The Believer’s Certainty that the Scriptures Are the Final Authority for Belief and Behavior (Part 2)

By Mike Harding | October 8, 2019

The Scriptures Convict by Exposing Incorrect Belief

Paul’s unique choice of words (ἐλεγμός) which occurs only here in the NT has the sense of “rebuke” (2 Tim 3:16b). In other words, a correct apprehension of Scripture refutes error. Paul expresses the identical concept in 2 Timothy 4:2, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”

Erroneous views of doctrine have developed into sharp, sometimes divisive controversies, which in turn have led to emotional, acrimonious exchanges and unnecessary polarization. In bibliology, for example, there exists a wide spectrum of views regarding the King James Version. Some believe the heresy that God directly inspires the King James translation itself, and that one can use it to correct the Greek text when necessary. Others erroneously claim superiority for the Textus Receptus as a doctrine, which one must believe by faith. Fundamentally, the solution reverts to a correct apprehension of the doctrine of bibliology in order to understand precisely what was “God-breathed” when the Holy Spirit gave the Scriptures.

Another prevalent error regarding bibliology is the tendency to replace objective biblical truth with an unbiblical reliance upon personal experience as our spiritual authority. According to George Gallup, the current generation of Christians, instead of looking to the Bible, is seeking for direct communication by the Holy Spirit.1 This accounts for an increase in “revelations” rather than genuine interest in God’s recorded special revelation. The implications of this homespun theology diminish faith in the literal truth of the Bible. The effect of these “illuminations” essentially displaces the authority of the objective meaning of Scripture as determined by sound methods of exegesis and replaces it with a subjective inner experience.

Perhaps this yearning for the experiential in contrast to understanding His revealed truth sheds some light on the general decline in Bible reading in recent decades. The declining interest in the Bible as a written document is a popular trend. The 1991 Barna report compared the responses of 18–25 year olds with those 65 years old and above to several questions. First, both groups agreed in similar numbers with the statement, “The Bible is the written Word of God and is totally accurate in all it teaches.”2

When asked whether they read the Bible on a daily basis, 31% of the senior citizens said yes; only 4% of the younger generation (18–25) responded affirmatively.3 Barna conducted the same survey one year later, and the results indicated an even greater decline in Bible reading.

In light of the increasing biblical illiteracy in our culture and churches, the responsibility to include sound biblical content, interpretation, and application in preaching is greater now than it was in a more biblically literate culture. Yet the trend is toward skits and rock music in lieu of preaching and teaching. To the extent that people rely upon the presentation, whatever form it may take, it will be the functional authority. Eventually, dilution of belief in the authority of the Bible is inevitable.

Pragmatism also tends to redefine the message of Scripture. “What works,” the most vital concern to modern pragmatists, becomes the ultimate rubric in ministry. Pragmatists, consequently, nullify the authority of Scripture through “Jesuit casuistry”—the end justifies the means. While the Bible lays out a basic methodology in ministry of assembly, prayer, worship, preaching, teaching, witnessing, and serving, it also specifies significant principles governing how we conduct these activities. In the current church growth movement and mission techniques, pragmatic considerations are displacing scriptural methods and principles. Rather than going to the Bible, many “ministries” draw primarily on the behavioral sciences instead of biblical truth.4

This increasing pragmatism in both Evangelical and Fundamental churches can be seen in the current hymnody emerging out of the cacophony of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM), resulting in the diminishment of biblical truth. The New Testament local church must teach and admonish with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs as a result of being richly indwelt with the Word of God (Eph 5:18–20; Col 3:16). After all, when people leave the church service, they are humming the songs not the sermon. The hymnal indoctrinates believers as well as the pulpit. Unfortunately, the choice of many Christian songs rests on how they make one feel as opposed to what they teach. Pay careful attention to the doctrinal affirmations and omissions of what Christians sing today, and one will ascertain not only what people currently believe, but also more importantly what they will believe.

The modern pop music of the CCM movement, with its trickle-down effect into the Fundamentalist environment, often preaches a moral immanence between the creature and the Creator. “Moral immanence” is a view that places man and God in an immediate relationship, ignoring the infinite gap between God and man and the separation created by sin. The signs are obvious: celebration replaces meditation; praise choruses supplant doctrinal hymns; ‘worshipers’ purposely dress in sloppy attire rather than respectful clothing. Ultimately, one sees a “detheologized” view of the Lord Jesus Christ, an overemphasis on His humanity, and a de-emphasis of His deity and authority. As long as He is the friend and helper who fills human needs, Christians will worship the Son of God with a “Jesus is my boyfriend” demeanor and lyric. A generation from now when large portions of “believers” begin to question either in belief or practice the Lordship, deity, and atoning death of Christ, the “theological mush” of the CCM movement will carry some of the responsibility. One can only hope that this continuous detheologizing of the Christian salvation experience will soon reveal its shallowness for what it is. Only then will a renewed emphasis upon doctrinal preaching and biblical evangelism, which calls sinners to a true conversion, motivate believers to express their faith reverentially with songs delineating the full spectrum of biblical truth.

Mike Harding is the pastor of First Baptist Church of Troy, Troy, Michigan.

 

Previously in this series:

  1. Walter A. Elwell, “Belief and the Bible: A Crisis of Authority?” Christianity Today 24/6 (March 21, 1980), pp. 91–100. [↩]
  2. Approximately 51% of the senior citizens and 46% of the 18–25 year olds affirmed the proposition. [↩]
  3. George Barna, The Barna Report: What Americans Believe (Ventura, CA: Regal, 1991), pp. 292–94. [↩]
  4. David J. Hesselgrave, Today’s Choices for Tomorrow’s Mission: An Evangelical Perspective on Trends and Issues in Missions (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1988), pp. 138–43. [↩]
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