What is Authority?
The first thing that we need to define before moving forward is that of what is authority, and how does it pertain to us as Christians?
By authority we mean the right to command belief and/or actions.
But where does this authority lie? As Christians we believe in a supreme being called God who is higher than everything within the created world, therefore He has the right to determine what we believe and how to live. God has the right by virtue of who He is and what He has done to establish a standard of beliefs and practice.
But how is that authority displayed today? Is God still directly involved in exercising that authority in all areas of life? These and other questions will be answered as we proceed through this session.
The Holy Spirit
As we covered in session 4, revelation is God making His truths known to man that man would otherwise not have known if God had not revealed it.
Through our understanding of inspiration, we are guaranteed that what the Bible says is what God would say to us if we had to speak to Him face-to-face.
But so often there are things that we just do not seem to understand, and this is where the Holy Spirit comes in through illumination. It is the Holy Spirit's task to turn the light of our minds on as it were so that we can fully comprehend what the Bible is saying and to be fully convinced of its truth.
But why is the Holy Spirit needed? There are a number of reasons:
Ontological Differences
Note: Ontology is a philosophical term and is concerned with being as its subject matter.
There are ontological differences between God and man. God goes far beyond our understanding (See Isaiah 55:8-9). Our language and understandings are finite, while God's are infinite.
Why is it like this? It is not related to the fall, but is simply because of the Creator-creation relationship.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)
Certainty required
So many of the concepts in the Bible seem to defy logic of the human mind. For example, how could Paul have had joy in his heart when he was undergoing severe physical anguish and persecution. It defies all human logic.
It is only with the assistance of the Holy Spirit that this can happen. Through the certainty that the Holy Spirit provides we are able to believe that God exists and that His Word is true. This gives us the faith necessary to hold onto certain beliefs.
Our Limitations
In Matthew 13:13-15 and Mark 8:18 Jesus addresses those who hear but do not understand and who see but do not perceive. Their ears and eyes are closed to the truths of God's Word.
Paul later attributes this situation to God in Romans 11:8-10.
All of these verses, and many others, show the need for some illumination by an outside source, a source that can only come from the one who is the originator of the Truth.
“This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “ ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” (Matthew 13:13-14)
“Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember?” (Mark 8:18)
“as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day.” And David says: “May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them. May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.”” (Romans 11:8-10)
The Unregenerate
In 1 Corinthians 2:14 we read that the unregenerate person has not yet received the gifts of the Spirit. There is an interesting word in this verse, dechomai, which is translated as receive or accept. Accept is the closer meaning in that it signifies that the person has welcomed it. One can receive something without actually accepting it.
Therefore, Paul is telling us that the unregenerate do not accept the gift of the Spirit, therefore the things of God are foolishness to them. The truth of the Word is not understood by them because it is something that needs to be spiritually discerned.
Other verse in 1 Corinthians that add to this are: 1:20-21; 2:11,13 and 3:19.
“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)
Without the help of the holy Spirit, it is therefore impossible to understand the things of God.
Regeneration
This understanding is overcome by the Holy Spirit beginning His work in us. Paul talks about this in a number of places in his epistles (see Romans 2:29; 1 Corinthians 1:18,23,24; 2:7,14,16; 2 Corinthians 3; Ephesians 1:18 and Colossians 1:9).
What is described in all of these verses is a one-time regeneration of the unbeliever and draws the line between a believer and an unbeliever.
This work however does not end there. As Jesus tells us in John 14-16, the work continues.
The Holy Spirit will:
- teach believers all things and bring a remembrance of all the things Jesus taught,
- witness to Jesus,
- convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgement,
- guide believers into all truth,
- will glorify Jesus, and
- will not speak on His own authority, but will speak whatever He hears from the Father.
Model of Authority
This, along with what has already been covered in previous sessions, gives us a model to work from in terms of authority for the Christian.
The objective Word, the written, fully inspired, inerrant Word of God, together with the subjective, inner illumination and conviction of the Holy Spirit, provides the authority for the Christian.
The Reformed church and many that hold to that theology, maintain that the authority lies in the Bible alone.
However, in the post-modern world, particularly within the charismatic arena, many teach that there are new revelations and messages that God is sending and more seems to rely on the subjective side of authority. The result of this is a theology that is not based on the historical revealed Word of God (the Bible), but rather on individual “revelations” and understandings, sometimes ignoring the Bible altogether.
Both views are totally opposite to each other and alone they are in error. What is actually needed is a combination of the two. However, the written Word, correctly interpreted, is the objective, unchanging basis of authority. Together with the inner illumination provided by the Holy Spirit, the maturity that is essential in the Christian life is developed.
As one pastor put it, “If you have the Bible without the Spirit, you will dry up. If you have the Spirit without the Bible, you will blow up. But if you have both the Bible and the Spirit together, you will grow up.”
Historical and Prescriptive Authority
One last question needs to be answered here: is what was binding on the people in the Bible also binding on us today? Particular those things contained within the Old Testament.
In order to answer this we need to distinguish between two types of authority, Historical and Prescriptive.
Historical Authority refers to those things that were relevant only for the people of the Bible, particularly those things related to the sacrificial system that were fulfilled through Christ's work on the cross.
Prescriptive Authority refers to those things that are not specific to a defined group of people. For example, the Ten Commandments and other laws that were not fulfilled through the cross.
Therefore, in order to determine those things that still have direct authority over us today, we need to interpret the respective passages in light of the cross. If it has been fulfilled, then it falls within the category of Historical Authority, if not, then it is Prescriptive and is relevant for us today.
However, we need to remember, that even though something falls into the Historical category, it still has some bearing on our lives today as Christians, even though it is not directly Prescriptive for us. But that is something that falls into the area of hermeneutics and interpretation of Scripture. The final part of our journey in looking at Bibliology, the Doctrines of the Bible.
Psalm 119
In conclusion let us look at some verses from Psalm 119 that are relevant to what has already been covered in these last six sessions.
“Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.” (v89)
Jesus Himself said that His words will never pass away. It does not matter what we as humans may do with the Bible – false translations, rewrite it to suit our sin, leave out important verses – the fact remains that the words God has spoken are eternal, and they are established in God's dwelling place, the heavens.
“Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.” (v97)
Meditation in the Bible is not like what is found in Eastern Mysticism where you are encouraged to empty your mind. Instead we are to fill our mind, and what better to fill it with than the things of God. In this case, the law of God. And it is not something that we do for fifteen minutes a day and to hope God will honour that, but rather something that is to be done all day long and becomes an ever-present part of our lives.
“Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me.” (v98)
We so often tie the “for they are ever with me” to enemies, however in the Hebrew it is tied to the commands. God's commands will never leave us. They are part of who He is, and if we believe God to be our authority, then they are part of us too. Our enemies are those that have turned their backs on God, so as a result we are wise, for it is the foolish who say that there is no God (Psalm 14:1).
“I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.” (v99)
It is one thing to teach a person about something, and another to meditate on it. I could be a great teacher and be able to expound many great things from the Bible, but if I do not meditate on it myself and allow it to become part of who I am, then all I am is a good scholar. I need to make it part of my life and do what it says. Just as Jesus warned the Jews at the time, “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.” (Matthew 23:2-3) The Scriptures may have been their authority in their teaching, but not in their practices.
“I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts.” (v100)
This parallels the previous verse and is highlighting the fact that we are to practice what the Bible teaches.
“I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word.” (v101)
So often it is the little temptations in life that pull us away from spending time in God's Word. The temptation of an extra five minutes sleep on Sunday morning can easily turn into half and hour and therefore we miss out on fellowship with other believers at church. If God's Word is our authority, then we will avoid those things that pull us away from Him and then obey Him as a result.
“I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me.” (v102)
God gave us His Word in order to teach us how to live a life devoted to Him and to bring us into a right relationship with Him. If God and His Word are our authority, then we are allowing Him to teach us Himself. It is not the teachings of man that can reconcile us to God, but the things that He Himself teaches us through His Word and by His Holy Spirit. As our authority we will live a life that does not depart from His laws.
“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (v103)
Sometimes when we are convicted of things through reading the Word they at first do not seem to be sweet. However, later on in life when we look back we realise that those things were sweet. Certainly sweeter than the consequences of us continuing to live in sin. An example of something being sweeter than honey is the natural sweetener called Stevia. It is so sweet that if you had to have a spoonful of it, it would taste extremely bitter. However, when the initial taste has worn off you will end up with a sweet taste in your mouth that is certainly sweeter than normal sugar and honey.
“I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.” (v104)
This is again just echoing what has gone before. By understanding God's Word and allowing it to have authority over your life, you will hate everything that is not of God.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (v105)
Probably the most famous verse in Psalm 119. If we allow God's Word to be the authority in our lives it will change us and guide us. It will show us the way we ought to live, how to treat people, how to avoid sin, and more importantly, guide us along the path of righteousness for His name's sake and not ours (Psalm 23:3).
The Challenge
The challenge to all of us is where does the authority lie in our own lives, and are we challenging those that seem to have placed their authority in the wrong place? It ultimately needs to be in God's hands and in His Word. This is part of what Jesus was talking about when He told hat “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) Put the authority in His hands and not in our own or any other human being.
Baruch atem b’Shem Yeshua! (Blessings in the name of Jesus!)
GW
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