bb

1
bb
Lesson 16 By Knowing How the Bible Authorizes
2
The Necessity for Authority in Religious Matters

• And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in
  the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God
  the Father through Him (Col. 317).
• And when they had set them in the midst, they
  asked, By what power or by what name have you
  done this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy
  Spirit, said to them, Rulers of the people and
  elders of Israel If we this day are judged for
  a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means
  he has been made well, let it be known to you
  all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the
  name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you
  crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him
  this man stands here before you whole. This is
  the stone which was rejected by you builders,
  which has become the chief cornerstone. Nor is
  there salvation in any other, for there is no
  other name under heaven given among men by which
  we must be saved (Acts 47-12).

3
The Necessity for Authority in Religious Matters

• We are obligated to walk by faith, not by sight
  (2 Cor. 57).
• Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word
  of God (Rom. 1017).
• Without faith it is impossible to please Him
  (Heb. 116).
• Thus, we must walk by the Word of God in order to
  please God.
• 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? But Jesus answered
  and said to them, I also will ask you one thing,
  which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by
  what authority I do these things The baptism of
  John--where was it from? From heaven or from
  men? And they reasoned among themselves,
  saying, If we say, From heaven, He will say to
  us, Why then did you not believe him? But if
  we say, From men, we fear the multitude, for
  all count John as a prophet. So they answered
  Jesus and said, We do not know. And He said to
  them, Neither will I tell you by what authority
  I do these things (Matt. 2123-27).

4
The Necessity for Authority in Religious Matters

• This is a tremendously important matter!
• Unless we know how God/Bible authorizes, we
  cannot be sure about anything we do or say in the
  realm of religion.
• Consider these Bible examples
• Abel offered an animal sacrifice
• Noah built an ark
• Abraham built an altar to worship God
• Moses built the tabernacle
• Israelites approached God through a priest of
  Levi
• Israelite men gathered in Jerusalem three times
  per year
• David commanded instrumental music in worship
• OT characters practiced polygamy, burnt incense
  in worship, etc.
• If I can do these things, and if I must do these
  thingshow can I know that I can and how can I
  know that I must?
• If I cannot do these things, and if I must not do
  these thingshow can I know that I cannot or must
  not?
• How do we decide?
• How do we ascertain Bible authority for matters
  today?

5
God Demands Biblical Authority for a Christians
Work and Worship

• Walk by faith! By the Word of God! To be
  pleasing!
• That you may learn in us not to think beyond
  go beyond, ASV what is written (1 Cor. 46).
• I marvel that you are turning awayto a
  different gospel, which is not another but there
  are some who trouble you and want to pervert the
  gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel
  from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than
  what we have preached to you, let him be
  accursed. As we have said before, so now I say
  again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you
  than what you have received, let him be accursed
  (Gal. 16-9).
• For I testify to everyone who hears the words of
  the prophecy of this book If anyone adds to
  these things, God will add to him the plagues
  that are written in this book and if anyone
  takes away from the words of the book of this
  prophecy, God shall take away his part from the
  Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the
  things which are written in this book (Rev.
  2218-19).

6
God Demands Biblical Authority for a Christians
Work and Worship

• The Scriptures teach that in Christian work and
  worship we must do only that which is authorized
  by the Word of God.
• It is possible for human beings to ascertain that
  which is authorized by the Word of God.
• It is possible for human beings to practice in
  Christian work and worship only that which is
  authorized by the Word of God.
• How does a Christian ascertain Scriptural
  authority for his actions and attitudes?

7
God Will Not Tolerate That Which Is Not
Authorized

• Whatever is not authorized by God is not
  acceptable to God, even if it is intended to be
  acceptable.
• Cains worship (surely intended to be acceptable)
  was not acceptable to God (Gen. 42-5).
• Israels worship (surely intended to be
  acceptable) was not acceptable to God (cf. Mal.
  16-9).
• A son honors his father, And a servant his
  master. If then I am the Father, Where is My
  honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My
  reverence? Says the LORD of hosts To you priests
  who despise My name. Yet you say, In what way
  have we despised Your name? You offer defiled
  food on My altar. But say, In what way have we
  defiled You? By saying, The table of the LORD
  is contemptible. And when you offer the blind
  as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you
  offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer
  it then to your governor! Would he be pleased
  with you? Would he accept you favorably? Says
  the LORD of hosts. But now entreat God's favor,
  That He may be gracious to us. While this is
  being done by your hands, Will He accept you
  favorably? Says the LORD of hosts.
• The worship of the Pharisees and scribes (surely
  intended to be acceptable) was not acceptable to
  God (Matt. 157-9).

8
God Will Not Tolerate That Which Is Not
Authorized

• The Bible often uses the word strange in the
  sense of not acceptable because not authorized
• Nadab Abihu offered strange/profane fire
  before the LORD, which He had not commanded them.
  So fire went out from the LORD and devoured
  them, and they died before the LORD (Lev.
  101-2).
• King Solomon loved many strange women (1 Kings
  111).
• Israel also did this great evil, to transgress
  against our God in marrying strange/pagan wives
  (Neh. 1327).
• Sodom and Gomorrah had gone after strange flesh
  (Jude 7).
• We are warned about being carried about with
  various and strange doctrines (Heb. 139).

9
We Must Stand on Bible Truth Avoid
Destructiveness of Extremes
BIBLE TRUTH
One extreme
Another extreme
Authority
Do all in the name of the Lord (Col. 317). Do
not go beyond what is written (1 Cor. 46). Do
not add to or take away from His Word (Rev.
2218-19).

• Makes laws God did not make
• Treats matters of opinion as matters of faith
• Seeks to bind where God has not bound

• Disregards laws God did make
• Treats matters of faith as matters of opinion
• Seeks to loose where God has bound

• Mans tendency is to react from one extreme to an
  opposite extreme.
• Extremes breed extremes.
• Truth lies between extremes.

10
We Must Know How God Does Not Authorize

• God does not authorize by
• My personal likes or dislikes (Prov. 1412)
• What pleases me (John 829)
• Erroneous conclusions which I may reach (2 Kings
  511)
• My opinion or the opinions of others (2 Peter
  120)
• What is popular
• What my friends and family say or believe
• What my preacher says or believes
• What a well-known or highly respected brother
  says
• Human traditions (Matt. 159 Col. 28)
• My inability to see any harm in it (2 Sam.
  63-7)
• Long-standing practices or what weve always
  done/believed
• What I feel in my heart (Acts 231 1 Tim. 115
  Prov. 2826)

Many points in this lesson adapted from Roy
Deavers Ascertaining Bible Authority