THE BATTLEGROUND OF BIBLICAL AUTHORITY

•    media barrage highlights importance of Biblical belief in churches
•    skeptics charge Bible is full of contradictions, errors, myths

ARE WE DOOMED TO A SIMPLISTIC CIRCULAR ARGUMENT?

•    finding foundation - risk circularity or inconsistency
•    reformers: only Holy Spirit can fully convince that Scriptures are God’s word

HELP FROM OTHER AUTHORITIES

•    multitude of manuscripts allows reconstruction of original text
•    variant readings affect no historic fact or matter of faith / practice
•    Bible fits well with archeological setting
•    accords with our observation of universe: “general revelation”
•    resonates with “natural law” - moral categories prompted by conscience
•    presents heroes complete with flaws: realistic

WHAT THE BIBLE HAS TO SAY FOR ITSELF

•    courts do admit defendant’s statement, along with other evidence
•    inspired / out-breathed by God: 2Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:20f
•    infallible yardstick for correcting: Ac 17:11; Mt 4:4,7,10; 22:29
•    reliable, can’t be broken, true: Jn 10:35; 8:31f; 17:17
•    more permanent than heaven and earth: Mt 24:35

DEALING WITH DISCREPANCIES

•    miraculous less problematic for postmoderns than moderns (1Cor 15:3f)
•    moderate harmonization solves many inconsistencies
•    minor variances strengthen eyewitness status: suspect “scripted” if accounts identical
•    editors transmitted faithfully without glossing over apostles’ faults

NOT A PAPER POPE: “JESUS IS LORD”

•    Jesus is Lord with ‘all authority’ (Mt 12:8; 22:43ff; 28:18)
•    yet Jesus submitted Himself to God’s plan revealed in Scripture (Mark 8-10; 14:49; Lk 24:25ff)
•    submit to Jesus who trusted Scripture if would experience its power as God’s word (Heb 4:12; 1Thess 2:13)