This message examines two major categories of wrong views of the Bible's authority:
1.) Today, some churches say the Bible is inspired, authoritative, even inerrant -- but they don't really mean it. They say that they believe that Scripture is supreme. They may even have a governing document that says so. But in actual practice, Scripture no longer has first place. Something else has taken first place. Many churches caught up in the church growth movement, the purpose-driven church movement, and the emergent church movement, as well as reputedly conservative churches that take compromise positions on non-negotiable doctrines, fall into this category.
2.) Other churches are at least honest enough to admit that the Bible is not their supreme authority. They say we need something else besides the Bible. The Roman Catholic church falls into this category. Rome says that nothing is more dangerous than for people to try to interpret and understand the Bible for themselves. They claim that church tradition is superior to Scripture, and must interpret Scripture. The cults also fall into this category. Many of them say that man's reason is superior to Scripture, or that man can receive new revelations from God today.
The true church of Jesus Christ must take a different stand – humble submission to the inspired and inerrant Word as the only authoritative rule of faith and practice given by Christ to His Church, and united in the belief that Scripture is its only infallible interpreter.
That's the right view of the Bible. How do we know that? We'll answer that question from 2 Peter chapter one in our next message in this series. |
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