BIBLICAL AUTHORITY (6)

Authority and the New Testament

Mike Johnson

The Scriptures teach the authority of God, Christ, and the apostles (Ps. 50:10-12; Heb. 1:1-2; Mt. 16:19, 17:5, 18:18; 2 Cor. 5:20; Phil. 4:9).   Also, the Holy Spirit played a role as He guided the apostles “unto all truth.”  Consider now the authority of the New Testament, which is our guide today.

God gave the apostles the authority and responsibility to reveal God’s Will to everyone (Mt. 18:18; Jn. 16:8).  However, the apostles eventually died.  What then is our guide today?  Our guide is to be the inspired Word of God—the Bible.

Consider the teaching of Paul in Ephesians 3:3-5.  This passage says, “how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets.” God revealed this “mystery” to Paul, an inspired writer, who wrote it down so people can read and understand it.  This message is a “mystery” in the sense that previously, God had not revealed it.  Paul, and other inspired individuals, guided by the Holy Spirit, made God’s mind known to man.

1 Corinthians 2:12-13 says, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.  These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”  The NASB renders the last part, “combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.”

In 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Paul wrote, “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.”  Negatively, he states they had not received his preaching “as the word of men”; positively, they had received it as the “Word of God.”  Paul was thankful they had accepted him as an inspired teacher of God’s Word.

There are other passages in 1 Thessalonians where Paul points out that his message was from God.  In chapter 4, he revealed that the commandments taught were “through the Lord Jesus,” and the person who rejects their teaching “does not reject man, but God who has also given us his Holy Spirit” (vs. 2, 3, 8).  Later, when instructing them about the second coming of Christ (4:15), Paul said, “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord.”  In 1 Corinthians 14:37, Paul stated, “If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.”

The Bible is the inspired Will of God (2 Tim. 3:16-17).  It is the “oracles of God” (2 Pet. 1:3); it is the final revelation for us (Jude 3); it is all that we need (Jas. 1:25); it will save us eternally (Rom. 1:16, James 1:21) if we obey it (James 1:22).

Paul, and other inspired people, revealed God’s commandments through the written word.