Bible Authority

By Jack Howard

Bible Authority

 I. Int.

A. We call this the “Great Commission” in contrast to the limited commission-Mt. 10:5-6

1. The commission of Matt. 28:18-20 is for “all nations”

2. The one in Matt. 10 is limited to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel”

B. Our Lord introduces the commission with a statement of authority

1. He said “all power”-Matt. 28:18-The N.A. Version says “AUTHORITY”

2. AUTHORITY IS THE RIGHT TO COMMAND OR DIRECT AND ENFORCE OBEDIENCE OR ADMINISTER PUNISHMENT 

3. TO AUTHORIZE A THING IS TO EMPOWER TO ACT, OR DIRECT BY AUTHORITY

4. IN DIVINE AFFAIRS, ALL AUTHORITY BELONGS TO GOD

II. GOD HAS GIVEN TO CHRIST ABSOLUTE AUTHROITY IN THE CHURCH-MATT. 28:18

A. HE IS GOD’S LAW GIVER TODAY-Heb. 1:1; Matt. 17:5

1. This fulfills the prophecy of Deut. 18:15, 19

B. FAILURE TO HEAR CHRIST BRINGS SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES-Acts 4:23

C. “ALL AUTHORITY” INCLUDES LEGISLATIVE, EXECUTIVE, AND JUDICIAL AUTHORITY

D. HE IS THE “HEAD OVER ALL THINGS”-Eph. 1:21-23

1. The church is to act only by His authority

2. We are forbidden to go beyond His Word-2 Jn. 9, 11

E. Col. 3:17 TEACHES

III. CHRIST GAVE BINDING AND LOOSING AUTHORITY ONLY TO HIS APOSTLES

A. MATTHEW 15:1-9

1. Human authority makes worship vain-Matt. 15:1-9

2. Human authority shall be rooted up-Matt. 15:13

3. Human teachers are blind guides of the blind-Mt. 15:14

a. Jesus respected and kept the law of God but did not keep those things bound by the traditions of the elders such as washing hands-Matt. 15:1

b. Jesus condemned the Jewish leaders for presuming to release men from what the law of God bound-Mt. 15:4-6

B. MATTHEW 16:19 HEAVEN RESPECTS ONLY THE AUTHORITY OF CHRIST THROUGH THE APOSTLES

1. All obligations and all liberty in the church of our Lord is prescribed by apostolic authority. No man has any right to go beyond in either direction

2. Proper respect for the authority of Christ can be shown only by respecting the authority of apostles - Jn. 13:20; 20:22-23; I Jn. 4:6; Mt. 19:29

3. Differences on the question of circumcision settled by apostles in Jerusalem-Gal. 2:1-3; Acts 15:1-3

a. This is the method of settling every question that arises in the church today

III. THE NEW TESTAMENT GIVEN BY THE APOSTLES AS THEY WERE GUIDED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THAT MEANS BY WHICH GOD AUTHORIZES A THING TODAY

2 Tim. 3:16-17; I Pet. 4:11; Col. 3:17

A. THE SCRIPTURES ARE PERFECT AND COMPLETE, THEREFORE SUFFICIENT-2 Pet. 1:3

B. WE ARE FORBIDDEN TO GO BEYOND-2 Jn. 9-ll; I Cor. 14:37; Ph. 3:16; 4:7; I Cor. 4:16-17

C. WE MUST FOLLOW THE APOSTOLIC PATTERN-Ph. 3:16-19; 4:9; I Th. 2:14; I Cor. 4:16-17; Mt. 28:20

IV. HOW DOES THE AUTHORITY OF CHRIST DIRECT US THROUGH THE SCRIPTURES

A. HOW DOES HE AUTHORIZE US TO DO A THING

B. 1st, BY PRECEPT (EXPRESSSED STATEMENT)

1. By this I mean direct statement or command

2. This is a direct statement of something that must or must not be done-Acts 2:38; I Cor. 11:23-

C. 2nd, BY CONSISTENT APOSTOLIC EXAMPLES

1. By this we mean the example of the practice of the N.T. church under the guidance of the apostles-Ph. 4:9

2. This is not saying that we follow every example for many purely incidental

3. An approved example is one that is binding upon God’s people today

a. Acts 20:7 is a perfect illustration of an approved example 

1) It binds the 1st day of the week as the day we assemble to break bread-another day is presumptuous

b. Acts 14:23

D. 3rd, NECESSARY INFERENCE

1. Acts 20:7 implies every first-example Ex. 20:8

2. Heb. 10:25 necessitates a place to assemble

a. The bldg. Is authorized by the command to assemble

V. ALL AUTHORITY IS EITHER GENERAL OR SPECIFIC

A. BY GERNERAL, INCLUDING ANY THING, METHOD OR MEANS OF EXCUTION THATCOMES WITHIN THE CLASS OR ORDER OF THE PRECEPT, EXAMPLE OR THING COMMANDED

1. Not limited or restricted

B. BY SPECIFIC-LIMITED OR RESTRICTED

1. Excluding everything, method or means of execution in the same order or class which is not specified in the precept, example or thing commanded

C. GENERAL INCLUDES-SPECIFIC AUTHORITY EXCLUDES

VI. WE MUST UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AIDS AND ADDITIONS

A. AIDS DO NOT ALTER OR CHANGE GODS’ PRECEPTS, 

EXAMPLES OR COMMANDS

B. ADDITIONS MAKE A CHANGE IN THE PRECEPT, EXAMPLE OR COMMAND

VII. ILLUSTRATIONS OF GENERIC AND SPECIFIC AUTHORITY WITH AIDS AND ADDITIONS

A. NOAH WAS COMMANDED TO BUILD THE ARK-Gen. 6:14

1. God specified the wood

2. The tools were not specified

B. CHRIST COMMANDED CHRISTIANS TO OBSERVE THE LORD’S SUPPER-I Cor. 11:23-27

1. The day specified-Acts 20:7

2. The elements specified-I Cor. 11:23

3. However the hour of the day not stated

4. The number of containers are not stated

C. CHRIST COMMANDED THE PENITENT BELIEVER TO BE BAPTIZED-ACTS 22:16; ACTS 2:38

1. The mode is stated-Rm. 6:4; Col. 2:12-Sprinkling and pouring are another kind of action

2. Where?-not stated-bapt., creek, river may be used

D. THE LORD SPECIFIED “SINGING” EPH. 5:19; Col. 3:16

1. Books, lights, song leader, etc. aids

2. I. M. is another kind of music-addition-2 Jn. 9

E. GOD HAS ORDAINED THE LOCAL CHURCH TO ENGAGE IN CERTAIN WORK-EPH. 4:12; ACTS 11:27-30

1. Evangelism-Edification-Benevolence

2. Political, social activities, sports, day care centers, mother’s day out programs, etc-Col. 3:17

F. GOD HAS ORDAINED CONGREGATIONAL FORM OF GOV’T-Ax. 14:23; I Pet. 5:2; Ph. 1:1

1. Any other form of gov’t would be an additions

2. Elders overseeing more than one church

3. Sponsoring church a violation-Col. 3:17

VIII. CONCLUSION;

A. THERE ARE TWO EXTREMES

1. Binding where God has not bound-making specific out of Generics

2. Loosening where God has bound-making generics out of specifics-2 JN. 9 

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