The authority and divine inspiration of the Scriptures are profoundly affirmed by Jesus Christ throughout His earthly ministry. His frequent appeals to the Scriptures underscore their significance and reliability as the Word of God. Christ's use of the Scriptures not only validates their authority but also provides a model for believers in understanding and applying God's Word.

Christ's Use of Scripture in Teaching and Preaching

Jesus consistently referenced the Scriptures in His teachings, demonstrating their central role in His ministry. In the Sermon on the Mount, He clarifies and fulfills the Law, saying, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them" (Matthew 5:17). Here, Christ affirms the enduring validity of the Old Testament, emphasizing its fulfillment in Him.

When confronted by religious leaders, Jesus often cited Scripture to reveal truth and correct misunderstandings. In Matthew 22:29, He rebukes the Sadducees, saying, "You are mistaken because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God." This statement highlights the necessity of knowing the Scriptures to understand God's purposes and power.

Christ's Use of Scripture in Temptation

In the wilderness, Jesus faced temptation from Satan and responded by quoting Scripture, demonstrating its power and authority. Each temptation was met with the phrase, "It is written," followed by a direct quotation from the Old Testament (Matthew 4:4, 4:7, 4:10). This reliance on Scripture underscores its sufficiency in spiritual warfare and moral guidance.

Christ's Use of Scripture in Prophecy Fulfillment

Jesus frequently pointed to the fulfillment of Scripture in His life and mission. In Luke 4:21, after reading from the book of Isaiah, He declares, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." By doing so, Christ identifies Himself as the promised Messiah and validates the prophetic nature of the Scriptures.

On the road to Emmaus, Jesus explains to the disciples how the Scriptures foretold His suffering and glory: "And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was written in all the Scriptures about Himself" (Luke 24:27). This comprehensive exposition affirms the Christocentric focus of the Scriptures and their ultimate fulfillment in Him.

Christ's Use of Scripture in Prayer and Worship

In His prayers and expressions of worship, Jesus often alluded to the Psalms and other scriptural texts. On the cross, He cries out, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46), quoting Psalm 22:1. This invocation of Scripture in His moment of suffering reveals the depth of His identification with the human condition and the fulfillment of messianic prophecy.

Christ's Use of Scripture in Instruction and Correction

Jesus used Scripture to instruct His disciples and correct their misconceptions. In John 5:39, He challenges them, "You pore over the Scriptures because you presume that by them you possess eternal life. These are the very words that testify about Me." Here, Christ emphasizes that the Scriptures testify to His identity and mission, urging His followers to see beyond the text to the living Word.

Conclusion

Throughout His ministry, Jesus Christ consistently sanctioned the Scriptures by appealing to them as the authoritative Word of God. His use of Scripture in teaching, temptation, prophecy fulfillment, prayer, and instruction underscores their divine inspiration and centrality in the life of faith. Christ's example provides a model for believers to engage with the Scriptures as the foundation of truth and guidance in their spiritual journey.Matthew 4:4
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Mark 12:10
And have you not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

John 7:42
Has not the scripture said, That Christ comes of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Letter Lxxxii. (AD 405. )
... by a fraud which was in some way sanctioned by expediency ... holy writings, especially
the canonical Scriptures; lest those who are the stewards of Christ, of whom ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter lxxxii a d 405.htm

The New Testament Canon in the First Three Centuries.
... and seventy years from the coming of Christ elapsed before ... But they sanctioned most
of the books now accepted as ... of the Old and New Testament Scriptures in the ...
/.../davidson/the canon of the bible/chapter vi the new testament.htm

Covenanting a Duty.
... and condition, is ordained as a law, sanctioned by his ... And what concord hath Christ
with Belial? ... arrangement for these laid down in the Scriptures, act culpably ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter iii covenanting a duty.htm

The Caroline Settlement
... So long as the Directory was sanctioned by the ... Paul's, Christ Church, and Ely Cathedral
respectively, have been ... of Jesus; that the Canonical Scriptures only he ...
/.../studies in the book of common prayer/chapter iv the caroline settlement.htm

The Form of Concord. AD 1577.
... their godless perversion of the Scriptures, and even ... of ??pinus; at all events, Christ
manifested himself ... The Formula of Concord sanctioned substantially the ...
/.../creeds of christendom with a history and critical notes/ 45 the form of.htm

The General Conference of 1828
... utterly unworthy the character of the ministry of Jesus Christ. ... right is conferred
by the holy Scriptures, and that ... of it we have never sanctioned, nor will we ...
/.../chapter 9 the general conference.htm

Exposition of the Moral Law.
... and thus, by licentiously wresting the Scriptures, make them ... heads since this is
repeatedly sanctioned by divine ... we shall not suppose that Christ condemned all ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 8 exposition of the.htm

On the Interpretation of Scripture
... hands of the world which the Scriptures have experienced. ... for eighteen centuries;
the religion of Christ remained to be tried.' To take them literally would ...
/.../on the interpretation of scripture.htm

The General Conference of 1840
... by reading a portion of the Holy Scriptures and prayer. ... which should always abound
in the church of Christ. ... and number of those who hold them, are certainly ...
/.../chapter 15 the general conference.htm

Faustus States his Objections to the Morality of the Law and the ...
... to their heresy was said by Christ and the ... in the same writings is unfavorable to
them is a ... bring such objections against the Christian Scriptures, we have to ...
/.../faustus states his objections to.htm

Where do the Hebrew Scriptures prophesy the death and resurrection of the Messiah? | GotQuestions.org

What is sola scriptura? | GotQuestions.org

Should Catholic tradition have equal or greater authority than the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Scriptures: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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