God has Spoken A study of Bible Authority

God has Spoken A study of Bible Authority How to Establish Bible Authority

God’s Word is Enough • God’s ways, revealed in God’s word, are sufficient to accomplish God’s purposes, 2 Tim. 3: 16 -17; 2 Pet. 1: 2 -3 • But, how do we know what is authorized & what is not? 2

A Pattern to Follow • God’s pattern, Heb. 8: 5 • Everywhere in every church, 1 Cor. 4: 17 • Understand , Eph. 3: 34 “Hold fast the pattern of sound • Use correctly, 2 Tim. words” (2 Tim. 1: 13) 2: 15 3

How to Establish Bible Authority Command (Direct statement) • Go preach; Believes & is baptized, Mk. 16: 15 -16 • Observe the Lord’s Supper, 1 Cor. 4

How to Establish Bible Authority Apostolic Approved Example • Imitate me (“become”)…my ways in Christ, 1 Cor. 4: 16 -17 • Commanded to follow apostolic example, 1 Cor. 11: 1; Phil. 3: 17; 4: 9 5

How to Establish Bible Authority Apostolic Approved Example The consistent pattern of practice under apostolic teaching & guidance (Acts 2: 42) 6

How to Establish Bible Authority Apostolic Approved Example • When to eat the Lord’s Supper, (1 Cor. 11: 20, 33) Acts 20: 7 7

How to Establish Bible Authority Necessary Inference • Necessary conclusion based on given information, cf. Matt. 3: 16 • How often to eat Lord’s Supper, Acts 20: 7 (Exo. 20: 8) 8

How to Establish Bible Authority Necessary Inference NOT • Merely a reasonable inference, Jno. 21: 21 -23 • Merely what we want to conclude, Matt. 12: 24 (14); Jno. 7: 24 9

How to Establish Bible Authority Necessary Inference No escape • Jesus used it, Matt. 22: 31 -32 (29); 19: 3 -6 • Inspired writers used it, Heb. 7: 12 -14 • Jesus expects us to correctly use it, Lk. 12: 54 -59; Mk. 2: 9 -11 (Jno. 9: 30 -33)

Man-Made or God Approved? • Direct statement • Apostolic approved example • Necessary inference Acts 15: 621 • Apostolic example, 15: 7 -11 • Necessary inference, 15: 12 (14: 3) • Direct statement of Scripture, 15: 1319 11

Man-Made or God Approved? • Direct statement • Apostolic approved example • Necessary inference Acts 15: 621 • Any one is enough to establish authority • Frequency of Lord’s Supper (Acts 20: 7) 12

Bible Authority God-approved way (Heaven’s authority) • All in the name of the Lord, Col. 3: 17 • Do the will of the Father, Matt. 7: 21 -23 13