AUTHORITY

 2Timothy 3:16, "...All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, instruction in righteousness..."

The authority of Scripture lies in the fact that the Bible is the inspired and inerrant word of the living God.   Its authority is such that, despite the disdain and scorn of men its commandments will judge the world and these judgements, portrayed in the prophecies of scripture, declare the final and irrefutable authority of God.  All judgement has been placed into the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God, and in the eternity to come (with the benefit of hindsight), men will be able to see and understand the reality of that authority.  However, from the viewpoint of today the scriptures have authority only to those who believe and are exercised by them. 

The unbelievers of this world do not accept Jesus Christ as saviour so will not accept that which is written of him, therefore to them the scriptures have no authority. Though this is understandable it does not absolve anyone from the consequences of their rejection of God; for the reality of God is clearly seen both from the scriptures and creation; therefore man is without excuse in his unbelief.  

To the man who recognises the hand of the Almighty in creation and seeks in his soul to know him, God is obligated to give the message of salvation as it is found in Jesus Christ.  Even though salvation is through Jesus Christ alone (John 3:16-31), those who have never heard of him will be without excuse, for the things of God are clearly revealed in creation.  If man rejects the Creator God, it becomes futile and therefore unnecessary to give that man the gospel of Jesus Christ.  If, upon hearing the gospel of salvation, a man rejects Christ, he will never accept the authority of the Bible for the Bible is the story of Christ. 

If he accepts Christ he is born of the Spirit of God and becomes a spiritual being, able if he so desires, to discern and accept the authority of the scriptures (2Corinthians 2:9-16).  If the believing man will not accept the authority of the scriptures they will be of no value to him whatsoever (1Corinthians 3:1-17).  If he seeks truth without faith in the infallible scriptures he will be tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine and will ever learn but never come to a knowledge of the Truth (Ephesians 4: 14; 2Timothy 3: 5-7).  The believing Christian will seek from the Bible the word of life that he might be conformed to the image of God's Son and be thoroughly furnished unto all good works, rightly dividing the Word of Truth (2Timothy 3:16).

Our land is plunging into ungodliness because the ‘Church’ no longer accepts and is no longer obedient to the authority of God’s word.  Its members are not built up in the faith that was “once delivered to the Saints” (Jude 1:3), and have become carnal, knowing only the things of the flesh and of the emotions, without knowledge of God and subsequently having no real love for God or man; “having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof”. 

Today, Christendom is ruled by unregenerate or carnal men: men, who make public protestations of their love and empathy for their fellow man, but in their beliefs, show no regard to the commands and teachings of the Bible and therefore no love for God.  With all the paraphernalia of religion: the colourful robes, the staffs and icons, the gospel of good works; these men lead others who are just as blind as themselves and they are all fallen into the ditch of secularism.  These men are descriptive of those who claim to be Christian but who deny the very essence of Christianity.  These are the ‘grievous’ and ‘ravening’ wolves of Matthew 7:15 and Acts 20:29.

 

Others, who are leaders of so called fundamentalist churches and who, though born of the Spirit, have little understanding of scripture and attempt to compensate for their lack of true spirituality by claiming to themselves gifts they do not have and powers that are no longer available.  Knowledge and understanding are replaced with emotion and in their ignorance; the authority of scripture is rejected or ignored.  One illustration of their ignorance and rejection is to do with the use and eventual discarding of the temporary spiritual gifts of 1 Corinthians chapters 12 to 14.

GOD’S AUTHORITY in the CHURCH.

Another command ignored or rejected by Christians today, is the vested authority in the local church, the gift of Pastor-Teacher or Elder; no woman is to hold this office (1Corinthians 14:34, 35).

"...Let the women keep silent in the churches; for they not permitted to speak, but let them subject themselves, just as the Law also says.  And if they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church..."

The scriptures show, from Genesis to Revelation, that women, as spiritual, as strong in character and will and able to suffer as much, if not more than men, are to take a submissive role to man.  The demand by women to be allowed into the pulpit is a result of the ever-increasing disregard for God’s word that is so prevalent in the churches today.  The apostle Paul, who had much to say on the Christian position in Christ, the life of the Christian and the orderly running of the local church, has written under the inspiration of God (and all scripture is given by inspiration of God), the second and third chapters of 1Timothy. 

See particularly 2:9 to 3:12.  The relevant verses to the subject in hand are 2:11-12.

"...let a woman quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness.  But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet..."

3:2 "...A bishop then must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach...,"

3:12. "...let deacons be the husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households..."

The Bishop of 3:2 is another title for the Pastor Teacher and depicts the one who oversees or looks after the spiritual well being of the flock, while the Pastor Teacher depicts the feeding of the flock.  You will notice that the Bishop or Overseer is the husband of one wife, not the wife of one husband.  Where is this woman?  She is quietly receiving instruction and being entirely submissive. 

The verses of Genesis that have bearing on this matter of male authority are Genesis 3:16-17.  Verse 17 shows God's judgement on Adam for his weakness and lack of responsibility in listening to the voice of the woman.  Adam allowed his wife to usurp his authority.

Vs17 "...to Adam He said "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you saying, 'You shall not eat from it'; cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life..."

1Corinthian chapter 11 is a little hard to understand but the overall tone is one of male headship and woman's submissiveness. Vs 3 declares the authority that God has given to the man

"...But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ..."

Though vs.11 of the same chapter may be used by some to water down vs.3 it is speaking of the oneness that should exist between man and wife, with both fulfilling their different roles in the marriage bond.  Ephesians 5:22-25 is another passage on this same subject.

"...Wives be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church....But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything; Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her...." 

Titus 2:3-5 shows that God's word is dishonoured when women usurp the position and authority of the man.

"....Older women likewise are to be....subject to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be dishonoured...."

1Peter 3:1 emphasises the submissiveness of the woman.  Even when the husband is wrong the wife must keep silent, thereby revealing the graces of vs. 4 of the same chapter.

"...In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behaviour of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behaviour, and let not your adornment be merely external - braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewellery, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperisherable quality of gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God ..."

 

The pulpit is the place of ultimate authority in the Church and these Scriptures reveal that the woman who takes the pulpit is taking that authority to herself and placing herself in authority over all men including her husband.  Any Church that allows women to take the pulpit is out of line with God’s word.

Knowledge and belief of the truth will engender true humility and this in turn will subscribe to the truth, that truth is good.  Rejection of truth will engender pride and conceit, a distortion of the truth, and their destruction. 

Peter continues: “As also in all his (Paul’s) epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction” (2Peter 3:16).

Any believer, who dabbles in the values and beliefs of this world rather than adhere to the literal truth of God’s word, will also destroy his/her relationship with God for: - 

“…know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?  Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4).

“…But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man (or woman) shall be blessed in his/her deed” (James 1:25).