Scripture and the authority of God

The subject of the inspiration of Scripture is a tricky one when discussing it with others. The conversation can quickly go in a lot of different directions and emotions can quickly get the best of you. The reason may be that scripture is seen as the most significant way that God communicates to humanity today and throughout history. The Bible is an extremely important collection of works that give Christians (and Jews) their identity and purpose.

If you are new to the topic, I do recommend reading Scripture and the Authority of God: How to Read the Bible Today by N.T. Wright.  Wright does a great job of reviewing historical ways of reading and interpreting scripture and then suggesting ways in which we ought to read the Bible today.  His overarching point, is that scripture is not authoritative, but that God is and as a result He uses scriptures to speak that authority.  Wright also goes in better detail, to define what "authority" is and how people can define it differently.

It won't take you long to read this book, but for a serious student of the Bible, this is one work you should become familiar with.