What is the biggest issue facing the church today?
If you ask most people you will probably get answers like sexuality, gender, justice, tribalism, threats to religious liberty, cancel culture, consumerism, and relativism—just to name a few.
And they’re not wrong. Those are significant issues.
But they are not THE issue.
Underneath ALL of those issues is the issue that I believe is the greatest challenge for the church today—authority.
As I teach and disciple high school, college, and graduate students year-round at Impact 360 Institute and study the next generation, I am more convinced than ever that the number 1 topic that must be addressed is biblical authority.
Our Culture Has an Authority Problem
If the broader culture has an authority problem then it’s not surprising the church has a biblical authority problem.
Christians have drifted so far away from biblical authority. And it’s not just in progressive Christian circles that champion deconstruction.
Culture is simply what you come to see as normal without having to think about it. And it has become normal for people to see themselves as authoritative as I will unpack below.
10 Barriers to Biblical Authority Today
As I look around, I see 10 cultural challenges that are undermining Biblical Authority.
I will list them and comment briefly below but fully recognize that entire books could be written about each topic. In fact, I have addressed several of these challenges in depth in my book Questioning the Bible: 11 Major Challenges to the Bible’s Authority. As you read through this list, you will see how many of these build on each other.
1. Culture of Corruption & Abuse of Power. Everywhere you look there are scandals, cover-ups, and abuse of power. Scandal sells. And the entertainment news cycle is buying so it can drive clicks to create controversy and sell ad space. Sadly some high-profile Christian leaders and churches have been in the news for these reasons as well. The result is that you see a general institutional distrust setting in–especially in Gen Z. And if we’re honest, it’s not hard to see why some people are wary of authority.
2. Loss of Truth. We live in a “follow your heart,” “you do you,” and “true for you but not for me” world. The slogans and soundbites are everywhere. Sadly, the spiritual and moral fallout is all around as well. No matter how well-intentioned and no matter how many Disney princesses sing about these ideas, reality does not work this way. As the end of the book of Judges puts it, “all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes” (21:25). And if you have ever read that far in the Old Testament, trust me, that didn’t end well. It never does.
3. Crisis of Knowledge. One of the unspoken assumptions of our age is that science alone gives us knowledge of reality. But if moral, spiritual, and historical truth cannot be known, then it becomes very difficult to navigate life. And by the way, the Bible assumes moral, spiritual, and historical knowledge. One of the more surprising shifts is that we see an increasing number of people growing skeptical even of scientific knowledge (see also the Transgender revolution that says men can get pregnant). If biological reality can’t be known, that’s a big problem. But as predicted by Fredrich Niechze, if you lose truth and knowledge, all that is left is power and tribalism. People take sides and form alliances (for example LGBTQ+) to impose their worldview rather than try to persuade people of what’s true.
4. Expressive Individualism. One of the most significant seismic shifts that has taken place over the last century is the shift from a culture of authority (external) to a culture of authenticity (internal) (see Charles Taylor’s A Secular Age). Out of this shift (with many ideas and intellectual dominoes that had to fall before it) comes “Expressive Individualism.” Carl Trueman defines this as “…human beings are defined by their individual psychological core [ Authentic Self ], and that the purpose of life is allowing that core to find social expression in relationships. Anything that challenges it is deemed oppressive.” It’s that last part that undermines any external authority. If something like tradition, government, law, the church, society, education, God, or the Bible seeks to limit that expression of who people feel they really are then it is seen as oppressive. The locus of authority has moved inward. Unfortunately, a spiritualized version of this has been absorbed by many in the church.
5. Digital Distraction & Hyper-Personalization. This cultural factor is operating in the background of all of our lives. The unprecedented level of distraction we are experiencing coupled with the worldview shaping that is constantly occurring as we consume increasing amounts of social media and entertainment each day does not position us well to look to an authority outside of our own desires. In addition, with the hyper-personalization that occurs with everything tailored to our preferences and digital footprint, a new generation wonders why shouldn’t reality conform to their preferences. Why shouldn’t sexuality, gender, morality, and spirituality be personalized as well?
6. Misunderstanding Freedom. Along the way, our broader culture and many Christians have adopted a flawed understanding of freedom. Our culture says freedom is the ability to do whatever you want to do, whenever you want to do it, without constraint. But this is not freedom, it’s slavery. Freedom is more than just the satisfaction of our desires. If there is a God (and there is!) and He defines reality (and He does!), then true freedom means living according to God’s good design and commands.
As Paul puts it so well in Galatians 5:1; 13, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery…You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.”
7. “That’s Just Your Interpretation.” When the moral or spiritual conversation turns to the Bible, then things can really get challenging. If you are not careful, you’ll find your moral point of view dismissed with the popular slogan, that’s just your interpretation. But don’t allow yourself to be brushed aside too easily. Learn to ask a follow-up question: are you saying you don’t like my interpretation or do you think it’s false? There are many things that are true in the Bible I may not initially like, but that doesn’t change the fact that they are true. But if they think it’s false, then ask them why they think it’s false. The bottom line, is if we allow this slogan to rule the day in which only 4% of Gen Z has a biblical worldview and biblical illiteracy is off the charts, then biblical authority is out the window.
8. Our Sinful Desire for Autonomy. One of the clearest and least popular barriers to biblical authority is our sinful desire for autonomy. Sin is not just brokenness, it’s rebellion. We want to be the final word and claim God’s authority for our own. If we’re honest, sometimes we find ourselves echoing the words of the serpent in Genesis 3:1–Did God really say? And when we do this, we need to repent. People aren’t basically good (Rom. 3). The heart is desperately wicked who can understand it? (Jer. 17:9)
9. Skepticism Towards the Bible. Another barrier to biblical authority is that some people don’t think it can be trusted. They think it’s not reliable and it’s not true so they are not going to obey what it says. Perhaps they think the text was corrupted or changed over the centuries. Or that it gets the historical details wrong or that we don’t have the right books. After careful investigation of the Bible, I have come to the conclusion that there are good reasons the Bible can be trusted and there are good responses to these objections. But apologetics is an important part of building confidence in biblical authority (1 Pet. 3:15).
10. Fear of Being Canceled. Sometimes we are just afraid to say what God has said out loud or online. We don’t want to lose friends, jobs, opportunities, or relationships with family members. However, there is a social cost to following Jesus. That’s part of taking up our cross. As Jesus reminded us, we need to be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves (Matt. 10:16). That takes discernment and courage. It also takes community where people stand together to say what needs to be said in the context of loving as God has commanded us to love.
Those 10 factors are a powerful combination undermining biblical authority in the church today. But what should our posture towards biblical authority be?
10 Reasons We Resist Biblical Authority (My YouTube Interview with Sean McDowell)
What a Disciple’s View of Biblical Authority Looks Like
But what does authority mean? What does that look like? It’s hard to say it any better than Theologian R.C. Sproul:
“The very word authority has within it the word author. An author is someone who creates and possesses a particular work. Insofar as God is the foundation of all authority, He exercises that foundation because He is the author and the owner of His creation. He is the foundation upon which all other authority stands or falls.”
One of my favorite passages about the Word of God is found in 1 Thessalonians 2:13:
“For this reason, we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.”–1 Thess. 2:13
I love that. That’s what we need more of! The Holy Spirit can clearly work with that posture to change us to be more like Christ.
At the end of the day, it comes down to this: Does God know what He is talking about?
I think John Stott captures the importance of biblical authority, “…submission to Scripture is part and parcel of our acknowledgment of the lordship of Jesus… [and] is fundamental to everyday Christian living, for without it Christian discipleship, Christian integrity, Christian freedom, and Christian witness are all seriously damaged, if not actually destroyed.”
We need a movement of Christians who make disciples like Jesus did while they’re increasingly being transformed to take on the character of who Jesus is.
2 Clear Examples of Biblical Authority Applied to Controversial Cultural Issues
To read the headlines online you would think the Bible is unclear when it comes to controversial topics being debated today both inside and outside the church. However, the clarity of these passages is instructive as we think about our own application of biblical authority.
Biblical Authority Applied to Sexuality
Read this passage slowly and carefully–whose authority does Paul appeal to? And who are you rejecting if you reject this teaching?
“Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.“–1 Thess. 4:1-8 (NASB)
The meaning of this passage could not be more clear. Now, it may not be popular, but it is certainly not unclear.
Biblical Authority Applied to Gender/Sex
When Jesus was given the opportunity to address a controversy about divorce in his day, he made it clear what followers of Jesus should believe about sexuality and gender in our day. He did this by giving us the Creator’s view of marriage as well as the two sexes of male and female:
“Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?” And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”–Matt. 19:3-6
Again, sexuality and gender are issues that need to be addressed (among many), but even a quick reading shows that biblical authority is the issue, not biblical clarity.
2 Questions that Clarify Our Posture Towards Biblical Authority
The heart of the issue of biblical authority comes down to these two questions:
- What does the Bible say?
- Will I obey? (Even if I don’t want to…at least at first)
It’s not always easy but it’s not complicated. Keep it simple (And it even rhymes!)
Simply ask: What does the Bible say? And Will I obey?
Will you allow your thoughts, actions, assumptions, choices and desires to be challenged and changed by what God says in His Word?
How to Strengthen Your Submission to “Biblical Authority” Muscles
Let’s be honest. Submission does not come naturally to us. So how do we grow this muscle? How do we train so that in moments of external pressure to conform or internal temptation, we will have the Spirit-empowered strength to obey?
The Spiritual Practice (or discipline) of Submission can help us here. This discipline is simply where you and I willingly place our will under another’s will. (see Phil. 2)
What could this look like? Like all spiritual disciplines, the point is not earning God’s love or acceptance but growing in our ability to live as Jesus calls us to live. So don’t start by putting 300 pounds on the bar if you can’t bench press 75 pounds! 😉
Take a preference you have and when someone else has another preference, place your will under their will without complaint or drawing attention to it. It could be as simple as where to go eat or how you like certain things done. The more we practice submitting our desires to others and pay attention to what this feels like, we will then grow in our capacity to do that in more challenging situations over time.
We all have a long way to go, but Elizabeth Elliot is spot on when she shares “Until the will and the affections are brought under the authority of Christ, we have not begun to understand, let alone to accept, His lordship.”
May God give us the grace to submit to what he has called us to and created us for!
A PostScript for Christian Leaders (And Those Wounded by Those in Authority)
When talking about biblical authority one of the challenging issues that must be addressed is what do we do when people (especially Christians) abuse authority? Unfortunately, this is a reality of life in a fallen and sinful world. There is so much that needs to be and could be said here, but that is beyond the purpose of this post.
But if this is you and you have trouble submitting to authority because you have been wounded or hurt by Christians or the church. First, I want to say that I am so sorry that happened. It shouldn’t have. God is a good heavenly Father who can be trusted and loves you. And second, there are many kind and trustworthy leaders in the church. So please don’t give up on the church.
So what kind of leaders ought Christians to be?
John Stott offers a summary we should all aspire to:
“The authority by which the Christian leader leads is not power but love, not force but example, not coercion but reasoned persuasion. Leaders have power, but power is safe only in the hands of those who humble themselves to serve.”