The Characteristics

of Scripture
I. The Authority
of Scripture
What is the authority of the bible?
The Authority of the word of God refers to its
supreme and ultimate rule over all matters of faith
and practice.
The authority of Scripture means that all the words in
Scripture are God’s words.
To disobey any words of scripture is to disobey God
himself.
All the words in the bible are God’s
The bible claims this for itself.
2 Timothy 3:16-17, All scripture is God-breathed
2 Peter 1:19-21 For the prophecy came not in old
time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as
they were moved by the Holy Ghost
Matthew 4:4/Luke 4: Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that proceeds from the
mouth of God.”
All the words in the bible are God’s
The bible claims this for itself.
1 Timothy 5: 18, Paul quotes Jesus’ words from Luke
10:7 as scripture
1 Corinthians 14: 37, here Paul is claiming that his
writings are the words of God
The internal witness of the bible
The bible convinces us that it is the word of God as
we read it.
1 Corinthians 2:14, the natural does not get the
spiritual
John 10:27, the sheep recognize the Shepherd
This is a ministry of the Holy Spirit
External Incomplete Validation
The bible is rooted in history, it is not a book of
wisdom outside the realms of reality.
Many details and events in the bible have been
verified with the use of scientific tools such as
archaeology
While the facts may convince us that the bible is
accurate in its details, it is only the Holy Spirit who
can convict our hearts that it is indeed the word of
God
No Appellate Authority
If the Bible is indeed the word of God, there is no
higher authority to validate if this is true other than
God.
This is because if God is real, then there is no higher
authority in the universe other than God himself.
To subject therefore the word of God to a lesser
authority (i.e. man) is to reduce it’s own authority
The Bible is Authoritative and
Inerrant
What do we mean by inerrancy?
Inerrancy is a term used to describe Scripture as
error-free in the original writings. It implies that the
Bible contains neither material errors nor internal
contradictions in the original writings.
The inerrancy of Scripture means that Scripture in
the original manuscripts does not affirm anything
that is contrary to fact. (Grudem)
The basis of inerrancy
Inerrancy is based on the character of God who
cannot lie (Heb. 6:18; Titus 1:2)
Jesus is truth (John 14:6)
The Holy Spirit is truth (John 14:17)
The Father’s word is truth (John 17:17)
God’s words are not just true, they are the ultimate
standard of what is true
Since the words of the Bible are God’s words, and
since God cannot lie or speak falsely, therefore the
bible is incapable of being wrong.
Inerrancy and language
The bible is inerrant and uses
ordinary human language
God accommodates humanity’s level of understanding.
God uses figures of speech:
Psalms 113: 3-4 From the rising of the sun unto the going down
of the same the LORD'S name is to be praised. The LORD is
high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.
This does not mean that God teaches that the sun rises versus
the earth rotating on its own axis.
This also does not mean that above the heavens we can find a
physical location of God.
The bible is inerrant and uses
ordinary human language
God accommodates the audience’s understanding of the
physical world.
Matthew 13:31 ...The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of
mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which
indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the
greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree...
Jesus is not here teaching a scientific fact that the mustard
seed is the smallest (it is not), but to the understanding of the
audience, it is. Even so, that is not the point!
The bible is inerrant and uses
ordinary human language
Matthew 13:33 ... The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven,
which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till
the whole was leavened.
Does it mean, that if someone made an experiment with the
same conditions, a dough with 3 measures of leaven, and some
portion of the dough was not leavened, then the bible is
wrong, and therefore it is not God’s word?
Of course not!
 Na mekus mekus with
leaven ang bread na yan?
The bible is inerrant and uses loose
quotations
The way by which one person quotes past literature, or
another person varies from person to person.
Verbatim quotations were not common in ancient times.
The focus of scriptural quotations in the bible are not exact
quotations but to relay the intent of the passage.
Romans 1:17 as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Habbakuk 2:4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright
in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
The bible is inerrant and uses loose
quotations
Nahum 1:15 vs Romans 10:15
Psalm 2:1-2 vs Acts 4:25-26
Psalms 2:7 vs Hebrews 1:5
Proverbs 3:11-12 vs Hebrews 12:5-6
Isa 55:3 vs Acts 13:34
Mal 1:2-3 vs Romans 9:13
Problems with denying inerrancy
If the bible is false, then God is not
truthful, then we can lie too?
We are called to be imitators of God. (Ephesians 5:1)
What moral authority would God have over us if in fact the
bible, His words, are erroneous?
This will open a gateway of errors in doctrine, practice, and
affections!
Galatians 5: 9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
If the bible is inerrant, can we even
trust God?
If God’s word is false on some minor matter, in what way can
we be sure that He is not wrong in some other major matter?
This diminishes our trust in His character.
Then we will begin to disregard the parts of scripture that we
least like, then up to the point where scriptures no longer
represents truth at all.
If the bible is inerrant, then human
rationality becomes the standard of
truth
Jeremiah 17:5 KJV Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man
that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose
heart departeth from the LORD.
II. The Clarity
of Scripture
What do we mean when we say the
scriptures are clear?

…Those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and

observed, for salvation, are so clearly propounded and
opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the
learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary
means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them. -
Westminster Confession of Faith
What do we mean when we say the
scriptures are clear?

The Bible is a plain book. It is intelligible by the people. And

they have the right, and are bound to read and interpret it for
themselves; so that their faith may rest on the testimony of
the Scriptures, and not on that of the Church. Such is the
doctrine of Protestants on this subject. - Charles Hodge
What do we mean when we say the
scriptures are clear?

The clarity of Scripture means that the Bible is written in such

a way that its teachings are able to be understood by all who
will read it seeing God’s help and being willing to follow it.
Wayne Grudem
The clarity of the scriptures is
explicitly taught by scriptures

Psalms 19: 7-8

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the
testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the
commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The clarity of the scriptures is
presumed in the bible
Psalms 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in
his law doth he meditate day and night.
Presumed here is the fact that a normal person can
meditate day and night about something he could
understand! Would you meditate on something you don’t?
Deut. 6:6–7 The same is presumed in this command to
teach the commandments to children, and to talk about
the statutes in everyday life! Would you talk about
something you do not understand?
Can the bible be understood by
unbelievers?
Yes and No!
Yes in the sense that the bible is like any other literature. It
is made up of words that normal people use. There are no
special words or phrases in the bible that are not available
to unbelievers.
In fact, it is possible to understand (and teach!)the bible
thoroughly without being regenerated. Matthew 7: 22,
Even the demons can too! James 2:19
Can the bible be understood by
unbelievers?
No in the sense that it takes the ministry of the Holy Spirit
to be convicted of what the bible actually teaches.
1 Corinthians 2:
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the
Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither
can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may
instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.
Why is Scripture misinterpreted?

This is nothing new, biblical characters misinterpreted the

scriptures.
Think of Jesus: “Behold you were told so and so, but I tell
you this...
Luke 24:25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of
heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.
Human sinfulness. Because we have still sin in us, it
hinders us to fully comprehend the word of God.
Even the apostles disagreed with each other (Acts 15)
Why is Scripture misinterpreted?

Because upon regeneration we do not get the full picture

of everything in the bible at once.
There are levels of maturity in terms of understanding the
bible.
1 Peter 2: 1-2 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all
guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as
newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that
ye may grow thereby:
The role of human reason in
interpretation
Hermeneutics is the study of correct methods of
interpretation.
Exegesis is the process of interpreting a text of Scripture.
Do not be confused. Hermeneutics is the study of
principles of interpretation. Exegesis is the actual work of
interpretation.
Interpretation is not exclusive to biblical literature. We use
mostly the same principle for other types of literature.
Ex: Scientific method, statutory construction
The role of scholars
While every believer can interpret the bible if they study it,
not every one is equally skilled.
Scholars who specialize in some areas of the bible can help
others navigate through the difficult areas of the scripture.
Scholars defend core areas of the Christian faith more ably
than others because of their specialized fields of expertise.
Scholars can supplement (not add) the understanding o
some areas of the scriptures for the edification of the
church. Example: Archaeology, history, Greek and Hebrew
language studies
Assignment
1. Is it possible for a person to be saved without
reading a single verse of the bible?
2. Can a person grow spiritually outside of the bible?
3. What should we do when a biblical concept
contradicts a “scientific/psychological” concept?