Authority of the church

• Where does scripture get its authority?

  God gives authority to scripture.

  God is the primary source of religious authority as he is omnipotent and omniscient.

  All other forms are subject to God
• The Bible is seen as special revelation from God and gives authority to other types of special revelation such as religious experiences and the work of The Holy Spirit (the gifts of prophecy/speaking in tongues)
• The bible is seen as special revelation from God, which provides knowledge of God and of those of God’s teachings that cannot be worked out through reason.

  E.g no amount of reason will lead you to the doctrine of the trinity- has to be given through scripture
• Reason and conscience are seen as ‘general revelation’ from God. They allow us to understand the place of humans in the world and the purpose for which God made humans.

  For some theologians, conscience does hold authority for example St Augustine who sees conscience as the voice of God informing us of right and wrong.
• The Bible gives ongoing authority to the church.

  Jesus commissioned his disciples ‘to make disciples of all nations‘ and tells Peter that he is the ‘rock’ on which the church will be built, and that he has full authority.
• Apostolic tradition and succession both give the church authority.

  the church has the authority to teach, preach, baptise, make disciples and guide
• The Catholic Church gives authority to the Pope to interpret the Bible and to decide what is right and wrong.
• What are some arguments in the support of the Church having more authority than the Bible? (1)

  • Some parts of the Bible are contradictory- someone is needed to interpret this and apple it to modern issues
  • The Bible may have errors due to human interference- having the church interpret the Bible can make following it easier
  • Can be easier to learn from the Church than directly from the bible- accessibility, some may struggle to interpret the bible.
• What are some arguments in support of the Church having authority?

  • The church can connect people- anyone can walk into church, it provides connection on a human level
  • Pope is God’s representative on earth so can direct christians by talking about stuff that is perhaps not covered in the Bible
  • Jesus commanded his disciples to ‘make disciples of all nations‘ which is what the church does; the church spreads Christianity and brings it to people