The Inherent Divine Authority of Scripture

Continuing our look at the doctrine of revelation as it is expounded in systematic theology and taught in the Bible, we come today to the authority of Scripture. The issue of authority arises in relation to our understanding that the church has relied on several sources and tools in formulating Christian doctrine, including Scripture, church tradition, Christian experience, reason, and church liturgies. We can even say that in some sense all these sources serve as authorities that we consult. Given the existence of multiple authorities, we are forced to ask which has the final authority. When our sources conflict, which of them has the final say?

As Protestants, we confess that Scripture is the only final, infallible authority for Christian faith and practice, a principle known as sola Scriptura. Our understanding of scriptural authority recognizes that there are many authorities that we look to and even that we should subject ourselves to, especially the church. Nevertheless, all these authorities are ultimately accountable to the inscripturated Word of God and are not permitted to deviate from biblical teaching. None of these authorities has a right to proclaim something contrary to Scripture, and we are to reject any doctrine that is not directly taught in Scripture or that is not deduced from Scripture by good and necessary consequence.

Scripture has final authority because it is theopneustos, or “God-breathed” (see 2 Tim. 3:16–17). The words of the Bible are the very words of God Himself, who possesses authority in and of Himself. Thus, anything that He says has unquestionable authority. As Dr. R.C. Sproul writes in his commentary on the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy: “God and God alone has intrinsic authority. That intrinsic authority is given to the Bible since it is God’s Word.”

The inherent divine authority of Scripture is also seen in passages such as John 10:35, where Jesus says that “Scripture cannot be broken.” What the Bible teaches must be true and cannot be violated with impunity because to go against God’s Word is to go against our Creator. Our Savior also shows us the final authority of Scripture in His use of it to correct the traditions of the scribes and Pharisees (Mark 7:1–13). Tradition at its best helps us understand Scripture, but when it is contrary to Scripture, we submit to Scripture, not to tradition.