Reaffirming Biblical Authority in a Crisis of Faith

 

Summary

The Christian church has long been a bastion of faith and authority, rooted in the sacred scriptures. For nearly 1800 years, the church enjoyed a near-universal confidence in the Bible as its primary source of authority. However, the last 200 years have seen a crisis of biblical authority, fueled by academic and scholarly criticism, leading to a cultural and ecclesiastical loss of confidence in the scriptures. This crisis mirrors the significant debates of the 16th-century Protestant Reformation, where the central issue was not only justification by faith alone but also the authority of scripture itself.

During the Reformation, Martin Luther challenged the established church's teachings, particularly on justification, leading to his excommunication. Luther's stance was not just about theological differences but about the very source of authority. He famously declared that his conscience was captive to the Word of God, emphasizing that only the scriptures could bind the conscience absolutely. This gave rise to the Reformation slogan "sola scriptura," meaning "by scripture alone," asserting that the Bible is the sole written authority that can bind the conscience of believers.

The Roman Catholic Church responded by asserting that the church's authority was at least equal to that of the Bible, as it was the church that had historically defined the canon of scripture. This led to the Council of Trent, where the Catholic Church declared that both scripture and tradition were sources of divine authority. The debate over authority continues to this day, reflecting a broader cultural crisis of authority and morality.

In our contemporary context, the question remains: by what standard do we determine truth and authority? The challenge is to discern whether authority lies in the scriptures or in the institutions that interpret them. This ongoing debate calls us to examine the foundations of our faith and the sources of our moral and spiritual guidance.

Key Takeaways:

1. Crisis of Authority: The modern crisis of biblical authority reflects a broader cultural loss of confidence in absolute standards. This crisis challenges believers to reaffirm the scriptures as the ultimate authority in faith and practice. [00:31]

2. Historical Context: The Protestant Reformation was not only about justification by faith but also about the authority of scripture. Luther's stance on "sola scriptura" emphasized that only the Bible has the authority to bind the conscience. [11:19]

3. Church and Scripture: The Roman Catholic Church's response to the Reformation highlighted the tension between scripture and tradition. The Council of Trent affirmed both as sources of divine authority, raising questions about their relationship. [20:24]

4. Authority and Conscience: Luther's declaration that his conscience was captive to the Word of God underscores the importance of scripture in guiding moral and spiritual decisions. This principle challenges believers to prioritize biblical authority. [11:04]

5. Contemporary Relevance: The question of authority remains relevant today as society grapples with relativism and the absence of absolute standards. Believers are called to discern the true source of authority in their lives and communities. [23:52]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:13] - Historical Confidence in Scripture
- [00:31] - Crisis of Biblical Authority
- [01:19] - Biblical Vandalism
- [01:33] - Protestant Reformation Context
- [02:05] - Sola Fidei: Justification by Faith
- [03:29] - The Formal Issue: Authority
- [05:08] - Luther's Disputations
- [06:21] - Church Councils and Papal Authority
- [08:29] - Luther's Stand Against Church Authority
- [10:01] - The Diet of Worms
- [11:19] - Sola Scriptura: Scripture Alone
- [14:18] - Authority: Book vs. Institution
- [18:36] - Counter-Reformation and Council of Trent
- [21:24] - Dual Sources of Authority: Scripture and Tradition
- [23:22] - Contemporary Crisis of Authority

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
2. Romans 1:16-17
3. Matthew 15:3-6

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Observation Questions:

1. What historical period did the sermon highlight as a significant time for the debate over the authority of scripture? [01:33]
2. How did Martin Luther's stance on "sola scriptura" challenge the established church's teachings during the Reformation? [11:19]
3. What was the Roman Catholic Church's response to the Reformation's emphasis on "sola scriptura"? [20:24]
4. According to the sermon, what is the modern crisis of biblical authority compared to? [23:52]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does 2 Timothy 3:16-17 support the idea of scripture being the ultimate authority for believers?
2. In what ways does Romans 1:16-17 reflect the Reformation's emphasis on justification by faith alone?
3. How does the passage from Matthew 15:3-6 illustrate the tension between scripture and tradition that was discussed in the sermon? [22:26]
4. What implications does the modern crisis of authority have for believers today, as discussed in the sermon? [23:52]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you faced a decision where the authority of scripture was challenged. How did you respond, and what might you do differently now? [23:52]
2. How can you personally reaffirm the authority of scripture in your daily life, especially in a culture that often questions absolute standards? [01:03]
3. In what ways can you engage with church tradition while still prioritizing the authority of scripture, as Luther suggested? [12:57]
4. Identify a specific area in your life where you struggle to let scripture guide your conscience. What steps can you take to address this? [11:04]
5. How can you help others in your community understand the importance of "sola scriptura" in guiding moral and spiritual decisions? [11:19]
6. Consider the role of church institutions in your faith journey. How do you balance respect for church authority with the primacy of scripture? [14:18]
7. What practical steps can you take to discern the true source of authority in your life and community, as challenged by the sermon? [23:52]

Devotional

Day 1: Crisis of Authority in Modern Times
The modern world faces a crisis of authority, particularly concerning the Bible. For centuries, the Christian church held the Bible as the ultimate authority in matters of faith and practice. However, in the last 200 years, this confidence has been shaken by academic and scholarly criticism, leading to a cultural and ecclesiastical loss of confidence in the scriptures. This crisis is not just about the Bible but reflects a broader cultural loss of confidence in absolute standards. Believers today are challenged to reaffirm the scriptures as the ultimate authority in their lives, amidst a society that often embraces relativism and subjective truth. [00:31]

"Thus says the Lord: 'Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.' But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'" (Jeremiah 6:16, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways have you allowed cultural or academic perspectives to influence your view of the Bible's authority? How can you begin to reaffirm the Bible as the ultimate authority in your life today?


Day 2: The Reformation and Sola Scriptura
The Protestant Reformation was a pivotal moment in church history, not only for its emphasis on justification by faith but also for its focus on the authority of scripture. Martin Luther's stance on "sola scriptura" was revolutionary, asserting that only the Bible has the authority to bind the conscience of believers. This principle challenged the established church's teachings and practices, leading to significant theological and ecclesiastical changes. Luther's declaration that his conscience was captive to the Word of God underscores the importance of scripture in guiding moral and spiritual decisions. [11:19]

"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12, ESV)

Reflection: How does the principle of "sola scriptura" challenge you to prioritize the Bible in your decision-making processes? What steps can you take to ensure that scripture remains central in your life?


Day 3: Church and Scripture: A Tension of Authority
The Roman Catholic Church's response to the Reformation highlighted the tension between scripture and tradition. The Council of Trent affirmed both as sources of divine authority, raising questions about their relationship. This historical debate continues to influence contemporary discussions about authority within the church. Believers are called to examine the foundations of their faith and the sources of their moral and spiritual guidance, discerning whether authority lies in the scriptures or in the institutions that interpret them. [20:24]

"Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so." (Acts 17:11, ESV)

Reflection: How do you navigate the tension between scripture and church tradition in your own faith journey? What practices can you adopt to ensure that your beliefs are grounded in scripture?


Day 4: Authority and Conscience: Luther's Stand
Martin Luther's declaration that his conscience was captive to the Word of God emphasizes the importance of scripture in guiding moral and spiritual decisions. This principle challenges believers to prioritize biblical authority over other influences. In a world where many voices compete for our attention and allegiance, the call to have our conscience bound by scripture is both radical and necessary. It invites believers to align their lives with the teachings of the Bible, allowing it to shape their values, decisions, and actions. [11:04]

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105, ESV)

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you struggle to let scripture guide your conscience? How can you begin to allow the Bible to shape your values and decisions more fully?


Day 5: Contemporary Relevance of Biblical Authority
The question of authority remains relevant today as society grapples with relativism and the absence of absolute standards. Believers are called to discern the true source of authority in their lives and communities. This involves a commitment to the scriptures as the ultimate guide for faith and practice, amidst a culture that often questions or dismisses absolute truths. By reaffirming the Bible's authority, believers can navigate the complexities of modern life with confidence and clarity, grounded in the timeless truths of God's Word. [23:52]

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17, ESV)

Reflection: How do you discern the true source of authority in your life amidst a culture of relativism? What practical steps can you take to ensure that the Bible remains your ultimate guide in faith and practice?

Quotes


The Christian church has been on this planet now for almost 2,000 years, and for the first 1800 years of church history, the church has enjoyed virtually universal confidence about her source, her primary source of written authority, namely the sacred scriptures. But for the last 200 years, the church has endured an unprecedented period of crisis, a crisis that reaches to the very root of the life of the church as it relates to the question now: can we trust the scriptures? [00:00:31]

The central issue of the 16th-century Protestant Reformation was Luther's doctrine of justification by faith alone, the slogan of the Reformation. Because justification was the central point of the debate, it was this simple Latin phrase sola fidei, which means by faith alone. We've heard the story of Luther on all Saints Eve tacking up the 95 theses at the church store at Wittenberg, and we follow then the rapid expansion of the controversy beyond the confines of that university. [00:01:33]

The formal issue of the 16th century, the structure in which the whole debate ensued, was the question of final authority in the life of the church and of the Christian. After Luther posted his theses at Wittenberg and attracted the attention and notice of the authorities of the church in Rome and got himself in no small amount of ecclesiastical hot water, he pled for an opportunity to engage in debate and even to be involved in what was called public disputations. [00:05:08]

Luther was asked, do you stand against the pope and church councils? And Luther admitted, to the shock of those who were present, that he indeed did question some of these teachings of the church, and he admitted to those who were gathered that in his opinion, which did not appear to many to be a very humble opinion, that in his opinion, church councils can err, church councils can make mistakes. [00:08:29]

Luther made this statement when they said, Brother Martin, will you recant? He said, unless I am convinced by sacred scripture or by evident reason, he said, I will not recant. And then he went on to say these words, which have had such an impact on the world ever since: for my conscience is held captive by the word of God, and to act against conscience is neither right nor safe. [00:11:19]

Luther was saying that the only written source in this world that has the level of authority to actually bind the conscience of a person is the Bible. Luther had enormous respect for the insights, the wisdom, the collective teaching of the great theologians of the past. He said we can certainly be instructed by church tradition, we can be led by church councils, the creeds and the confessions of our faith are not to be despised. [00:12:05]

The only person that has that kind of authority to simply utter the words and say so let it be said, so let it be done, is God himself, and only the word of God carries that kind of weight and authority. And so what we see here now is a crisis of authority. Is the authority vested in a book, or is the authority vested in the institution, the church? [00:14:18]

The Roman Catholic Church responded to sola scriptura in two general ways. In the first place, they reminded Luther and Calvin and the other reformers of the 16th century that the church wouldn't even have the Bible except for church councils early on in church history that defined what the Bible really is when the canon of the Bible and of the New Testament was established by church councils. [00:18:36]

The Roman Catholic Church at the Council of Trent made it quite clear that there are two sources of divine authority in the world today. Those two sources are scripture and tradition. So this indicates what we call a dual source of special divine written revelation, that you can find it here in scripture and in the tradition of the church. [00:21:24]

The Roman Catholic Church has always had an extremely high view of the Bible. The Roman Catholic Church was by no means denying the authority of the scripture. The Roman Catholic Church then and now officially hopes that the Bible is nothing less than the word of God, inspired, infallible, and so on. And we're not denying that, but they said in addition to that source, we have another infallible source of the truth of God, and that infallible source is tradition. [00:23:22]

The debate in the life of the church is what is the authority? Is that every man for himself? We embrace cultural relativism, philosophical relativism. Even this morning's paper, I read one of the editorials by Charlie Reese saying that we live in a society today that has no morality. It's not immoral, it's amoral. There is no standard, no absolute authority. [00:23:52]

The simple definition of authority is the right to impose obligation. The right to impose obligation. We use authoritative language all the time in our culture. We say you must, you should, you ought, and the thinking person when they hear someone say you ought to do this or you must do this or you should do this, the thinking person at least in their mind is thinking, says who? [00:25:20]

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Transcript
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