Scripture’s authority and its usefulness today are topics that are examined (by believers) every time larger decisions are made, or a problem needs to be solved. If the church’s mission statement and intentions are to follow Scripture, why should they consult Scripture? Are their purposes and goals to follow Scripture not enough? Understanding the role of Scripture in both decision-making and problem-solving is vital in the lives of believers. This book is the basis of their hope for eternal salvation and they must recognize how it is to be used in one’s day-to-day life. Solutions to the issues believers face every day (both major and minor) can be gained when a proper view of Scripture is understood and applied. Wright states, “[b]ut in scripture itself God's purpose is not just to save human beings, but to renew the whole world. This is the unfinished story in which readers of scripture are invited to become actors in their own right” (27). Believers today are called to live in light of the hope they claim to have, and Scripture guides this way of living. When believers recognize this calling in their lives, they will become more equipped to understand Scripture’s role in decision-making and problem-solving.
Recognizing the nature of Scripture in decision-making and problem-solving is the first step in knowing its use in one’s everyday life. One of the Bible’s functions is to serve as a guide for godly living. “The idea of reading a book in order to be energized for the task of mission is not a distraction, but flows directly from the fact that we humans are made in God's image, and that, as we hear his word and obey his call, we are able to live out our calling to reflect the creator into his world” (Wright 32). Scripture is the written Word of God and as such, it has the very authority of God. Hollinger emphasizes this point when he states that “[b]iblical authority ultimately rests not on the Bible's ability to move or instruct followers but on its very nature as the Word of God” (152). The Bible is useful for decision-making because it possesses the wisdom of God. James 1:5 says, “[b]ut if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (NASB). Believers can trust that God will supply them wisdom in both the major and minor decisions that need to be made. Scripture is also beneficial for problem-solving.
Like decision-making, problem-solving requires wisdom; however, many problems (in the church especially) can leave one feeling emotionally drained. Paul writes, “[l]et all that you do be done in love” (1 Cor. 16:14). How can believers show love in everything they do if they are dealing with a particularly draining or discouraging situation? In Philippians 4:12–13, Paul wrote, “I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” As believers study Scripture and allow it to direct their lives (since it is God’s written authority), they will be more capable of problem-solving. They will be able to recognize that believers are not responsible for anyone else’s actions but their own. While trials may accompany problem-solving in the church, believers can trust that God is their encourager Who helps carry them through life’s difficult situations. However, believers must be careful that they do not take Scripture out of its intended context when they are decision-making and problem-solving.
To misuse Scripture is to defy and insult the authority of God. It seems that taking Scripture out of context is also a form of idolatry since it is typically done to promote one’s self or point. “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16–17). Scripture’s purpose is to prepare believers for every task ahead of them. A misinterpretation of the biblical text will lead to misapplication. Misapplication of the biblical text will lead one into a pattern of wicked and selfish living. “The truth of the matter is that each passage of Scripture was ‘God’s Word to other people before it became God’s Word to us’” (Duvall and Hays 117). If believers desire to use Scripture in their decision-making and problem-solving processes (as they should), they will need to study what the biblical text was saying to its original audience and how the commands/words of those days apply today.
Believers must be wary that they keep their personal preferences (and any preunderstandings) in mind so that it does not unknowingly affect their study of Scripture. This is because Scripture is misused in decision-making and problem-solving when believers (and unbelievers) become more concerned with proving a point than maintaining Scripture’s integrity (among other reasons). As stated above, Scripture is the authority of God, and care must be taken in interpreting the Bible. One of the biggest ways Scripture is misused by believers is through the practice of using shorthand versions of more complex statements. When writing about the misuse of Scripture, Wright states that:
A good example is the phrase “the atonement.” This phrase is rare in the Bible itself; instead, we find things like “The Messiah died for our sins according to the scriptures” . . . and so on. But if we are to discuss the atonement, it is easier to do so with a single phrase, assumed to “contain” all these sentences . . . Shorthands, in other words, are useful in the same way that suitcases are. They enable us to pick up lots of complicated things and carry them around all together . . . [However, i]t is time to unpack our shorthand doctrines, to lay them out and inspect them. Long years in a suitcase may have made some of the contents go moldy. (22–23)
Believers must recognize that they must understand the significance of these shorthand terms if they are to accurately use them. Great care should always be used when interpreting Scripture so that one’s simplification of a concept does not lead to a misinterpretation since this can (and will) bring about a bad application. A bad application of Scripture will mislead one into a false sense of godliness.
When believers are decision-making and/or problem-solving, they are practicing the act of biblical application since they have studied Scripture to guide the choices and actions they will take. This is because both theology and Scripture should guide one’s decision-making process, especially in the area of church dilemmas. The end goal of decision-making and problem-solving should be that God is glorified in both believers’ actions as well as the decision(s) made. Both Scripture and theology serve as a means of knowing God’s will and truth for one’s life. Believers who seek to live as an example to others of the hope found in Christ (as they should) must recognize Scripture’s authority for decision-making and problem-solving. Hollinger states that in “the biblical texts of long ago, we find guidance and comfort in the midst of our own moral journeys” (173). Believers who seek to live their lives after Christ’s example must do so with Scripture’s authority in mind.
When Scripture’s purpose and authority are understood, believers will be more capable of making decisions and solving problems in a godly manner. This is because they will be using God’s wisdom and receiving God’s promise to be a comfort through every situation. “Christians look to the Bible for making moral decisions [and solving problems], not merely because they have done so for hundreds of years but because it is God's Word written . . . Scripture, however, was written in particular cultural and historical contexts. The biblical authors, under the providence of God, used various genres to address the issues of their day” (Hollinger 173). Believers’ task today is to accurately interpret Scripture so that they are equipped to apply it to the decisions and problems they face in their lives. As this is accomplished, they will more accurately portray the change that has taken place in their lives.
Works Cited
Duvall, J. Scott, and J. Daniel Hays. Grasping God’s Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible. 3rd ed., Zondervan, 2012.
Hollinger, Dennis P. Choosing the Good: Christian Ethics in a Complex World. Baker Academic, 2002.
NASB. New American Standard Version. The Holy Bible. Lockman, 2013.
Wright, N.T. Scripture and the Authority of God: How to Read the Bible Today. HarperOne, 2011.
This article was originally written for Assignment 2-1 of Problem Solving and Challenges of the Church taught by Professor Kevin Mahaffy (Moody Distance Learning)