Am I only giving outward, grudging compliance, or am I obedient cheerfully from the heart? Even in less extreme situations, many Christians have had bad experiences with authoritarian pastors who wrongly lord it over the flock. He announced that there were two rules in his club: First rule: I am the boss of this club. The infallibility of the Scriptures is not a mere verbal inerrancy or historical accuracy, but an infallibility of power to save. They label anyone who speaks out as divisive or contentious. For example, God exercises this authority, or control, by the way in which He rules the universe. Here are some historical facts. Why would He do this? (See I Peter 2:13–17 and Romans 13:1–5.) With some, just a word is all that is needed to get them back on the path. If a business owner hires a manager, the manager has authority to run the business, but the main thing he needs to keep in mind is, it is not his business and he must give an account to the owner. According to Luke, however, when the governing authorities commanded Peter to cease preaching, he disobeyed ( Acts 5:29). The first sketches the history of the use of the Bible in social, moral and political questions from the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament, to the present day. Notice that Jesus does tell his disciples to follow scripture, but those in authority on “Moses Seat” (Matthew 23:2-3). While it was funny, it’s the way that many think of authority. Others need stronger exhortation. Matthew 28:18-20. He probably doesn’t practice what he preaches!” And so, by disregarding the preacher, they disregard the Word. A lot of men try to operate as the boss in their homes, but they don’t accept the responsibility and accountability of authority. To stray from Scripture in Faith, or conduct is disloyalty to our Master. Rather, he meant, “Titus, be such an example of godliness and good deeds (2:7-8) that people will not be able to disregard your message because they know that your life backs it up.” It is the same thing that Paul said to Timothy (1 Tim. The authority of it is in a peculiar way divine. Do I submit to the government? How was Timothy to do that? Often these men mistakenly claim that you can’t “touch the Lord’s anointed,” meaning that the pastor is beyond criticism or correction, even if he is engaging in sinful or unbiblical practices. Scripture Alone is final Authority. Systematic theologian and author, Wayne Grudem, says, “The authority of Scripture means that all the words in Scripture are God’s words in such a way that to disbelieve or disobey any word of Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God.” Understanding the authority of scripture is crucial to effective and fervent prayer. The Authority of Scripture is a key issue for the Christian Church in this and every age. When my brother was a boy, he started a club with his friends. This means that no person, no matter what office he holds, is above rebuke if he strays from the ultimate authority of God’s Word. d. Law of conversion. Start studying The Authority of God's Word - Characteristics of Scripture. Both the preacher and the congregation are under the same authority of the Word. Also, the way authority works is that if the one (or ones) in authority sin, those under authority will suffer for it. If you get frustrated with the U.S. government, go to a place like Sudan or Somalia, where the governments are weak, corrupt, and aiding evildoers! God wouldn’t lie, nor could he be mistaken about anything. The government should protect its citizens by passing and upholding just laws. Paul's preaching was also done on the basis that Scripture has authority, and on the basis that his listeners accepted the reliability and authority of Scripture: "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures," (1 Cor. But if biblical and historical criticism are right about all the errors in Scripture, how could the words of Scripture be divine revelation? According to the Scriptures, this is something that ultimately belongs to the God of the Bible and to Him alone. Christians believe that the Bible is inspired by God, is without error, and does not misrepresent the facts. According to the Scriptures. The Authority of the Bible Relates to Other Basic Baptist Beliefs. John Calvin's view of Scripture includes the ideas that Scripture is necessary for human understanding of God's revelation, that it is the equivalent of direct revelation, and that it is both "majestic" and "simple. The customer is king. Indeed, He affirmed all the parts that skeptics love to mock, as documented in Jesus Christ on the infallibility of Scripture, including a ‘young’ earth.He would often say “It is written” and quote Scripture as the final authority. But note 1 Corinthians 11:3: “But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.” (See also, 1 Corinthians 15:27-28.). BIBLE SCRIPTURES – THE BELIEVERS’ AUTHORITY. When the government fails to do its job, the citizens suffer. Authority of the Bible. God’s Word is self-sufficient and self-explanatory; it does not need our boring and confusing theological and denominational systems to “clarify” (mystify!) As a husband, one of my strongest instincts is to protect my wife and children. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. But, if I don’t deal with my own sin (including “secret” sins, such as lust), I am exposing my family to the enemy’s attacks. As children grow older, you reason with them and appeal to them to yield to the lordship of Christ. The authority of the Bible refers to the idea that the Bible is normative for the church in all speech, thought, and practice. Another sphere of authority is the local church. There are three important claims the Bible makes about itself: 1) that the Scriptures are inspired by God, 2) that the Bible is true, and 3) that God's Word is relevant and useful in the world today. Authority from heaven is God's doctrine (Rom. Bible authority refers to the process of determining which things are right and wrong, as justified or authorized by the Bible. 5 0 obj But also He will hold the elders accountable. Thus the concept that authority implies responsibility and accountability should strike fear and trembling into the hearts of everyone in authority. All writings of men, according to the truth of the scriptures, have some divinity in them, inasmuch as they have of truth, which is a divine thing. The authority of it is in a peculiar way divine. When we read the Scriptures, let us consider them, not as the words of men, but as in deed and truth the Word of God. Therefore, if a pastor or a group of elders disregard God’s Word and lord it over the church, they need to be confronted in line with biblical guidelines (1 Tim. Put your focus there! In a “Frank & Ernest” cartoon, the two bunglers are standing before the Pearly Gates. (Garth D. Wiebe, Sep 2012, major reformat June 2017; additional points about εκκλησια in the Septuagint, and a few other edits, Oct 2019; correction to 4th-century history explanation, Feb 2020) 1:9). This authority comes from God and is delegated to leaders for the good of the church. Here are some questions to ask yourself to apply the concept of biblical authority: First, do I have a settled commitment to submit to God’s authority as revealed in His Word? Many popular religions are based entirely on human ideas and thus are merely theories or philosophies. If a family drifts away from the Lord, each member will answer to the Lord. In the Old Testament, the answer was clear. Likewise, the Bible is God’s guide to salvation and wise living. Believe it and use it in every situation. In this series of studies, we try to form the proper way of studying, interpreting, and establishing authority from the Bible. In reality, they are not in submission to God, but they dodge the serious implications of that by attacking God’s messenger. If Scripture has authority in itself, there must be a reason, and the reason evangelicals have always given is that it is God’s word. Thus, ultimate authority, even in practical matters, is vested in the Lord and in no one else.” The Lord delegates that authority to a plurality of men in each local church so that no one man can play God. ... according to the working of his mighty power, Although God designed authority for our blessing and protection, He allows a lot of abusive authority to exist. The divine image includes the equality of the Father and Son as persons, but also the submission of the Son to the Father for the purpose of function. He shocked her by saying, “Wait a minute! In every situation we have been able to talk and come to a mutual agreement about what God would have us to do. 5:32). We should be careful to confess and repent of all sin, so that those whom we are supposed to bless and protect do not suffer and so that we can give a good account when we stand before the Lord. Hopefully, the man who fills the office graces the position with godly character. The Power Of God: Over His Enemies . A man seeks the position of authority, but he lacks the character to lead. Organization. What is my attitude in the church, at home, and at work? It is God-breathed, and it is life’s final and ultimate authority. He said to the religious leaders of His day that they search the Scriptures daily because they think that in them they have life, but these Scriptures actually point to Jesus (John 5:39). The early Christians use the Septuagint (Greek translation of the OT) 5 or 6 times more often than the Hebrew text, especially after the wide persecution that forced them to leave Palestine. 2:18-3:6). You will notice that even the prophets themselves did not fully understand the words that God spoke through them or revealed to them. So the point is, in whatever sphere, authority is designed for the blessing and protection of those under authority. Another sphere of authority is the family. This of course assumes that one believes that the Bible is the Word of God. Matthew 28:18-20. If our President begins to act as if he were the king, we rally to throw him out of office. People must have a true and authoritative basis for their faith. When the scriptures say something, it’s God himself who has said it. The key concept of delegated authority is not that I’m the boss, but rather that I’m responsible and accountable. But, for now note that the man of God must teach the Word of God with all authority. Spiritual authority is never exercised for one’s own benefit, but for those under it. According to God the Holy Ghost, the Holy Bible is the authority in all matters. Leah: The Woman No Man Loved But Every Woman Envied (Gen. 29:15-35). b. It is not, I believe, the question of inspiration as such: of whether and how the Bible was inspired. But when it is exercised properly, authority blesses and protects those under it. I want to make seven statements about biblical authority, based upon Titus 2:15 and a few other texts. He is the supreme authority and we need to make sure that our hearts are in submission to Him. 1. The psalmist wrote, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps. 6:1; Tit. The Word of God infallibly carries God's power to save men's souls. You want to please your customers. If we want to grow deeper in our relationships with Christ and experience the power of the Holy Spirit more than ever before, then we need to learn how to pray with the authority we see portrayed in the Scriptures. The Bible records the drama of redemption in the history of Israel and the … The same principle applies to both the church and the home. Sometimes (hopefully, rarely) the elders must take correction to the level of public church discipline (I will deal with this further when we come to Titus 3:10-11). Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, ... according to the wisdom given to him (2 Peter 3:15). Is Jesus truly my Lord? Americans think that questioning or defying authority is our inalienable constitutional right. If you use your authority to abuse those under you for your own advantage, you’re going to be in big trouble someday. Authority concerns character primarily and position secondarily. In the local church, the Bible states that elders are not to lord it over those allotted to their charge, but rather to be examples to the flock (1 Pet. Scriptures Relating to the Second Coming . (We looked at authority in the workplace several weeks ago, so will skip that here.). Those who profess faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour are called to show the reality of their discipleship by humbly and faithfully obeying God’s written Word. This is the case because each standard of authority which does not comply with the Word of God, constitutes a perversion of the Scriptures (2 Peter 3:16-17). Other important scriptures about submission and authority. In the world and, sadly, often in the church, these get reversed. Bible authority refers to the process of determining which things are right and wrong, as justified or authorized by the Bible. In judging of controversies among Christians, let us not be carried away by the authority of great names or the numbers of them that are on one side, but keep close to the Scriptures… Unfortunately, the authority of Scripture does not fit neatly into patterns and examples that can be easily described. it. Those are fair questions. When Paul tells Titus (2:15), “Let no one disregard you,” he did not mean that Titus was to assert his authority by letting people know that they couldn’t push him around. Or, we think of cult leaders who arrange marriages and demand that followers turn over all their assets to the cult and blindly follow orders. According to the Scriptures: A Biblical View of the Authority of the Bible The following series of articles is a study in Bibliology – the doctrine of the Bible. All authority on earth comes from the Sovereign of the universe. This means that He was involved in every detail that was recorded and written. Why is it important for everyone in authority to remember that he only holds a delegated authority? Romans 13:1 - Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. In Scripture we are instructed to respect and obey government authorities and ordinances and to live honorably within our communities. The analysis is much more complex and requires us to think in different ways in order to grasp the biblical and apostolic Christian understanding of the authority that Scripture has on our lives and destiny. The elders must submit to the Lord and be accountable to one another and to the church. Frank whispers to Ernie, “If I were you I’d change my shirt, Ernie.” Ernie’s T-shirt reads, “Question Authority.”. Watch Kenneth Copeland teach you why THE BLESSING is the source of your dominion. In a business, if a manager has an employee who knows more about some aspect of the business than he does, if he is wise he will follow that employee’s advice and he will scramble to learn about that aspect of the business. They were simply God’s messengers, and often the great truths they wrote down were too profound for them to understand. This does not mean beating people over the head with dogmatic views on minor issues. No, Paul says, “but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.”. What can those under such authority learn? The words described here deal with matters of authority and measure. This does not mean that someone who is abusing his position should not be confronted and, perhaps, removed through proper channels. They finally get fed up and rebel. It is the Word of the living God, and it must be preached as His commandment, not as an optional opinion that you may want to consider. We need not fear that there is less authority in God’s written word than in His verbal words. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. No individual, institution, or organization can supersede the authority of Scripture. 2. The Search Of The Wise Men (Matthew 2:1-12), Christmas Searches: Expository Sermons For Christmas, 3. “For what saith the Scriptures?” by Shawn Brasseaux. No individual, institution, or organization can supersede the authority of Scripture. Note carefully that Paul does not say, “Let no one disregard the word you preach,” but rather, “Let no one disregard you.” That was written not only to Titus, but also to the church. The chapter emphasizes (Dan. �iB���ݨf��I��8[_�0�X~��Z\0�������H��Cղ���D��d;�I+�4o#Jfptҡ��i¦$6��M,���}��/s��@YtVz��;�#3�������F�q��v� �����hF�E��3Q��փ���o����c@Ս 8_:���~��{�p�k�-��Mq�rf4Rf�Y�-�́F`ɴV�`�y:n+��Dña�6O&�1��/#��A���p�rf3�� We can’t know for sure because we only have the one account of him during his childhood, the one about his being left behind in Jerusalem when his parents assumed he was in the larger company of their traveling caravan. A. Matthew 21:23-27 Two sources of authority: 1. Matthew 28:18 - And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. %PDF-1.4 Wives are to submit to their husbands as to the Lord (Eph. But, we have the apostolic message in the New Testament, which states that elders are to rule in the churches and members are to submit (1 Thess. Authority can be defined as the right to issue commands and demand obedience. Third, if I am in a position of authority, do I wrongly use it for selfish advantage or do I exercise it fearfully because of the responsibility before God? May we all take to heart the teaching of God’s Word about biblical authority! PART ONE: “Jesus Knew His Bible Too” I’ll bet Jesus was a precocious child. The Authority of Scripture According to Scripture. To be in authority in any sphere means that someday you must give an account to God, who entrusted that position to you. Scriptures For Authority, Power & Spiritual Warfare. I am your pastor and God put me here to lead you spiritually. Matthew 28:18 - And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. When that happens, the church must submit to the discipline by breaking fellowship with the sinning member (1 Cor. Feminists who bristle at the thought of a wife submitting to her husband contend that to submit implies inferiority. "Calvin's general, explicit exposition of his view of Scripture is found mainly in his Institutes of the Christian Religion. Bible verses about authority As believers we must do what is pleasing to the Lord. The verses that I started off with show that we need to be as Jesus was.
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