Every generation faces cultural storms, but not all storms are created equal. Some shake the foundations. And today, the fiercest storm threatening the Church is not primarily political or philosophical—it’s theological. It’s a full-frontal assault on the authority of God’s Word.

In 2 Timothy 3:16–17, Paul writes:

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…”

This verse isn’t mere doctrine—it’s our anchor. Scripture is not just helpful advice. It is the very voice of the living God, binding on our lives, churches, and consciences. To compromise its authority is to sever ourselves from the source of life and truth.

And yet, compromise is exactly what we’re witnessing. Some argue that the Church has misunderstood biblical sexuality for 2,000 years and must now evolve. Others say we must “unhitch” from the Old Testament to make Christianity more appealing to modern ears. Popular evangelical figures like Andy Stanley suggest the early Church didn’t rely on Scripture at all—but only on the resurrection.¹ That’s not just bad theology—it’s a direct challenge to the authority of the Bible.

We’re also seeing entire denominations shift. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) openly ordains practicing homosexuals and affirms same-sex marriage.² The United Church of Christ and PCUSA do the same.³ What’s more, these moves are being justified as “loving” and “biblical,” based on revised hermeneutics that twist the text.

Even in broadly evangelical circles, the influence of progressive authors like Jen Hatmaker and Sarah Bessey has led many to abandon clear biblical teaching in favor of a feel-good gospel. Hatmaker, for example, now affirms same-sex relationships, while maintaining a spiritual vocabulary that confuses undiscerning readers.⁴ Bessey, likewise, elevates experience and narrative in a way that frequently displaces the authority of Scripture.⁵

But this is not just a matter of high-profile names. Many churches remain silent. They avoid preaching on sin, repentance, gender, and marriage—not because the Bible is unclear, but because they fear the fallout. And silence, in moments like this, is not neutrality. It’s retreat.

This is not the first time God’s people have faced such pressure. Church history is filled with examples of faithful men and women who stood firm on the Word of God when it cost them everything.

Athanasius stood virtually alone against the Arian heresy, not because he was stubborn, but because he knew the Scriptures taught that Jesus is fully God. The great B.B. Warfield defended the inerrancy of Scripture at Princeton when many academics were abandoning it. Charles Spurgeon, in the Downgrade Controversy, warned of the slow but deadly erosion of biblical conviction among ministers who still claimed to preach the truth.

John Calvin wrote, “The Scriptures should be read with the aim of finding Christ in them,” grounding the sufficiency of the Bible in the person and work of the Savior. For these men, to question the authority of Scripture was to question the authority of God.

To abandon Scripture is to abandon Christ. To reinterpret the Bible in light of culture is to replace divine revelation with human speculation.

Jesus Himself modeled a Scripture-submitted life. When tempted by Satan, He didn’t rely on logic or experience. He declared, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). If Christ stood on Scripture, how can we stand anywhere else?

Yet research shows how far we’ve drifted. According to Pew Research (2021), only 20% of Americans believe the Bible is the literal Word of God. Among adults aged 18–29, the number is even lower—pointing to a growing generational rejection of biblical authority.⁶

And the consequences are evident: biblical illiteracy, theological confusion, moral compromise, and gospel erosion. Churches are not just battling culture—they’re battling internal collapse.

The solution is not to be cleverer, louder, or trendier. The solution is to return. To return to the Scriptures. To believe them, teach them, obey them, and trust that the God who spoke still speaks through His Word.

This means parents must teach their children Scripture—not just values. Pastors must preach expositionally—not motivationally. Seminaries must train with conviction—not compromise. Believers must saturate their minds with God’s truth—not social media slogans.

If Scripture is not our final authority, someone else will be. And more often than not, it will be the self—our feelings, our tribe, our moment. But the Word of God stands forever (Isaiah 40:8). It doesn’t move. It doesn’t bend. It doesn’t break.

Jude 3 urges us to “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” That faith is rooted in a revealed Word. To stand on that Word is costly. But to abandon it is fatal.

The cost of faithfulness today may be mockery, marginalization, or ministry isolation. But the reward is eternal. Let the world shift. Let trends fade. Let the culture rage.

Let us stand—on the unshakable, unchanging Word of the living God.

Reflection Questions

• Are there areas where I’ve softened or avoided Scripture’s authority in my own life or ministry?
• How can I help others—especially the next generation—grow in biblical conviction?
• What slogans or teachings have I heard recently that subtly undermine God’s Word?

For Further Study

• 🎧 Equipping You in Grace: “Why the Authority of Scripture Still Matters”
• 📘 The Word Matters by Dave Jenkins
• 🧱 Scripture for All of Life article series archive

Citations

1. Andy Stanley, Irresistible: Reclaiming the New That Jesus Unleashed for the World (Zondervan, 2018), 276.
2. ELCA, “Frequently Asked Questions about the ELCA’s Decisions on Sexuality,” 2009.
3. UCC: “UCC first mainline denomination to support same-sex marriage,” July 2005. PCUSA: “FAQ about Amendment 14-F,” 2015.
4. Religion News Service, “Jen Hatmaker says Christian same-sex relationships can be holy,” Oct. 25, 2016.
5. Sarah Bessey, Jesus Feminist: An Invitation to Revisit the Bible’s View of Women (Howard Books, 2013), 17.
6. Pew Research Center, “What Americans Know About the Bible,” July 22, 2021.