Authority Of Christ
So much has been written on the subject of authority it would seem that we all would have ample advisement, however, I feel another treatise on the same subject certainly could do no harm and might help in some ways. I know all religious error stems from failing to recognize the authority of Christ.
Christ declares, "All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and earth." (Matt. 28:18.) The effects of that statement are far reaching in their consequences. I feel the force of the Lord's words are not felt by many. We fail to comprehend the full significance of the solemn pronouncement. For Christ to have all authority means he is the final appeal in everything. Our appeal must always be to the authority. Christ is the law giver and his law is binding on us today. The question naturally arises as to what is law. In order for law to be in existence some conditions must be met. We want to notice that now.
In order for law to be valid, there must first be a law giver. Christ is that law giver. As Moses was the law giver to the Jew, so is Christ to all them that obey him. Since Christ has all power in heaven and earth, he has the right to make laws. Christ was given his position because he fulfilled God's purpose in coming to this world and humbled himself and became obedient unto death. (Phil. 2:5, 11.) His preeminence is asserted by the fact that he is head of the body, the church, and in him all fulness of the Father dwells. (Col. 1:16, 19.) Christ certainly has the right to make laws.
In order for laws to be valid, the law giver must have the authority to enforce the laws enacted. Law enforcement depends upon authority. If no authority then the law becomes a recommendation and ceases to be binding in any respect. Christ has all authority therefore his words are binding in every respect.
In order for the law to be binding. there must be a specific realm of application. When the law of Christ is applied to human beings, it is understood that man has the ability to obey or disobey. To obey brings blessings but disobedience brings condemnation.
We shall notice the authority of Christ as it relates to his church. In this realm all error stems. Failing to recognize this has brought many to digression. All religious error and division and sects justify their existence by misapplying the Word of God. We should stand in awe before the majestic power of the Christ. A study of the will revealed should be of utmost importance to us because our standing as Christians before God depends upon our knowledge of his divine will.
After receiving all authority on earth and in heaven, we notice that Christ proceeded at once to authorize the apostles to "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." (Mark 16:15. 1G.) The apostles needed some means of identifying themselves and proving their authorization to witness for the Christ. They were told to stay in Jerusalem ". . . until ye be endued with power from on high." (Luke 24:49.) Christ had promised to send the Comforter unto the apostles and not leave them comfortless.
The Holy Spirit had a great part in bringing to us the will of the Lord. Christ said, "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will shew you things to come." Then the Lord said, "He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you." (John 16:13, 14.) This teaches that the Holy Spirit testified of the things heard in heaven. Therefore, the will in heaven was bound on earth. The Lord said in Matthew 16:19, "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." This passage of scripture has been used to try to establish authority in the apostles. Some have taught that it was the design of Christ to delegate authority to the apostles. Only a misuse of the passage could do that. Actually there is no passage of scripture that teaches that the Lord transferred authority to anyone at any time. The apostles "spake as the spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 2:4.) All the power to perform miracles actually was the Spirit performing through them. The Holy Spirit brought to their remembrance things taught in the personal life or ministry of the Lord also.
The Lord exercised his authority by using the Comforter as the agent of revelation. The apostles were inspired by the Holy Spirit and revealed the will of God as the will was given to them by inspiration. To say the apostles had authority within themselves is false. Christ used them to reveal his will to the world. It can be illustrated like this: A law officer comes to your door to arrest you for some crime, but he has no authority within himself but he is the agent of the authority — the law. He has been authorized to act for the authority. So it is with the apostles. They have been authorized to act for the head or the authority — Christ.
The inspired writer of Hebrews gives us an insight into the power of Christ. "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds." (Heb. 1:1, 2.) We must hear Christ in all things. When Christ was baptized by John in the river of Jordan, the record says, "And lo a voice from heaven, saying, "This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased." (Matt. 3:14.) Then also in Matthew 17:5, we hear the words of God as he says, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear -ye him." When we hear the words of the apostles, we are hearing the words of the Christ as he uses them to give us his will.
A law is in force as long as it isn't repealed or superseded by another law. The words of Christ will not be repealed or superseded because the Christ said, "He that rejecteth me. and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him; the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." (John 12:48.) We will some day stand in the judgment and be judged by the words of Christ. Who would dare attempt to try to change the will of Christ or to tamper with his laws? Yet there are those today that seem to think they have the right to act upon their own brilliance and do things contrary to revelation.
All error is the result of someone thinking that he has the right or the super mental powers to improve on the plan of God and to think that it can be done is to show a spirit of rebellion to God's will. Proof of the fact that God will never tolerate man changing his laws is found in II John 9. "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son." Therefore, we can see that we are to do all that is commanded by the Authority and to remain silent when we have no authorization to speak or act. If we could just do that, then all religious division would cease and we would all speak the same things and do the same things. The Authority does not give one set of laws to one group and another set to another. Christ prayed that we all speak the same things.
Since we are to live by the words of Christ, then it is of utmost importance that we study in order to find out what the will of Christ is and how authority is established by the scriptures.
Those that have an insight into the scriptures agree that the Holy Writ teaches in three ways; namely, Expressed Statement, Approved Example and Necessary Inference and that authority is established in these ways. We will assume that those that read this article will accept these ways of establishing the precepts revealed in the Bible.
There are some clearly defined commands that leave no room for deviation in its execution and those we call Specific. In specific authority, a concrete pattern is spelled out for following. To change the pattern in any way is sinful in the sight of God.
There are some commands in the Word that are so general in nature that it is impossible to carry out its dictates without the judgment of men. We see this clearly in the command to partake of the Lord's Supper. We must have the fruit of the vine but nowhere can we find a method revealed in the scriptures as to how we are to obtain it. In order for that command to be carried out, the judgment of man must be exercised. The judgment of man cannot over-rule the general command to partake of the fruit of the vine. It must be executed and the judgment of man must decide on a method to carry it out.
It is within this realm of judgment that elders are held responsible by the Lord and they can only function with authorization in that realm. They are authorized to act and direct the congregation by their considered decisions in the realm of expediency and that only. Elders have a duty to perform that is very important in the sight of the Lord and they have a fearful responsibility. We fail to appreciate the position they hold in the Church of the the Lord. As long as they operate within their realm, the decisions reached by them are binding upon the congregation. We should give them wholehearted cooperation. To fail to do so is to fail our duty.
Elders can operate ultra vires and be condemned in the sight of God. They have no right to so do and by so doing will lead the congregation into digression. Many are doing that now. We see that taking place all over the country as they take upon themselves the authority to build organizations to compete with the church or through which they expect to do the work of the church. To say that the church is not capable of doing what the Lord wants done is saying that Christ failed to produce a church with sufficient organization to carry out the things clearly revealed in the scriptures. It is clearly stated in I Timothy 5 that the church has an obligation to care for widows under certain conditions. The method of providing for their care isn't spelled out. That is within the realm of the judgment of the elders.
To provide for widows, at least three things must be done. First of all a home must be provided, food and clothing and some type of supervision to see that they are cared for properly. The congregation has the obligation to see that this is carried out. It can buy the services of some established home that is in the business or it can provide the services by hiring its own workers, etc., to see that their obligations are carried out. The Lord's organization is all that is needed. The authority to provide the things necessary for carrying out the commands of the Lord are in the general statement and the judgment of the elders is all that is necessary to work out the methods used by the church. The organization is the church and not some human institution made by man to take over the work of the church. The church has no right to build human organizations to do its work. There can be no shifting of responsibility by sending a few dollars somewhere for them to do what we must do ourselves.
Everything the church is authorized to do, it has the organization through which to accomplish it. To deny that is to accuse God of failing in his plans or actually to be guilty of disbelief in the infinite wisdom of God. May we learn the lesson of respect for God's word and be willing to abide by that and only in his revealed will. Cast aside all the ideas of man and depend upon a "thus saith the Lord."