Reflection Paper on “The Authority of the Bible.”

1. L.S. James, ​ALEPH-TAV (I AM the Alpha & the Omega, the Beginning & the End, the First & the Last. Revelation 22.12). 2011, oil, 76 x 102cm, accessed June 1, 2024, https://lsjames-studioart.weebly.com/

1500-word Reflection Paper on “The Authority of the Bible.”

Abstract

That God cannot err, issues claiming the Bible anachronistic, ancient and traditional, have provoked these respective authors because it undermines the authenticity of Scripture, its authority and immutability which, to nuance Scripture errs, makes God scandalous ever since the serpent first said to Eve, “Did God actually say..?” (Gen 3:1).

    That said, Scripture plunged from flawless to Scripturally-sound copies faulted on scribes tasked to translate and transcribe from aged fragmented parchments and papyri. Vanhoozer therefore pinned the onus of bible exegesis on “the fallible interpreter, not to the infallible text.” But with charlatans and Papal supremacy looming, Bible inerrancy was poised to be a doctrine to refute error and preserve truth and “only became part of Protestant confessions in the sixteenth century to counter the idea that tradition is the supreme authority of the church.” Believers also sought the guidance of Church fathers and Reformers by upholding sola Scriptura despite “certain views" and “discrepancies” which Academia taking cue that the “source of truth was reason rather than revelation” fermented skeptics and schisms in the age of Enlightenment to kick in the fragmented Church. How then shall we in the Information Age discern truth from error other than bible criticism championed by B.B. Warfield the 19th century Princeton academic? Disciples must engage the Holy Spirit as Teacher and reject the semblance of “a different gospel.” As Vanhoozer said, “Inerrancy means that every sentence, when interpreted correctly (i.e., in accordance with its literary genre and its literary sense), is wholly reliable.”

    Then again is this ancient narrative relevant today? A historical book by nature about a wandering Hebrew proselyte divinely chosen by Yahweh to redeem mankind through his seed that culminated in The Messiah Yeshua, the Bible addresses issues from eternity past, present and future even if answers like limited atonement spells fatalism. Still generations have embraced this ancient narrative regardless of gender, race, culture and circumstance. How then a cache of ancient Hebrew-Aramaic-Greek script steep in prose, poetry and prophecy come to claim nations evidence the Spirit of God vested in its narrative through which and who God chose to accomplish His plan. Adam, for a start, whose authority and dominion was vested with the antediluvians, saw the merits of Seth, Enoch and Noah; and later the Patriarchs; then Moses, Israel and the Messiah Yeshua whom the Jews rejected as theirs and had him crucified. But history is ‘His-tory’ and in his resurrection, the Lord vested His authority in his Apostles after which the Holy Spirit initiated His to the elect since Pentecost (Acts 2).

    But with grievances to air, “challenges to traditional concepts and arguments” sprang even from the pews to demonize, diminish and deconstruct the authority of the Bible for personal gain. Feminists, for example, have faulted Scripture as unduly patriarchal while descendants of ex-slaves seething still seek redress to the bible’s view on slavery. And have critics seized the Prophets’ thunder when they ascribe “divine origin and authority” to texts per se? For should we explore Scripture, Bird submits two principles to exegesis viz. that Scripture remains “the primary source” and “the meaning and authority of the Bible cannot be determined apart from the community that created, transmitted, and interpreted it.” Having observed the perpetual Jew who exemplified its 613 laws and superseded the other ancients that have altogether dissolved, I likewise embrace the Authority of the Bible because of the “incarnational character of the One to whom it bears witness” and hold fast to liturgies, Catechisms, sacraments, etc., because His substance is in the form and the finite.  

    Having summarized three key issues, I question myself, “Has The Authority of the Bible owned me?

    For “the anointing with sacred chrism, perfumed oil consecrated by the bishop, signifies the gift of the Holy Spirit to the newly baptized, who has become a Christian, that is, one "anointed" by the Holy Spirit, incorporated into Christ who is anointed priest, prophet, and king” (CCC #1241). 

    Thus, as one who “have been crucified with Christ”, baptized into His death, raised a new creation to be co-heir in Christ, I am vested with the Holy Spirit to be “as He is” a priest, prophet, and king distinct from the unregenerate. This is the expressed will of the Father when Jesus prayed, “I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” John, in later age, reinforced his message saying, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” That God demands his people be “separated” from the profane, Paul vouched further still: “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God..Put to death therefore what is earthly in you..”    

CONCLUSION 

Summing up, this Q&A stems from my journey with God: 

“How is The Authority of the Bible (that is Jesus) in my worldview?”

. 

Is God male or gender fluid?

Like a lion without a mane, Yahweh is bereft of his when Jesus plainly said, “before Abraham was, I am…I and the Father are one...Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” 

Is “Church” necessary? 

The Church, firstly, comprises two or three corporate believers regardless of place, time, form and man-made monuments. 

Should Church and State be separate? 

Yes, for the kingdom of God is not this fallen world.

Is the death sentence for trafficking more than 15g of heroin in Singapore justified?

Scripture distinguishes from a secular law superfluous by Bible standards and inciting international condemnation. But if necessary evil is the premise, I beg to disavow. 

Is “Once saved, always saved” biblical? 

Yes, even in homicide, suicide and assisted-suicide.

Has the New Testament permitted divorce? 

No, neither did Paul accommodate the unbelieving spouse that “departs” because separation carries the intent of reconciliation. Believers who divorce and remarry, along with the complicit who vouch for it, are willful antagonists guilty of fragmenting families and society even as Jesus pinned divorce to “hardened” hearts. 

Has God sanctioned abortion? 

When Jewish abstract declares life begins at birth (when God breathed life to Adam and he became an animated soul cf. Gen 2:7) the stalemate has scalpelled innocent billions since the sexual revolution of the 1960’s. 

Has God embraced homosexuals (LGBTQ, etc.) in the Church age? 

No. 

Should Christians embrace religious festivals?

If the Patriarchs could renounce their Mesopotamian gods for Yahweh to eventually deliver The Messiah, neither should Covenant-keepers flirt with Christmas myths, Chinese horoscopes, Diwali, Eid, divinations, etc. 

Are Christians allowed to eat cats, dogs and vermin? 

That The Jerusalem Council of AD 49 dominated by Torah-observant Messianics mandated Gentiles to observe only 4 of the 613 laws viz. to “abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality” (Acts 15:24-29), eating household pets is no more despicable than stripping calves of their lactating mothers, primed and served by celebrity chefs on US$80m jets cruising 45000 ft above toward Davos for a high-profile summit on Climate Change that in itself fleeces the Earth. Then again, that man has dominion to steward the Earth justifies all these (Gen 1:26-30; 2:15-20). PS. Inspired by Daniel 1 in 2021, I've been a trimmed-fit vegan since.

But is Climate change a hoax or biblical?     

It's a biblical degradation of all creation. 

Is extravagance sinful then? 

Certainly. When I speculate the stewards commended for their twofold gains (Mt 25:14-30), I would justify my interests and ecological stamp on plant, animal life, sweatshops and all as vital to gratify someone’s lavish gala event, $500m superyacht and Almas caviar. Then again, jobs were created, meals laid, children paid their pittance in Congo. There is a day no less when monarchs, legislators and commoners from the First to Fourth World will account for their toll on Mother Earth.     

Why does God delay destroying the unregenerate? 

Jesus being “mediator between God and men” grace is but time for all to repent or heap reasons for their own condemnation. 

Observing the Church and her evil twin Babylon, God becomes personal and Scripture subjective when the righteous are but the ungodly justified and “scarcely saved.” Who is good if the Church is merely forensically righteous and forgiven? None. With these issues petitioning the Golden Rule (Mt 7:12), I, as a sojourner, choose to ‘live and let live’ exercising God’s gift of free will but not free choice. 

Friday 6 Aug 2024 (Word count 1549)

1. immutability Jn 1:1-4; Acts 3:15; Col 1:16-17 

2. papyri. 2 Tim 3:16-17; The Hebrew Bible has come down to us through the scrupulous care of ancient scribes who copied the original text in successive generations…[and] that fully eighty-five percent of the New Testament text is the same in the Textus Receptus, the Alexandrian Text, and the Majority Text. Blue Letter Bible, "NKJV Preface", n.d.,  accessed August 21, 2024, https://www.blueletterbible.org/bibles/preface-to-the-new-king-james-version.cfm

3. fathers AD 100-800; Alister E. McGrath, Historical Theology: An Introduction to the History of Christian Thought, 2nd ed. West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell, 2013. 

4. gospel.” Jn 6:45; 14:26; 1 Jn 2:27; 2 Tim 2:15; 1 Cor 11:1-11

5. divinely chosen by Yahweh Biblical tradition attributes the foundation of Hebrew Yahwism to the Patriarchal Period. To be sure, Yahwe had been known in the remote past (Gen. 4:26) but his monotheism, as associated with his people, dates from Abraham. This is in general borne out by extra-biblical sources. Thus Yahwistic personal names of the so-called Amorites occur on Babylonian tablets prior to Abraham's time. On the other hand, it is now clear that the monotheistic crystallization which took place in the patriarchal period fits into a historic context when monotheism was in the air internationally. From prehistoric antiquity the polytheistic Semites had a god par excellence; 'el as a common noun designated any "god" but as a proper noun meant the supreme "God". Cyrus H. Gordon,  “The Patriarchal Age”, Journal of Bible and Religion 21, no. 4 (1953): 238–43, accessed May 30, 2024, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1457963; “Jesus said many things that equated Himself with Yahweh…In addition, Jesus accepted worship nine times in the gospels, forgave sins...The New Testament writers also refer to Jesus as God many times…In conclusion, the teaching of Scripture is that Jesus is indeed Yahweh, the I AM, the God of the Old Testament.” Got Questions Ministries, “Is Jesus Yahweh?,” n.d., accessed August 24, 2024, https://www.gotquestions.org/is-Jesus-Yahweh.html; I AM Ex‬ 3‬:14‬-15‬; Jn 4‬:24‬-26;‬ 6:20; 8:58–59; 15:1; 18:4–8; Mk 6:50; 14‬:60‬-64

6. authority Mk 6:7-13; Mt 28:18-20; 1 Cor 15:1-11; Gal 3:28-29

7. (CCC #1241). Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1241 “How is the Sacrament of Baptism Celebrated?” accessed August 10, 2024, https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM; “We will never cease to be prophets, priests, and kings in union with and in submission to the Messiah. Through all eternity we will continue to share these offices with him. It really is a wonderful thing to bear the name of Christ!” G.I. Williamson, The Heidelberg Catechism: A Study Guide (Phillipsburg, N.J.: P & R Pub, 1993) 59; Rev 1:6; Mt 5:48; Rom 6:1-14; 2 Co 5:17; Eph 2:4-6; 1 Pet 1:14-16; 1 Jn 4:17

8. crucified with Christ” cf. Gal 2:20; Rom 8:19; 13:12; 1 Cor 3:16-17; 12:12-30; 1 Pet 1:15; 2:5; 3:15; Jn 15:1-10; Mal 3:6; Heb 13:8 

9. not of the world cf. Jn 17:14-16; 18:36; 1 Jn 2:15-17; separated Rom 12:1-2; 2 Cor 6:14-18; Col 3:1-5; Ps 1:1-2 

10. Manifested in me. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him...If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him...But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you" (Jn 14:21, 23, 26; 2 Tim 3:16-17).

11. seen the Father.” Isa 9:6; Jn 8:58–59; 10:22-33; 14:7-11; Lk 2:21; Phil 2:6-11; Gen 18:1–3, 22; 32:22–30; Josh 5:13–15; Ex 15:3; Rev 5:5; I AM Ex‬ 3‬:14‬-15‬; Jn 4‬:24‬-26;‬ 6:20; 15:1; 18:4–8; Mk 6:50; 14‬:60‬-64; Dan 7:9-14; Summary: Shekhinah, the ‘cloud of Yahweh’ in the Bible, a synonym for God’s presence in the rabbinic tradition, and a feminine hypostasis in the Kabbalah, is a popular theological image in contemporary Jewish feminist circles. Shekhinah currently exists in many forms: she is another name for God, feminine, relational, experiential; she is a Goddess and the singular image that is sufficiently adaptable for a diverse range of postmodern feminist interpreters. However, the processes by which Shekhinah became the God/dess of Jewish feminism have not been researched. Luke Devine, “How Shekhinah Became the God(dess) of Jewish Feminism”, Feminist Theology 23 (1): 71–91. 2014, accessed August 28, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1177/0966735014542380.

12. man-made monuments. Mt 18:20; Acts 7:48; 1 Pet 2:4-7; Eph 2:19-22; Heb 12:1-2

13. not of this world. Mt 17:24-27; Mk 12:13-17; Rom 13:1-7; 2 Cor 6:14-18

14. Bible standards Rom 13:1-7; Jn 17:14-16; 18:36

15. suicide. Jn 10:18; 27-30; Rom 4:1-8; 8:30-39

16. divorce to “hardened” hearts. Mt 19:3-9; Mk 10:1-12; Mal 2:16; 1 Cor 7:10-16; 2 Cor 6:14-18; Rev 2-3

17. homosexuals (LGBTQ, etc.) in the Church age? No. Rom 1:18-32; Rev 21:8; Jn 8:11; Pope Francis opened the door Monday for some Catholic priests to bless same-sex unions, hinting at a reversal of the official Vatican position that has put it at odds with many of its own progressive followers. However, Francis outlined some major caveats, including that they should be decided on a case-by-case basis and not seen as equivalent to heterosexual wedding ceremonies. As recently as 2021, the Vatican said it could not condone same-sex unions because “God cannot bless sin.” But on Monday, the pope signaled that there could be exceptions to that stance. NBC News,  Alexander Smith, “Pope Francis signals openness to blessings for same-sex couples”,  October 3, 2023, accessed Feb 28 2024, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/pope-francis-signals-open-blessing-same-sex-unions-catholic-priests-rcna118525; The Church of England, ”Prayers for God’s blessing for same-sex couples take step forward after Synod debate” September 2,  2023,  accessed  Feb 28 2024,  https://www.churchofengland.org/media/press-releases/prayers-gods-blessing-same-sex-couples-take-step-forward-after-synod-debate 

18. Christmas myths, etc. Gen 12:1-4; Ex 20:3-7; 34:13-15; Josh 24:1-3; 14-17; 2 Cor 6:14-18

19. trimmed-fit vegan. World Economic Forum, “Our resources are running out. These charts show how urgently action is needed”, March 4, 2024, accessed September 31, 2024, https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/03/sustainable-resource-consumption-urgent-un/; The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), ”We’re gobbling up the Earth’s resources at an unsustainable rate”,  03 April 2019, accessed September 31, 2024; Encyclopedia Britannica, Metych, M.. "overharvesting." July 27, 2024, accessed September 31, 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/overharvesting; The Atlantic, James Hamblin, “If Everyone Ate Beans Instead of Beef?,” August 2, 2017, accessed December 4, 2021, https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/08/if-everyone-ate-beans-instead-of-beef/535536/; Mercy For Animals, “Farm to Fridge” Feb 4, 2011, YouTube video, 11:50. https://youtu.be/THIODWTqx5E [accessed 2012]

20. biblical rot. Gen - Rev; Gen 1:26-30; 2:15-20; Acts 15:24-29; 2 Pet 3:5-13 

21. carbon footprints. Mt 25:14-30 cf. Mt 19:16-30; Rev 11:18

22. condemnation. Ezek 18:32; Jonah 4:11; Mediator 1 Tim 2:5; Heb 7:25; 1 Jn 2:1; Repent. Strong's Greek 3340 metanoeó: to change one's mind or purpose..change the inner man (particularly with reference to acceptance of the will of God); accessed August 28, 2024, https://biblehub.com/greek/3340.htm; Gen 6:3: 19; Ex 7:13-8:19;  Lk 13:6-10; Rom 1:18-32; 2:4-5; Pro 1:20-33; Mt 7:21-23: Dan 7:9-14

23. Babylon. Trinity Foundation, Barry Bowen, “Estimate: Christian Religious Leaders to Embezzle $86 Billion in 2024”, March 12, 2024, accessed August 1, 2024 https://trinityfi.org/investigations/estimate-christian-religious-leaders-to-embezzle-86-billion-in-2024/; International Bulletin of Mission Research, Zurlo, G. A., Johnson, T. M., & Crossing, P. F. (2024), “World Christianity 2024: Fragmentation and Unity”, 48(1), 43-54, accessed August 1, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1177/23969393231201817; Wikipedia, "List of Christian denominations affirming LGBT people," n.d. accessed August 7, 2024,  https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Christian_denominations_affirming_LGBT_people&oldid=1237717990

24. Mediator 1 Tim 2:5; Heb 7:25; Ezek 18:32; Jonah 4:11; ungodly justified. Strong's 765 asebés: ungodly, impious, wicked, irreverent; accessed August 8, 2024, https://biblehub.com/greek/765.htm; Rom 4:1-8; 2 Cor 5:21; Paul often uses the noun righteousness to denote ethical righteousness—the kind of behavior that pleases God (e.g. Rom 6:13, 16, 18, 19, 20; 2 Cor 6:7, 14; 9:9; 11:15; Eph 4:24; 5:9; 6:14; Phil 1:11; 3:6; 1 Tim 6:11; 2 Tim 2:22; 3:16; 4:8; Titus 3:5); “scarcely saved” 1 Pet 4:18; The Gospel Coalition, Justin Taylor, “What Does Paul Mean by “the Righteousness of God?,” October 13, 2010, accessed July 21, 2024, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/righteousness-of-god/

25. not free choice. Free will Gen 2:15-17; Live and let live cf. Rom 2:1-12; Forgiveness Lk 7:36-50; Death-bed salvation 23:39-43; The faithful Heb 11; 2 Pet 3:1-13; Choice Josh 24:14-15; Mt 6:24; 19:7-8