Reimagining Biblical Authority

In this video, Dr. Mike Bird explains the meaning of biblical authority, paying attention to what it is and is not, critiquing approaches that undermine biblical authority, as much as warning of bibliolatry.

00:01 Intro
01:20 The Issues
10:32 How is the Biblical Authoritative?
16:55 Descriptive vs. Prescriptive
22:57 Going Beyond the Bible ... Biblically!
32:58 Conclusion
36:47 Outtro

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[earlychristianhistorywithm]

I hope you enjoyed this video on biblical authority, it's based on lectures and writings of mine. To find similar content keep up with my

[jamesbarksdale]

7:00 LOL! I feel violated every time I watch one of your videos. Poor woman! She had to listen to you talk about Paul four times!

Enjoyed this video.

Certainly, my understanding of biblical authority has evolved since coming to faith in Christ 52 years ago, as have a number of things related to my Christian Faith.

[jmocampo]

Always a delight to listen to your insight. You deliver!

[JosiahTheSiah]

Submission, rather than subscription. Good stuff from John Stott! Thanks for putting this together, brother.

[chefmguessefeld]

Hi Michael- I enjoy your reasonable approach to all things Christianity. Also your work on biblical inerrancy has been helpful as in this video and your contribution to Five Views on Biblical Inerrancy.
I just finished a 2yr study which included visiting different churches and working through the Bible a few chapters a day for 16 months. Then I did a deep dive into the construction of the New Testament and examined the authorship claims of the Gospels and epistles. I found the Bible to be lacking in credibility. Who wrote 1st and 2nd Peter or thecpastoral epistles? So many problems of authenticity. I love the Bible but The Word of God it is not. I wish it were. 🙏

[BellyFlopChamp]

A different time = a different cultural context = a different set of priorities. I fully believe this is the reason Christianity is based on an event, real event, in which time is transcended and meaning is debated. But, for believers, the central unity around which we gather is Jesus...real and risen.

[jefftitterington]

Thank you - I 'm exploring this. At present I'm reading The Bible Tells Me So (Peter Enns, 2015). I have also read Slaves, Women, And Homosexuals for another perspective.
Even while attending a conservative evangelical congregation I have believed in the value of asking questions.

[MichaelVFlowers]

A very thoughtful and helpful discussion.

[JB]

The early Church’s practices related to worship, saints, and even the use of icons and statues were deeply influenced by how they understood the Old Testament, the teachings of the apostles, and their own Jewish and Greco-Roman cultural environments. For example:

Worship: Early Christians participated in liturgical practices that evolved from Jewish worship customs, such as the use of scripture readings, prayers, and sacrificial language, particularly in the context of the Eucharist. This tradition-based worship cannot be fully captured by scripture alone but reflects the lived faith and practice of the early Church.

Saints and Intercession: Early Christians had a profound respect for martyrs and saints, believing that they could intercede for the living, a belief rooted in the understanding of the “communion of saints.” The idea of asking for the prayers of saints mirrors Jewish cultural understandings of intercession and the honoring of holy people.

Icons and Statues: The use of icons, relics, and religious art emerged as early Christians found ways to express and connect their faith visually, particularly in the context of a largely illiterate society. This was influenced by both Jewish prohibitions against idolatry and the Christian interpretation of Christ’s incarnation (God becoming visible in the flesh) as a basis for venerating sacred images without falling into idolatry.

Jewish Cultural Understanding: Early Christian theology was significantly influenced by Jewish traditions and interpretations. For instance, their understanding of sacred objects, holy places, and religious festivals all carried over into how they structured early Christian worship and theological concepts.

Thus, if we rely on post-biblical interpretation for key doctrines like the Trinity, it is indeed consistent to also take into account how early Christians around the time of the biblical canon's finalization practiced their faith. This includes their perspectives on worship, the veneration of saints, and the use of icons, which were shaped by a combination of scriptural interpretation, Jewish cultural heritage, and early Christian tradition. Ignoring these practices would mean losing significant insights into how the early Church understood and lived out its faith, which helped form the Christianity we know today.

[blynkers]

The singular example in which I have experienced "Bibliolatry" at any time ever, was heavily established in Calvinism and KJV-only-ism. Maybe an occasional singular example in the abusive methodologies of individual narcissistic religious people here and there, but certainly not in Biblical "fundamentalism" as it's accurately defined. Recently heard a vid, by "Do Theology, " defining the differences between Cultural Christian "Fundamentalism" and Biblical Fundamentalism. It was quite enlightened.

[rscottr]

I feel like the term "bibliolatry" is often misused by those who do not love the scriptures, but I like your approach. Bibliolatry is when you claim to love the bible but don't love God. I'm still not sure it is a very helpful term.

[joebloggs-dbvz]

The NIV has removed John 5v4 about the Angel stirring the pool 😂 thereby ruining a great story involving the supernatural.What am i as a christian to make of the NIV removing that verse? What about Luther and his disdain for the book of James and wishing that it wasn't included in the bible 😂...

[notanemoprog]

Can you point to a source for your claim on the illegal status of the Bible in Tajikistan? Btw I was today years old when I learned that Tajikistan is not "just another Islamic stan" but is in fact a State defined as secular in its Constitution

[Cyber_Flâneur_Old_Catholic]

I comprehend people believing Jesus/God wants all people to believe that the O.T. compositions are scripture, because even if the synoptic Gospels are history only (not inspired) they still testify that Jesus did think of the OT compositions as, Gods-word, and to be a Christian does entail sharing the same beliefs with Jesus. Why, though, do nearly all Christians insist the same for the N.T. compositions, writings that Jesus has provided no testimony about (he ascended prior to those compositions existing)? Many of those writings appear to simply cause division, prove a frustration to evangelising and don't appear to have been something God has affirmed as being His word.

[foodthort]

Not all writings are equally considered authoritative scripture by all Christian sects and denominations. In particular, and for example, the apostolic of many NT books are now questioned by Bible scholars. So it begs the question as to how we know which books are canon, that is, 'endorsed' by the Holy Spirit?

[arnold]

To me the bible isn't holy or authoritative. It's a written, multi-edited library. God alone is the Author of life.
The Exodus 20.19 passage may be the first hint that his children don't want to talk with him, don't want a personal relationship with God in Christ. And it's why life is so turbulent.