United Methodists
and the Authority of Scripture*

   As United Methodist Christians, we affirm the authority of scripture. What do we mean by that? The Webster Merriam Collegiate Dictionary defines authority as "the power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior" (2b).

   How United Methodists interpret the authority of Scripture for our own lives varies considerably within the denomination. Some of the variations come from historic and traditional differences. Others arise from the distinctiveness of cultural heritage. How we interpret Scripture may be the result of a lifetime of prayerful interaction with Scripture--or the result of a newfound faith through a recent conversion experience. The traditions and events that are powerful in our lives overall tend to affect how we understand the authority of Scripture and its role in our lives. As we read Scripture in the context of faith community, we join the Christian community that over thousands of years have sought meaning and comfort and inspiration in Scripture. We seek to make it "our own," for our lives, our time.

   The authority of Scripture was one of the chief concerns addressed during the Reformation. The Catholic tradition taught that church tradition held authority equal to that of Scripture, because Scripture had emerged from the church. The church was to be relied upon to interpret Scripture and what was permitted or forbidden within it. Reformers Martin Luther and John Calvin taught that the authority of Scripture alone was sufficient. The traditions that grew out of their teaching nonetheless took different approaches to the authority of Scripture. Lutherans believed that anything not forbidden in Scripture was permissible. Calvinists took a more restrictive view that anything not commanded in Scripture was forbidden.

   The historic Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church found a middle ground. Article V concerns "the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation," and states that "The Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation; so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any [one] that it should be believed as an article of faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation." In other words, what is not commanded or shown in Scripture is not to be demanded of Christians. Teachings not supported by Scripture are not to be imposed, although they are not expressly forbidden either. Article V says nothing about what is forbidden in Scripture. All that is truly necessary for salvation can be learned from Scripture, but the Article leaves open to interpretation just what "all things necessary to salvation" are. Strictly interpreted, it could be said that every rule in the Bible is mandatory; loosely interpreted, it says that anything that doesn’t conflict with the general spirit of Scripture is allowable.

   The Articles of Religion are considered doctrine for the church, and cannot be changed without a church constitutional meeting. The Articles were first established by the Church of England in the 1540s. John Wesley adapted them for American Methodism in 1784, although he made no changes to Article V’s text. The Church of the United Brethren edited the Articles in the late 1800s to remove the anti-Catholic bias and simplify the language. Both the Methodist Church’s Articles of Religion and the Evangelical United Brethren Church’s Articles of Faith were included in The Book of Discipline when the two denominations merged to become The United Methodist Church in 1968.

   Article IV in the Confession* of Faith of the Evangelical United Brethren Church concerns "The Holy Bible" and reads: "We believe the Holy Bible, Old and New Testaments, reveals the Word of God so far as it is necessary for our salvation. It is to be received through the Holy Spirit as the true rule and guide for faith and practice. Whatever is not revealed in or established by the Holy Scriptures is not to be made an article of faith nor is it to be taught as essential to salvation."

   The wording of these Articles reflects theological nuances. Neither statement claims that the entire Word of God is contained in the Bible. Neither interprets the Bible as being inerrant (a view that insists the Bible contains no errors, whether in scientific or historical accuracy or in matters of religion). Both show concern that churches not authorize teachings that are not supported by the Bible.

   According to both statements, the principal purpose of Scripture is to communicate salvation.The United Brethren article asserts that the Holy Spirit will guide a believer in understanding how to apply Scripture, an interpretive step beyond the Reformation assertion that Scripture contains everything necessary for salvation. But both articles leave room for a range of interpretations of how to experience and live out that salvation.

   A synopsis of John Wesley’s interpretation of Scripture as a guide for Christian conduct, and of the Holy Spirit’s role in interpretation, is found in the summary of the General Rules, "all of which we are taught of God to observe, even in his written Word, which is the only rule, and the sufficient rule, both of our faith and practice. And all these we know his Spirit writes on truly awakened hearts." The interpretation of what constitutes a "truly awakened heart" is one of the unique features of Methodism. This language indicates that any failure to live by these rules may be the result of a not-fully-awakened heart, rather than having to do with the Scripture text, or with the Holy Spirit. The fully-awakened heart responds by prayer, worship, fasting, Bible study, and service to human beings. Christian perfection was found in a life dedicated to the works of piety and the works of mercy. This was all gleaned by Wesley from Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience.

   In ¶63 on Scripture in "Our Theological Task," The Book of Discipline, 1996, the United Methodist view of Scripture is described at some length:

   United Methodists share with other Christians the conviction that Scripture is the primary source and criterion for Christian doctrine. Through Scripture the living Christ meets us in the experience of redeeming grace. We are convinced that Jesus Christ is the living Word of God in our midst whom we trust in life and death.

   The biblical authors, illumined by the Holy Spirit, bear witness that in Christ the world is reconciled to God. The Bible bears authentic testimony to God’s self-disclosure in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as well as in God’s work of creation, in the pilgrimage of Israel, and in the Holy Spirit’s ongoing activity in human history. ....

   We are aided by scholarly inquiry and personal insight, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. As we work with each text, we take into account what we have been able to learn about the original context and intention of that text. In this understanding we draw upon the careful historical, literary, and textual studies of recent years, which have enriched our understanding of the Bible.

   Through this faithful reading of Scripture, we may come to know the truth of the biblical message in its bearing on our own lives and the life of the world. Thus, the Bible serves both as a source of our faith and as the basic criterion by which the truth and fidelity of any interpretation of faith is measured.

   While we acknowledge the primacy of Scripture in theological reflection, our attempts to grasp its meaning always involve tradition, experience, and reason. Like Scripture, these may become creative vehicles of the Holy Spirit as they function with the Church. They quicken our faith, open our eyes to the wonder of God’s love, and clarify our understanding (pp. 75-76).

   The Bible interacts with the tradition, experience, and reason of each of us individually, and as a community of God’s faithful. All of these tools influence and help shape our personal interpretation of Scripture in a process that endures over a lifetime. Through the constantly evolving context of our lives, we read Scripture anew, discovering guidance and inspiration that give Scripture authority for us.

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