Religious Authority in Christianity

1
Religious Authority in Christianity

• Attitudes to the Bible

2

• NT is 27 books recording the life and teachings
  of Jesus and the early Church
• The writers probably did not intend to produce
  scripture
• But, this collection of books and letters have
  come to be viewed as the word of God.

3
Jewish basis

• Christians refer to the Jewish scriptures the
  Tenakah (OT) to show they inherit the Jewish
  tradition
• And to show that Jesus was the fulfilment of
  Jewish hopes and expectation
• The Transfiguration Mark 9

4
Choosing the Canon

• Many contenders now in the didache teachings
  dating from 70CE, 1 Clement, Epistle of Barnabus,
  7 letters of Ignatius.
• The Marcion Canon c.140CE
• The Muratorian Canon 200CE
• 367 CE Athanasius
• 904 CE Pope Damasus
• 1442 Council of Florence

5
The word of God

• word of God Gods communication or message
• Also used to describe Jesus the Word Incarnate
• Through Jesus God makes his character, will and
  purpose known
• This implies therefore
• The Bible reveals God to Christians

6
Karl Barths view

• The word works in three aspects
• Word revealed in the life and teachings of Jesus
• Witness to the Word in the Bible
• Later proclamation of the Word in and through the
  Church

7

• For Christians the books of the Bible are
  uniquely important as the record and witness to
  the work of Christ.
• The OT sets the scene and the NT records and
  explains the Incarnation.

8
Three approaches to the interpretation of the
Bible

• Conservative
• Fundamentalist
• Liberal
• Apply this approach..