More Reflecting on Biblical Authority

I don’t believe Bible is the final word of God, in the sense that it carries the most authority–I believe everything God says has authority, regardless of when it was spoken, to whom it was spoken, or how many people believe it was spoken at all. Moreover, I believe there is consistence and continuity throughout all that God speaks.

I do believe that a lot of people discredit God’s Word when it is spoken outside of the Bible, because it may conflict with our own interpretations of scripture–interpretations which we too often tragically refuse to examine. Moreover, we have a discomfort with God communicating spiritually because it is less-concrete (we are unable to examine it for factuality using our non-spiritual faculties) than God communicating through text. Additionally, even when God communicates with us through text, he still communicates to us spiritually–any attempt on our behalf to learn about God through the Bible without being in tune with God’s spirit will result in us misunderstanding who God is and probably spreading that “false-doctrine” to others.

Moral of the story: next time you are tempted to prove something or disprove something using the Bible, stop. Understand that the Bible isn’t a proof text–it doesn’t vidicate people or their doctrine (God’s spirit alone validates people and ideas). It’s not a governing document–it’s a tool (one of many) for God to communicate to His people in conjunction with His Spirit, and it’s a small part of His ongoing story.

Feel free to contribute your own ideas on the subject.