Part 2: Biblical Authority and Bible Study
As shown in the book of Matthew, Chapter 28, Verses 18 through 20 after His resurrection the apostles met with our Lord. Jesus told them:
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Earlier, in His prayer the evening before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed:
"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” John 17: 20 & 21 (NIV)
In the above verses Jesus was first referring to “them,” His apostles. He then prayed that all would hear and obey their words. His prayer was for us.
Authority for Christian life and worship is, thus, found entirely and only in the commands of Jesus and in the words of those that Jesus sent out into the world. These teachings, the words of the apostles, as written in the New Testament are the authority that must direct our lives and our worship. Thus the Old Testament Law of Moses has been set aside by Jesus. Galatians, Chapter 5, Verses 14 and 15 reads:
. . . having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
We are told, also, that we must limit ourselves only to that which is written. First Corinthians, Chapter 4, Verses 6 & 7 instructs:
Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not take pride in one man over against another. For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
Galatians, Chapter 5, Verse 1 tells us that we are free in Christ:
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Here, Paul is discussing the Law of Moses. He continues in the 4th, 5th and 6th verses:
You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
So it is that we must follow the words of Jesus including the words of the apostles and obey nothing of the Jewish Law from the Old Testament. The Law of Moses no longer justifies any man. Attempts to follow that law result in spiritual error. See also Galatians Chapter 3, Verses 19—25.
Accordingly, then, what is our basic authority in Christian worship today? It is obviously the instructions and examples shown in the New Testament. But how should we use those examples? To repeat a part of First Corinthians, Chapter 4, Verses 6 & 7:
"Do not go beyond what is written."
From this verse we know that all believers must follow the Holy Scriptures and neither add nor subtract from them.
The wish that Jesus prayed for has not materialized in today’s churches. There are nearly 1,000 denominations that call themselves “Christian.’ But in Ephesians 4: 2 through 6, we are told to:
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit-- just as you were called to one hope when you were called-- one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
This scripture reveals that many people who believe in Christ today are not united with the Father and the Son. Today’s world does not believe that the Father has sent the Son. Many do not follow the words of the apostles. If all truly believed and did not go beyond what is written, there would be no denominations and all would worship and live in harmony. Differences would exist, of course, but if we could be united in love, these would be minor as compared to what we see about us today. And Christian thought and teachings would encompass a world of peace, harmony and prosperity.