2. It is my purpose to make these two lessons as simple as possible. I want every capable person to understand. Since Matt.7:13-27 and 15:1-14 both emphasize the importance of authority in what we believe, what we teach, and (especially) what we practice, How we come to those beliefs, teachings, and practices is vitally important. The religious world of our day is splintered into thousands of factions for lack of understanding of simple Bible Authority- what is authorized, and therefore approved, and what isn’t, 1Pet.4:11. I want to be sure that we all not only understand Bible Authority, but that we are united through it and in it that we may be pleasing to God.

3. Authority: Understanding and Doing God’s Will God has revealed to us in His Word what we must believe, teach, and practice to be pleasing to Him, 2Tim.3:16-17; 2Pet.1:3. We are not at liberty to add to or subtract from it, 2John 9; Rev.22:18-19. Neither can we, in any other way, alter it, or substitute our will for His, Gal.1:6-8. While there may be things we may want to know that God does not tell us (Deut.29:29), everything we need to know is revealed to us in the New Testament, Eph.3:3-5. The question, therefore, of Matt.21:23, was the right question then, and it should be asked of every religious belief and practice today!

4. Authority: Understanding and Doing God’s Will So, how is New Testament (cf. Heb.8:13; Gal.3:23-24) Authority Established?  Christ Commanded, Matt.28:18-19  Apostles Taught, Matt.28:20a  Disciples Practiced, Matt.28:20b From this, we see the importance of: what the and the Direct Commands Approved Apostolic Examples Necessary Inferences

5. Authority: Understanding and Doing God’s Will Let’s allow the Lord’s Supper to illustrate how these things work:  Christ Commanded, Luke 22:19  Apostles Taught, 1Cor.11:20-34  Disciples Practiced, Acts 20:6-7 So far, so good- but we have to go a bit further… what the and the > Direct Command (what to do) > Approved Apostolic Example (how to do it) > Necessary Inference (when/how often to do it)

6. Authority: Understanding and Doing God’s Will We’re OK with Direct Commands, and even do fairly well with Apostolic Examples, but… How do we determine what is “necessary” and what isn’t? Two additional classifications of authority need to be recognized and understood: 1.Specific Authority 2.Generic Authority and Is where the act and the method or means of obeying the command are both specified; therefore human choice is excluded. Is where the act is commanded but the method or means of obeying the command is not specified; therefore human choice is allowed. “the first day” of week is specified for the Lord’s Supper, Acts 20:7 = no choice the hour of the day was not specified = choice.

7. Authority: Understanding and Doing God’s Will Thus, Specific and Generic authority necessitate or eliminate choices as either: 1.Aids 2.Additions or Help to carry out a command without changing the command. Therefore, though they are not specifically mentioned, they are permissible (but not essential). Change or alter the command, and are therefore wrong even though they may not be specifically mentioned (condemned). But partaking on some other day, or using milk and lamb as representative emblems, would be additions, and therefore unauthorized and wrong though not specifically condemned or prohibited. Plates, cups, and even a place to assemble do not change the command to partake of the Lord’s Supper, nor violate the apostolic example of partaking on the first day of the week. They are therefore aids and authorized and acceptable, though not essential (because they are not specified).

8. Authority: Understanding and Doing God’s Will Is all of this really necessary? Absolutely- Matthew 7:21 and 15:13! Either we operate by and within the authority of Jesus Christ as taught in the New Testament, or we don’t. One is approved and accepted; the other is refused and rejected- just ask Cain and Abel or Nadab and Abihu, cf. Heb.11:4; Lev.10:1-2. In our next lesson, we will discuss “The Silence of the Scriptures” as such relates to the subject of authority.