Bible Authority

David M. Bonner

Another rule of BIBLE STUDY is to realize GOD has all authority by virtue of WHO HE IS, our creator. God created man, Genesis1:26. In Isaiah64:8, the Bible states, But now, O Jehovah, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. In Matthew 28:18, Jesus stated, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. This means you and I don’t have any religious authority. It means NIEITHER the church I attend nor the church you attend has any religious authority to make rules of WHAT we do in worship, how one becomes a Christian, or what is right for a local church to do, call itself, or teach. Apparently there are various KINDS of religious bodies that have NOT learned this lesson because they wear so many different NAMES, worship in so many different ways, and teach so many different DOCTRINES. God is not a God of confusion, but of peace. 1 Corinthians14:33. This lets us know God is NOT the AUTHOR of any NAMES, DOCTRINES, and PRACTICES OTHER than those BY HIS AUTHORITY. Jesus prayed for UNITY, John17:20f. In order for the people of the world to have UNITY, there MUST be some COMMON STANDARD. Since Christ has all authority (Matthew 28:18), to have unity upon TRUTH, all must agree to take THE BIBLE as the standard of authority. Since God created man, He must know more about how He wants man to WORSHIP than does man. God gave us THE BIBLE. We know this because ALL SCRIPTURE IS INSPIRED OF GOD, 2 Timothy 3:16. INSPIRED means God breathed. When Jesus went back to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to guide the apostles into ALL TRUTH, John 16:7-13. They preached this truth (Galatians 1:6-9), wrote it down (1 Corinthians 14:37), and CONFIRMED it by miracles, Mark16:20. When we follow the Bible, we are being led by God. When we don’t follow the Bible, we are following men. Peter and the apostles answered and said, “We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29).