The Word That Stands When Opinions Shift

Human opinions rise and fall with the news cycle, the university classroom, and the feed on our phones. Scripture does not. “Forever, O LORD, Your word stands firm in the heavens” (Psalm 119:89). “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8).

Because the Bible is the very word of God, it remains the final authority in every generation and every culture. “Let God be true and every man a liar” (Romans 3:4). Jesus said, “The word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day” (John 12:48). The verdict at the end clarifies the authority in the present.

God-Breathed, True, and Sufficient

Scripture is not a collection of wise religious sayings. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17). God’s breath gives Scripture its truth, its power, and its sufficiency.

This word did not originate in human imagination. “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever brought by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20–21). Therefore it is wholly true: “Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17). “Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him” (Proverbs 30:5).

How Jesus and the Apostles Treated Scripture

Our Lord submitted to Scripture in the wilderness and throughout His ministry. “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4). He affirmed, without qualification, “Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). When human tradition clashed with God’s commands, He said, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? … ‘They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the commandments of men’” (Matthew 15:3, 9).

The apostles followed the same pattern. The Bereans “examined the Scriptures every day to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11). Their preaching was received “not as the word of men, but as the word of God, which is at work in you who believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13). From Moses to the Prophets, all Scripture points to Christ (Luke 24:27), and Christ commands us to teach everything He has commanded (Matthew 28:20).

Where Human Opinion Goes Wrong

Human opinion drifts when it is untethered from the text. Scripture warns us not to be captured by “philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition and the basic principles of the world rather than Christ” (Colossians 2:8). We must not “go beyond what is written” (1 Corinthians 4:6), and God forbids adding to or subtracting from His word (Deuteronomy 12:32; Revelation 22:18–19).

- Tradition: “You have disregarded the command of God to keep the tradition of men” (Mark 7:8–9).

- Culture: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).

- Personal experience: The heart is unreliable (Jeremiah 17:9); the word is reliable (Proverbs 30:5).

- Spiritual claims: Any “gospel contrary” is under a curse—even if preached by an angel (Galatians 1:8–9).

Living Under the Word in Daily Decisions

The authority of Scripture shapes ordinary choices as surely as it shapes doctrines. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). God’s word brings clarity where emotions cloud and where pressures press.

- Read, hear, meditate, memorize: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16).

- Test counsel and impressions: Be Berean (Acts 17:11) and “test the spirits” (1 John 4:1).

- Order the home by the word: Teach it diligently to your children (Deuteronomy 6:6–7).

- Govern the church by the word: “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2).

- Counsel with the word: It “is living and active… discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

- Evangelize with the word: “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).

- Fight temptation with the word: Take “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).

Guarding the Gospel We Preach and Disciple With

We are stewards, not editors, of the gospel. “Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse! … If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be under a curse!” (Galatians 1:8–9). Fidelity protects both message and people.

The apostolic gospel is Scripture-defined and Scripture-promised: “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). We “contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3) by teaching “the whole will of God” (Acts 20:27).

Scripture’s Power in Evangelism and Discipleship

The word gives new life and forms mature disciples. “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God” (1 Peter 1:23). The same word sanctifies those who believe (John 17:17).

- Evangelism: Open the Scriptures, read them, explain them, and urge faith. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).

- Discipleship: Ground every step in Christ’s commands—“teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20).

- Formation: Use Scripture for “instruction… correction… training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

- Accountability: “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22).

Freedom and Joy on the Narrow Path of the Word

Submission to Scripture is not bondage; it is freedom. “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31–32). Christ frees us by fastening us to what is real and unchanging.

The word purifies desire and strengthens endurance. “I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11). As we submit our minds to the truth, God renews us for faithful obedience (Romans 12:2). This is the path of stability, integrity, and joy.

Jesus authenticated the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings (Luke 24:44), and He promised the Spirit would ensure apostolic recall and teaching (John 14:26). The apostles recognized each other’s writings as Scripture alongside the Old Testament (2 Peter 3:16).

Already in the New Testament, Luke’s Gospel is quoted as Scripture: “For Scripture says, ‘Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,’ and, ‘The worker is worthy of his wages’” (1 Timothy 5:18; citing Deuteronomy 25:4 and Luke 10:7). The church did not create the canon; it received and recognized the God-breathed books.

Inerrancy, Autographs, and Our English Bibles

Inerrancy means the original writings were wholly true in all they affirm. God safeguards His words: “Until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter, not a stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished” (Matthew 5:18).

- God’s words are pure: “Every word of God is flawless” (Proverbs 30:5).

- Providential preservation: Abundant manuscripts allow us to recover the original text with extraordinary confidence.

- Reliable translations: Use trusted, transparent translations and compare where helpful; the point is to hear what God has said.

- Humble certainty: Where minor textual questions remain, no doctrine hangs in the balance. Build doctrine on clear texts and the whole counsel of God.

Scripture and Science: Two Books, One Author

God speaks in nature and Scripture. “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1). “God’s invisible attributes… have been clearly seen… through what has been made” (Romans 1:20). These revelations cannot truly conflict because God does not contradict Himself.

When there is apparent tension, we revisit our interpretations, not God’s voice. We reexamine scientific models and our exegesis with patience and humility, refusing to bend the text to fit the times, and refusing to weaponize the text against honest observation.

Rightly Handling the Word

We handle Scripture reverently and carefully. “Make every effort to present yourself approved to God… rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). The goal is to grasp the author’s intended meaning and submit to it.

- Read in context: literary, historical, and canonical (Nehemiah 8:8).

- Prefer the plain sense: take figures as figures and history as history; affirm the literal meaning as the author gave it.

- Cross-reference with Scripture: “explaining spiritual truths in spiritual words” (1 Corinthians 2:13).

- Read Christ-centeredly: “Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained… what was written in all the Scriptures about Himself” (Luke 24:27).

- Obey what you understand; light increases with obedience (James 1:22–25).

Tradition and Confessions under Scripture

We receive faithful creeds and confessions as summaries that help us teach and guard the truth, while keeping them beneath Scripture. “Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching you have heard from me” (2 Timothy 1:13), and recognize the church as “the pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).

Yet the church never outranks the word. “You have a fine way of setting aside the command of God in order to keep your tradition” (Mark 7:9). Use tradition gratefully, test it constantly, and submit it wholly to Scripture.

Clarity and Contested Ethics

Scripture is clear on the essentials of salvation and holy living, even if some passages are hard (2 Peter 3:16). On contested ethical questions, we begin with clear texts and let them govern our conclusions.

- Human life and dignity: Genesis 1:27; Psalm 139:13–16.

- Sexuality and marriage: “He who created them from the beginning ‘made them male and female’… ‘the two will become one flesh’” (Matthew 19:4–5).

- Holiness and sanctification: “This is the will of God—your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3).

- Justice, mercy, and neighbor love: Micah 6:8; Matthew 22:37–40.

The Word and Shepherding Souls

Pastoral care depends on God’s sufficient promises and commands. “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him” (2 Peter 1:3). The word exposes, heals, and trains: “The word of God is living and active… discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

Suffering saints find real comfort in real promises. “This is my comfort in affliction, that Your promise preserves my life” (Psalm 119:50). Therefore we help one another “humbly receive the word implanted in you, which can save your souls” (James 1:21).

A Plan for a Word-Saturated Community

- Public reading of Scripture and expository preaching (1 Timothy 4:13; 2 Timothy 4:2).

- Scripture-rich prayer and singing: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly… singing” (Colossians 3:16).

- Catechesis for all ages; doctrinal classes anchored to texts.

- Membership and discipline guided by Scripture (Matthew 18:15–20).

- Family worship with daily Scripture and prayer (Deuteronomy 6:6–7).

- Memorization together (Psalm 119:11).

- Leadership that “holds firmly to the faithful word” (Titus 1:9).

- Evangelism and missions strategies that open Bibles and make Bible-shaped disciples (Matthew 28:18–20).

The authority of Scripture over human opinion is not a slogan; it is a settled allegiance to the voice of God in every thought, affection, plan, and practice. “If you continue in My word… you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31–32).