The Bible: Our Final Authority About Jesus

 


The Bible is the only official record we have of the words of the apostles and prophets who testified about Jesus, His life, His teachings, His death, and His resurrection. This makes Scripture essential to understanding who Jesus truly is and what His sacrifice means for us.

Key Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NKJV)

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Why the Bible Must Have Final Authority

Throughout history, people have formed different opinions about Jesus. Some have questioned His divinity, misunderstood His teachings, or overlooked the meaning of His death. Even today, many ideas about Jesus are based on personal opinions, traditions, or teachings that may not agree with Scripture.

The Bible provides the inspired testimony of those whom God called to communicate His message. The apostles witnessed Jesus' ministry, heard His teachings, and proclaimed His death and resurrection. The prophets also pointed forward to the coming Messiah and His mission to save humanity.

Without Scripture, we would have no reliable, complete foundation for understanding God's plan of salvation through Jesus Christ. Our beliefs could easily be shaped by human ideas rather than God's revealed truth. That is why the Bible must be our final authority. Our traditions, experiences, and opinions must be tested against God's Word, not placed above it.

Most importantly, the Bible reveals what Jesus accomplished for us at the cross. Romans 5:8 (NKJV) declares, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

The cross shows us the depth of God's love. Jesus willingly took upon Himself the consequences of our sin so that we could receive forgiveness and the hope of eternal life. We do not have to depend on speculation to understand this gift. God's Word tells us what Christ has done and invites us to trust Him.

When we make the Bible our final authority, we build our faith on something more dependable than changing human opinions. We learn to know Jesus as He truly is, understand His sacrifice, and trust His promises. Scripture does not merely give us information about Jesus; it points us toward a living relationship with our Savior.

Personal Reflection: Do I allow God's Word to shape my understanding of Jesus, or do I sometimes allow my own opinions and the ideas of others to shape what I believe? The more we study Scripture with an open heart, the more clearly we can see Christ's love and the sacrifice He made for us.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us Your Word so that we can know Jesus and understand the meaning of His life, death, and resurrection. Help us recognize the Bible as our final authority in matters of faith. Give us wisdom to distinguish Your truth from human opinions and traditions. Open our hearts as we study Scripture, and help us see more clearly the love You demonstrated through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. Strengthen our faith, deepen our trust in Your promises, and teach us to live each day in gratitude for the salvation You offer through Christ. In Jesus' name, Amen.

More on Lesson 4: New Testament Prophets 


4th Quarter Sabbath School: The Gift of Prophecy 



Popular posts from this blog

Sabbath School Lesson 3 - Old Testament Prophets

Image
  Sabbath School The Gift of Prophecy  Lesson 3: Old Testament Prophets  You may use this for presenting and studying the current Sabbath School Lesson. > Download the Notes for Lesson 3: Video Old Testament Prophets     (Video is Below) Lesson 3 Daily Devotionals: Sunday:   The Humanity of the Prophets    Monday: Identifying True Prophets     Tuesday: Functions of Prophets     Wednesday: Women Prophets    Thursday: False Prophets    Friday Further Thought: Not Perfect But Willing          More Daily Commentaries: When You Feel Like a Failure   A Man (or woman) Of God: Faithful, Not Perfect    When God's People Want to be Like the World   Called by God, Yet in Need of Grace    Don't Follow the Crowd     Sabbath School 4th Quarter Online: The Gift of Prophecy 
Read more

Sabbath School Lesson 4: New Testament Prophets

Image
  Sabbath School The Gift of Prophecy  Lesson 4: New Testament Prophets  You may use this for presenting and studying the current Sabbath School Lesson. > Download the Notes for Lesson 4: Video New Testament Prophets     (Video is Below) Lesson 3 Daily Devotionals: Sunday: Jesus as Prophet     Monday: Apostles and Prophets    Tuesday:   Functions of New Testament Prophets    Wednesday:   Female Prophets and Young Pastoral  Associates     Thursday: False Prophets in the New Testament   Friday Further Thought: Ellen White- Keeping Jesus and His Word at the Center  More Lesson 4 Commentaries: The Creator Who Died for You    Jesus in the Ultimate and Perfect Prophet   God’s Messengers for Building Up His People     Sabbath School 4th Quarter Online: The Gift of Prophecy 
Read more

The Gift of prophecy: Sabbath School 4th Quarter 2026

Image
  Sabbath School 4th Quarter - 2026 The Gift of Prophecy God created us with the ability to hear and understand language, and He also desires to communicate with us. After sin separated humanity from Him, God continued to speak through prophets, ultimately pointing us to Jesus and the hope of salvation. Prophecy is a gift of the Holy Spirit that reveals God’s truth, guides His people, encourages the church, supports its mission, and calls sinners to repentance. As we study this gift, including the prophetic ministry of Ellen G. White, the central message is simple: God has spoken, and we should listen. The following links are for the PDF versions of each Sabbath School lesson you can download and keep. If you wish to read the lessons online in annother format, Go here: 4th quarter - The Gift of Prophecy   Completed  Weekly commentaries appear below this list. Introduction - The Gift of Prophecy     Lesson 1 The Creator Speaks    Lesson 2 The Call of a...
Read more

Women Prophets

Image
  Sabbath School The Gift of Prophecy  Old Testament Prophets  Lesson 3 - Wednesday When God Calls, He Gives a Voice The Bible gives us several powerful examples of women who served in prophetic roles. Miriam is called a prophetess in Exodus 15:20. Deborah is identified as a prophetess in Judges 4:4. Huldah is called a prophetess in 2 Kings 22:14. And Nehemiah 6:14 even mentions a woman named Noadiah among those who claimed to be prophets. These passages remind us that the prophetic role in Scripture was not limited to men. God could call and use women to communicate His message, guide His people, and provide spiritual direction when it was needed. Huldah's story is especially significant because of the circumstances surrounding her ministry. During the reign of King Josiah, the Book of the Law had been discovered in the temple. When the king heard its words, he was deeply troubled because he realized how far the nation had wandered from God's commands. Josiah's officia...
Read more

The Humanity of Prophets

Image
  Sabbath School The Gift of Prophecy  Old Testament Prophets  Lesson 3 - Sunday Elijah Was Human, Just Like Us James 5:17 says, “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours” (NKJV). That statement is easy to overlook, but it carries an important message. Elijah was a prophet of God who stood courageously before King Ahab, confronted the prophets of Baal, and witnessed God answer his prayer with fire from heaven. Yet James reminds us that Elijah was still human. He had weaknesses, emotions, fears, and moments when his faith seemed to grow weak. We sometimes imagine that people who are especially close to God must have an unusually strong faith all the time. But Elijah's story tells us otherwise. God used Elijah mightily, not because he was superhuman, but because he trusted a powerful God. His humanity did not disqualify him from being God's servant. This becomes especially clear in 1 Kings 19. After the dramatic victory on Mount Carmel, Elijah received a threat from Jezeb...
Read more