed and which
the infallible word of God.7

3. The Bible, Reason and the Spirit

It's critical to recognize the distinction between reason and biblical authority. The
link between Scripture and reason makes the Bible the ultimate source of authority. The
Bible is the final source of law in our country. It provides the substance of our beliefs, as
well as our standards for conduct and behavior. The content of our beliefs is not revealed to
us by reason. It doesn't find the truth. Scripture by itself cannot explain the meaning of
Scripture; rather, we must apply a variety of exegetical and hermeneutical techniques to
ascertain the meaning of Scripture. The Holy Spirit's illumination strengthens the reader's or
hearer's understanding of the Bible and fosters their conviction that it is authentic and the
inspired word of God. This should not, however, be seen as a replacement for the
application of hermeneutical techniques. The Holy Spirit establishes the divine nature of
Scripture by presenting arguments that are reasonable for reason to consider.8 God has
decided to reveal his intentions through the scriptures, and through the texts He renders
judgement, with the result being either eternal life or eternal death.9 Through the action of
the Spirit, the Bible plays a fundamental or constitutive role.10 The Bible's human readers
encounter the action of the Holy Spirit through their internal, experiential reading of the

6
Norman Geisler, Systematic Theology vl. 1 Introduction to Bible (Minneapolis: Bethany House,
2002), 240.
7
Geisler, Systematic Theology vl. 1 Introduction to Bible, 246.
8
Mil;ard J. Erickson, Christian Theology 3rd ed. (Michigan: Baker Academic, 2013), 268.
9
Sigurd Grindheim, “Biblical Authority: What is it good for? Why the Apostle Insisted on a High
View of Scripture: Norway” JETS Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 59, no. 4 (2016): 791.
10
Gail, R. O‟Day, “Today this Word is fulfilled in Your Hearing: A Scriptural Hermeneutic of Biblical
Authority: Georgia” Word and World Theology for Christian Ministry 26, no.4 (2006): 365.

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text. Thus, the inward workings of the Holy Spirit and how it assists Bible readers will
become clear from the forthcoming facts.

4. The Importance of Internal Work of the Holy Spirit

Understanding the Bible's meaning and being confident in its accuracy requires the
witness of the Holy Spirit. God is beyond our comprehension since he is transcendent.
Given the limitations of human time and knowledge, it is impossible for us to fully
comprehend him using our limited notions or terminology. Without the help of the Spirit,
humans are incapable of identifying and comprehending the reality. Jesus addresses
individuals who hear but never comprehend and those who see but never acknowledge in
Matthew 13:13–15 and Mark 8:18. Throughout the New Testament, striking pictures of
their situation are provided. Their ears are heavy with noise, their eyes are closed, and their
hearts have become lifeless (Matt. 13:30). They have clouded and grown stupid in their
thinking because they acknowledge God but do not honor him as God.11

The ideas of God are known by the Spirit of God. 2 Corinthians 1:11. Faithful
people will be led into all truth by the Holy Spirit. Speaking according to what he hears, he
will not speak for himself (John 16:13). He will also exalt Jesus during this procedure
(16:14). The essential nature of the Spirit is Truth, and this is how the Greek translation of
an Aramaic statement about the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17) is expressed.
It is he who gives believers the message of God's truth. He leads people into the truth,
calling them to remember what Jesus said. Rather than speaking for himself, he speaks what
he hears, fostering conviction and bearing witness to Christ. Consequently, his ministry is
unquestionably connected to divine truth.12

5. Application to the Contemporary World.

God reveals His truth to humanity through the book of revelation. Biblical authority
is so important that the church must continue to uphold it even in the modern era. Without
an authoritative Word, the church could not affirm that God has made final, impartial
pronouncements.13 God is supreme, the highest entity, the one who existed before all other
beings did, and the one who rules over everything. He is the sole being that possesses the

11
Erickson, Christian Theology 3rd ed., 257-258.
12
Erickson, Christian Theology 3rd ed., 260.
13
Stephen J. Wellum, “The Important of Biblical Authority for the Life and Health of the Church:
Crossway,” The Southern Baptish Journal of Theology 26, no.2 (Spring 2022): 7.

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ability to exist independently of everyone or anything else. Furthermore, as a result of his
actions, he is the authority. In addition to creating everything else in the world, he is also the
one who has redeemed us. Additionally, since he is still in charge of the universe and our
lives, he is legitimately the authority and the one with the power to dictate to us what to
think and do.

Evaluation & Conclusion

The Bible is the final authority for Christian because it is the revelation of God who
is the creator of heavens and earth and everything in it and He reveals Himself through the
scriptures in the Bible. The Bible is worth because the readers could find the moral ethical
teaching of living for His readers. The Bible discloses discipline, condemns and judge
human sin.

After writing this paper on the subject of the authority of God's Word, the author
came to the conclusion that God's Word is authoritative, which is why it is still relevant
today. The Holy Spirit assisted God in communicating the message of His Word to His
people, and God is the divine author of it. This document serves as a wake-up call to those
who reject the infallible authority of God's Word, as it not only possesses transformative
power but also serves as a primary catalyst for the modern church's expansion.

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 Bibliography

Books

Dilday, Russell H. The Doctrine of Biblical Authority. Nashville: Convention Press, 1982.

Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology 3rd ed. Michigan: Baker Academic, 2013.

Geisler, Norman. Systematic Theology “in volume one”. Minneapolis: Bethany House,
2002.

Geisler, Norman. Systematic Theology vl. 1 Introduction to Bible. Minneapolis: Bethany

McRay, J.R. Bible Authority of “Evangelical Dictionary of Theology”. Michigan: Baker

Thorsen, Don. An Exploration of Christian Theology. Massachusetts: Hendrickson

Journal

Grindheim, Sigurd. “Biblical Authority: What is it good for? Why the Apostle Insisted on a
High View of Scripture: Norway” JETS Journal of the Evangelical Theological
Society 59, no. 4 (2016): 791.

O‟Day, Gail R. “Today this Word is fulfilled in Your Hearing: A Scriptural Hermeneutic of
Biblical Authority: Georgia.” Word and World Theology for Christian Ministry 26,
no.4 (2006): 357.

Wellum, Stephen J. “The Important of Biblical Authority for the Life and Health of the
Church: Crossway,” The Southern Baptish Journal of Theology 26, no.2 (Spring
2022): 7.