A Study Of
Bible Authority
Bob Harding
Table of Contents
Lesson LESSON TITLE Page
1Our Need For Authority…………………………………………………3
2Only Two Sources Of Authority……………………………………….10
3Three Ways God Instructs Us………………………………………….19
4Scriptural Proof That God Teaches By Necessary Inference………….24
5General And Specific Authority……………………………………….29
6God Has A Pattern For The Church…………………………………....33
7Aids And Additions To The Bible Pattern……………………………..37
8God’s Silence Is Not Authority………………………………………...40
9The Universal Church……………………………………………….....45
10The Distinction Between The Universal And The Local Church……...52
11The Work Of The Church In Evangelism……………………………...57
12The Work Of The Church In Benevolence…………………………….66
13Local Church Action VS Individual Action (1)………………………..73
14Local Church Action VS Individual Action (2)………………………..79
15The Work Of The Church In Edification………………………………84
16Fellowship Halls And Church Kitchens………………………………..94
Bible Authority (1)
OUR NEED FOR AUTHORITY
INTRODUCTION
A.In many ways the Bible is the most popular book in the world.
1.Year after year, generation after generation, on a world-wide basis, more Bibles are sold, and more Bibles are found in homes, than any other book ever written.
1)Presidents have praised the wisdom and guidance found in the Bible.
B.Yet, in more important ways the Scriptures are very unpopular.
1.The vast majority of people including many who profess to be Christians, have not met its conditions for salvation and ignore its precepts in their daily lives.
1)The government, businesses, schools, churches and families generally conduct their affairs in conflict with the teaching of God’s word.
C. The purpose of this lesson is to call those who profess to believe the Bible is the inspired word of God to an understanding of our need and appreciation for BIBLE AUTHORITY.
I.AUTHORITY IS NEEDED EVERYWHERE(Submit to authority daily)
A.What is authority?
1.Definition:
1)Vine: “lawful, the right to exercise power.”
2)AHD: “the power to command, enforce laws, exact obedience, determine, or judge.”
3)Authority gives a person freedom to do as he has been given power.
4)Authority restricts a person from going beyond the power with which he has been endued.
2.The right or power to decide and command action or compliance, or to determine belief or custom, expecting obedience from those under authority.
1)To have authority for what we do means that we have FREEDOM, the RIGHT and PERMISSION to act as it comes from one who has the right to order and give permission.
2)Authority also involves the right to administer discipline or punishment.
B.We need authority in all areas of life and without it there can only be confusion, chaos and disorder.
1.Authority is needed everywhere. This is something that most people freely recognize.
1)Without authority in the HOME, it will fall apart (Eph 5:22-25; 6:1- 3).
2)Without authority in the SCHOOLS, there will only be problems (Acts 22:3).
3)Imagine what it would be like without authority in the WORKPLACE (Eph 6:5-9). Some may like the idea of having no boss, but unless someone acts with authority, it will be impossible for a business to flourish.
4)Without authority in the NATION AND GOVERNMENT, many citizens will act wickedly with no judgment for their actions (Rom 13:1-3).
>Traffic laws.
5)No group, organization or nation can function smoothly without someone who can “call the shots.”
2.Authority exists and must be submitted to in the most important area of 1ife – The salvation of the soul.
1)Matt 28:18: And Jesus came up and spoke to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”
2)Eph 1:20-23; 5:24:“which He brought about in
Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all... But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.”
3)Heb 13:7, 17: The local church – “Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith… Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.”
C.Authority in life is necessary due to the nature of God.
Acts 17:24-29: “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since HeHimself gives to all people life and breath and all things; 26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.' 29 "Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man.
1.God is sovereign by right of Creation (Gen 1:1).
1)God owns it all.
Ps 24:1: “The earth is the LORD”S, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it.”
2)His eternal presence.
Jer 23:24: “Can a man hide himself in hiding places so I do not see him?” declares the LORD. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD.
3)He is all-powerful.
Jer 32:17-20: “Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You, who shows lovingkindness to thousands, but repays the iniquity of fathers into the bosom of their children after them, O great and mighty God. The LORD of hosts is His name; great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, giving to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds; who has set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, You have made a name for Yourself, as at this day.”
II.MAN’S NEED FOR AUTHORITY IN RELIGIOUS MATTERS
A.The nature of man and his needs requires authority.
Jud 21:25: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
Jer 10:23: “I know, O LORD, that a man’s way is not in himself, nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps.”
Prov 14:12: “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”
1.Man cannot provide this authority by himself.
1)When man begins to act on his own authority, then he is trying to do what cannot be rightly done.
2)Some deny that we need authority for all that we do and teach.
3)But what are the grounds for such a position?
2.When people act or teach something without God's authority, then they must look to one of two things:
1) Themselves as the authority, or 2) Other men as the authority.
2)Yet, the Bible condemns looking to men as the source of authority.
Matt. 15:9: “But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.”
1 Cor. 4:6:“Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, sot that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other.”
3)Without God's authority, we only have man's and man's authority is worthless without God.
3.Authority in life is necessary because reconciliation with God is impossible without it.
1)God provides for man’s redemption (man cannot).
2)And He has it “in Christ”(Eph 1:3-11).
1:5: “kind intention (good pleasure) of His will”
1:6: “to the praise of the glory of His grace”
1:7: “according to the riches of His grace”
1:9: “He made known to us the mystery of His will,”
according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Him”
1:11: “according to His purpose who works all things according to the counsel of His will”
4.Knowledge of God’s provisions and His terms (conditions) of redemption are essential to our salvation.
Matt 7:21: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.”
1)A standard of right and wrong is essential to our salvation.
2)Truth and error must be available and understandable, so sinners can live with God’s approval.
John 17:17-21: “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. John As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
20 "I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.”
John 8:31-32: “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
I John 4:1, 6: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world… We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”
B.The existence of 100’s of denominations, many divisions exist, even among God’s people, testify of the need for authority.
1.Divisions and denominations exist because people do not listen and submit to the authority of God.
1)Every religious division is based on Bible authority.
2)The only reason why anything is wrong is because there is no Bible authority for it.
3)The only reason why anything is right is because there is Bible authority for its practice.
2.PROBLEM – LACK OF RESPECT FOR BIBLE AUTHORITY!
1)Why are there divisions? Wrong attitude toward authority.
2)Before a practice has Bible authority, it must be found in the Bible.
3)This sounds like a silly statement, but many people want to do many things that are not mentioned in the Bible and at the same time claim to have Bible authority.
4)Men either look to themselves or other men for their authority.
5)Or say they don’t need Bible authority for everything they do.
6)Without authority from God, man must depend on the reckless opinions of men which are at best a guess in the dark.
3.The position of HUMANISM is that we do not need God to tell us what to do.
1)We must look to humanity as the highest source of authority.
2)But think about it. If what one man or group says can be the source of authority, then what another man or group says can also be asource of authority, even if what they say contradicts what others say.
3)If one person can appeal to himself or another man as authority, then why can't another person do the same?
4)Who is to say who is right or wrong?
5)When men contradict each other, how will the issues and questions be settled? Where else can we appeal?
6)Without God, confusion and every evil thing will exist in society. We are seeing this first hand.
4.But the same principle applies to religious matters.
1)When those who claim to believe in God tell us that we do not need authority for a particular belief or practice, they are unwittingly taking the position of humanism.
2)Only division and evil will result.
3)There is no way for us to be united based on the authority of man.
5.Sadly, this attitude has invaded the Lord's people.
1)The various and sundry divisions among Christians are the result of a failure to submit to God's authority.
2)Instead of recognizing that we must have authority for all we do and teach, some are insisting that the pleas for authority are legalistic and unnecessary.
3)"The church must change with the times," we hear.
4)Such attitudes are a rejection of the authority of God's Word.
5)It is also a rejection of Jesus Christ .
John 12:48: “He whorejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him in the last day.”
6)Jesus’ sayings include what He gave the apostles to speak.
John 13:20: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”
John 16:12-13: “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.”
CONCLUSION
1.Eph 5:15-17: “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
1.An old bit of carpenter’s advice is: Measure twice, cut once.
1)We ought to carefully settle our convictions on Bible truth and then fit our lives to those convictions (truths).
2)Too often people do what comes naturally and then make up a set of “convictions” to fit their lifestyle (Paint target).
2.It is possible for a person’s life itself to be “ill-measured,”
1)We cannot afford to cut now and measure later.
2.So far, is your response to Jesus Christ the result of careful consideration and deliberate action?
1.He deserves nothing less.
1)Mark 16:16: This is God’s will – not man’s.
2)This is how to get “into Christ” to receive the riches of His grace
(Rom 6:1-6).
Bible Authority (2)
TWO SOURCES OF AUTHORITY
INTRODUCTION
A.When we speak of “Authority in Religion,” most people in the religious world would not know what we mean.
1.Authority is something that is not discussed often or at all in most places.
1)If people would aggressively pursue this subject, much of the division in the religious world would dissolve away.
B.In the last lesson we learned:
1.What authority is and our need for it.
1)Right to command and enforce laws – freedom and restricts.
2)Universal need for authority – confusion and chaos with it.
C.We must get our authority right before we can even start interpreting the Bible correctly.
1.One will not arrive at a correct knowledge of the truth, unless they have accepted the correct standard of authority by which all conclusions must be judged.
1)Unless one first accepts the right standard of authority all further study will be in vain.
2 Tim 3:7:“always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
I.THERE ARE ONLY TWO SOURCES OF AUTHORITY (Matt 21:23-27)
A.The chief priests and elders of the Jews recognized the need for authority.
1.21:23: “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?”
1)They recognized that such authority must come from one who has the rightful power to grant it.
2.21:24: Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things.”
1)Jesus did not shout them down or tell them they were wrong for asking.
2)He nowhere said, "Why, we don't need authority. You're just being legalistic!"
3)Jesus believed that their question was legitimate for he was willing to answer it if they would demonstrate themselves to be honest men.
3.21:25a: Jesus answered them with a question – “The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?”
1)Did John derive the right, permission, sanction or authorization to preach and baptize from God (heaven), or from a human source?
2)His question shows that there are only two sources of authority.
3)This is still true today (Matt 28:18). THE LINE IS DRAWN!
4)Jesus summed up all possible sources of authority into two categories, human authorities or Divine authority.
5)God commanded or man invented – are the only two possible choices that exist for every belief and practice in the religious realm.
6)For authority to be worth anything, it must come from One who has the power to grant it. Men simply do not have this power.