The Foundation for
a Biblical Worldview:
The Authority
and Sufficiency
of Scripture
By Dr. Josh Mulvihill
A
FACTORY WORKER had the responsibility of blow-
ing the whistle every day precisely at noon. To be sure
of the correct time, he set his watch by a clock on the wall
of a local jewelry store. After doing this for some time, it
occurred to him that the jewelry store owner had to have
some standard by which he could set his clock. Thus, one
day when he was in the store, he asked the owner, “How
do you know the time to set your clock?” The jewelry store
owner replied, “Well, you see, on the other side of town
there is a factory, and every day precisely at noon they blow
a whistle.”
This story is a humorous reminder that each of us choos-
es an authority that operates as the standard we use to
make decisions and determine what we believe is right.
The authority we choose defines morality, determines life
purpose, and helps us understand the world. For Christians,
our standard of authority is to be God’s Word, but increas-
ingly, Christians are developing a low view of the Bible and
look to other sources for guidance.
A LOW VIEW OF SCRIPTURE
A low view of Scripture often leads to a rejection of the
Bible’s authority, in part or total. Here are five indicators of a
low view of Scripture:
• The Bible is believed to contain errors, which opens the
door to reject key doctrines or even Jesus Christ.
• The Words of Jesus are elevated at the expense of the
whole counsel of the Bible, and the moral teachings of
the Old Testament or theological arguments of Paul are
not accepted.
• The Bible is treated as outdated or irrelevant and not
applicable to some areas of life in the twenty-first
century. The Bible is reinterpreted to align with modern
scholarship or altered to match popular social views.
• The Bible is believed to be insufficient for life and is
treated as a seasoning, not the main course for teach-
ing, preaching, or curriculum. The revealed truth and
wisdom of God’s Word are replaced by science, psychol-
ogy, or pragmatism.
• Supernatural portions of Scripture, such as miracles,
virgin birth, deity, atonement, or resurrection, are
doubted or rejected.
DEFINING AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE
The Bible is authoritative over our belief and conduct and
accurate in all that it says. We submit to the authority of the
Bible when we believe in God’s words and promises, obey
God’s laws, and apply God’s truth to life. What is in Scrip-
ture is authoritative for all of life and sufficient for disci-
pleship. All other sources of wisdom, such as science and
psychology, if interpreted according to the Bible, may be
helpful. When the authority of the Bible is compromised, it
can result in Christians who form ideas that are not rooted
in Scripture yet believe their thinking is biblical.
OUR VIEW OF BIBLICAL AUTHORITY IS BASED ON
ANSWERS TO THREE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BIBLE:
1. IS IT TRUE?
In every generation, there are new and creative attacks on
the Bible. The world is trying to discredit the reliability and
destroy the validity of the Bible, but that is nothing new. The
first battle over the Word of God occurred in the Garden
of Eden when Satan questioned God’s authority: “Did God
really say?” (Gen 3:1). Satan still uses the same tactic today.
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