The Church Jesus Established
Lesson 2 - THE AUTHORITY OVER THE CHURCH
"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" (Jeremiah 10:23). Man does not have the capability to be his own authority. Since God created us, He alone has the right to decide what we should do. It is not our place to question God’s authority. Isaiah says, "Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker...Will the clay say to the potter, "What are you doing?" (Isaiah 45:9). We should respect God's authority because He is God the Creator and we are his creation. When we have enough faith to accept that, it solves lots of problems. So many divisions existing among religions could be settled by understanding that God, not man is our standard.
In the earliest days, God spoke directly to men like Adam, Noah and Abraham. Later God gave His law through Moses and also spoke through various prophets. But before his ascension to the right hand of God, Jesus announced, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." (Matt. 28:18). While we believe in the Old Testament, we also understand that Jesus' New Testament is our final authority for religion. "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in man portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son…" (Heb. 1:1-2).
God seated Christ "...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 came, And he put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church." (Ephesians 1:20-22). Jesus should be Lord over our lives and we should understand that only Christ has the authority over the church's message, mission, worship, and organization.
Jesus asked, "Why do you call Me, Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?" "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" (Luke 6:46; Matt. 7:21). Jesus is Lord and His Word is our only authority. Just because my family believed something, its not necessarily so; just because a preacher preaches it, its not necessarily true; just because a majority decides something, it isn't necessarily right; and even if someone is sincere, scripture, not sincerity, is our standard.
Jesus not only spoke while on earth, but also promised to reveal more truth through men called apostles, who were appointed by Jesus. Jesus said, "he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me " (John 13:20). But how could mere men be capable of representing Christ’s authority? Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to guide and guard what these men spoke. "...He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you" (John 14:26). "...He will guide you into all the truth..." (John 16:13).
Was that promised fulfilled? Yes, Paul said, "For to us God revealed them through the Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words" (I Corinthians 2:10-13). The Holy Spirit revealed God's Word to the apostles: Paul said, "When you received from us the word of God’s message, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God..." (I Thess. 2:13; see also Gal. 1:11-12).
This is why we find that starting in Acts 2 the newly established church "continued steadfastly in the apostle’s doctrine" (Vs. 41). The Apostle John stated, "We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error" (I John 4:5-6).
Since the apostles all died in the first century, how can we know their teaching today? Paul said, "Brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us," (II Thess. 2:15). It is vital that we understand that when we read these New Testament epistles, we are reading God's message, our authority.
The letters from the inspired men were the authority, not only for the local church it addressed, but also for all of the Lord’s people. Col. 4:16 states, "And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea." (Also read I Thess. 5:27).
This written word would guide the Church and Christians after the death of the Apostles. "Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed me. Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance" (II Peter 1:12-15).
The Apostle Paul stated, "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified." (Acts 20:29-32)
[Introduction
- The Pattern Concept] [Lesson 1 - Defining The Church] [Lesson 3 - How Scripture Authorizes (Pt. 1)]
[Lesson 4- How Scripture Authorizes(Pt. 2)]
[Lesson 5 - The Universal - The Local
Church] [Lesson 6 -
The Church - Not a Denomination] [Lesson 7 - Timeline - Church's Establishment]
[Lesson 8 - Worship Designed for the
Church] [Lesson 9 - The Lord's
Supper]
[Lesson 10 - Worshipping in Song]
[Lesson 11 - Worshipping in Prayer]
[Lesson 12 - The All-Sufficient Church]
[Lesson 13 - Elders]
[14 - Deacons ] [Lesson 15 - Evangelists ] [Lesson 16 - The Social Gospel]
[Lesson 17
-Benevolence-According to the Pattern]
[Home] [Back to
Bible Studies]
Top
This page last updated: October 27, 1999