V. Thoughtful Christians Affirm the Enduring Authority of the Bible

The foundation for the pattern of Christian truth and for a Christian worldview is the Bible, God’s Word to us. The Bible describes itself as a special book. Even before the canonization of the sacred books, importance was attached to the inspired writings. Moses referred to these writings as “everything the Lord had said” in “the book of the Covenant” (Exodus 24:4–7). Joshua’s farewell address was written “in the book of the law of God” (Joshua 24:26). Similarly, the prophets and the apostles thought of their writings as “the very words of God” (Romans 3:2). Jesus declared that scripture is the word of God that “cannot be broken” (John 10:35). The Apostle Paul confessed that “all scripture is God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16).  We can affirm that the prophetic-apostolic word is God’s word written. Without this writing there would be no scriptures and therefore no Word of God available to us.⁶⁵

God has not abandoned us but has made himself known to us in his revelation to us. God’s special revelation is not private, but public. It is not only particular, meaning God has made himself known to specific people at specific times in specific places, but it is also progressive, propositional, and personal. The context of this revelation is primarily God himself, his works, and his word. It is the manifestation of truth about God, his character, his actions, and his relationship with his creation.⁶⁶ God is pleased to reveal himself and his majestic word to people of faith. Our response of faith to this Word, recorded and interpreted by the prophets and the apostles, calls for us to embrace with humility and teachable hearts, without finding fault, whatever is taught in holy scripture.

Thoughtful Christians will find in inspired scripture a message about God and his purposes, including the creation of the universe. The Bible describes the call of Abraham, the giving of the Law, and the establishment of the Kingdom, the division of the Kingdom, and the captivity and restoration of Israel. Scripture sees humankind as fallen from a sinless condition, now separated from God apart from God’s salvific grace. The promise of a coming Messiah who will redeem men and women and reign as king appears throughout the Old Testament. The message of redemption in the Word of God claims that believers are restored to favor with God through the sacrificial and atoning death of Christ.⁶⁷

The confession of Jesus as the Christ, the Savior of the world, is at the heart of the Christian faith and is central to the meaning of holy scriptures. Thoughtful Christians not only recognize this message, but also affirm the Bible’s inspiration, truthfulness, authority, and normative nature. We evidence our concern for biblical authority by careful interpretation and theological reflection, as well as faithful proclamation, repentance, and prayer.⁶⁸ An affirmation that the Bible is fully inspired and totally truthful is important because it is the foundation that establishes the complete extent of the Bible’s authority.⁶⁹

Thoughtful Christians must choose to articulate a view of the Bible for the contemporary community of faith that is faithful to and in continuity with the consensus of historic positions in the church that have characteristically recognized the Bible as the written Word of God. Building upon that foundation block we can relate to one another in love and humility, bringing about truth, fellowship, and community and resulting not only in right doctrine, but also in right practice before a watching world.⁷⁰ The Bible is the primary source of God’s self-revelation for his people today. Even though times and cultures change, the basic needs shared by men and women of all ages and races in all times and cultures remain the same, and thus the message of God is normative, authoritative, and applicable as much for thoughtful Christians in the twenty-first century as the first.⁷¹ We acknowledge that scripture speaks to the spiritual needs of men and women, but more importantly it reveals the truth of and about God. We confess that all scripture is inspired and is the true, reliable, Word of God for the people of God.⁷² Beyond these affirmations and articulations about the Word of God, we willingly and happily commit ourselves to it by placing our trust and confidence in the truthful, trustworthy, reliable, authoritative Word of God.

VI. Thoughtful Christians Recognize the Christian Intellectual Tradition as a Valuable Resource

The Christian intellectual tradition serves as a valuable resource for thoughtful Christians, helping them understand the ways that Christians through the years have read the Bible, formulated doctrine, provided education, and engaged the culture.⁷³ The apostle Paul, writing to the church at Thessalonica, urged the followers of Jesus Christ to “stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught” (2 Thessalonians 2:15). Similarly, the apostle exhorted Timothy, his apostolic legate to “keep…the pattern of…teaching” (2 Timothy 1:13). The history of Christianity is best understood as a chain of memory.⁷⁴

Wherever the Christian faith has been found, there has been a close association with the written Word of God, with books, education, and learning. Studying and interpreting the Bible became natural for members of the early Christian community, having inherited the practice from late Judaism. Virginia Stem Owens has suggested that studying literature developed from the practice of studying and interpreting the Bible.⁷⁵ The Christian intellectual tradition has its roots in the interpretation of holy scripture. From the church’s earliest days, Christians inherited the approaches to biblical interpretation found in the writings of both intertestamental Judaism and the contemporary Graeco-Roman world. From this dual heritage, there is an observable continuity with the hermeneutical methods of the rabbis and Philo as well as the followers of Plato and Aristotle. Yet, a discontinuity is also clearly evident as early Christianity established its own uniqueness by separating itself from Judaism and the surrounding Graeco-Roman religions.⁷⁶

Since the earliest days of Christian history, Christians have drawn upon the Bible in various ways. The rich heritage has shaped the Christian tradition in both individual and corporate practices.⁷⁷ In order to recover this valuable resource for our contemporary context, we must seek to learn from interpreters of scripture, from theologians, and from educators, as well as other Christian leaders. We can learn to think deeply about the things of God from representatives of this tradition who have gone before us and on whose shoulders we now stand. Justin Martyr and Irenaeus were probably among the first in postapostolic times to articulate the importance of thinking in Christian categories. In Alexandria in the third century, both Clement and Origen instructed their converts not only in doctrine, but in science, literature, and philosophy. Augustine in the fifth century, in On Christian Doctrine, penned the thought that every true and good Christian should understand that wherever we find truth, it is the Lord’s.⁷⁸

Similar patterns may be found throughout history, for wherever the gospel has been received, educational entities and Christian literacy have generally followed.⁷⁹ This legacy can be traced not only though Bernard of Clairvaux and Thomas Aquinas, but also Erasmus, Luther, Calvin, and Melanchthon.⁸⁰ We learn much from post-Reformation philosophers, scientists, theologians, and literary scholars like Blaise Pascal, Johannes Kepler, Jonathan Edwards, C.S. Lewis, Dorothy Sayers, and numerous others.⁸¹ This pattern of Christian truth lies at the heart of the Christian intellectual tradition, a pattern that is both shaped by and informed by our confession of the Christian faith.⁸² As we learn from the tradition, we will see our faith strengthened and our orthodox commitments renewed, commitments to the divine nature and authority of God’s written word, to the deity and humanity of Jesus Christ, to a heartfelt confession regarding the holy Trinity, to the uniqueness of the gospel message and the enabling work of God’s Holy Spirit, to salvation by grace through faith, to the global church, to the hope of the coming kingdom, and to the sacredness of life and family.⁸³

Thoughtful Christians will work to develop a model of dynamic orthodoxy in conversation with Nicaea, Chalcedon, Augustine, Bernard, Luther, Calvin, Wesley, the Pietists, and the influential global Christian leaders of the twenty-first century in order to reclaim and build upon the great Christian intellectual tradition. The great tradition of Christian thinking not only helps to shape our biblical and theological understanding, but also provides a vast resource for philosophy, art, music, literature, drama, architecture, law, political and social thought, and other forms of cultural and academic engagement. Interestingly, Christian reflection and devotional practices were influenced by the work of this significant heritage.⁸⁴ It is our hope that as we wrestle with the many challenges facing Christ-followers in our day that the great tradition of Christian thinking will provide valuable resources and examples to encourage our faith and shape significant ecclesiastical, educational, and cultural pursuits, even as we grow in our appreciation for and commitment to thinking Christianly for the glory of God.⁸⁵