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Scriptural Authority For All Things
Do we need scriptural authority for all we teach and practice? My answer is,
ABSOLUTELY! However, there are many who deny that need.
As a boy, I grew up under the influence of the Baptist Church. I can
remember hearing it taught that doctrine was not important. Just preach
Jesus and not get into doctrine for that would cause trouble.
An incident happened when I began preaching in the Baptist Church which
illustrates the point. During that year there were something like
nine men who announced their call to preach. The church of which
I was a member went form around eighty in attendance to around
one hundred fifty in just a few short months.
The enthusiasm was high and some of us young preachers went to the deacons
and asked to have a Bible study on Wednesday night instead of the usual
testimony service. They agreed. The first and last Wednesday Bible
class began by the spirit leading someone to take the class. One of the
young preachers went forward and opened his Bible and read a
passage of scripture. He made a brief comment and then asked
the audience to reply. Immediately someone took issue with what
he said. Then another took issue with that
response. A third spoke up and said both were wrong and offered
the correct interpretation. After about three more such responses,
the preacher jumped to his feet, declared the Bible class to be
over and said there would be no more Wednesday night Bible studies.
As I think on such things, I believe incidents like I have mentioned, led to
my coming to a knowledge of the truth. You see, on the one hand, the Baptist
taught a complete reliance on the scripture but on the other hand, they
denied the need to have scriptural authority for all you teach and practice.
You cannot have it both ways! If you can teach or practice one thing for
which you have no scriptural authority, then you can practice two, three,
thirty and so on. Pretty soon you are in the quandary of having to admit
that you do not have to have scriptural for anything! Just let everyone
believe whatever they want.
Moses prophesied of a coming prophet who would speak all that God would
command (Deut 18:18-19). Peter referred to it this way. Moses indeed
said, A prophet shall the Lord God raise up unto you from among your
brethren, like unto me. To him shall ye hearken in all things
whatsoever he shall speak unto you. And it shall be, that every
soul that shall not hearken to that prophet, shall be utterly
destroyed from among the people. Acts 3:22-23. Jesus said of
Himself, All authority hath been given unto me in
heaven and on earth. Matt 28:18. Paul writes, and he put all things in
subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the
church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.
Eph 1:22-23.
What does this mean to us? It means that Whosoever goeth onward and
abideth not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God: he that
abideth in the teaching, the same hath both the Father and
the Son. II Jn 1:9.
Mankind is never satisfied with God's way. They are constantly
looking to do those things for which they do not have scriptural
authority. If we are doing one thing for which we have no
scriptural authority, we must cease to
do it! It does no good to try to justify a pet project by saying we do other
things for which there is no authority. Two wrongs do not make a right!
If I did not believe true Christianity demands that we have scriptural
authority for all things, I would have remained in the Baptist Church.
James Glen Young
12121 Regina-Belcher Hwy
Elkhorn City, KY 41522
(606) 754-9883
gyoung@eastky.com
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