THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE
“When God Has Spoken, We Must Listen”
Main Text: 2 Timothy 3:16–17
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”
INTRODUCTION
We are living in a time when people have more information than ever before, but having more information does not necessarily mean having more truth.
Everybody has an opinion.
Everybody has a philosophy.
Everybody has a platform.
Everybody has something to say.
But the question for the believer is not simply:
“What does somebody say?”
The question is:
“What has God said?”
The church cannot be built upon opinions.
The church cannot be built upon culture.
The church cannot be built upon traditions of men.
The church cannot be built upon what is popular.
The church must be built upon the Word of God.
Jesus said in Matthew 24:35:
“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”
Everything around us can change.
People change.
Governments change.
Cultures change.
Opinions change.
Technology changes.
But the Word of God remains.
Isaiah 40:8 declares:
“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”
That is why Scripture must have authority in the life of every believer.
I. SCRIPTURE IS INSPIRED BY GOD
Paul tells Timothy:
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God.”
The word inspiration means that Scripture comes from God.
The Bible is not merely a collection of human thoughts about God.
God used human writers, but the ultimate source of Scripture is God Himself.
2 Peter 1:20–21 says:
“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
God moved upon the writers of Scripture.
Moses wrote.
David wrote.
Isaiah wrote.
Jeremiah wrote.
Matthew wrote.
Mark wrote.
Luke wrote.
John wrote.
Paul wrote.
Peter wrote.
Yet behind these human instruments was the work of the Holy Spirit.
The writers were human, but the ultimate Author is God.
That means we should never approach Scripture casually.
When God speaks, His people should listen.
II. SCRIPTURE IS AUTHORITATIVE
If Scripture is truly God's Word, then it carries God's authority.
The Bible is not simply a book that gives us suggestions.
It gives us God's revealed truth.
Psalm 119:105 says:
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
Notice that God's Word gives us direction.
It tells us where to walk.
It tells us where not to walk.
It tells us what to believe.
It tells us what to reject.
It tells us how to live.
It tells us how to treat one another.
It tells us how to repent.
It tells us how to forgive.
It tells us how to worship.
It tells us how to follow Christ.
The question is not:
“Do I agree with the Bible?”
The better question is:
“Do I agree with God?”
Because Scripture is not required to conform to us.
We are called to conform to Scripture.
Romans 12:2 says:
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
The Word of God is supposed to transform us—not the other way around.
III. SCRIPTURE IS SUFFICIENT FOR TEACHING
Paul says Scripture is:
“Profitable for doctrine.”
Doctrine means teaching.
The Bible teaches us what to believe about God.
It teaches us about creation.
It teaches us about sin.
It teaches us about salvation.
It teaches us about Jesus Christ.
It teaches us about the Holy Spirit.
It teaches us about the church.
It teaches us about righteousness.
It teaches us about judgment.
It teaches us about eternal life.
We don't have to invent our own doctrine.
We don't have to create a new gospel.
We don't need to rewrite God's Word to make it acceptable to society.
Galatians 1:8 says:
“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”
There is only one gospel.
The church's responsibility is not to improve the Word.
Our responsibility is to faithfully teach the Word.
IV. SCRIPTURE REBUKES US
Paul says Scripture is profitable:
“For reproof.”
Sometimes the Word of God encourages us.
But sometimes the Word of God confronts us.
And we need both.
Hebrews 4:12 says:
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword.”
The Word can expose what we don't want anybody else to see.
It can reveal our attitudes.
It can expose our pride.
It can confront our unforgiveness.
It can expose our disobedience.
It can reveal hypocrisy.
It can reveal sin.
And when the Word exposes us, we should not become angry with the Word.
We should allow the Word to change us.
A mirror does not insult you when it shows you that something is wrong.
It simply shows you the truth.
The Word of God is a spiritual mirror.
James 1:23–24 says that the person who hears the Word but does not do it is like someone who looks at himself in a mirror and then walks away forgetting what he saw.
The Word says:
“Look at yourself.”
“Examine yourself.”
“Change your ways.”
V. SCRIPTURE CORRECTS US
Paul continues:
“For correction.”
There is a difference between reproof and correction.
Reproof says:
“This is wrong.”
Correction says:
“This is how you need to get back on the right path.”
God does not expose us simply to embarrass us.
He exposes us so He can restore us.
Proverbs 3:11–12 says:
“My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction.”
God's correction is an expression of His love.
Sometimes God has to tell us:
Stop.
Sometimes He says:
Turn around.
Sometimes He says:
Forgive.
Sometimes He says:
Repent.
Sometimes He says:
Let it go.
Sometimes He says:
Come back to Me.
And when God speaks through His Word, we need to obey.
VI. SCRIPTURE TRAINS US IN RIGHTEOUSNESS
Paul says Scripture is profitable:
“For instruction in righteousness.”
God's Word doesn't merely tell us what is wrong.
It teaches us how to live right.
It trains us.
It develops us.
It disciplines us.
It teaches us how to become more like Christ.
You cannot become spiritually mature while refusing spiritual instruction.
A child must be taught.
An athlete must be trained.
A soldier must be trained.
A disciple must be trained.
And God's Word is one of the primary instruments God uses to train His people.
Psalm 119:11 says:
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
The Word needs to get in us.
Not just on the shelf.
Not just in our Bible app.
Not just in the church building.
Not just quoted on Sunday.
The Word needs to get into our hearts.
VII. JESUS HIMSELF LIVED BY THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE
When Satan tempted Jesus in Matthew 4, Jesus repeatedly responded:
“It is written.”
Jesus didn't respond with:
“I feel.”
He didn't say:
“Society says.”
He didn't say:
“My opinion is.”
He said:
“It is written.”
That ought to teach us something.
When temptation comes, know what is written.
When confusion comes, know what is written.
When fear comes, know what is written.
When the enemy attacks your faith, know what is written.
When somebody teaches something contrary to God's truth, know what is written.
You cannot stand on the Word if you don't know the Word.
VIII. WE MUST NOT ADD TO OR TAKE AWAY FROM GOD'S WORD
There is a dangerous temptation to make Scripture say what we want it to say.
We must be careful.
Revelation 22:18–19 gives a serious warning concerning adding to or taking away from the words of God's revelation.
The responsibility of the preacher is not to manipulate Scripture.
The responsibility of the preacher is to rightly divide the Word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15 says:
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God... rightly dividing the word of truth.”
We must handle God's Word correctly.
We cannot take one verse out of context and build an entire doctrine around it.
We cannot make Scripture support our personal agenda.
We cannot use the Bible as a weapon against people while refusing to let it correct ourselves.
Before we use the Word to examine somebody else, we need to allow the Word to examine us.
IX. SCRIPTURE EQUIPS THE PEOPLE OF GOD
Finally, Paul says:
“That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”
The purpose of Scripture is not simply to make us knowledgeable.
It is to make us equipped.
God's Word prepares us for the work God has called us to do.
It equips the preacher.
It equips the teacher.
It equips the evangelist.
It equips the parent.
It equips the leader.
It equips the disciple.
It equips the believer.
God's Word gives us what we need to live faithfully and serve effectively.
X. THE WORD MUST HAVE THE FINAL SAY
There will always be competing voices.
The voice of culture.
The voice of friends.
The voice of family.
The voice of social media.
The voice of entertainment.
The voice of politics.
The voice of personal experience.
The voice of human philosophy.
But above every human voice stands the Word of God.
Acts 5:29 says:
“We ought to obey God rather than men.”
That is the heart of biblical authority.
When God's Word speaks clearly, we must submit ourselves to it.
Not because we understand everything.
Not because it is always convenient.
Not because obedience is always easy.
But because God is God.
CONCLUSION: STAND ON THE WORD
Church, we need to get back to the Bible.
Back to reading the Bible.
Back to studying the Bible.
Back to teaching the Bible.
Back to preaching the Bible.
Back to living the Bible.
Back to obeying the Bible.
The church does not need less Scripture.
We need more Scripture.
Families need the Word.
Children need the Word.
Young people need the Word.
Marriages need the Word.
Leaders need the Word.
Preachers need the Word.
The entire church needs the Word.
Jesus said in Matthew 4:4:
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
Bread feeds the body.
The Word feeds the spirit.
So when the world says one thing—
Check the Word.
When your feelings say one thing—
Check the Word.
When tradition says one thing—
Check the Word.
When somebody preaches something—
Check the Word.
When I preach—
Check the Word.
Because the preacher is not the authority.
God's Word is the authority.
Our assignment is to proclaim it faithfully.
Our responsibility is to receive it humbly.
And our calling is to live it obediently.
CLOSING DECLARATION
I will stand on God's Word.
I will trust God's Word.
I will study God's Word.
I will obey God's Word.
I will not add to God's Word.
I will not take away from God's Word.
I will allow God's Word to correct me.
I will allow God's Word to train me.
I will allow God's Word to transform me.
And when everything else has changed,
I will still stand on the Word of God.
Because:
“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”
The Word of God is still true.
The Word of God is still powerful.
The Word of God is still sufficient.
The Word of God is still authoritative.
And the Word of God will stand forever.