Balancing Biblical Examples with the Authority of Scripture

The concept of balancing biblical examples with the authority of Scripture is rooted in the understanding that the Bible is the inspired word of God ^[1]. This doctrine is foundational to Christian theology and is reflected in various biblical passages. For instance, 2 Timothy 3:16 states that "all Scripture is God-breathed" ^[6], emphasizing the divine origin and authority of the biblical text.

The authority of Scripture is not limited to its divine inspiration but is also demonstrated through its use in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Jesus frequently referenced the Scriptures, appealing to them as authoritative ^[1]. For example, in Matthew 4:4, Jesus responds to Satan's temptation by saying, "It is written," citing Deuteronomy 8:3 ^[9]. This demonstrates Jesus' recognition of the Scriptures as authoritative and his willingness to submit to their teachings.

The biblical writers also understood the importance of balancing examples with the authority of Scripture. In 1 Corinthians 10:6, Paul writes that the experiences of the Israelites "were examples" (or "types") that were "written down for our instruction" ^[7]. This indicates that the biblical writers saw the historical narratives and examples within Scripture as having instructional value for the community of faith.

The Presbyterian, Protestant academic, and Baptist/Reformed traditions represented in the sources all affirm the authority of Scripture. According to John Gill, a Baptist/Reformed commentator, the Scriptures are "the word of God" and "the testimony of Jesus Christ" ^[8]. Similarly, the Protestant academic commentary on 2 Timothy 3:16 notes that the verse affirms the divine inspiration of Scripture, which "does not negate the active involvement of the human authors" ^[6].

The concept of canon is also relevant to understanding the authority of Scripture. The word "canon" refers to the collection of books that are recognized as authoritative by the Christian community ^{[2, 3]}. The formation of the canon was a process that occurred over time, with various councils and traditions contributing to the recognition of certain texts as authoritative.

In interpreting Scripture, Christians have traditionally recognized the importance of understanding the historical and cultural context in which the texts were written. This involves considering the literary genre, the author's intent, and the historical setting ^[4]. By doing so, readers can gain a deeper understanding of the biblical examples and teachings, and how they relate to the authority of Scripture.

The Dead Sea Scrolls, which date back to the 2nd century BCE, provide evidence of the importance of Scripture in Jewish tradition. The Temple Scroll, for example, contains a legal code that reflects the community's understanding of God's will ^[5]. This highlights the significance of Scripture in shaping the beliefs and practices of the community.

Sources

Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Scriptures, The — Given by inspiration of God -- 2Ti 3:16. Given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit -- Ac 1:16; Heb 3:7; 2Pe 1:21. Christ sanctioned, by appealing to them -- Mt 4:4; Mr 12:10; Joh 7:42. Christ taught out of -- Lu 24:27. Are called the Word. -- Jas 1:21-23; 1Pe 2:2. Word of God. -- Lu 11:28; Heb 4:12. Word of Christ. -- Col 3:16. Word of truth. -- Jas 1:18. Holy Scriptures. -- Ro 1:2; 2Ti 3:15. Scripture of truth. -- Da 10:21. Book. -- Ps 40:7; Re 22:19. Book of the Lord. -- Isa 34:16. Book of the law. -- Ne 8:3; Ga 3:10. Law of the Lord. -- Ps 1:2; Isa”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Canon — This word is derived from a Hebrew and Greek word denoting a reed or cane. Hence it means something straight, or something to keep straight; and hence also a rule, or something ruled or measured. It came to be applied to the Scriptures, to denote that they contained the authoritative rule of faith and practice, the standard of doctrine and duty. A book is said to be of canonical authority when it has a right to take a place with the other books which contain a revelation of the Divine will. Such a right does not arise from any ecclesiastical authority, but fr”
Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Canon Of Scripture, The — may be generally described as the "collection of books which form the original and authoritative written rule of the faith and practice of the Christian Church," i.e. the Old and New Testaments. The word canon, in classical Greek, is properly a straight rod, "a rule" in the widest sense, and especially in the phrases "the rule of the Church," "the rule of faith," "the rule of truth," The first direct application of the term canon to the Scriptures seems to be in the verses of Amphilochius (cir. 380 A.D.), where the word indicates the rule by ”
Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Parable — (The word parable is in Greek parable (parabole) which signifies placing beside or together, a comparison, a parable is therefore literally a placing beside, a comparison, a similitude, an illustration of one subject by another.--McClintock and Strong. As used in the New Testament it had a very wide application, being applied sometimes to the shortest proverbs, (1 Samuel 10:12; 24:13; 2 Chronicles 7:20) sometimes to dark prophetic utterances, (Numbers 23:7,18; 24:3; Ezekiel 20:49) sometimes to enigmatic maxims, (Psalms 78:2; Proverbs 1:6) or metaphors expand”
Dead Sea Scrolls “Temple Scroll (2nd century BCE (composition)), section 5: Levitical priests and to the judge who is in office in those days." The Law of the King has been widely interpreted as a critique of the Hasmonean rulers, who combined royal and priestly authority (which the Qumran community rejected), practiced polygamy, accumulated wealth through military conquest, and exercised power without the constraints the Temple Scroll envisions. SIGNIFICANCE The Temple Scroll is of major importance for several fields: For Jewish Legal History: It preserves the most extensive pre-rabbinic legal code known, reve”
2 Timothy (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 2 Timothy 3:16: 3:16-17 These verses elaborate on 3:15 by explaining Scripture’s effectiveness, its source, and the ways that it gives wisdom to live out our salvation. Paul was speaking of the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament), but his statement can now apply to all Scripture, including the New Testament (see, e.g., 2 Pet 3:15-16). 3:16 The fact that Scripture is inspired by God (literally God-breathed, breathed out by God’s own speech; see also Heb 4:12-13; 2 Pet 1:20-21) does not negate the active involvement of the human authors. But it does affirm that God is fully re”
1 Corinthians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Corinthians 10:15: Appeal to their own powers of judgment to weigh the force of the argument that follows: namely, that as the partaking of the Lord's Supper involves a partaking of the Lord Himself, and the partaking of the Jewish sacrificial meats involved a partaking of the altar of God, and, as the heathens sacrifice to devils, to partake of an idol feast is to have fellowship with devils. We cannot divest ourselves of the responsibility of "judging" for ourselves. The weakness of private judgment is not an argument against its use, but its abuse. We should t”
Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 78:5: For he established a testimony in Jacob,.... So the law is called, being a testification of the divine will, Exo 25:16 and the Scriptures, the writings of the Old Testament, which testify of Christ, his person, office, sufferings, and death, Isa 8:20 and particularly the Gospel, which is the testimony of God, of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of his apostles, Ti2 1:8 which bears witness to the love and grace of God in the salvation of men by Christ; to the dignity of Christ's person, to the fulness of his grace, to each of the offices and relations he bears and stands in ”
Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 4:4: But he answered and said, it is written,.... The passage referred to, and cited, is in Deu 8:3 the manner of citing it is what was common and usual with the Jews; and is often to be met with in the Talmudic writings; who, when they produce any passage of scripture, say "as it is written". The meaning of this scripture is; not that as the body lives by bread, so the soul lives by the word of God, and doctrines of the Gospel; though this is a certain truth: or that man lives by obedience to the commands of God, as was promised to the Israelites in the wilderness, and in”

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