Reframing Examples to Align with Biblical Authority
The concept of biblical authority is foundational to Christian theology, asserting that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and the ultimate standard for faith and life. This authority is often understood through various examples and interpretations found within the biblical text itself and in subsequent theological reflection.
One significant example of biblical authority is seen in the prophetic declarations, where God's word is presented as absolute and determinative. For instance, Jeremiah 50:2 proclaims, "Declare among the nations, and publish it, and set vp a standart, proclaime it and conceale it not: say, Babel is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken downe: her idols are confounded, and their images are burst in pieces" [1]. This passage illustrates the power of God's spoken word to bring about historical events and judge idolatry. John Calvin, in his commentary on Isaiah, notes that the prophets often condemned Gentile superstitions, declaring that God cannot be represented by images, thereby showing the agreement between prophetic teaching and later apostolic doctrine [3]. He further emphasizes that God's infinite power, holding all things, means that no image can truly resemble Him [3].
The restoration of God's people and the Church is another area where biblical authority is exemplified. Calvin observes that the building of the Church out of ruins and its gathering from desolation demonstrates God's grace, which should inspire firm faith [5]. Similarly, the restoration of the Church is seen as proceeding solely from God's grace, as He can remove barrenness and impart strength, just as He created all things out of nothing [6]. This renewal is likened to a wilderness becoming a Carmel [6].
The transformation of individuals is also presented as an example of biblical authority at work. Paul speaks of believers being "transformed" or "transfigured" by the "renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2) [9]. This transformation is not merely an outward conformity to the world but an inward spiritual change that makes the entire life new, affecting motives and ends [9]. This aligns with the idea of spiritual regeneration as the restoration of the image of God, which was destroyed by the fall [4]. Paul's teaching in Colossians 3:10 and Ephesians 4:23 connects this restoration to righteousness and true holiness [4].
Biblical authority also extends to the understanding of reconciliation. The apostle Paul states that "all things" (referring to privileges in the new creation) are "from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:18) [10]. This reconciliation is understood as God restoring humanity to His favor by satisfying the claims of justice [10]. The mediation of Christ is presented not as changing God's character or producing His love, but as the provision of God's love itself [10].
The concept of a "pure language" in Zephaniah 3:9 illustrates a future act of God's authority, where He will change the impure language of the nations and give them a pure one [8]. This is understood as a reversal of the confusion of languages at Babel, which was a penalty for sin, likely idolatry [8].
Even in instances of doubt or struggle, the word of God is presented as the ultimate arbiter. Calvin notes that God sometimes presents His word in a way that might seem to cause disagreement or perplexity, but the only way to maintain constancy of faith is to apply all senses to the word of God [7]. This suggests that even when faced with apparent discrepancies, the authority of God's word remains paramount.
The Bible itself uses various literary forms to convey its authoritative message, including parables, which are comparisons or similitudes used to illustrate one subject by another [2]. These can range from short proverbs to dark prophetic utterances or enigmatic maxims [2]. The wide application of the term "parable" in the New Testament highlights the diverse ways in which biblical truth is communicated and understood [2].
Sources
- Jeremiah “Jeremiah 50:2 (Geneva1599) — Declare among the nations, and publish it, and set vp a standart, proclaime it and conceale it not: say, Babel is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken downe: her idols are confounded, and their images are burst in pieces.”
- 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”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Isaiah, Vol. 3, section 8.30: in guarding the Jews against distrust, at the same time condemns the superstitions of the Gentiles, and declares that it is inconsistent with the nature of God to be represented by painting or by any kind of likeness. This shews clearly that Paul’s doctrine fully agrees with it; for the Prophet, after having shewn that the power of God is infinite, since he holds all things in his fist, at length concludes, “To whom then will ye liken me? for no image that is formed will have any likeness or resemblance to me.” Or, what resemblance will you a”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 1 (Gen 1-23), section 5.32: of the image of God. Since the image of God had been destroyed in us by the fall, we may judge from its restoration what it originally had been. Paul says that we are transformed into the image of God by the gospel. And, according to him, spiritual regeneration is nothing else than the restoration of the same image. ( Colossians 3:10 , and Ephesians 4:23 .) That he made this image to consist in righteousness and true holiness, is by the figure synecdochee ; 88 88 Synecdoche is the figure which puts a part for the whole, or the who”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 1 (Gen 1-23), section 3.7: its numbers, as if its dignity consisted in its multitude. If sometimes, in various places, Religion is less flourishing than could be wished, if the body of the pious is scattered, and the state of a well-regulated Church has gone to decay, not only do our minds sink, but entirely melt within us. On the contrary, while we see in this history of Moses, the building of the Church out of ruins, and the gathering of it out of broken fragments, and out of desolation itself, such an instance of the grace of God ought to raise us to firm”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Isaiah, Vol. 2, section 20.19: Spirit, and they shall be created, and thou wilt renew the face of the earth.” ( Psalm 104:30 .) Holding out this as an evidence that God is reconciled, he at the same time declares that the restoration of the Church proceeds solely from the grace of God, who can remove its barrenness as soon as he has imparted strength from heaven; for he who created all things out of nothing, as if they had formerly existed, is able to renew it in a moment. And the wilderness become a Carmel. 342 342 {Bogus footnote} In explaining this comparison of “the w”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 1 (Gen 1-23), section 26.6: shaken off. But now all occasion of doubt is removed; so that, without controversy, he acknowledges the oracle, which he hears, to be from God. Meanwhile, God, in a certain sense, assumes a double character, that, by the appearance of disagreement and repugnance in which He presents Himself in his word, he may distract and wound the breast of the holy man. For the only method of cherishing constancy of faith, is to apply all our senses to the word of God. But so great was then the discrepancy of the word, that it would wound and l”
- Zephaniah (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Zephaniah 3:9: For--The blessed things promised in this and Zep 3:10 are the immediate results of the punishment inflicted on the nations, mentioned in Zep 3:8 (compare Zep 3:19). turn to the people a pure language--that is, changing their impure language I will give to them again a pure language (literally, "lip"). Compare for this Hebrew idiom, Sa1 10:9, Margin. The confusion of languages was of the penalty sin, probably idolatry at Babel (Gen 11:1-6, Margin, where also "lip" expresses language, and perhaps also religion; Zep 3:4, "a tower whose top may reach u”
- Romans (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Romans 12:2: And be ye not conformed to this world--Compare Eph 2:2; Gal 1:4, Greek. but be ye transformed--or, "transfigured" (as in Mat 17:2; and Co2 3:18, Greek). by the renewing of your mind--not by a mere outward disconformity to the ungodly world, many of whose actions in themselves may be virtuous and praiseworthy; but by such an inward spiritual transformation as makes the whole life new--new in its motives and ends, even where the actions differ in nothing from those of the world--new, considered as a whole, and in such a sense as to be wholly unattain”
- 2 Corinthians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 2 Corinthians 5:18: all--Greek, "THE." things--all our privileges in this new creation (Co2 5:14-15). reconciled us--that is, restored us ("the world," Co2 5:19) to His favor by satisfying the claims of justice against us. Our position judicially considered in the eye of the law is altered, not as though the mediation of Christ had made a change in God's character, nor as if the love of God was produced by the mediation of Christ; nay, the mediation and sacrifice of Christ was the provision of God's love, not its moving cause (Rom 8:32). Christ's blood was the ”