The Bible:the source of

religious authority

2

people

3

questions

? ? ?

4

religio

ns

Judaism

Tannakh

Islam

Koran

Sikh

Guru Granth

Hindu

Upanishads etc

The Bible

Christianity

5

religio

ns

Greek Orthodox Church

Roman Catholic Church

Assemblies of God

Baptist

Church of England

Elim Pentecostal Churches

Methodists Lutherans

Presbyterian

Salvation Army

Seventh-Day AdventistsJehovah‟s Witnesses

Plymouth Brethren

Society of Friends

(“Quakers”)

Spiritualism

Unitarians

Christian Science

Church of Latterday

Saints (“Mormons”)

Book of Mormon

The Bible

Christianity

6

religio

ns

Greek Orthodox Church

Roman Catholic Church

Assemblies of God

Baptist

Church of England

Elim Pentecostal Churches

Methodists Lutherans

Presbyterian

Salvation Army

Seventh-Day AdventistsJehovah‟s Witnesses

Plymouth Brethren

Society of Friends

(“Quakers”)

Spiritualism

Unitarians

Christian Science

Church of Latterday

Saints (“Mormons”)

Book of Mormon

The Bible

Christianity

7

Tonight…

•Look at the Bible‟s claim to

authority

•Other claims to authority?

•What does that mean for us?

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What are the foundations?

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Foundation 1

The Bible is

God‟s Word

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Foundation 1

Genesis 1

•“And God said…”

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Foundation 1

Genesis 15:1

•“the word of the LORD came unto

Abram in a vision…”

•255 uses of this phrase in

Scripture

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Foundation 1

2 Timothy 3:14-17

•v15 holy scriptures = „writings‟

•v16 Rotherham: “every writing is

God-breathed”

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Foundation 1

The Bible is God‟s Word

Jesus – the Gospel

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Foundation 2

The Bible

reveals truth to

its readers

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Foundation 2

2 Timothy 2:15

•“the word of Truth”

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Foundation 2

The Bible reveals Truth

Truth is valuable

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Foundation 3

Do not leave

God‟s Truth

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Foundation 3

1 Timothy 4:16

•Staying in the Truth brings

salvation

2 Timothy 2:16-18

•Leaving the Truth overthrows faith

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Foundation 3

Do not leave God‟s Truth

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Foundations Summary

1.The Bible is God‟s word

2.The Bible reveals God‟s Truth

to its readers

3.Do not leave God‟s Truth

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Yes, but…

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“Yes, but is it all true?”

•Jesus

compared our

world with

Noah‟s (Luke

17:26-30)

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“Yes, but is it all true?”

1 Peter 3:20,21

“… while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is eight souls were saved by water, the like figure whereunto baptism doth also now save us…”

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“Yes, but is it all true?”

1 Peter 3:20,21

“… while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is eight souls were saved by water, the like figurewhereunto baptismdoth also now save us…”

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Foundation 1

The Bible is

God‟s Word

Who decides which bits are and which bits aren’t?!

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“Yes, but the Bible‟s not clear enough”

“During the first centuries the Church

sought to clarify her Trinitarian

faith…This clarification was the work

of the early councils, aided by the

theological work of the Church

Fathers...”

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“Yes, but times change”

Church of England Synod

Committee to Review the

Decision re Women in Office

for Synod 2000

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“Yes, but times change”

“Perhaps the clearest and most forthright

text in which male priority limits the

function of women in the church is I

Timothy 2:9-15…The arena to which Paul

refers seems to be the church.”

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“Yes, but times change”

“For many centuries certain regulations in

the Old and New Testaments were

understood as permitting, if not

encouraging, human slavery. More

recently, the church has progressed in

understanding that at its core the

Scriptures teach the kind of human

equality that prohibits slavery.”

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“Yes, but times change”

“So, too, the church may be progressing in

understanding that the oneness and equality of

male and female are more basic than the

temporary regulations regarding the functions

of wives/women. Thus the most obvious

teaching of Scripture is that both qualified

male and female members of the church

should serve in the offices of elder,

minister, and evangelist.”

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“Yes, but times change”

“The Bible says women shouldn’t serve,

and yes, we agree that means in church.”

“But the Church has progressed

– slavery is wrong.”

“So maybe the Church can

progress on this too.”

“So obviously what the Bible meant was

it’s ok for women to serve in Church.”

Black

becomes

white

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Foundation 3

Do not leave

God‟s Truth

Staying in the Truth brings salvation;

leaving it brings destruction.

Preach any other ‘gospel’ at your eternal peril.

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Implications

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Implications

Acts 8:30-35

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Conclusions

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Foundations Summary

1.The Bible is God‟s word

2.The Bible reveals God‟s Truth

to its readers

3.Do not leave God‟s Truth