The Need For Biblical Authoritie

Articles

Derek Long
02/20/19 - Biblical Authority

February 10, 2019
The Need for Bible Authority
By Derek Long
Authority is a topic many people in the religious world do
not want to discuss. A lot of people do not want to be challenged about where their authority comes from for certain beliefs or practices. God’s word stresses the importance of having authority for everything we do to be acceptable to Him.
• Colossians 3:17 says, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” To do something “in the name of the Lord Jesus” does not simply mean to attach His name to whatever it is we are doing. Acts 19:13-17 tells of some Jewish exorcists who attempted to cast out a demon by using the name of the Lord Jesus and they were unsuccessful because Jesus had not authorized them to cast out demons. Matthew 7:21-23 says, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” People were doing different activities in these verses and claiming to do them in Jesus’ name yet they lack authorization for the things they were doing and thus were practicing lawlessness. To do something “in the name of the Lord Jesus” means to do something by His authority. If everything we do and say must be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, then we must have authority for everything we
• do or say.
1 John 3:4 describes sin by saying, “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” Sin is acting without God’s law or without divine authority. If we can do things without authority and be acceptable to God, then we must be able to sin and be acceptable to God.
• People who did things without God’s authority serve as an example for how God feels about such behavior (Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11). Leviticus 10:1-2 tells of Nadab and Abihu offering incense before God. It says, “Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.” Why did God kill Nadab and Abihu? They were attempting to worship God and yet God kills them. Why? They offered fire which God had not commanded them to offer. If we do something today for which we cannot find Bible authority for, God will equally be displeased with us as He was with them. In Numbers 20 the children of Israel are in need of water. God commands Moses, “Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregations and their animals” (Numbers 20:7-8). Numbers 20:11 tells us what Moses ends up doing, “Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank.” How did God feel about Moses’ actions on this occasion? Numbers 20:12 tells us, “Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.’” God calls Moses’ action of striking the rock without His authority an active of disbelief and Moses would not be allowed to enter the Promised Land because of this action. God is serious about us only doing those things which He has authorized us to do.
Perhaps we encounter people today who feel there are many things we do without authority. First, if such is true, it does not mean we can do more things without authority. It would simply mean we must stop doing those things for which there is no authority from God. Second, many of the things we do are authorized by generic authority. The Bible nowhere speaks about driving a car to teach a
Bible class but Jesus commanded us to “go” (Mark 16:15) without specifying the means by which we “go.” Therefore, different modes of transportation are authorized. The Bible nowhere mentions having a written bulletin sent out through e-mail as we do every week. Yet the Bible authorizes us to teach people to observe everything Jesus commands them to do (Matthew 28:18-20). Jesus did not specify the particular method we must use to teach. We can teach privately, publicly, through the spoken word, through the written word, through recordings, etc. We can employ any method of teaching as long as it accomplishes the goal Jesus has given us and does not violate other Bible principles. Hopefully these points will help us see how everything we do must be authorized by God in order to be pleasing in His sight! If you would like to discuss this topic further, please feel free to contact us!