What is the basis of the authority of the bible?

Question

I had a nice visit from a pair of Jehovah's witnesses this weekend, and after the usual song and dance of evolution, cyclical big-bangs, the fact that adam and eve could never have been responsible for all of us (since their gene-pool's too small) etc. I asked that good old standby of why they take the bible as absolute authority.

As usual I got the old song and dance about prophecies coming true etc. but after I countered with the fact that pretty-much all the ancient traditions can show dozens of accurate prophecies, the best they could come up with was that not all prophecy comes from god.

So my question is, and I hope a few educated theologians get their teeth into this: Where does the bible derive its authority from. The answer can't be God, because it's the bible that tells us about God, so that would become a circular reference. Why is the bible an absolute authority to every christian out there?

Answer 1

circular logic... and that's about it.

but add this little tidbit to it...

"If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true." Jesus - in John 5:31

Answer 2

I bought a book the other day, according to this book,

Jason BeDuhn
Associate Professor of Religious Studies, and Chair
Department of Humanities, Arts, and Religion
Northern Arizona University


is the author.

But this is just circular arguement.

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Take several books written over 1500 years by some 40 different men, to produce one book that is total harmony.

Even in little things that have nothing in common, you will find the writters agreeing with each other.



Because Bible prophecies have been so exact, critics have branded them as deceptions, that is, history written after the fact and disguised as prophecy. But how can one rationally assert that Jewish priests would dare to invent a prophecy? And why would they invent prophecies that contained the hardest diatribes imaginable against themselves? (Isaiah 56:10, 11; Jeremiah 8:10; Zephaniah 3:4) In addition, how could an entire literate nation, trained and educated with the Bible as its sacred text, be taken in by such a hoax?—Deuteronomy 6:4-9.

8 How could there have been any fraud connected with the disappearance of entire civilizations, such as Edom and Babylon, when these events took place many centuries after the completion of the Hebrew Scriptures? (Isaiah 13:20-22; Jeremiah 49:17, 18) Even if one maintains that these prophecies were not written in the time period of the prophets themselves, they were still recorded prior to the third century B.C.E., for by then they were already being translated into Greek in the Septuagint. Also, the Dead Sea Scrolls (which include portions of all the prophetic Bible books) are dated to the second and first centuries B.C.E. As noted, many prophecies were fulfilled only after these dates.

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Answer 3

I think it's best expressed by the old saying, "The proof of the pudding is in the eating", or "The proof is in the pudding".

When I see a cocaine or meth addict or sex addict coming to God and their entire lives are turned around, when I see a person change before my very eyes from a "sinner" to a "saint", then I know that the Bible is effective.

Myself, I used to mix drugs - LSD with speed; LSD with booze; LSD with speed AND booze; and once, with downers as well. Also I used to "chain smoke".

But when I had an encounter with the God of the Bible, my life was instantly changed. (Well, maybe in 3 seconds) And I'm not the only one who can share a similar story.

When my wife and I worked at a local branch of the Teen Challenge ministry, we saw miracles on a regular basis.

When a person is confronted with the Truths found in the Bible, and they submit to God's authority, you can not deny God's very presence or His workmanship in recreating a new life where there once was death and decay.

Like I said, the REAL evidence that the Bible is authentic is the way lives are changed.

Please don't misunderstand what I'm saying here. I know that there are "secular" treatment centers that help people with their addictions, and they really are effective - with a good solid 10 to 15% retentive rate, which proves it really is a viable solution.

But, what I AM saying is that with a 85 to 95% retentive rate as the national average for Teen Challenge ministries, this shows that this is a VERY viable solution.

Again, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and the proof of the Bible is found in changed lives.

Answer 4

There is no basis of authority regarding the bible, although authority dose derive from here say by the scribes that wrote the bible and we are told to believe in something four or five hundred years after the fact, there has never been one word written during the lifetime of Jesus, these stories were told to the scribes hundreds of years after the death of Jesus, It was Constantine that took Christianity to where we are today because it gave him control and power, I have been a catholic all my life and I am not a young man anymore but I can tell you that religion today really has nothing to do with Jesus or God it's simply a tool to control the flock, religion is greed, power, control, and will use violence if threatened, may there always be peace in your heart.

Answer 5

Unfortunately the only authority the Bible has is it's own claim, so it is a circular reference -- well, there is another basis of authority in that it's followers all give it authority....

But other than that, it is not confirmed by any other contemporary writings of it's time.

(Sorry not quite the answer you were hoping for, just can't remember any of the christian arguments for the bible that aren't circular).

Answer 6

Without the bible, we would not be Christians, it's the written back-up of the stories passes down from generation to generation. Moses was the first writer. The fact that the bible has endured, gives credence to its authenticity. You aren't sure of how you started (evidently), but you are here, giving witness of your thoughts. Should I say that you aren't real because you can't prove to me the beginning of your existence?
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Answer 7

We believe that The Bible comes from God, it is as simple as that. The Holy Spirit inspired the human writers. God bless.

Answer 8

Christians believe that they are the OWNERS of the TRUTH.
The majority of the people living in this planet doesn't believe in the Biblical God. Are the majority wrong? I don't think so. If God exist you can reach your god (salvation) following many paths. The truth is always relative and when somebody tell you that he know the real truth he's definitely a close minded person.

Answer 9

In my view, the Bible is the most trusted canon of books recognized by ecclesiastical authority. I'd like to hear where these men who sat in various councils derived their authority.

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Answer 10

Sorry, but the answer is God. It is not circular reference because Jesus, Nature, the Ressurection, the Holy Spirit, water and the blood give witness to God.

Answer 11

The authority of the bible? It comes from God...His son, and the prophets who the Holy Spirit inspired to write it.