charlieDEAN’S Blog

I started N.T. Wright’s book, The Last Word: Beyond the Bible Wars to a New Understanding of the Authority of Scripture, this morning.  Here’s two quotes from the prelude to the American edition — the first is from him, the second is a prayer used in the Anglican church (of which he is a Bishop) (emphasis is mine):

“I have tried, in particular, to face head on the question of how we can speak of the Bible being in some sense ‘authoritative’ when the Bible itseslf declares that all authority belongs to the one true God, and that this is now embodied in Jesus himself.  The risen Jesus at the end of Matthew’s gospel, does not say, ‘All authority in heaven and earth is given to the books you are all going to write,’ but ‘All authority in heaven and earth is given to me.’  This ought to tell us, precisely if we are taking the bible itself as seriously as we should that we need to think carefully what it might mean to think that the authority of Jesus is somhow exercised through the Bible”

Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning, grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life which thou has given us in thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ.  Amen.