Denying and Defying the Authority of the Bible

There is more than one way to defy the authority of Bible (which amounts to defying the authority of the Lord whose Word the Bible is).  I was reminded of this after reading an article about trends today in the United Methodist Church.

The most obvious way is to deny that the Bible really is the 'Word of God', and to say that it’s essentially just the words of men.  This is the perspective and practice of the theological “liberal”.

But there are at least two other ways of defying the Bible’s authority, in actual practice.  One is to affirm the authority of the Bible in general terms but then, in specific matters, to insist that it can be interpreted in different ways on a given matter, so that the best thing to do is make room for all those interpretations.  This is the perspective of a growing number of evangelicals on some of the key ethical issues of the day.

But there’s at least one more way of defying the Bible as 'sufficient rule in all matters of faith/belief and practice' – and that is to, again, officially affirm the authority of the Bible, but then, in actual practice, to let other factors (e.g., pragmatism, personal agenda, people-pleasing 'politics') override the commitment to Biblical principle.  This is what you find the Pharisees doing in their interpretation and application of the 5^th Commandment – which the Lord Jesus exposes and rebukes in Matthew 15:1-9.

The crucial point to recognize is that in ALL the above scenarios the Word of God has been effectively (to use Jesus’s word) “nullified.”   It is bad enough when liberals do it, but it’s surely worse when self-described “Bible-believing evangelicals” thus defy the Scriptures, and the Spirit of God who inspired them.  And are we even aware of (or honest enough to admit) the ways that this last category are being played out in the Church today?

"Let us give to every part of the public worship its proper place, but let us beware of placing any part of it above preaching. By preaching the church of Christ was first gathered together and founded, and by preaching it has ever been maintained in [true] health and prosperity" --  J.C. Ryle

What Is Repentance? (TDNT)

“…radical conversion, a transformation of nature, a definitive turning from evil, a resolute turning to God in total obedience (Mk.1:15; Mt.4:17; 18:3)….  This conversion is once for all.  There can be no going back, only advance in responsible movement along the way now taken.  It affects the whole man, first and basically the center of personal life, then logically his conduct at all times and in all situations, his thoughts, words and acts (Mt. 12:33ff. par; 23:26; Mk.7:15 par.).

“The whole proclamation of Jesus…is a proclamation of unconditional turning to God, of unconditional turning from all that is against God, not merely that which is downright evil, but that which in a given case makes total turning to God impossible….  [e.g., the rich young ruler]

“It is addressed to all without distinction and presented with unmitigated severity in order to indicate the only way of salvation there is.

“Repentance calls for total surrender, total commitment to the will of God….  It embraces the whole walk of the new man who is claimed by the divine lordship.  It carries with it the founding of a new personal relation of man to God….  It awakens joyous obedience for a life according to God’s will.”

-- "Theological Dictionary of the New Testament" (Kittel)

Proclaiming Good News to 'the Poor'

'The poor in Luke [4:18] are not merely those who are financially deprived. Financial deprivation may be in view, but that is not the fundamental meaning of “poor” for Luke. The poor are those who are deprived of covenant promise-fulfillment.

'They are God’s faithful people who have longed for the kingdom of heaven, for God to arrange everything under the lordship of his Son, to enact his righteousness upon the earth. Since the time of Adam, they have been deprived of this.

'They are those who suffer under the tyranny of sin and Satan, whose rule is embodied in the present world rulers who exalt the wicked and condemn the righteous.

'Jesus hasn’t come to be the equivalent of today’s caricatured Social Justice Warrior who wants to take from the rich and give to the poor in a simple monetary transfer. Jesus has come to bring true social justice that destroys the power behind all tyranny that exalts the wicked and oppresses the righteous.

'The good news is that God’s faithful people who are currently deprived of their rights as God’s faithful ones will be exalted over the wicked.'


-- Bill Smith "Total Salvation"

Is the Lord Jesus Really the Head of Your Church?

As a practical matter, being a Christian means living under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and living under his lordship means living in accordance with his teaching and commands (John 8:31; Matt. 28:20) -- and the only place to find those teachings is the Bible. 

This practical principle is true for individual Christians, but also applies to churches, to congregations as a whole.  It applies to pastors, ministry leaders, board members and members of the congregation.  This means that, in any given decision that a church faces, the most important and relevant question for each leader and lay member to ask is NOT, what do I prefer, or what do most people I know prefer, or even what does a given leader prefer.  The crucial question for all involved is:  "In the decision we now face, what would be most faithful to the teaching of Scripture?"

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As J.I. Packer has written,  “The Christian principle of biblical authority means, on the one hand, that God purposes to direct the belief and behavior of his people through the revealed truth set forth in Holy Scripture; on the other hand it means that all our ideas about God should be measured, tested, and where necessary corrected and enlarged, by reference to biblical teaching…..

"Authority in Christianity belongs to God the Creator, who made us to know, love, and serve him, and his way of exercising his authority over us is by means of the truth and wisdom of his written Word….. And since the Father has now given the Son executive authority to rule the cosmos on his behalf (Matt.28:18), Scripture now functions precisely as the instrument of Christ’s lordship over his followers…." [Matt.28:18ff.; 2 Tim.3:16-17]

-- J.I. Packer "Concise Theology" (p.16)

Faithful Gospel Proclamation Includes Repentance

'The glorified Christ placed beyond all doubt that repentance is to be a part of gospel proclamation, when he declared on the evening of his resurrection from the dead: “This is what is written: that the Messiah should suffer and rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance for … forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed . . . in his name to all nations” (Luke 24:46-47).

'As did John the Baptist before him (Matt. 3:2, 8, 11; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3, 8; Acts 13:24; 19:4), Jesus himself preached repentance in the imperative mood (Matt. 4:17; Mark 1:15), characterized the very purpose behind his coming to people in terms of calling sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32), warned that unless sinners repented they would perish (Luke 13:3, 5) and unless they were converted . . . and became as little children, they would never enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 18:3), denouncing whole cities that would not repent while commending Ninevah for repenting at the preaching of Jonah (Matt. 11:20-21; 12:41; Luke 10:13; 11:32), and declared that heaven rejoices over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:7, 10).

'The apostles, on their preaching missions throughout Galilee, “Preached that people should repent” (Mark 6:12), and they continued to be true this aspect of their Lord’s commission throughout the book of Acts (Peter in Acts 2:38; 3:19; 8:22; Paul in Acts 17:30; 20:21; 26:20). The author of Hebrews indicates that “repentance from dead works” is a first principle of the doctrine of Christ (Heb. 6:1).'

--  Robert L. Reymond, A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1998), 723.

(HT: Chris Braun)

Converted People

"...By the baptism of the Spirit Jesus imparts the divine power that creates those who are subject to the divine rule, i.e., converted people....." -- "Theological Dictionary of the New Testament"

How Long Will We Continue to Miss This?

“From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’”   -- Jesus (Matt. 4:17)

“If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ …you will be saved.” -- Paul (Rom. 10:9)

“Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you….’” – Jesus (Matt. 28:18-20)

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” – Jesus (Luke 6:46)

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” – Jesus (Matt. 7:21)

This is not how most evangelicals today present the gospel, and the way of salvation.

In order to be saved, person must ‘confess Jesus as Lord’, acknowledging him to be the Supreme Authority (“King”) over him or her.  For the Lordship of Jesus is the current expression of the kingdom of God.

Becoming a true disciple (= Christian, Acts 11:26) means committing to obey everything Jesus commands.

Jesus himself defined his Lordship in terms of people doing what He says – doing the will of God.

And Jesus warns that just because someone is in the habit of calling Him ‘Lord’ – that person will not be among the saved if they were not an obeyer of Christ’s word.

Far too often this truth is not clearly explained in our presentations of the Gospel.  In fact, far too many evangleicals don’t even seem to be trying to make this clear and, even more bizarre, some evangelicals deny that this proclamation of Jesus as Supreme Authority is even necessary, or even accurate.

Tragically, instead of urgently and boldly proclaiming this true message concerning the way of salvation, too much of the evangelical church seems committed people-pleasing ‘preaching,’ presentations and programs that do much more entertaining than faithful evangelizing of the lost (or edifying of the saved) – which is just what the apostle Paul warned would happen  (2 Timothy 4:1-5)

The Pastor, Sheep and Goats

"The pastor is called to feed the sheep, even if the sheep do not want to be fed. He is certainly not to become an entertainer of goats. Let goats entertain goats, and let them do it out in goatland. You will certainly not turn goats into sheep by pandering to their goatishness." (William Still)

What Do You Want from Church?

"When I go to the house of God I do not want amusement. I want the doctrine which is according to godliness.

"I want to hear of the remedy against the harassings of my guilt and the disorder of my affections. I want to be led from weariness and disappointment to that goodness which feeds the hungry soul.

"Tell me of the Lord Jesus who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree. Tell me of his intercession for the transgressors as their advocate with the Father. Tell me of his Holy Spirit, whom they that believe on him receive to be their Preserver, Sanctifier, Comforter.

"Tell me of his chastenings, their necessity and their use. Tell me of his presence, his sympathy and his love. Tell me of the virtues, as growing out of his cross and nurtured by his grace.

"Tell me of the glory reflected upon his name by the obedience of faith. Tell me of the vanquished death, of the purified grave, of a blessed resurrection, of the life everlasting, and my [heart] warms.

"This is gospel; these are glad tidings to me as a sufferer, because glad to me as a sinner.”

-- Thomas Murphy

Eternity Changes Everything

"If forever is great and forever is mine, I can endure even though now is lousy."

-- Stephen Witmer, "Eternity Changes Everything: How to live now in the light of your future (Live Different)". [Good Book Company]

Faith as Trust that Generates Loyalty

"...Biblical faith is trust in the divine Word, which generates loyalty to the God of covenant promises."

-- Daniel Treier, "Introducing Evangelical Theology"

Why Do We Do What We Do at Church?

"In the New Testament, and especially in Acts, the primary focus of the Church's energies and efforts was to make disciples of Jesus Christ -- that is, converting people into those who would devote themselves to living for God's glory, in accordance with the teachings of Christ.  The means and methods were essentially prayerful, Spirit-empowered proclamation of the Gospel and teaching of the Word, evangelizing the lost, and edifying (transforming) the saved.

"Today, so much of the American Church's focus seems to be on providing religious goods and services to the 'saved' -- centered on an essentially therapeutic and enjoyable concert-like event on Sunday mornings (or Saturday evening, if more convenient).  The focus on sanctification of the saved, and conversion of those whom Paul calls "the disobedient" (not "seekers"), in the Church's weekly gatherings, meetings and events seems to have been profoundly obscured and, frankly, replaced."

-- Jon G. Baldwin, "Towards Revival and Renewal"

When the Church Confesses "Jesus is Lord"...

“Whenever worshiping Christians repeat the church’s confession ‘Jesus is Lord,’ they are

1. implying that the Christ of faith was none other than the Jesus of history (Acts 2:34-36),

2. acknowledging the deity of Christ (Jn. 20:28; Phil. 2:6, 9-11)

3. admitting the Lord’s personal rights to absolute supremacy in the universe, the church and individual lives (Acts 10:36; Rom. 10:12; 14:8; 1 Cor. 8:6; Jas. 4:15),

4. affirming the triumph of Christ over death and hostile cosmic powers when God raised him from the dead (Rom. 10:9; 14:9; Eph. 1:20-22; Col. 2:10, 15) and therefore also the Christian’s hope of resurrection (1 Cor. 6:14; 2 Cor. 4:14),

5. epitomizing the Christian message (kerygma; cf. Rom. 10:8-9; 2 Cor. 4:5) and defining the basis of Christian teaching (didache); cf. Col. 2:6-7),

6. declaring everyone’s accountability to the Lord, the righteous judge (1 Cor. 4:5; 2 Tim. 4:1, 8),

7. making a personal and public declaration of faith (Rom. 10:9), which testifies to their being led by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3), and

8. repudiating their former allegiance to many pagan ‘lords’ and reaffirming their loyalty to one Lord through and in whom they exist (1 Cor. 8:5-6; 1 Tim. 6:15; [1 Thess. 1:9]).”

-- Murray J. Harris, New International Commentary on the Greek New Testament on 2 Cor. 4:5

"Don't Underestimate the Doctrine of Divine Providence"

-- by Stephen Witmer

I shifted uncomfortably in my chair, conscious of the tension in the little room. I’d guessed this conversation was coming, since the people now sitting in front of me had seemed unhappy with my pastoral leadership for a good long time. I wasn’t sure what would happen now, but I was afraid it might end badly, with hurtful words spoken and their bitter departure from our church. I mention this moment not because it’s unusual in pastoral ministry—every pastor experiences such meetings sooner or later—or because it had a miraculous and uplifting outcome, but because I recall my own heart in that conversation. I claimed to be Calvinist, but I wasn’t living like one. I was thinking little of God’s role in this conversation—and much of the people sitting across from me.

A Doctrine to Cherish

In the years since, I’ve come to cherish the doctrine of God’s providence and to draw strength and encouragement from it. I’ve begun learning what a difference it makes in the Christian life. In his Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin underscored the high stakes of believing or rejecting this doctrine: “Ignorance of providence is the ultimate of all miseries; the highest blessedness lies in the knowledge of it.”

I suspect relatively few of us who espouse a classical Reformed view of God’s providence, however, would say it’s borne the “best and sweetest fruit” or that for us “nothing is more profitable than the knowledge of this doctrine.” Reading Calvin on God’s providence leads me to realize we must reclaim the practical benefits of this vital teaching.

Two Planes

The classical view of divine providence holds that every event—including human thoughts, choices, and actions—occurs according to God’s sovereign will. “All things,” the Heidelberg Catechism declares, “come not by chance, but by his fatherly hand.” This view of providence allows for genuine human causality; divine and human agency are held together.

And yet there is an ultimate causality in divine agency that sets it apart from (and over) human agency. We see this in the famous Genesis 45 passage recounting the story of Joseph and his brothers. In Genesis 45:4–8, Joseph twice says that his brothers sold him into Egypt and three times that God sent him to Egypt. Both are true. But there’s another important and initially puzzling feature here that’s crucial for grasping how to apply the doctrine of divine providence. After twice affirming his brothers’ role, Joseph seems to deny it: “It was not you who sent me here, but God.” Unless Joseph is flatly contradicting himself, he must mean his brothers were not the ones ultimately responsible. While both they and God exercise genuine agency, only God’s is ultimate. Their choice is part of God’s plan.

Providence Amnesia 

This is far from an irrelevant theological distinction in Joseph’s mind. In fact, it has immediate practical implications. “Do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here,” Joseph tells his brothers. Why? “For God sent me before you to preserve life.” God’s activity is the reason Joseph’s brothers need not be distressed. Yes, they really sinned, and that can’t be ignored. But God had a purpose for their actions, and that must shape their response to what they’ve done. Joseph urges them to focus more on God’s good purposes in the situation than on their own sinful purposes. They’re to report to their father Jacob that God has made Joseph lord of all Egypt (Gen. 45:9)—and the result of God’s action will be salvation for the entire family (Gen. 45:10–11). Later, we learn God’s ultimate causality led Joseph to speak kindly to his brothers rather than seek revenge (Gen. 50:19–21).

“When we are unjustly wounded by men,” Calvin wrote, “let us overlook their wickedness (which would but worsen our pain and sharpen our minds to revenge), remember to mount up to God, and learn to believe for certain that whatever our enemy has wickedly committed against us was permitted and sent by God’s just dispensation.” I think Calvin (like Joseph in Genesis 45) speaks hyperbolically to make a point. We’re not to completely ignore other people’s good or bad intentions, words, and actions. Calvin further writes, “The Christian heart, since it has been thoroughly persuaded that all things happen by God’s plan, and that nothing takes place by chance, will ever look to him as the principal cause of things, yet will give attention to the secondary causes in their proper place.” In the same evil deed, a godly man will “clearly contemplate God’s righteousness and man’s wickedness, as each clearly shows itself.” Calvin’s strongly-worded counsel to “overlook their wickedness” and “mount up to God” is his way of emphasizing that our main focus is to be on God’s purposes, not human intentions.

This is enormously helpful and practical counsel for all Christians. We’re prone, when confronted with spiteful and malicious human enemies, to forget God is ultimately behind what’s happening to us. Perhaps we give lip service to the truth of his providence, but most of our emotions and responses are directed toward the human agents. After all, they’re more immediately present to our senses. Too often the conviction that God is sovereign, and that humans fulfill his good plans, has virtually no practical impact on the way we live. We suffer from providence amnesia.

Seeing the Invisible Hand

We should begin each day by asking God to give us faith to see his hand in every encounter. Paul Tripp prays three commendable prayers at the outset of the day: (1) “Lord, I’m a person in desperate need of help today,” (2) “Lord, won’t you, in your grace, send your helpers my way?” and (3) “Lord, please give me the humility to receive the help when it comes.” Daily preparing ourselves to receive God’s loving help in unexpected ways, through unexpected people—perhaps through unexpected suffering and hardship—opens our eyes to see the loving activity of his hand in every circumstance. We’re watching for that fatherly hand.

Moreover, when someone hurts us, we should spend more time reflecting on God’s good purposes than on their evil intentions. Or, adapting Robert Murray M’Cheyne’s famous advice, for every look at someone else’s evil intentions, take ten looks at God’s providential purposes. This is what Joseph instructed his brothers to do. It’s what Job did (Job 1:21). Of course we can never fully know God’s purposes, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ponder them. After all, our ignorance of the bad intentions of those who hurt us doesn’t stop us from endlessly speculating on their intentions. If we’re going to speculate, why not speculate on God’s good purposes instead?

A Doctrine for Life

If I were having that same painful conversation in the little room tomorrow, I’m sure I wouldn’t be looking forward to it. My palms might still be sweaty. But I hope I’d have a confidence this time I didn’t have before. I hope I’d be expecting God to work for me, even through the cutting words of angry people. God’s providence doesn’t make our troubles go away, but it does frame them within his majestic and loving purposes for us. This doctrine matters for life.

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[originally posted at  https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/dont-underestimate-providence/ 

Stephen Witmer (PhD, University of Cambridge) is pastor of Pepperell Christian Fellowship in Pepperell, Massachusetts. He teaches New Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and helps lead Small Town Summits, which partners with The Gospel Coalition New England to serve rural churches and pastors. He is author of Eternity Changes Everything: How to Live Now in the Light of Your Future (The Good Book Company, 2014) and the volume on Revelation in Crossway’s Knowing the Bible series.