In this paper I will discuss the Authority of Scripture and how it has a role in the way the Bible is taught in Christian Education. I will discuss and tell what the Bible is. I will discuss different interviews on what other people think the role of the Bible is in the Christian faith and what I believe the role of the Bible is in the Christian faith. I will also discuss how I will teach the Bible in Christian Faith after having listened to others and having completed this class. Authority of Scripture What is the authority of scriptures? Let me first start by defining the word authority. Authority is “the power to influence or command thought opinion or behavior” (Webster Ninth New Collegiate Dictonary, 1990) How do we interpret scripture? It might come through prayerful interaction, or when we first become a new Christian in our faith journey. We also interpret scripture by our own events and traditions that are happening in our lives at the present time. As we look at scriptures we can relate them to our own faith journey and we can seek comfort and meaning through the scriptures. By putting ourselves into the scriptures we make them our own and are able to apply the scriptures as a rule and guide in our lives. (http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/bible/authority.html, n.d.) In ¶63 on Scripture in "Our Theological Task," The Book of Discipline, 1996, the United Methodist view of Scripture is described at some length: United Methodists share with other Christians the conviction that Scripture is the primary source and criterion for Christian doctrine. Through Scripture the living Christ meets us in the experience of redeeming grace. We are convinced that Jesus Christ is the living Word of God in our midst whom we trust in lif... ... middle of paper ... ....d.). Retrieved from United Methodist and the Authority of Scripture. Last Name, F. M. (Year). Article Title. Journal Title, Pages From - To. Last Name, F. M. (Year). Book Title. City Name: Publisher Name. MCDevitt, K. (2013, Oct 15). (E. L. Taylor Jr., Interviewer) Meyers, P. (2013, August-October). Class Notes. Charlotte, NC. Peeler, D. (2013, October 15). Pastor Snow Hill UMC Candler NC 28715. (E. L. Taylor Jr., Interviewer) Peeler, J. (2013, October 15). (E. L. Taylor Jr., Interviewer) Peeler, S. (2013, Oct 15). (E. L. Taylor Jr., Interviewer) Robinson, G. (2013, Oct 15). (E. L. Taylor Jr., Interviewer) Taylor, E. L. (2013, August). Taylor, E. L. (2013, August). Psalms 100. Warner, S. (2008). Unlocking the Message of the Bible/ Guide to Biblical Interpretation. St. Louis, Missouri: Chalice Press. Webster Ninth New Collegiate Dictonary. (1990). Merriam-Webster.
In argument for the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer, they said that reading the Bible not only was essential to the building of good morals and development of the minds of impressionable school children, it was free to be interpreted anyway because of lack of comment and explanation. They claimed that the Bible was not a religious work, but when viewed from the eyes of a Christian, it did express the message of Christianity.
Michael Joseph Brown, unveils new ways to read and examine the Bible in his book, titled “What They Don’t Tell You: A Survivor’s Guide to Biblical Studies”. Although quite technical, the guide, not book, really goes into depth on the process of studying the Bible and its documents. Brown has a new and refreshing way of giving the reader this information that is necessary in a small group, or for a Biblical scholar. This guide is not meant solely for the biblical scholar and talks in detail about the difference between these two, because some may link the two together. Published by the Westminster John Knox Press, WJK for short, this book gives straight forward answers on the best way to thoroughly understand Biblical text. As you read on you will find out more about how they differ and why they appear so similar from an outside perspective. Brown has taken a wide variety of information, and made it into something interesting and extremely useful for the reader. In his own words, “What I have done is to ‘translate’ some foundational concepts in biblical studies into an idiom more people can understand” (xiii)
The doctrine of Scripture is foundational to the Christian faith. But there is more to say about Scripture than simply, “The Bible says it.” I believe it. That settles it.” If you don’t grasp what the Bible is and how it came to be, you’ll never fully grasp its meaning. Since the meaning of the Bible is vitally important to our faith and life. God has spoken and God speaks. God has spoken and continues to speak through the Holy Scriptures, the Bible. The questions that I ask myself on a daily basis is, how well do I know what the Bible tells us about the Bible? Could I go into a room with complete confidence and speak the truth to many different people? That is why it is always important for me to be prepared.
Scripture,” the idea that the Bible is God’s perfect word, the clearest expression of God’s plan
This paper is written to discuss the many different ideas that have been discussed over the first half of Theology 104. This class went over many topics which gave me a much better understanding of Christianity, Jesus, and the Bible. I will be addressing two topics of which I feel are very important to Christianity. First, I will be focusing on the question did Jesus claim to be God? This is one of the biggest challenges of the Bibles that come up quite often. Secondly, I will focus on character development.
The editors certainly strive to share their passion for this method of understanding Scripture which seems to have been essentially lost to time. The student, formal or layman, is given clear examples of the various writings the editors feel are relevant to the various sections of
The Bible, a foundational collection of Christian texts, holds the fundamental principles and core beliefs of the faith. To say that the Bible has authority is to say that what the Bible says about how one should live their life is true and must be followed. To ultimately understand why the Bible has authority one must look directly to God. H.D. McDonald in his excerpt in the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, states that “the authority of the Bible is established by its own claims.” This means that the words written in the Bible do not strictly belong to that of whom penned them since the words came from God himself. The writer simply served as a scribe. Numerous times the Bible claims that God is perfect and is without fault, therefore, he being the ultimate power has the authority over his people and models the expectations he has for them. He revels to humans his authority by giving them a revelation, which Elmer Towns in his book Theology for Today defines as “the act whereby God gives us knowledge about Himself which we could not otherwise know.” The entire text of the Bible i...
Whoever reads the bible must obtain a reliable text; they must understand the logic of scripture; they must compare parts of the scripture with each other in order to have the most accurate visualisation of God; they must obtain the attitude of humble seeking of the word of God; and finally they must receive the instruction of God and enforce
The Bible is read and interpreted by many people all over the world. Regardless, no one knows the absolute truth behind scripture. Walter Brueggemann, professor of Old Testament, wrote “Biblical Authority” to help people understand what he describes as six different parts that make up the foundation to ones understanding of scripture. He defines these six features as being: inherency, interpretation, imagination, ideology, inspiration, and importance. As Brueggemann explains each individual part, it is easy to see that they are all interconnected because no one can practice one facet without involuntarily practicing at least one other part.
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and useful for teaching, for conviction, for correction and for disciplined training in righteousness in order to fit and fully equip the man from God for every good task. (2 Timothy 3:16,17)”16,17
On the surface, "scripture" is simply the Latin word for "a writing" (8196). However, in a generic overview, "scripture" is a term used to designate texts that are revered in a sacred and authoritative nature (8194). In the reading, entitled "Scripture" from the Encyclopedia of Religion, William A. Graham (2005) examines the complexity and ambiguity with defining "scripture", a term that holds such great functional role within the history of religion (8194). Graham examines the development of the concept, written scriptures in contrast to oral scriptures, as well as the characteristics of a scripture and its role to the community. Ultimately, with primary texts being highly revered over others, favoured medium of expression, and the diverse literary genres attributed to scriptures, Graham
According to Merriam-Webster, authority is defined as “a power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior.” In the New Testament, the Greek word exousia sometimes translated as power means to exercise a power held by right. This ‘right’ has its foundation in God himself for “there is nothing outside him on which his authority is founded.” 2 Timothy 3:16 states, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (ESV). Therefore, Scripture has authority based on God’s chosen approach to reveal himself to man and interrelates with inspiration.
Carson, D, & Moo, D. (2005) An introduction to the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Cosby, Michael R. Interpreting Biblical Literature: An Introduction to Biblical Studies. Grantham: Stony Run, 2009. 120-25. Print.
Stewart, J. S. (2000). The life and teaching of jesus christ. Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press.