The Authority of Scripture

Originally posted at The Baptist Classroom - Clay County Free Press

"Oh yeah? Says who?" When I was in elementary school, that was yelled on the playground about every day. One kid in defiance of some other kid trying to impose their will at recess. Actually, it's not a bad question. From Mom and Dad, "says me" is a sufficient answer, but from another kid, it just is isn't a good enough reason. The question boils down to authority.

Religions make proclamations and tell people what to do. Prophets and priests tell people how they should live. Government officials want to tell people how to think. When someone tells me that I have to think a certain way, or have to accept a particular belief, I just might ask "says who?" I don’t ask that because I am against authority, I ask because I am already under authority. I'm under the jurisdiction of my God and my King.  I will not be judged by the words and opinions of men. What counts is what God says.

Because the Bible is God's Word, that makes the Bible authoritative. God has every right to tell us what to do. God, as ruler of this universe, has determined right and wrong. When the Bible speaks, God speaks and when God speaks, we have to listen. As God's creatures, we are under His authority and are accountable to His Word.

The Bible is the final arbiter because God has spoken. We may not like what God says but that doesn't release us from obligation to obey what God has said. Feelings don’t change facts. Likely there are many portions of God's Word, if we are honest, we just don't like very much. What do we do when our opinions and feelings are in conflict with God's Word? There are only two options: we submit to God or we rebel against Him. Since our Creator has spoken, we have to bow our knee to Him and submit Our will has to break to His Word. The Bible is the authority because it is by the Word that the Lord Jesus Christ will judge us all.  John 12:48  He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

There is no higher authority on Earth than the Book of the Lord . All popular opinions all must bow the knee to Scripture. Traditions, councils, church covenants, or deeply felt and believed positions are not a higher authority. It doesn't even matter if that is the way you have always believed, or if you truly and with all of your heart believe it to be so. The Bible is the final word. God has the right to tell His creation what is right and what He requires from them. God has spoken and when the Bible is faithfully proclaimed and read, the answer to the question "oh yeah, says who?" is "says God!"