THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE
TUESDAY, MAY 20
READING: 2 TIMOTHY 3:16 | COLOSSIANS 3:16 | 1 TIMOTHY 3:14-15
Jesus said the true church would be identified by their love for one another. John 13 quotes Jesus as saying “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
However, followers of Jesus have often pursued other markers, indicators other than the one Jesus prioritized as the most important — markers like the name of their movement, or the founder of the movement they’re connected to, the church name, terms of membership, style of worship, or their denomination affiliation.
In the early days of the Restoration Movement, there was a reaction to these “divisions” and debates about what group had it right, figured out, what beliefs and practices were reliable, etc. Some well-known statements that surfaced and remain as a helpful reference point for churches similar to Compassion in belief and practice summarize the desire to return to the basics of Scripture and basic distinctives of our faith. Some of these include:
With this high view of Scripture in mind, we must remind ourselves — it is one thing to say we believe it, but another thing to commit our lives to this elevated view of the Bible. Do I know and understand the Bible enough that it has become my companion? Do I hold it close or keep it at a distance?
However, followers of Jesus have often pursued other markers, indicators other than the one Jesus prioritized as the most important — markers like the name of their movement, or the founder of the movement they’re connected to, the church name, terms of membership, style of worship, or their denomination affiliation.
In the early days of the Restoration Movement, there was a reaction to these “divisions” and debates about what group had it right, figured out, what beliefs and practices were reliable, etc. Some well-known statements that surfaced and remain as a helpful reference point for churches similar to Compassion in belief and practice summarize the desire to return to the basics of Scripture and basic distinctives of our faith. Some of these include:
- We speak where the Bible speaks and remain silent where the Bible is silent.
- Back to the Bible in faith and practice.
- No creed but Christ; no book but the Bible.
- In matters of faith, unity; in matters of opinion, liberty; in all things charity.
With this high view of Scripture in mind, we must remind ourselves — it is one thing to say we believe it, but another thing to commit our lives to this elevated view of the Bible. Do I know and understand the Bible enough that it has become my companion? Do I hold it close or keep it at a distance?
JOURNALING QUESTIONS | PRAYER PROMPS
As you think about your “relationship” with Scripture, consider what might happen if:
Write a simple prayer asking GOD to help you prioritize your interaction with His Word. Listen for what the Spirit may be inviting you to.
- I removed all distractions and as many hurdles as I could and created a regular time and space to engage the Bible. What might that kind of commitment produce in my mind and heart?
- What if the Holy Spirit stirred within me a deep longing, desire, a sense of hunger and keen interest in the Scripture? What might that be like for me?
Write a simple prayer asking GOD to help you prioritize your interaction with His Word. Listen for what the Spirit may be inviting you to.
NEXT STEPS
- Consider taking a Bible class. You might start with one of the free classes currently offered by The Bible Project. Here is a short introduction to the idea and an invitation to join the class on Joseph, The Dreamer, an Old Testament character whose life was filled with suffering, set-backs and radical redemption.
https://youtube.com/shorts/Zdlb_hQBxlg?si=mTKAd4VwHx-Em7gW