Respecting Bible Authority

Richard Thetford

In Matthew 28:18, Jesus said “...All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” The Father delegated all authority to Jesus. Therefore, Jesus has all authority. The apostles and other inspired men wrote the Bible based upon the authority of Jesus (2 Peter 3:15-16; 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). If we say that we respect the authority of Jesus, then we must respect His authority as recorded for us in the Bible. The word “authority” by definition is the right to rule, command, or act. Since Jesus has the authority to command, then we must search the Bible to find the authority to act.

The Old Testament is full of examples of men obeying and disobeying God. By taking the time to read Romans 15:4 and 1 Corinthians 10:1-11, we see that these examples are still purposeful for us today. Although we are not under the old law of Moses (Colossians 2:14; Galatians 5:4; Hebrews 7:26), the nature of God does not change (Hebrews 13:8). In the Old Testament we learn that when God promised to bless His people when they obeyed Him, that He always kept His word. We also see that when God promised to punish them if they disobeyed, that He also kept His word. When reading the New Testament we learn that God cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18), and therefore when He commands we have a responsibility, out of respect for Him, to obey Him. Do you respect God? If so, then you will ensure that you are obeying Him in all things (Matthew 7:21-23).