1
Jun-22
10. Sources of wisdom and authority
Authority of the Bible:
Conservatism: Evangelical Protestantism, Catholicism
1. Evangelical Protestantism:
The Bible is literally true; God dictated it, therefore it is inerrant.
Christians are saved by God’s grace via atonement (Jesus) and are therefore committed
to spreading the word about Jesus.
2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching.”
(“inspired” = “God-breathed”).
2 Peter 1:20-21: “No prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation … it
came from man moved by the Holy Spirit.”
When religion and science conflict, religion is authoritative.
Genesis is scientifically and historically true.
‘Verbal plenary inspiration’ = God inspired all scripture – doesn’t mean he approved of it
all, but it is all considered truth.
Authors inspired to produce the precise words he wanted and added their personality.
o E.g., Matthew mainly addresses a Jewish audience, while Luke aims to spread
the word about Jesus.
2. Catholicism:
The Bible is inspired by God.
Tradition and scripture have equal authority (both derive from God).
o Scripture = speech of God
o Tradition = transmission of the active word of God via HS.
o E.g., apostolic tradition – Jesus appointed apostles to spread the word of God.
Led to apostolic succession (appointing of bishops given teaching authority).
HS = active part of the church helping tradition to develop. New truths can be discovered
because tradition finds new interpretations of scripture to address modern issues.
Magisterium are the authoritative body for interpretation of scripture (bishops in
communication with the Pope).
Catholic faith is therefore inerrant because there is an ‘instinct of faith’ that allows
believers to distinguish between authentic Christian doctrines and falsities.
Sacred scripture = word of God through inspiration of HS (God chose and inspired
authors to write what he wanted. Human authors also used their own faculties such as
erotic poems and humour). Therefore, whole Bible is inerrant (‘truth’).
Over time, mistranslation errors have arisen and need to be interpreted to reveal truth.
To interpret scripture, it must be seen as a ‘unity’/whole, read within the living tradition
of the church, and the interpreter must be aware of the unchanging faith of the church.
Neo-orthodoxy: Barth
Bible is fully human and fully divine. Rejects the idea that it is inerrant; there are scientific and
historical errors, and contradiction (e.g., creation was originally a Babylonia myth) – human.
The Bible is not the word of God, it merely contains it - Christianity is God’s attempt to read the
people. We have to find the revelation within the human language.
God reveals himself in Jesus (the Word), not the Bible, therefore Jesus should be worshipped.
The Bible makes humanity realise that we need forgiveness, so we feel Jesus the forgiver as a
result.
Scripture is a means to experience God; when His presence is felt, the Bible becomes personally
meaningful and authoritative.
Liberalism: Social gospel movement, process theology
, 2
Jun-22
1. Social gospel movement:
19th-20th century Protestants.
Use Christian ethical principles to apply to social issues.
Social action is more important than which doctrines are true/whether they were
inspired.
The Bible is authoritative for how we should live.
Post WWI, therefore more necessary to act than be concerned about scripture.
2. Process theology:
Attempts to take on the discrepancy between science and the Bible.
God is not the creator; he exists panentheistically with the universe (he is in it, and it is
in him).
God is not omnipotent; he could only persuade matter in order to create the universe
and cannot solve the problem of evil.
God does not intervene – there are no miracles and no answers to prayer.
Jesus is not God incarnate.
The Bible is an entirely human document. It can be called “inspired” only because it
uplifts people.
Authority of the church:
God has ultimate authority, which is given to scripture. The Bible gives authority to the Church (apostolic
tradition and succession). Each Church has a body of holy tradition that is part of its authority.
The Catholic Church is the largest Christian Church. It is considered to be hostile towards intellectual
inquiry, though Aquinas was a Catholic scholar.
The Protestant Church emerged from the late 16th-century reformation (Martin Luther was expelled from
the Catholic Church for protesting). They believe in sola fide and sola scriptura.
Catholic: apostolic tradition and succession
The Bible and Church have equal authority.
Apostolic tradition = Jesus appointed apostles to preach the gospel to all (orally and in writing)
under the inspiration of the HS.
2 Timothy 2: “What you have heard from me … entrust to faithful me who will be able to teach
also.” – Apostolic succession (never-ending line of bishops).
Tradition and scripture are linked through HS – the Church alone has the authority to interpret
scripture correctly because the Bible was written under the inspiration of HS and taught under it
also, therefore they have equal authority.
Protestant: Sola scriptura
Only authority is “word of God through which alone we obtain whatever knowledge we have of
God.”
Humans should not pass judgement on God’s word or try to change it/say which parts are true or
false – people should be changed by the Bible, not the other way round.
It doesn’t matter who speaks in the Church, only what is spoken.
Church teaching must be in line with the Bible – without scripture there would be no church,
therefore scripture is of authority.
“Priesthood of all believers” = everyone has equal access to God through prayer, without the
need for an ordained priest.
Authority of Jesus:
Jun-22
10. Sources of wisdom and authority
Authority of the Bible:
Conservatism: Evangelical Protestantism, Catholicism
1. Evangelical Protestantism:
The Bible is literally true; God dictated it, therefore it is inerrant.
Christians are saved by God’s grace via atonement (Jesus) and are therefore committed
to spreading the word about Jesus.
2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching.”
(“inspired” = “God-breathed”).
2 Peter 1:20-21: “No prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation … it
came from man moved by the Holy Spirit.”
When religion and science conflict, religion is authoritative.
Genesis is scientifically and historically true.
‘Verbal plenary inspiration’ = God inspired all scripture – doesn’t mean he approved of it
all, but it is all considered truth.
Authors inspired to produce the precise words he wanted and added their personality.
o E.g., Matthew mainly addresses a Jewish audience, while Luke aims to spread
the word about Jesus.
2. Catholicism:
The Bible is inspired by God.
Tradition and scripture have equal authority (both derive from God).
o Scripture = speech of God
o Tradition = transmission of the active word of God via HS.
o E.g., apostolic tradition – Jesus appointed apostles to spread the word of God.
Led to apostolic succession (appointing of bishops given teaching authority).
HS = active part of the church helping tradition to develop. New truths can be discovered
because tradition finds new interpretations of scripture to address modern issues.
Magisterium are the authoritative body for interpretation of scripture (bishops in
communication with the Pope).
Catholic faith is therefore inerrant because there is an ‘instinct of faith’ that allows
believers to distinguish between authentic Christian doctrines and falsities.
Sacred scripture = word of God through inspiration of HS (God chose and inspired
authors to write what he wanted. Human authors also used their own faculties such as
erotic poems and humour). Therefore, whole Bible is inerrant (‘truth’).
Over time, mistranslation errors have arisen and need to be interpreted to reveal truth.
To interpret scripture, it must be seen as a ‘unity’/whole, read within the living tradition
of the church, and the interpreter must be aware of the unchanging faith of the church.
Neo-orthodoxy: Barth
Bible is fully human and fully divine. Rejects the idea that it is inerrant; there are scientific and
historical errors, and contradiction (e.g., creation was originally a Babylonia myth) – human.
The Bible is not the word of God, it merely contains it - Christianity is God’s attempt to read the
people. We have to find the revelation within the human language.
God reveals himself in Jesus (the Word), not the Bible, therefore Jesus should be worshipped.
The Bible makes humanity realise that we need forgiveness, so we feel Jesus the forgiver as a
result.
Scripture is a means to experience God; when His presence is felt, the Bible becomes personally
meaningful and authoritative.
Liberalism: Social gospel movement, process theology
, 2
Jun-22
1. Social gospel movement:
19th-20th century Protestants.
Use Christian ethical principles to apply to social issues.
Social action is more important than which doctrines are true/whether they were
inspired.
The Bible is authoritative for how we should live.
Post WWI, therefore more necessary to act than be concerned about scripture.
2. Process theology:
Attempts to take on the discrepancy between science and the Bible.
God is not the creator; he exists panentheistically with the universe (he is in it, and it is
in him).
God is not omnipotent; he could only persuade matter in order to create the universe
and cannot solve the problem of evil.
God does not intervene – there are no miracles and no answers to prayer.
Jesus is not God incarnate.
The Bible is an entirely human document. It can be called “inspired” only because it
uplifts people.
Authority of the church:
God has ultimate authority, which is given to scripture. The Bible gives authority to the Church (apostolic
tradition and succession). Each Church has a body of holy tradition that is part of its authority.
The Catholic Church is the largest Christian Church. It is considered to be hostile towards intellectual
inquiry, though Aquinas was a Catholic scholar.
The Protestant Church emerged from the late 16th-century reformation (Martin Luther was expelled from
the Catholic Church for protesting). They believe in sola fide and sola scriptura.
Catholic: apostolic tradition and succession
The Bible and Church have equal authority.
Apostolic tradition = Jesus appointed apostles to preach the gospel to all (orally and in writing)
under the inspiration of the HS.
2 Timothy 2: “What you have heard from me … entrust to faithful me who will be able to teach
also.” – Apostolic succession (never-ending line of bishops).
Tradition and scripture are linked through HS – the Church alone has the authority to interpret
scripture correctly because the Bible was written under the inspiration of HS and taught under it
also, therefore they have equal authority.
Protestant: Sola scriptura
Only authority is “word of God through which alone we obtain whatever knowledge we have of
God.”
Humans should not pass judgement on God’s word or try to change it/say which parts are true or
false – people should be changed by the Bible, not the other way round.
It doesn’t matter who speaks in the Church, only what is spoken.
Church teaching must be in line with the Bible – without scripture there would be no church,
therefore scripture is of authority.
“Priesthood of all believers” = everyone has equal access to God through prayer, without the
need for an ordained priest.
Authority of Jesus:
