“The authoritative function of Scripture”
with Tim Geddert
Jesus is at the centre.
No matter what other amazing and insightful words Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary professor Tim Geddert offered this afternoon, it was worth hearing the important truth that Jesus is always at the centre of our understanding of Scripture.
Geddert deftly and clearly outlined some of the incredibly challenging and complicated issues we encounter when considering the authority and authoritative nature of Scripture. He walked through both what we mean by authoritative and why we believe Scripture is authoritative.
Using 2 Peter 3:2 and 16, Geddert outlined the role of the Bible – that when we remember and are guided by the (now) written words of God, we are able to stay on the path of righteousness, avoiding false prophecy, destructive heresy and depraved conduct (yikes!).
The apostle Peter names three authorities: the prophets, Jesus, and the apostolic tradition. Of these three, Jesus is at the centre. The prophets point to Jesus and his Kingdom; the apostles preserve his teaching and way of life. But Jesus is always at the centre.
How do we keep Jesus at the centre and have a high view of all of Scripture? Geddert suggests that when we let Scripture do its God-intended purpose and point to something beyond itself: Jesus. Jesus is THE WORD the word is pointing to.
Geddert then moved on to the way the MB Confession of Faith articulates the authority of Scripture, namely that is both inspired and infallible. As he unpacked these two concepts, Geddert illustrated many of the cautions and pitfalls associated with these ideas. But perhaps Geddert’s most salient point was the reminder that we consider the Scriptures authoritative because Jesus considered them so.
And so we end where we began, with Jesus at the centre.