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The Authority of the Bible

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Submitted By phillipspeaks
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Reflection Paper

21APR11

THEO104

Phillip A Johnson

#L23636707

The Authority of the Bible
The purpose of this paper is to share some thoughts of what we learned over this semester. Many thoughts will come from what I have written during the class and from the Core of Christianity, Elmer Towns. The topics I chosen to discuss is Does the Bible have authority, Did Jesus claim to be God and How can we be confident that Jesus is returning.

Let us first look at the word authority. Authority means “the power to determine, adjudicate, or otherwise settle issues or disputes; jurisdiction; the right to control, command, or determine.” ("authority.") This authority can come from a teacher, pastor, principle or anyone else that has the ability to control or command someone or something. The Biblical definition, states that authority is “the legal and/or moral right to exercise power, or power that is rightly possessed.
We recognize the Bible is the most significant book in the history of civilization. In the context of Jewish history, the Bible’s impact on politics, history, and religion is without comparison. Along with establishing the covenant-based legitimacy of the Jewish people and their history, the Bible’s political impact is exemplified through prophetic politics, the power of kings, and the effects of political authority. Biblical archeology has discovered biblical structures which supports the historical validity of the Bible. The Bible’s effect on history, politics, and religion has shaped the world we live in today. The fact that the Bible has stood the test of time and has not been destroyed, even though there have been several attempts made over the years, is a testament of the enduring power of God’s Holy Word. Many men have lost their lives while producing and preserving this collection of books. This further proves that the Bible is

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