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JACKSON, Tenn. — Aug. 23, 2024 — Scripture is the foundation upon which 51���� rests and is vital to all life and learning, Union President Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver said Aug. 23.

“If the Bible is discarded, Christians are like a ship without a rudder or a compass,” Oliver said. “At Union, we find our ultimate source of authority in the Bible alone. While not rejecting other sources of knowledge, we insist that they must neither deny nor displace the Bible.”

Oliver addressed the university community at fall convocation in G.M. Savage Memorial Chapel, highlighting Union’s statement of faith. Many students, faculty and staff have told Oliver they investigated Union’s statement of faith during the recruitment process “and that it helped them understand Union’s seriousness as a Christ-centered university.”

Union’s statement of faith, affirmed by all employees, clarifies what the institution believes, promotes unity around doctrinal essentials and provides accountability to the institution, Oliver said.

“Not having a statement of faith exposes a Christian organization to every individual’s own interpretation of various doctrines and opens the door for denials of biblical authority,” he said.

While acknowledging that a statement of faith is not the equivalent of Scripture, Oliver said it does affirm key biblical truths and points to specific Bible verses in its summary of beliefs.

Oliver began the convocation address reading from Psalm 19:7-11, emphasizing the perfection, certainty and righteousness of God’s law. “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple,” he read.

The first article of Union’s statement of faith, on the topic of Scripture, says, “The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament were given by inspiration of God, and are the only sufficient, certain, and authoritative rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience.”

Written by roughly 40 different authors over a span of about 2,000 years and inspired by the Holy Spirit, the Bible is a reliable compilation of one complete story, Oliver argued.

He said the preeminent characteristic of the Bible is that it accomplishes God’s purposes in the world. God’s speech is God’s action, and God’s Word is an active way of bringing his intention to fruition. Scripture accomplishes, commands, exposes, comforts, cuts, frees, protects, judges, guides, saves and brings new things into existence.

“It changes the hearts of men,” Oliver said. “The Bible is its own best commentary and defense. If you read it, you will know that it is the Word of God, for it will speak to your heart of both God’s love for you and your duty to him.”

Oliver emphasized the necessity of the Bible as the authoritative standard for life, urging the Union community to prioritize Scripture above all other sources of authority, such as culture, tradition, reason and emotion.

“You have to make a decision: there is the Word and there is the world,” Oliver said. “You must ask yourself, ‘Am I going to take what the world says and let the world stand in authority over God’s Word or am I going to let the Word of God stand in authority over the world?’ At Union, we let the Word of God stand in authority above all.”

Oliver encouraged the Union community to integrate the Bible’s truth into their daily lives by reading, researching and remembering Scripture. He cited the “Power of Four,” a concept that suggests reading Scripture four or more times per week leads to higher levels of human flourishing, including improved mental and physical health, greater meaning and purpose and stronger social relationships.

“The first and foremost reason to read the Bible is to know God better and to experience him in our lives,” Oliver said. He also urged the audience to become “doers of the Word” by applying biblical principles to their lives and embodying the truth of Scripture in their community interactions.

“I want to be shaped by the Word of God,” he said. “I want to encourage you to be shaped by it as well. Let the Spirit of God use the Word of God to make you more like the Son of God.”

Oliver’s full address can be viewed at .