6、圣经乃权柄 神藉着圣经统管其子民Authority - God governs Hispeople through Scripture
《简明神学》Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs，巴刻（J. I. Packer）著/張麟至译，更新传道会，2007年。
圣经乃权柄
神藉着圣经统管其子民
圣经都是神所默示的，于教训、督责、使人归正、教导人学义，都是有益的。（提后3:16）
基督徒以圣经为权威的应用原则，一方面是指：神特意要藉着圣经所启示的真理，来引到他百姓的信念和行为；另一方面是指：我们一切有关神的概念，都应当以圣经的教训为准，来量度、试验、改正（若有需要时）并扩大。这样的权威是指控制的权利、宣告控制的权利、合宜控制的资格，且有能力来管治。基督教的权柄属于神——造物主，他使我们认识他、爱慕他、事奉他，而他在我们身上运用他权柄的方法，就是藉着他写成之话语里所包含的真理和智慧。
正如从人的角度来看，圣经每一卷书的写作都是为了引人更表里一致、全心全意地事奉神；从神的角度来看，全本圣经的确有此目的。因为天父现在已经将代表他，执行治理全宇宙的权柄，赐给了他的儿子（太28:18），圣经其实就成了基督管治跟随他的人，运用他主权的工具。就此点来说，全本圣经就和启示录二、三章基督写给七教会的信一样。
今日神权威性的真理要往何处寻呢？有三个答案，而且每一种答案都以它个别的方法诉求于圣经：
罗马天主教和东正教按着他们所信的，从自己传统和共识的解经里，找到神的真理。虽然他们视圣经为神所赐的真理，然而，他们坚持：圣经必须由教会来解释它，而且教会如此做时，是不会有错谬的。
相形之下，被人们称为自由派、激进派、现代派、或主观派的人则是从他们的思想、印象、理论，和圣经在他们心思里所引发的猜测里，找到神的真理。他们放弃了新约里圣经乃神所默示的观念，不认为圣经是完全可靠的，也不认为圣经是神思想绝对与权威的彰显，他们笃信不疑：圣灵会带领他们按神的智慧所归结的方法，作一选择。
历史上的基督教则在所称为圣经正典的教训里，找到了真理。他们认为圣经是神所默示的（即神的气吹在其上，提后3:16）、无误的（即圣经所肯定的一切事，都是全然真的）、充足的（即它告诉我们所有神要告诉我们的，和所有我们需要知道之有关得救恩及永生的事）、清楚的（即在所有重要的事上，它是直截了当的、自我解明的）。
前两种观点，将人加在圣经上得判断，当作寻找真理和智慧的决定因素；第三种观点不偏废教会信念的传统，亦欣赏理性思考涉及对连贯性的要求，却能有系统地将所有人的思想都伏在圣经之下，因为他们看重圣经为正典。
正典一字（Canon）原意是尺度或标准。前两种观点固然视圣经为正典，但是他们没有真正严肃地将它视为信仰与生活的规则。因此他们实际上等于没有完全接受它的权威；而他们基督教的认信，不管有多诚恳，因此是有瑕疵的。
AUTHORITY
GOD
GOVERNS HIS PEOPLE THROUGH SCRIPTURE
All
Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and
training in righteousness. 2 TIMOTHY 3:16
The
Christian principle of biblical authority means, on the one hand, that God
purposes to direct the belief and behavior of his people through the revealed
truth set forth in Holy Scripture; on the other hand it means that all our
ideas about God should be measured, tested, and where necessary corrected and
enlarged, by reference to biblical teaching. Authority as such is the right,
claim, fitness, and by extension power, to control. Authority in Christianity
belongs to God the Creator, who made us to know, love, and serve him, and his
way of exercising his authority over us is by means of the truth and wisdom of
his written Word. As from the human standpoint each biblical book was written
to induce more consistent and wholehearted service of God, so from the divine
standpoint the entire Bible has this purpose. And since the Father has now
given the Son executive authority to rule the cosmos on his behalf (Matt.
28:18), Scripture now functions precisely as the instrument of Christ’s
lordship over his followers. All Scripture is like Christ’s letters to the
seven churches (Rev. 2-3) in this regard.
Where
is God’s authoritative truth to be found today? Three answers are given, and
each appeals to the Bible in its own way.
The
Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches find God’s truth, as they believe, in the
interpretations of Scripture that are embodied in their own tradition and
consensus. They view the Bible as God-given truth, but they insist that the
church must interpret it and is infallible when it does so.
By
contrast, individuals labeled liberal, radical, modernist, or subjectivist find
God’s truth in the thoughts, impressions, judgments, theories and speculations
that Scripture triggers in their own minds. While dismissing the New Testament
concept of the inspiration of Scripture, and not treating their Bible as
totally trustworthy or as embodying absolute and authoritative transcripts of
the mind of God, they are confident that the Spirit leads them to pick and
choose in such a way that wisdom from God results.
Historic
Protestantism, however, finds God’s truth in the teaching of the canonical
Scriptures as such. It receives these Scriptures as inspired (i.e.,
God-breathed, 2 Tim. 3:16), inerrant (i.e., totally true in all they affirm),
sufficient (i.e., telling us all that God wills to tell us and all that we need
to know for salvation and eternal life), and clear (i.e., straightforward and
self-interpreting on all matters of importance).
The
first two positions treat human judgments on the Bible as decisive for truth
and wisdom; the third, while valuing the church’s heritage of conviction and
appreciating the demand for coherence that rational thinking involves,
systematically submits all human thoughts to Scripture, which it takes
seriously as canon. Canon means a rule or standard. The first two positions
refer to Scripture as the canon, but they fail to take it with full seriousness
as a functioning rule for faith and life. Thus they do not in practice fully
accept its authority, and their Christian profession, however sincere, is
thereby flawed.