A Study of

Authority

“And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him; the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day” (John 12:47-48).

A Study of

Authority

Lesson 3

The Source of Authority

(What it Isn’t)(Presentations are basically an adaptation of material found in Billy W. Moore’s

classbook, A Study of Authority)

Definition - AuthorityGreek Word – Exousia (exousia)

Vine: “The power of authority, the right to exercise power… the power of rule or government… the power of one whose will and commands must be obeyed by others.” (page 89).

Thayer: “The power of authority and of right… the power of rule or government”

Matthew 21:23“Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, ‘By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?’”

Shows the importance of the source of authority

A Caution… Some things in religion are

accepted as authoritative without consideration being given to the source from which it is derived.

We not only must have authority, we must have authority that comes from the right source!

The Source of Divine Authority Is NotNot…• The Doctrine or Practices of the O.T.

• (Tithing; Instrumental Music; Infant membership; Polygamy)

• Old Testament a shadow & removed (Heb. 10:1; Col. 2:13-14; Eph. 2:14-16)

Hebrews 10:1“For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.”

Colossians 2:13-14“And you, being dead in your

trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”

Ephesians 2:14-16“For He Himself is our peace, who

has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.”

The Source of Divine Authority Is NotNot…• The Doctrine or Practices of the O.T.

• (Tithing; Instrumental Music; Infant membership; Polygamy)

• Old Testament a shadow & removed (Heb. 10:1; Col. 2:13-14; Eph. 2:14-16)

• What the Preachers Say• Perhaps the result of the sectarian concept

of being “called by the Lord” to preach• It is ridiculous to say that “God has called”

these preachers who preach so many divergent doctrines

• Preachers must preach thethe word, not their their word (2 Tim. 4:1-2)

2 Timothy 4:1-2“I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”

Because, some would not would not endureendure sound doctrine! (cf. vs. 3-4)

The Source of Divine Authority Is NotNot…• Creeds of Men

• Practically every denomination has its manual, discipline, prayer book, or book of minutes which contain its peculiar doctrines.

• These are not as well respected today as in the past, but trends are cyclical (age of tolerance)

• We cannot please God by accepting creeds of men (Matt. 15:8-9; Col. 2:20-22)

Matthew 15:8-9“These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”

Colossians 2:20-22“Therefore, if you died with Christ

from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations; 21 ‘Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,’ 22 which all concern things which perish with the using; according to the commandments and doctrines of men?”

The Source of Divine Authority Is NotNot…• Creeds of Men

• Practically every denomination has its manual, discipline, prayer book, or book of minutes which contain its peculiar doctrines.

• These are not as well respected today as in the past, but trends are cyclical (age of tolerance)

• We cannot please God by accepting creeds of men (Matt. 15:8-9; Col. 2:20-22)

• Desires of the Congregation• The idea of democratic vote (pride for this in

our day).• The wishes of the congregation may not

be right!• Ex. 32:1; 1 Sam. 8:4-7; 1 Sam. 15:15,24

Exodus 32:1“Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, ‘Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’”

1 Samuel 8:4-7“Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, 5 and said to him, ‘Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.’ 6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, ‘Give us a king to judge us.’ So Samuel prayed to the LORD. 7 And the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.’”

1 Samuel 15:15,24“And Saul said, ‘They have brought

them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.”

“Then Saul said to Samuel, ‘I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.’”

The Source of Divine Authority Is NotNot…• Elders of a Local Church

• They are to tend the flock, and exercise oversight but are under the authority of the chief shepherd

• They have no legislative authority in the faith• Would Inst. Music be authorized if OK’d by

elders? (1 Peter 5:1-4)

1 Peter 5:1-4“The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: 2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; 4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.”

The Source of Divine Authority Is NotNot…• Elders of a Local Church

• They are to tend the flock, and exercise oversight but are under the authority of the chief shepherd

• They have no legislative authority in the faith• Would Inst. Music be authorized if OK’d by

elders? (1 Peter 5:1-4)

• The Results Accomplished• End does not justify the means• “Look at the good works we are doing!”• Ex: Nadab and Abihu were getting results

(fire was working), but it didn’t make what they did right!

• Matthew 7:21-23

Matthew 7:21-23“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. 22 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?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

ConclusionIn this lesson we have: Established the need for

authority, and that authority must come from the proper source

That the proper source is NOT The Old Testament What the Preachers say Creeds of Men Desires of the Congregation Elders of the Local Church The Results Accomplished

Questions

Lesson 3

The Source of Authority(What It Isn’t)

?

Question 1 Explain why we are no longer under the

authority of the Old Testament. If this is so, what purpose does the Old Testament serve?

A new covenant is now in effect, and it has superceded the old covenant. (cf. Galatians 3:19-25)

As such, the Old Testament serves as an example to us (cf. 1 Cor. 10:6-11)

Question 2 Is there anything peculiar about preachers, each

claiming to be called by God, and yet preaching different doctrines?

There is only One Faith (cf. Eph. 4:5). God will not contradict Himself. Hence, we are to test those who teach, as to whether they preach the word. (cf. Acts 17:11; 1 John 4:1)

Question 3 Explain why man-made creeds are unacceptable

to God?

They are “self-imposed.” They are presumptuous, the created thing taking the place of the creator. They are iniquitous, cf. Matthew 15:8-9.

Question 4 Does each denomination have the right to vote

on what it will believe and practice (ex: accepting homosexuals, women as clergy, etc.)? If not, why not?

No man has the right to “decide” something different from what God has decreed.

Majority vote can be wrong! (Ex: Israel “voted” to take on Gods from Egypt when Moses was delayed on Sinai).

Question 5 Is it sufficient to say, “The Lord is blessing our

works, so what we do is acceptable to Him.” (i.e. – the end justifies the means)?

No. First, men are defining “blessing”, rather than God. Does God accept the unjust, since he sends his rain and sun upon him (cf. Matthew 5:45)?

A claim of “blessing” does not make the lawless lawful.