Sources of Wisdom and Authority in Christianity

Introduction to the Bible

  • Definition: The word 'Bible' means 'books'. It is Christianity's sacred text consisting of a collection of books expressing beliefs about God's purposes for humanity.

  • Timeline: The earliest writings date from the early 1st1^{st} millennium BCE, while the latest belong to the 2nd2^{nd} century CE.

  • Canon of the Bible: This refers to the books deemed inspired by God and authoritative by early Church leaders.

  • Terminology: 'Testament' translates to 'covenant' or 'agreement'. The Old Testament refers to the covenant with Israel at Mt Sinai; the New Testament refers to the covenant made through the death of Jesus.

The Old and New Testaments

  • Old Testament (Tenakh): Fixed by the 1st1^{st} century BCE. It includes prose and poetry across four parts:

    • Torah ('law'): First five books covering Jewish origins from creation to the death of Moses.

    • Historical Writings: Jewish history from the conquest of Canaan to the 5th5^{th} century BCE.

    • Prophetic Books: Individual insights into God's purposes for Israel.

    • Wisdom Literature: Covers themes like innocent suffering, erotic love poetry, and life commentaries.

  • New Testament: Fixed by the 4th4^{th} century CE. It consists of four parts:

    • Gospels: The 'good news' regarding the ministry, passion, and resurrection of Jesus.

    • Acts of the Apostles: A history of the early Church.

    • Epistles: Letters providing guidance on belief and lifestyle.

    • Book of Revelation: Uses graphic imagery to describe the Last Judgement.

Christian Perspectives on Biblical Authority

  • Evangelical Protestants (Fundamentalist): Believe the Bible is the infallible word of God with no mistakes.

    • Young Earth Creationists: Literalist approach; belief in a six-day creation occurring approximately 6,0006,000 years ago.

    • Old Earth Creationists: Non-literalist; accept scientific dating (circa 13.813.8 billion years ago) and view creation as occurring in six epochs/stages.

  • Catholic Views: The Bible is inspired by God but written by human authors in their cultural context. Authority is guided by Tradition and the Magisterium (Pope and bishops). Errors may exist in historical accounts, but the salvation message is without error.

  • Neo-Orthodox (Karl Barth): The Bible is not the word of God in itself but contains the word of God. It is a medium for humans to experience God's mercy despite the writers' intellectual limitations (1886−19681886-1968).

  • Liberal Approaches: The Bible is seen as a human document reflecting the culture and temperament of its authors. Organizations like the Sea of Faith Network argue faith is a human creation and the Bible has no inherent authority.

Institutional and Church Authority

  • Apostolic Succession: The belief that Jesus gave authority to the Apostles, who passed it to bishops in an unbroken line.

  • Protestant View: Martin Luther (1483−15461483-1546) championed sola scriptura (Scripture alone). He believed the Bible is the only source of authority and that all believers have equal access to God ('priesthood of all believers').

  • Catholic View: Bible and Tradition are equal in status and interpreted by the Magisterium. Tradition is a 'living form' of truth that can be added to with new insights.

  • Baptist Church: Combines sola scriptura with individual reason and conscience; they generally reject institutional authority like creeds.

The Authority of Jesus

  • Divine Authority: Official view of most Churches based on Jesus as God incarnate. His authority is demonstrated through miracles, original teaching style, and titles such as 'Son of God' and 'Messiah'.

  • Human Authority:

    • Adoptionism: Belief that God 'adopted' the human Jesus at his baptism.

    • Unitarianism: Jesus is viewed as a spiritual leader with no divine authority.

  • Teaching on Retaliation (Matthew 5:38-48): Different interpretations exist, including literal pacifism, a standard/ideal to aim for, or hyperbole used to discourage harborers of hatred.

Questions & Discussion

  • Question: What overall beliefs do the books of the Bible contain?

  • Response: Beliefs about God and God's purposes for humanity and the rest of the created world.

  • Question: What is the meaning of the word 'Testament'?

  • Response: Covenant or agreement.

  • Question: What are the four main parts of the Old Testament?

  • Response: Torah ('law'), Historical writings, Prophetic books, and Wisdom literature.

  • Question: What are the four main parts of the New Testament?

  • Response: Gospels, Acts of the Apostles, Epistles, and Book of Revelation.

  • Question: What is meant by the phrase 'the Canon of the Bible'?

  • Response: Those books believed by the leaders of the early Christian Church to be inspired by God and therefore authoritative.

  • Question: How is the Catholic view of the Bible as the word of God different from that of Evangelical Protestants?

  • Response: Evangelicals see every word as infallible; Catholics see it as inspired but human-authored, with infallibility restricted to its message on salvation.

  • Question: What is the key difference between young earth and old earth creationist approaches to Genesis 1?

  • Response: Young earth creationists are literalists (six-day creation, 6,0006,000 years ago); old earth creationists accept scientific dating (13.813.8 billion years ago) and see 'days' as epochs.

  • Question: What did Karl Barth say about the Bible as the word of God?

  • Response: That it is not the word of God but contains the word of God and is a way through which humans experience God.

  • Question: Give three ways in which liberal Christians understand the nature of the Bible.

  • Response: 1. Guided by God but humanly written. 2. Entirely human document reflecting cultural outlook. 3. Not inspired, but perhaps individually inspiring.

  • Question: What is the Catholic view of the status of the Church in relation to the Bible?

  • Response: Bible and Tradition are equal in status, with the Church's Magisterium acting as guardian and interpreter.

  • Question: What do Catholics mean by the Apostolic Succession?

  • Response: The idea that Apostles passed their authority to the bishops they appointed, continuing down the centuries.

  • Question: To what does the term Magisterium refer?

  • Response: The teaching authority of the Pope and bishops.

  • Question: What do Protestant Christians mean by sola scriptura?

  • Response: 'Scripture alone' has authority.

  • Question: How did Martin Luther explain the relationship between the Bible and the Church?

  • Response: The Bible is the only source of authority and provides the standard for Church teaching; without the Bible, there would be no Church.