What is Biblical Authority & Why is it Important?

What is Biblical Authority?

• Biblical Authority is when we use the Bible as our foundational source by which to understand all of reality.  Though the Bible may not go in detail in various areas of study, it does give us a framework or 'lens' by which to interpret the world around us.  The Bible was written to reveal knowledge of God and of man (John Calvin), so its emphasis is on matters of worship, salvation, etc.  For this reason, it does not go into great detail in the hard sciences like geology. However, where it does speak of geologic events, like the Genesis Flood, it is absolutely accurate and therefore gives us a basic lens by which to understand aspects of earth's geologic history.

Why is Biblical Authority so important?

• Psalm 11:3 (ESV) states, "If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?" If we fail to assert Biblical Authority, then we fail in our ability to communicate the truth of the gospel because the gospel is based on real historical events.  Essentially, if the Bible is not authoritative in its historical accuracy, then it inevitably falls apart.  For example, in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul argues at length for the criticality of the Resurrection because Christianity hinges on the historical fact of Christ's bodily resurrection.  To deny the historical event of the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ would therefore also deny Christ's victory over death. The enemies of the faith know this, which is why they attack the historicity of the Bible so much.