Inspiration, Authority, and Canon of Scripture

The Nature of Scripture and the Centrality of Authorial Intent

Introduction

Any serious study of biblical hermeneutics must begin with the nature of Scripture itself. Before asking how we interpret the Bible, we must ask what the Bible is and why it matters. The second week of a hermeneutics course, devoted to “The Nature of Scripture and Authorial Intent,” naturally centers on three interwoven doctrines: inspiration, authority, and canon.

These concepts are not abstract theological musings. They shape the very possibility of biblical interpretation. If Scripture is inspired by God, then its words carry divine weight. If it bears authority, then its message summons readers to obedience. If its canon is defined, then its boundaries mark out what is truly Scripture and therefore subject to interpretation in this way. Taken together, these doctrines frame the interpreter’s task: to discern the meaning intended by the biblical authors and, through them, by God Himself.

1. The Inspiration of Scripture

1.1 What Is Inspiration?

The term inspiration comes from the Latin inspirare, meaning “to breathe into.” The locus classicus for the doctrine is 2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” Here, Scripture is described as theopneustos — breathed out by God. The metaphor suggests both divine origin and divine vitality.

B. B. Warfield (2003) defined inspiration as “a supernatural influence exerted on the sacred writers by the Spirit of God, by virtue of which their writings are given divine trustworthiness.” This definition preserves two essential truths: (1) the human authors truly wrote, in their own styles and contexts, and (2) the Spirit superintended their writing so that their words were simultaneously the Word of God.

1.2 Models of Inspiration

Across church history, various models have sought to articulate this divine-human dynamic:

• Mechanical dictation: An early but minority view suggesting the authors functioned as passive secretaries, recording divine speech word-for-word. While this underscores divine control, it undermines human authorship.

• Dynamic inspiration: God inspired the thoughts of the authors, who then expressed them in their own words. This safeguards humanity but risks minimizing divine precision.

• Verbal plenary inspiration: The position most widely held among evangelicals, articulated by Warfield, affirms that all of Scripture is inspired, down to the very words, without denying the humanity of the authors.

1.3 Historical Trajectories

From the church fathers to modern theologians, inspiration has remained central. Augustine argued that Scripture, being divinely inspired, is without error. Aquinas later emphasized that the Spirit moved the biblical writers in such a way that their faculties remained intact. During the Reformation, Luther and Calvin underscored inspiration alongside clarity: Scripture, though profound, could be understood by believers illumined by the Spirit. In the modern period, Warfield and the Princeton theologians defended inspiration against Enlightenment skepticism.

1.4 Hermeneutical Implications

If Scripture is inspired, then hermeneutics must respect both its divine and human dimensions. The divine element requires interpreters to approach the text with reverence and faith. The human element requires interpreters to investigate language, history, and culture — the means by which God communicated. Authorial intent thus becomes sacred ground: God chose to speak through human authors, making their intended meaning His own.

2. The Authority of Scripture

2.1 Authority Rooted in Inspiration

If inspiration answers the question of origin, authority answers the question of status. Because Scripture is breathed out by God, it bears His authority. As J. I. Packer (1974) explained in God Has Spoken, “The Bible is not merely man’s witness to God’s Word but is itself God’s Word, clothed with divine authority.”

The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy (1978) captures this well: “Holy Scripture, being God’s own Word, written by men prepared and superintended by His Spirit, is of infallible divine authority in all matters upon which it touches.” Authority is not limited to theology; it extends to all the claims of Scripture, whether moral, historical, or doctrinal.

2.2 Theological Perspectives

Different traditions nuance authority in different ways. Roman Catholic theology situates Scripture’s authority within the teaching authority of the Church. Reformation theology, by contrast, insists on sola scriptura: Scripture alone is the final authority for faith and practice. Contemporary evangelical theology continues to affirm that the Bible’s authority is binding, while engaging hermeneutical complexities raised by modern scholarship.

2.3 Authority and Authorial Intent

The authority of Scripture makes authorial intent crucial. Authority attaches to what the text means, not to what readers wish it to mean. Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart (2014), in How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, emphasize that proper interpretation begins with “what it meant” before moving to “what it means.” Authority thus disciplines the interpreter, requiring submission to the inspired author’s communicative act.

2.4 Authority in Practice

Kevin Vanhoozer (2005) offers a compelling image: Scripture is not a static deposit but a script for the church’s ongoing performance of God’s drama. Authority, then, is not simply about propositions but about God’s communicative action, summoning His people to faithful response. This view highlights the relational dimension of authority: Scripture is God speaking, and to interpret it is to listen and obey.

3. The Canon of Scripture

3.1 Canon Defined

The doctrine of canon addresses the question: Which writings are inspired and authoritative? Canon derives from the Greek kanon, meaning “rule” or “measuring rod.” Canon refers to the list of books recognized as Scripture.

F. F. Bruce (1988) argues that the canon was not arbitrarily decided by church councils but gradually recognized by the community of faith as those writings that bore apostolic authority and spiritual power.

3.2 The Old Testament Canon

The Hebrew Bible was recognized in stages:

• The Torah (Law) achieved centrality by the 5th century BCE.

• The Prophets were recognized by ~200 BCE.

• The Writings gained recognition later, though debates persisted about Esther, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs.

By the time of Jesus, the tripartite division of Law, Prophets, and Writings was well established.

3.3 The New Testament Canon

The New Testament canon emerged in the crucible of the early church’s life and witness. Apostolic authorship or close association was a key criterion. The four Gospels and Paul’s letters were recognized early. Books such as Hebrews and Revelation faced some hesitation, while writings like The Shepherd of Hermas were valued but excluded. By the 4th century, Athanasius’s Festal Letter (367 CE) listed the 27 books now recognized as the New Testament, and councils soon affirmed the same.

3.4 Canon and Hermeneutics

Canon sets the boundaries for interpretation. Only canonical books are inspired and authoritative, and thus only these books demand the pursuit of authorial intent in this theological sense. Canon also safeguards the unity of Scripture, ensuring that interpretation does not dissolve into individual preference or selective emphasis.

4. Integration: Inspiration, Authority, Canon, and Authorial Intent

The doctrines of inspiration, authority, and canon converge in Week 2’s focus on the nature of Scripture and authorial intent.

• Inspiration teaches that God speaks through human authors. Therefore, their intended meaning is divinely significant.

• Authority insists that the meaning of Scripture is binding, summoning obedience from readers today.

• Canon defines which writings bear this inspired and authoritative status.

D. A. Carson and John Woodbridge (1986), in Hermeneutics, Authority, and Canon, argue that these doctrines form the theological foundation for responsible interpretation. Without them, authorial intent becomes negotiable, authority becomes relative, and canon becomes fluid. Together, they provide stability and coherence.

5. Contemporary Challenges

5.1 Reader-Centered Hermeneutics

Postmodern approaches often emphasize the reader’s role in constructing meaning, diminishing the role of authorial intent. While such methods may yield insights into contemporary appropriation, they risk severing interpretation from inspiration and authority.

5.2 Inerrancy and Reliability

Debates continue over whether inspiration entails complete inerrancy or limited infallibility. Warfield argued that inspiration guarantees inerrancy, while others have suggested a more restricted view. Regardless of nuance, inspiration ensures Scripture’s trustworthiness as God’s Word.

5.3 Canonical Criticism

Some modern scholars argue for a “canon within the canon,” privileging certain texts or themes. Yet this approach risks undermining the unity of the canon and its witness as a whole.

Conclusion

To study the Bible responsibly, interpreters must understand its nature. Inspiration grounds the divine origin of Scripture. Authority establishes its binding claim on life and faith. Canon sets the boundaries of what counts as Scripture. Together, these doctrines require interpreters to pursue authorial intent, for God has spoken through human authors in specific times, places, and genres.

For students of hermeneutics, Week 2 is thus foundational: before methods, tools, and models can be applied, the interpreter must settle what Scripture is and why its meaning matters. The inspired, authoritative, canonical Word of God is not a text to be mastered, but a voice to be heard and obeyed.

References

Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Canon of Scripture. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Carson, D. A., & Woodbridge, J. D. (Eds.). (1986). Hermeneutics, Authority, and Canon. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Fee, G. D., & Stuart, D. (2014). How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (4th ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Packer, J. I. (1974). God Has Spoken. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker.

Vanhoozer, K. J. (2005). The Drama of Doctrine: A Canonical-Linguistic Approach to Christian Theology. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox.

Warfield, B. B. (2003). The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing. (Original work published 1948)