Is the Bible your ultimate authority?

[historia]

From Keith Mathison, an American Reformed theologian:

All appeals to Scripture are appeals to interpretations of Scripture. The only real question is: whose interpretation? People with differing interpretations of Scripture cannot set a Bible on a table and ask it to resolve their differences. In order for the Scripture to function as an authority, it must be read and interpreted by someone.

In that article -- among other works he has published -- Mathison seeks to defend the Protestant principle of sola scriptura. But it seems to me that here he actuals reveals a fundamental flaw with that principle: No text can, in and of itself, be authoritative.

Question for debate:

Even if we hold that the Bible is inspired by God and essential to the life of the Christian community, can the Bible be the ultimate authority for determining Christian faith and practice if, as Mathison notes, it cannot be an authority by itself?

[JehovahsWitness]

The bible can be the authority in itslef if we understand what that means. To imply that "authoritative" means devoid of all human input, is itself unscriptural since Jesus urged the reader to use discernement.

What Christians can do is stick as closely as possible to Bible law and principle and reject religious pracrices which cannot be supported in scripture

[Capbook]

From Keith Mathison, an American Reformed theologian:

All appeals to Scripture are appeals to interpretations of Scripture. The only real question is: whose interpretation? People with differing interpretations of Scripture cannot set a Bible on a table and ask it to resolve their differences. In order for the Scripture to function as an authority, it must be read and interpreted by someone.

In that article -- among other works he has published -- Mathison seeks to defend the Protestant principle of sola scriptura. But it seems to me that here he actuals reveals a fundamental flaw with that principle: No text can, in and of itself, be authoritative.

Question for debate:

Even if we hold that the Bible is inspired by God and essential to the life of the Christian community, can the Bible be the ultimate authority for determining Christian faith and practice if, as Mathison notes, it cannot be an authority by itself?

The doctrine of the Bible's supreme authority is known as Sola Scriptura, which means that the Bible alone is the final authority for life. However, this does not mean that there are no other authorities in life, such as parents, governors, and church leaders.
The Bible can be used to guide people in all areas of their lives, including how they approach work, family life, finances, and relationships with neighbors and to eternal life.

Jhn 20:30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;
Jhn 20:31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

[Tcg]

From Keith Mathison, an American Reformed theologian:

All appeals to Scripture are appeals to interpretations of Scripture. The only real question is: whose interpretation? People with differing interpretations of Scripture cannot set a Bible on a table and ask it to resolve their differences. In order for the Scripture to function as an authority, it must be read and interpreted by someone.

In that article -- among other works he has published -- Mathison seeks to defend the Protestant principle of sola scriptura. But it seems to me that here he actuals reveals a fundamental flaw with that principle: No text can, in and of itself, be authoritative.

Question for debate:

Even if we hold that the Bible is inspired by God and essential to the life of the Christian community, can the Bible be the ultimate authority for determining Christian faith and practice if, as Mathison notes, it cannot be an authority by itself?

The doctrine of the Bible's supreme authority is known as Sola Scriptura, which means that the Bible alone is the final authority for life. However, this does not mean that there are no other authorities in life, such as parents, governors, and church leaders.
The Bible can be used to guide people in all areas of their lives, including how they approach work, family life, finances, and relationships with neighbors and to eternal life.

Jhn 20:30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;
Jhn 20:31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

The problem here is that the author of John couldn't possibly be talking about the Bible. It had not yet been compiled. The book would of course be the gospel John. The claim would be limited to that small slice of what we would come to call the Bible.


Tcg

[Capbook]

From Keith Mathison, an American Reformed theologian:

All appeals to Scripture are appeals to interpretations of Scripture. The only real question is: whose interpretation? People with differing interpretations of Scripture cannot set a Bible on a table and ask it to resolve their differences. In order for the Scripture to function as an authority, it must be read and interpreted by someone.

In that article -- among other works he has published -- Mathison seeks to defend the Protestant principle of sola scriptura. But it seems to me that here he actuals reveals a fundamental flaw with that principle: No text can, in and of itself, be authoritative.

Question for debate:

Even if we hold that the Bible is inspired by God and essential to the life of the Christian community, can the Bible be the ultimate authority for determining Christian faith and practice if, as Mathison notes, it cannot be an authority by itself?

The doctrine of the Bible's supreme authority is known as Sola Scriptura, which means that the Bible alone is the final authority for life. However, this does not mean that there are no other authorities in life, such as parents, governors, and church leaders.
The Bible can be used to guide people in all areas of their lives, including how they approach work, family life, finances, and relationships with neighbors and to eternal life.

Jhn 20:30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;
Jhn 20:31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

The problem here is that the author of John couldn't possibly be talking about the Bible. It had not yet been compiled. The book would of course be the gospel John. The claim would be limited to that small slice of what we would come to call the Bible.


Tcg

Yes, the "book" (biblion) referred by apostle John would have been "a written document", where Jesus' many other signs were also written.

G975 (Thayer)
βιβλίον
biblion
Thayer Definition:
1) a small book, a scroll, a written document
2) a sheet on which something has been written
2a) a bill of divorcement

[1213]

From Keith Mathison, an American Reformed theologian:

All appeals to Scripture are appeals to interpretations of Scripture. The only real question is: whose interpretation? People with differing interpretations of Scripture cannot set a Bible on a table and ask it to resolve their differences. In order for the Scripture to function as an authority, it must be read and interpreted by someone.

It must be read, but not necessary interpreted, we can let the Bible explain what it means. I think the reason for many problems Christians have is that they interpret, twist the text to mean something else than what is written.

Even if we hold that the Bible is inspired by God and essential to the life of the Christian community, can the Bible be the ultimate authority for determining Christian faith and practice if, as Mathison notes, it cannot be an authority by itself?

Bible tells for example that a Christian means a disciple of Jesus. And a person is a disciple of Jesus if he remains in word of Jesus. Therefore, if person rejects the word of Jesus, follows someone else's teachings, he is no longer a disciple of Jesus.

…The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
Acts 11:26
Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, “If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
John 8:31-32

So, by that definition the words of Jesus are authoritative. And now you may say, you have the real words of Jesus, not the Bible. And then the question is about, who is more credible, Bible than you. I would choose Bible over anyone else.

[historia]

It must be read, but not necessary interpreted, we can let the Bible explain what it means.

Sorry, but that's simply naive. All texts require interpretation.

And the Bible, in particular, was written in languages and cultures very different from our own. Every reader must interpret the text. No one gets to pretend that they just read the Bible "straight" while everyone else "interprets."

[historia]

The Bible can be used to guide people in all areas of their lives, including how they approach work, family life, finances, and relationships with neighbors and to eternal life.

Okay, but the obvious problem here is that there are literally hundreds of Protestant denominations and sects all claiming that the Bible is their ultimate authority, and yet they arrive at starkly different conclusions on various issues of doctrine and practice.

How can the Bible be the ultimate authority and yet result in so many divergent teachings?

[Perspectivo]

From Keith Mathison, an American Reformed theologian:

All appeals to Scripture are appeals to interpretations of Scripture. The only real question is: whose interpretation? People with differing interpretations of Scripture cannot set a Bible on a table and ask it to resolve their differences. In order for the Scripture to function as an authority, it must be read and interpreted by someone.

In that article -- among other works he has published -- Mathison seeks to defend the Protestant principle of sola scriptura. But it seems to me that here he actuals reveals a fundamental flaw with that principle: No text can, in and of itself, be authoritative.

Question for debate:

Even if we hold that the Bible is inspired by God and essential to the life of the Christian community, can the Bible be the ultimate authority for determining Christian faith and practice if, as Mathison notes, it cannot be an authority by itself?

The NT gives the church authority via the elders, 1 Timothy 5:17, Titus 1:5. I guess people will debate who the elders were and whether they passed a tradition along.

[Ross]

I think it is folly to deny that the Old Testament is the undeniable Word of God if one claims to be a Christian and a believer in God. It foretold the Messianic occurrence in great detail, and was quoted extensively by The Lord and the apostles. Was it not the ultimate authority for first century Jews?

I am assuming that your problem is with the Greek Bible primarily?

Once we leave scripture, we are left with the can of worms that is the deviant workings, corruption, deception, authoritarianism, and domination of man made institutions with power hungry overlords.