We should always take the Bible seriously but we are not always to take it literally.

The Bible is for us, but it was not written to us. Listen for more...

In week one of our series we talked about how our Bible came to be. Last week we zeroed in on inspiration. And this week we’re going to take a hard look at the Bible as an authority. After all, if the Bible is inspired, it should have some authority in our lives, right?

But—and here’s where the debate starts—how precisely is the Bible an authority and how do we live under such authority? Is the Bible equally authoritative and therefore prescriptive in all its parts? How do we separate God’s authority, biblical authority, and the authority of the interpreter?

Many Christian’s believe the fundamental concern is about inspiration or inerrancy, but that’s not the case. Very few groups outright reject inspiration and inerrancy. The real problem is whether or not the Bible is authoritative.

The series we’re in right now is called seven things every Christian should know about the Bible. Last week we learned about how the Bible came to be. We looked at translation, canonicity, and briefly about inspiration—which is where we will spend our time today.

That said, the second thing you need to know about the Bible is as simple as this; the Bible is inspired. However, it’s also a complicated idea and you may be surprised as to what inspiration means. Along with inspiration we’ll also discuss the claim of inerrancy (or infallibility). So let’s jump right in.

Today we begin a new series titled, “7 Things Christians Should Know About Their Bibles.” This series draws from some really great books, all of which I highly recommend.

Seven Things I Wish Christians Knew about the Bible - Michael F. Bird

How to Read the Bible for all it’s Worth - Gordon Fee

Know How We Got Our Bible - Dr. Ryan M. Reeves

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary - Volume 1 (Textual Criticism) - Bruce K. Waltke

WHY DOES THIS SERIES MATTER? (Series overview)

Michael F. Bird said it best, “It is one thing to read the Bible, it is quite another thing to understand it, and it is still another thing to use it responsibly.”

Last week we talked about the rather shocking condition of the American church. There are reasons that come along with the statistics of declining faith in America. One reason I find particularly important to this series centers around skepticism and doubt. When asked why they had abandoned their faith—and more specifically, the Church—Millennials responded with a rather unified answer: the Church isn’t answering their questions concerning doubt.

How does this reason fit in with our series? Simply put, reading, understanding, and using our Bible responsibly is critical to answering those questions and doubts. It’s my view that many of the questions being asked can’t be answered because we—the Church—either don’t understand our Bibles or we don’t use them responsibly. This lack on our part leaves people with more questions than when they began.

*First Takeaway: We need to read, understand, and use our Bibles responsibly if we are to stem the tide of apostasy and answer the skeptics' questions.

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