BIBLICAL AUTHORITY (1)

 The Need for Divine Authority

(Introduction)

Mike Johnson

“By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority?” These questions were asked of Jesus in the Jerusalem temple by certain Jewish chief priests and elders (Mt. 21:23).  Although not sincerely motivated, these questions bring out two vital principles.  First, there is a need for authority in religion, and second, authority must come from one who has the right to grant it.  Jesus then asked them this question (v. 25), “The baptism of John — where was it from?  From heaven or from men?”  These verses establish that there are only two sources of authority: heaven and man.  Therefore, it is essential to understand the need for authority in our service to God and where it resides.

Standards of authority exist in almost every realm and relationship.  For example, in weights and measurements, we know sixteen ounces equals a pound, twelve inches equals a foot, and three feet equals a yard.  These standards are acceptable in our country, and a great deal of confusion would exist if everyone had their own standards of weights and measurements.

Where does authority rest in religion?  First, there is internal human authority.  This type of authority involves people guided by their own consciences, judgments, and feelings.  The second area of authority is external human authority.  Examples of this type are customs, traditions, and human creeds.  The third realm is divine authority, in which God is the originator, the center is Christ, and it proclaims itself in the Bible.  This third source should be our authority today.

People need divine guidance because they cannot guide themselves to heaven. Jeremiah 10:23 says, “O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.” We need frequent reminders of this very profound statement. There is no way people can get to heaven by following their own councils.  Doing so, they are doomed to failure.

Authority, which originates with man, causes strife and division; it produces denominationalism instead of the “one church” we can read about in the Scriptures.  Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”   Even good people will differ; therefore, we need divine authority.

In John 17:17-21, Jesus prayed for unity among his followers.  Paul, an inspired writer, told the Corinthians (1 Cor. 1:10) there should be no divisions among them, and they should be “perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”  How can this unity ever be achieved if we follow various man-made standards?  All people following the one uniform standard of God’s Word is the only possible way we can be united as Christ desires.

In the Old Testament, our life here on earth is compared to a journey.  When Pharaoh asked Jacob how old he was, Jacob referred to his life as a pilgrimage (or sojourning — NASB).  Today, we are on a journey to heaven; thus, we must follow God’s divine “road map” to get there (James 1:21).  Nothing anyone can come up with will take the place of the Scriptures to show us the way.  Without God’s guidance, we are helpless and doomed to failure.