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Authority of Scripture - Steve Gregg

https://thenarrowpath.com | Channel not run by Steve Gregg | In this lecture, Steve Gregg argues that the Bible’s authority is derived from the authority of Jesus Christ himself, who spoke and acted as one uniquely authorized by God. Gregg explains that true authority is not a matter of tone or institutional power, but of legitimate right grounded in truth, knowledge, and divine commissioning. He maintains that Jesus is the ultimate Word of God, and that the Scriptures—Old and New Testament alike—are authoritative because they faithfully preserve and transmit Christ’s teaching through apostles and their close associates. Gregg addresses modern skepticism by distinguishing between scientific, historical, and testimonial forms of knowledge, defending the Bible’s historical credibility, its harmony with archaeological discoveries, and the rational coherence of belief in miracles. He concludes that objections to Scripture rest largely on philosophical bias rather than evidence, and that Christians have no reason to be embarrassed by the Bible’s claims, which have repeatedly withstood historical, scientific, and critical scrutiny. Outline I. Defining Authority ● Meaning of authority as the legitimate right to rule or decide ● Distinction between real authority and merely asserted authority ● Examples from family, government, and religious leadership ● Warning against false or self-appointed authority (e.g., Diotrephes) II. Jesus as the Supreme Authority ● Jesus’ teaching contrasted with the scribes and rabbis ● “You have heard… but I say to you” as a claim of direct authority ● Confirmation of Jesus’ authority through miracles and exorcisms ● Demons recognizing Christ’s authority even when people do not III. Christ as the Final Arbiter ● To follow Christ is to submit to his lordship ● Christianity defined as allegiance to Jesus as King ● Necessity of knowing Christ’s will through authoritative sources IV. Apostolic Authority and the New Testament ● Jesus commissioning the apostles as his authorized representatives ● Receiving the apostles as receiving Christ himself (John 13:20) ● New Testament writings authored by apostles or their close associates ● Apostolic oversight as the basis for New Testament authority V. Jesus’ View of the Old Testament ● Jesus’ frequent citation and affirmation of the Law, Prophets, and Psalms ● Old Testament understood correctly through Jesus’ teaching ● Luke 24: Jesus opening the disciples’ understanding of Scripture ● Continuity between Old and New Testaments under Christ’s authority VI. Scripture as the Word of God (Clarified) ● Jesus as the living Word; Scripture as the inscripturated Word ● Biblical use of “Word of God” primarily referring to God’s message ● Scriptural inspiration affirmed in 2 Timothy 3 and 2 Peter 1 ● Scripture’s role in equipping believers for faithful living VII. Modern Skepticism and Cultural Shift ● Decline in assumed biblical authority over recent generations ● Influence of media, popular skepticism, and pseudo-scholarship ● Critique of claims that the Bible has been “disproven” VIII. Science, History, and Categories of Knowledge ● Science as the study of patterns, not one-time historical events ● Distinction between scientific explanation and historical testimony ● Illustration using C.S. Lewis and the “pennies in a drawer” analogy ● Recognition that love, morality, and history are known non-scientifically IX. Miracles and the “God of the Gaps” Argument ● Rejection of the claim that God exists only where science is ignorant ● Biblical miracles as divine interventions, not scientific placeholders ● Resurrection and other miracles as either historical facts or falsehoods ● Science unable to rule out divine action by definition X. Archaeology and Historical Reliability ● Examples: Belshazzar, Nabonidus, Sargon II, King David ● Archaeological discoveries repeatedly confirming biblical claims ● No verified archaeological evidence disproving Scripture XI. Scientific Objections Addressed ● Bible not written as a science textbook ● Examples of biblical practices later confirmed by science: ○ Dietary laws ○ Quarantine and disease control ● Miracles as the primary remaining objection XII. Eyewitness Testimony and Rational Belief ● Apostles as direct witnesses to Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection ● Question of motive: why lie about a risen Christ? ● Willingness of eyewitnesses to suffer for their testimony ● Preference for firsthand testimony over distant skepticism XIII. Conclusion: Confidence in Scripture ● Skepticism rooted more in bias than evidence ● Many skeptics converted through serious study of Scripture ● Call for Christians to approach the Bible without embarrassment ● Invitation to deeper study through Gregg’s extended teaching series #apologetics #christian #bible #jesus #god #witness #testimony #evidence #rational #logic #thenarrowpath #stevegregg