How Did Early Christians Understand the Authority of Scripture?
1. The Conviction of Divine Inspiration
Early Christians understood the authority of Scripture primarily through its divine inspiration. Clement of Rome, writing in the late first century, affirmed that the words of the Old Testament were written under the Spirit’s direction and carried no error. This conviction was rooted in the biblical claim itself: “All Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16).
For the early church, inspiration meant that the Scriptures were not human musings but divine communication. Justin Martyr, writing in the second century, declared that no part of Scripture could contradict another, since God Himself was its ultimate author. This confidence in unity reflected the belief that what Scripture says, God says. Just as Peter explained that “men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21), so the earliest Christians embraced the Bible as God’s living word.
This understanding shaped their worship and preaching. The Psalms were prayed as God’s own words, the law was read as binding, and the prophets were proclaimed as authoritative. The authority of Scripture was not simply assumed but celebrated as the voice of God speaking to His people.
2. The Recognition of Apostolic Writings
As the apostles wrote letters to the churches, these writings were quickly received with the same authority as the Old Testament. Paul himself expected this recognition. He commanded the Thessalonians, “When this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans” (Colossians 4:16). His writings carried weight not merely as pastoral counsel but as divine command.
Clement of Rome refers directly to Paul’s letters, acknowledging their authority and urging believers to heed them. By the second century, apostolic writings were already being read in Christian worship alongside the Old Testament. The early church recognized that the same Spirit who inspired Moses and the prophets also spoke through the apostles of Christ.
Peter’s words confirm this recognition: he equates Paul’s letters with “the other Scriptures” (2 Peter 3:16). This demonstrates that early Christians viewed the New Testament writings not as secondary but as equally inspired. The formation of the canon—eventually recognized formally at the Council of Carthage in 397—was not the church granting authority to certain books but acknowledging the authority they already possessed as the Spirit’s work.
3. The Principle of Scriptural Harmony
Another key feature of the early Christian understanding of Scripture was the principle of analogia scripturae—Scripture interprets Scripture. This principle safeguarded against distortion and error by comparing one passage with another. Since all of Scripture shared one divine author, its message was coherent and harmonious.
Justin Martyr emphasized this unity, insisting that apparent contradictions were resolved through faithful interpretation. The fathers warned against reading isolated passages apart from the whole witness of Scripture. As Paul affirmed, “Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction” (Romans 15:4), meaning that every part of the Bible served the same divine purpose.
This approach would later be central to the Reformers, particularly Martin Luther, but its roots lay in the earliest church. The harmony of Scripture provided a stable ground for doctrine, worship, and moral teaching. In a world of competing voices, the early Christians looked to Scripture as the unified word of God.
4. The Testimony of the Holy Spirit
Early Christians also believed that the authority of Scripture was confirmed inwardly by the Holy Spirit. Just as the Spirit inspired the writers, He also illumined the hearts of readers. The church fathers taught that the Spirit bore witness in the lives of believers, assuring them that the Scriptures were truly God’s word.
This conviction echoes Paul’s teaching: “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16). In the same way, the Spirit testified to the authority of the Scriptures. Augustine would later describe this as the Spirit’s internal witness, but the conviction was already present in the earliest generations.
The authority of Scripture was therefore not a cold intellectual construct but a living reality in the community of faith. When the Bible was read, the Spirit convicted, comforted, and transformed. This experiential confirmation reinforced the church’s confidence that God was truly speaking.
5. The Redemptive Center of Scripture’s Authority
For the early church, the authority of Scripture was inseparable from its role in proclaiming the Gospel. Jesus had taught that “the Scriptures… bear witness about me” (John 5:39), and the apostles preached Christ as the fulfillment of the law and the prophets (Acts 13:27–33). The authority of the Bible was not abstract but Christ-centered.
This conviction shaped the church’s mission. The Old Testament was read in light of Christ, and the apostolic writings proclaimed His death and resurrection. As Paul summarized, “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures… He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). The authority of Scripture was tied to its power to reveal Christ and to call sinners to faith.
The early Christians understood that the Bible’s authority was not merely to instruct but to redeem. It was the Spirit-inspired witness to God’s saving plan, from Genesis to Revelation. Its authority mattered because its message was life-giving, pointing believers to Christ and preparing them for His return.
Conclusion
Early Christians understood the authority of Scripture as rooted in divine inspiration, confirmed through apostolic writings, safeguarded by scriptural harmony, and testified by the Holy Spirit. They recognized the Old Testament as the voice of God and quickly embraced the New Testament writings as equally inspired.
For them, the authority of Scripture was not simply a matter of theology but of life and salvation. It was the word of God, centered on Christ, unifying the church, and equipping believers for faithfulness. The same conviction continues today: when Scripture speaks, God speaks.
According to the Bible, the word of God remains true and authoritative, sustaining the church in its mission and preparing believers for the day when Christ will be all in all.
Bible Verses on the Authority of Scripture in the Early Church
2 Timothy 3:16 – “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching…”
2 Peter 1:21 – “Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:4 – “Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction…”
1 Thessalonians 2:13 – “You accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God.”
2 Peter 3:16 – “[Paul’s letters] are hard to understand… as they do the other Scriptures.”
Colossians 4:16 – “When this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church…”
Acts 13:27 – “The utterances of the prophets… are read every Sabbath, [yet] fulfilled in condemning Him.”
John 5:39 – “The Scriptures… bear witness about me.”
1 Corinthians 15:3–4 – “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures…”
Psalm 119:160 – “The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.”
