Authority of Scripture

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Photo taken by Mandy Sweigart-Quinn

I was watching a video yesterday (15 June 2021) and the speaker made a good point that there was a time (at least in the States) while people wanted Jesus to return, they were hoping He would prolong His arrival so that they could get married, have children, graduate from whatever school, etc. People were comfortable living in this world. Since 2020, I do not hear people saying they want Jesus to prolong His return for their personal x,y and z.

In a world gone mad more and more people are seeking and asking, “What is truth?” (John 18:38 ESV), yet very few people are accepting the Authority and Truth of God’s Word. The Bible is being distorted, lambasted and outright rejected at record speed.

I have read time and time again that in the Last Days there will be a great falling away, that the Word of God will be traded for lies and that the apostate church and its false prophets will be considered true Christianity. Only now, I am starting to understand what that looks like in real time and place and it is horrifying.

From the time of Israel (Old Testament) until now (New Testament) the Lord has preserved His Word declaring that it will remain forever:

“The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isa 4:7-8). 

Peter cites Isaiah saying, “The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever” (1 Peter 1:24-25).

Jesus, God Himself says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Matt 24:35).

God is sovereign and He makes it clear, “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isa 55:10-11).

God will most certainly accomplish His Will and we can either be holy, faithful useful agents/servants of the Gospel or God will continue on with His plan without us by disciplining us, putting us on the shelf, etc.

Both the Old Testament and New Testament affirm that we are NOT to add or take away anything from God’s Word. God’s Word cannot mean, what it did not mean to the original author and audience. Context is indeed king! The Bible is being removed from its original context and this has serious consequences for individuals and for society.

Moses tells Israel in Deuteronomy, “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you” (4:2) and “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it” (12:32).

While this refers to the prophecy in Revelation, John states, “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book” (22:18-19). 

We alter God’s Word when we cherry-pick what we want to believe and apply. We alter God’s Word when we minimize the reality of hell and the wrath of God that John prophesies in Revelation. We alter God’s Word when we say, “love is love.” At no point in time has the Triune God ever changed His design for marriage. It has always been between one man and one woman. God has never ceased creating biological men and women in His image. We alter God’s Word when we interpret it based on our emotions, feelings and desires.

Peter states, “[N]o prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet 1:20-21). Sin and a low view of Scripture is what is altering God’s Word today in terms of marriage, sex, gender etc.

Let us never forget that sin began with a question, “Did God actually say…?” (Gen 3:1). From the beginning, “the most important strategy in Satan’s war against God, His Christ, and us is to undermine our confidence in God’s word. He does this by means of worldly wisdom. The wisdom of the age will always conflict with Scripture” (G. Cook, Severe Compassion: The Gospel According to Nahum, 2016, p. 57).

What is absolutely amazing about the Fall of Man in Genesis 3 is that “God does not intervene to defend his word” (p. 58). God gave His Word directly to Adam, Adam shared it with Eve. God has given His Word to us in written form, in many different languages and it is up to God’s people to rightly defend, interpret and share the Word.

Scoffers of God’s Word have always existed and will continue to exist. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 is still as relevant today as when Paul wrote it: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the [messenger] of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 

God asks us to choose an authority. It can either be God and His Word or it can be sinful man armed with Satan’s deceptive, destructive and damning wisdom. Make no mistake every person who has lived, is living and will live will be examined by Scripture, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Heb 4:12-13).

May God and His Word be our ultimate authority. I implore you to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you where Satan is seeking to undermine your confidence in Scripture.

Lord God, thank You for the preservation of Your Word. Lord God, I pray that for those who are being swayed and deceived by false teachers and teachings that You will open their eyes and ears to You and to Your Truth. Lord God, strengthen Your people who hold tightly to Your Word. Lord God, impress on us to know Your Word as we guard our hearts and minds. Lord God, may we never take Your Word for granted. May we never become bored or tired of hearing Your Word read, taught and preached. Lord God, thank You that for those who have never heard the Good News of Jesus Christ that they can know You through nature/creation. Lord God, thank You for this reader. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Published by

Blue Collar Theologian

My name is Mandy Sweigart-Quinn, I live in Lancaster, PA and I am a “Blue Collar Theologian.” I love Jesus! I am passionate about His Word (The Holy Bible)! I come alive when I can encourage others in their walk with Jesus (whether by writing or speaking). As a “Blue Collar Theologian” it is my aim to live/practice/work out my Christian hope with sincerity, authenticity and genuineness. As a “Blue Collar Theologian,” I strive to meet people right where they are (“Incarnational Theology”). I graduated in May 2019 from Capital Seminary and Graduate School with a Master's in Biblical Studies. I am a passionate, excited and enthusiastic person! I love flowers, sports and sunsets. Since January 2, 2018 I have had the privilege of being married to Nathan.

92 thoughts on “Authority of Scripture”

  2. Mandy, this is the sermon!!!! Rare for me to have exclamation points but reading through all your great expositions on Word of GOD and not misinterpreting GOD Word for social acceptance, makes me awake. So many quotable lines and my favorite is paragraph 13 (We alter…) though I like your sequencing on GOD’s Word in the fall of man story. Indeed, this is already a sermon! Blessings to you, Nathan, and your family!

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    1. Jesus loves you, MKB! Thank you for reading this Kent and for your heartfelt comments! I wrote this because I wanted people to know where I stand on the Authority of Scripture. Like God’s Holiness, we cannot approach His Word however we want. We have to approach His Word in humility and submission. We need to let the Holy Spirit use Scripture to read and interpret us. God’s Word is clear and it is not confusing for those whom the Lord has called. So glad for your heart for Scripture and the ministry of bringing God’s Word to the masses in text and visual! Love and blessings brother!!

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  3. Mandy you highlight the foundational truth that the Word of God has and always will stand as a guiding light to follow. Man’s many social theories are unreliable fads that come and go, but God and His Word never change. People may interpret His Word to suit their lifestyle and hide their sins, but like Adam hiding from God they are kidding themselves and nothing other than liars to themselves. Good work sister nailing your colours to the mast!

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  4. Amen, Mandy! The title alone made me excited to read your post, but you are spot on! I’m so glad you are willing to stand for the truth regardless. After all, the truth alone will stand in the end. All lies will be exposed. Thanks again for posting this. We need truth tellers in this day of age!

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    1. Thank you, Colleen!!!! Your encouragement is very much appreciated! There’s so much fake out there and I wanted people to know where I stand. Regrettably the Bible has been used as a weapon by sinful man; however, that doesn’t stop the Word from being true. It confirms that all people are sinful, wretched and wicked and will die sinful, wretched and wicked unless they come to know Christ as their Lord and Savior. The greatest way we get to know God and have a relationship with Him is through His Word. Praise God for all the different avenues that the Bible is accessible today print, digital, audio etc. Praising God for you!!! Love, hugs and blessings!!!

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  7. Thanks for this good post, Mandy. God’s Word is our authority. But every person who watches TV or uses the internet this month is being inundated with Gay Pride Month messages.

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      1. Only 34 pages left of the infamous KKK book! I actually enjoyed the second half quite a bit more.

        Thank you and I’m grateful for you and Nathan!

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      2. Glad you will be done tomorrow praise the Lord! Also glad you liked the second half better! I confess unless required reading, I would have given up and not endured to find out the second half was better. I freely admit I am a snob: life’s to short to read bad books!

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      3. Thanks! Can’t wait to start the next book! I’m OCD when it comes to finishing a book. The last book I tapped out was on p. 186 of “Darwin Devolves: The New Science About DNA That Challenges Evolution,” which was WAY too scientific for me. My eyes glazed over around p. 25 and I knew I was just kidding myself after that.

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      5. The next book is actually a 22-page pamphlet, “Negro and White” (1956) by John R. Rice. Rice was one of the top leaders of independent Baptist fundamentalism and the pamphlet defends segregation. I have 11 books in the queue after that and 9 of them have something to do with Catholicism.

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      7. Thanks, Mandy! I actually DO have a Catholic apologetics book in the stack that I intend to refute in a weekly series, “Forty Reasons I Am A Catholic” by Peter Kreeft. Supposed “ex-evangelical” Kreeft is a philosopher in addition to being a Catholic apologist. The young pastor of the small SBC church we attended several years ago announced from the pulpit that Kreeft was his favorite philosopher. That and several other pro-ecumenical statements were red flag warnings that we had to leave. Kreeft has written a slew of books promoting works-righteousness Catholicism and denigrating the “easy-believism” of the Gospel of grace.

        Anyway, “Forty Reasons…” looks like an “excellent” specimen to critique: 40 arguments in 127 pages = only 3 pages per argument. I’m thinking I’ll start the series sometime in August. I appreciated your participation in my last debunking series and look forward to your feedback and assistance in this upcoming one!

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      9. Your questions about another series was incentive to get going. Kreeft’s book has been in my book pile since mid-March. Thanks for your prayers and encouragement! These series are a bit draining. Love, hugs, and blessings to you and Nathan as well!

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  10. Well said, Mandy.

    We conquer the devil “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their [our] testimony. . .” (Revelation 12:11)

    I believe that what you’ve done is to give the conquering testimony that we must all have as The Day approaches. Truly we live in the days of Noah and must watch and pray. Maranatha!

    Keep up the good fight.

    L-RD Bless, Keep, Shine upon and through you and Nathan.

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  11. Hi Mandy, You stated “I wrote this because I wanted people to know where I stand on the Authority of Scripture.” You also stated “that in the Last Days there will be a great falling away, that the Word of God will be traded for lies and that the apostate church and its false prophets will be considered true Christianity.” That comes from the Apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, but you don’t hear of that reality that is to come, much anymore. Instead, in the signs and wonders NAR movement, all they talk about is the Great Revival that is to come, where, search as I might, I can find no mention of at all in the NT. That Great Revival may indeed come, but it will be in fact the great falling away from God’s truth, as already indeed foretold in God’s Holy Word. It’s definitely eye opening when you see the big pieces start to fall into place, before your very eyes. Like Alan said, God’s word is foundational and the truth of God’s Word is where we stand. Mission accomplished and very well done at that! God’s continued blessings to you and Nathan. Love in Christ – Bruce

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    1. The only great revival in my view is that unbelieving Jews will one day look upon her Savior and believe. Gods is changing individual hearts not great, national revivals. The NAR is an affront to God. Their experience driven worship is leading people into hell. I am so thankful that God will hold these false prophets/charlatans accountable. I am so thankful for your commitment to the Truth. While we will get it wrong, contending with sin until God calls us home or He returns, so thankful for His grace and mercy. Thank you for reading this post and comments! Love and blessings to you and Peggy!

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  12. Amen Mandy! This is is a very insightful post, indeed the word of God does not change and love is not love as you say, love is defined by God himself for he is love. Great post! Much love and God bless from the other side of the pond. 🥰

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  13. I really like how you explained the altering of the word in ways that we see it often done and has become the norm. You are so right when you say that we are getting to see false teaching and preaching more so in real time these days.
    Gods word stands firm and forever. May we spend time in the word, to guard ourselves when we hear teaching that alters it.
    Such a good word Many.
    Blessings to you 🤗💙🌺

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    1. Thank you, Manu! So much effort has gone into twisting interpretations of God’s Word to fit our agendas rather than allowing the Bible to interpret and change us! I am so thankful for your heart to interpret God’s Word soundly and teach/write in context! You are so right that we need to read and guard ourselves in the Word so we will know false teaching when we hear it! They say that’s how people detect false currency, by knowing the real thing so well. May we know the true Word to discern error! Love, hugs and blessings!!

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  15. Glad to read you have a high view of God’s Word: The Bible. Having some counseling discussions yesterday and reading this tonight/morning reminds me the Word of God as being authoritative than anything else is SOO important practically too

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    1. I know you know my stance but for those who don’t know me or read this later, I want them to know my position. It’s easy to write one thing and live another if you know what I mean? When it comes to all the deconstructing stories, I have a better idea why Paul wanted the Judizers to go and castrate themselves and why he literally damned (anathema) to hell.

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      1. Glad you made this very clear. We live in an age where things get muddled or sloganized for mass consumption and for virtue signaling, so it’s refreshing to read this.

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  16. Amen!! Preach it sister!! It is devastating to watch so many reject the truth or cherry pick what sounds and feels good from God’s Word. Or just flat out twist The Word. China is writing their own Bible. I’ve seen a few excerpts and it’s the most evil vile thing. May God have mercy on us all. The Lord bless and keep you!!

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    1. Thank you for your encouragement, Meghan! I have heard that China is writing their own Bible but have not looked into it. I do know that most of our Bibles are manufactured/print in China! I have grave concerns over this! Both Protestant and Catholic Bible are being print in China. 20 million Bibles a year are printed and publishers care more about making money than where the Bible is print. Or with what country they are doing business with. Godless China printing God’s Holy Word for money seeking Bible publishers. God cannot be pleased! I genuinely believe the Word will be altered because of this. Not blatant changes where everyone would be up in arms, but slow, steady and gradual changes both in print and digital. Like you I love God’s Word and I hate seeing what is happening! Love, hugs and blessings sweet friend!

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      1. I didn’t know about so many Bibles being printed in China. Wow! I’m praying more and more Bibles can make it into China since they are coming down harder on Christians more and more. Of course no human can thwart God’s plans. Blessings to you Mandy.

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  18. Dear Mandy so glad to have read your post. I could agree with you more. We need to proclaim the truth, contend earnestly for the faith, speak truth into the lies of “apostate Christianity “, (I am comforted with it all the time), maintain that the Bible is the ultimate authority and stand firm on the truth revealed in Scripture.
    Well done Mandy!!
    Love and blessings

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    1. Thank you, Crissy! I am sure in your ministry you have all kinds of fascinatingly terrifying stories of the havoc the apostate church is having on folks. God is not humored in the least bit with all the compromise in the name of tolerance. So thankful for your commitment to the Truth and that’s God’s Word is the ultimate authority. Love and blessings, sweet lady!

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  20. Amen!! Excellent post!
    I love how you used several verses showing the same concept to show the point.

    Such a great truth and reminder: ‘Let us never forget that sin began with a question, “Did God actually say…?” (Gen 3:1)’
    I’m thankful I’m on His side. And I’d be incredibly thankful to have Him return at any moment!!🙌❤️

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  21. With a “cancel culture” gone mad, the Bible is a huge target. Moreover, followers who exhibit beliefs based on the scriptures, are being targeted all the time now. We, the faithful, must send for/on what we read from the eternal words left here for us, even as the culture is diverted. Thank you, Mandy. Good stuff. God’s grip – Alan

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  23. I appreciated your words, “I have read time and time again that in the Last Days there will be a great falling away, that the Word of God will be traded for lies and that the apostate church and its false prophets will be considered true Christianity. Only now, I am starting to understand what that looks like in real time and place and it is horrifying.”
    So often I’ll be in a discussion with family or close friends and find myself saying, “The Bible warns us of the apostasy of the church but I never expected it to look like this.” It breaks my heart as I have watched over the last year, people I have taught alongside in our church’s children’s ministries and consider strong Christians embracing the lies of the age and cutting themselves off from anyone who will speak Truth. As a result I’ve found myself digging deeper into the Word, seeking to fortify my mind and heart. Thank you for the encouragement to “ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you where Satan is seeking to undermine your confidence in Scripture.” Blessings to you on this Sunday morning.

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  24. Responding to your comment: we plan to do Father’s Day tomorrow, today was super busy at church with last minute clean up the Chinese side have us do (wished it was better planned and more considerate of our English side); so we got home late and just grabbed lunch.

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  27. This is a great blog Mandy. I agree a hundred percent that no one is allowed to alter a single word in any Divinely revealed scripture. I am a Sikh and exactly the same commandment exists vis a vis our scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib.
    I loved reading this post.

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  32. This is interesting. I sometimes feel the same way about people cherry–picking from the bible as I do about people taking it too literally and twisting its meaning. I’ve seen people quote ‘spare the rod and spoil the child’ from the bible as an excuse for why they beat up their children and ‘an eye for an eye’ has been used countless times to justify violence and killing. I don’t think that violence was ever what God was all about. True, we should listen to his word and read the bible everyday and we should also approach it with common sense and not use His words as an excuse for wrongdoing. Thanks so much for sharing ❤

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    1. Context is truly king! God will never approve of abuse of anyone. Discipline for children, yes. “Eye for an eye” has been redefined by Jesus in that we are not to take revenge on our enemies but we are to do good to them forgive and pray for them. I agree wholeheartedly that we are not to use God’s “words as an excuse for wrongdoing.” Thank you for taking the time to read and comment!!!!!

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