The Authority of the Bible
A Sermon on Acts 17:1-3
Scripture
Paul in Thessalonica
1Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2And according to Paul’s custom, he visited them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3explaining and giving evidence that …
1Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: 2And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, 3Opening and alleging, that Christ must …
Sermon Description
This is a time when all kinds of teachings are propagated. How can Christians safeguard themselves from the ever-present danger of being carried away into error or heresy? In this sermon on Acts 17:1–3, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones presents the answer: Christians must be clear on the authority of Scripture. The tendency in modern times is to divorce Jesus Christ from the Scriptures, choosing to accept Him and some of His teachings while rejecting the historicity and validity of the rest of the Bible. The problem with this thinking is two-fold: Jesus Himself accepted the whole of the Old Testament and appointed His apostles to write the New Testament; and one can’t be sure that knowledge of Jesus is true and accurate if there is not belief in the Scriptures. Dr. Lloyd-Jones encourages the listener to: 1) start with the whole of Scripture and not simply the particulars; 2) realize that acceptance of Scripture’s authority is not a matter of argument, but rather a matter of faith given by the Holy Spirit; and 3) focus on asserting the authority of Scripture more than defending it. The listener is encouraged to be certain of the authority of Scripture, so as not to be carried away by every wind of doctrine.
Sermons on Authority
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.