Three Ways to Establish Biblical Authority
Matthew 29:18 (NKJV)
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Jesus has all authority. When we talk about establishing authority for something, we are basically asking a simple question: what does Jesus want me to do and how can I be sure that is what He wants?
The way we learn from Jesus is essentially the same way we learn from anyone. Children learn from their parents in three basic ways. They learn first by example. Their parents do things and the children learn that these are the things their parents regard as good. Also sometimes the children will test their parents by doing something to see how their parents react. A very small child may reach out their hand to touch something while looking at their parents to see if they will stop them or not. This allows them to see if they are allowed to touch that thing. If the parents do not punish (or at least react negatively) or if the parents reward them for something they do, they learn that they have done something that is approved of by their parents.
They learn second by what their parents actually say. Their parents can talk about what behavior is good or bad. They can give their children specific rules they must follow.
We learn from God in the same way, but it is through the written word of the Bible. When we are learning from something written, we cannot ask for clarification like a child can with his or her parents. Thankfully, we have an all-knowing and all-wise God who gave everything we need in His word. When we deal with the written word, we learn who God is and how He thinks through the same basic ways children learn from their parents.
We learn through examples that He has told us how He thinks and what He expects regarding various things. Some of these examples show things God approves of and some show things that He does not approve of. We also learn from things He has told us directly about what is right and wrong. In addition, there are some things that God does not give any specific examples or specific teaching about but we are able to understand His will on these things by what is clearly taught through the examples and direct teaching.
Let’s look at some illustrations of how we learn from the Bible in these ways to know what the one with all authority wants us to know or do.
Examples
While we live under the New Testament (the law of Christ), we are directly told to learn from the Old Testament, including the examples.
Romans 15:4 (NKJV)
For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
1 Corinthians 10:6 (NKJV)
Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.
We learn basic principles about how God thinks and what He wants or does not want even from the Old Testament. It is not our law and does not give any authority beyond the basic principles that are unchangeable, but we can learn a great deal about the nature and character of God that does not change.
As a side note, this actually applies to direct statements just as much as examples. For an illustration, in 1 Timothy 5:18, Paul appeals to something written in the Law of Moses about not muzzling an ox as evidence that elders deserve to be supported by the churches where they work. What he quoted is not directly speaking about that, but it does reveal an unchanging principle of how God thinks. I believe that in every case I can think of, we also have it taught in the New Testament, so generally what we get from the Old Testament is a reinforcement rather than a primary source of the authority we are seeking from Christ.
From examples in the New Testament, we do learn principles, but we also learn some specific things that Jesus approves of (or does not approve of) in His kingdom.
Examples often are illustrations of good ways to do things we are directly told to do. The book of Acts is one big illustration of the apostles and other Christians fulfilling the command to go preach the gospel to all the world, among other things. Without the book of Acts, we would know that we should go preach the gospel to everyone, but the book of Acts demonstrates what that looks like.
Sometimes examples tell us more than what is revealed by a direct command or statement (at least that I have found). When speaking of preachers being supported by churches, Paul explains something Jesus had said.
1 Corinthians 9:9-18 (NKJV)
9 For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about? 10 Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11 If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? 12 If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more? Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? 14 Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel. 15 But I have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for it would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void. 16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. 18 What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel.
What is Paul referring to when he says that the Lord commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel? It is possible that Paul is referring to something new, but I believe he is referring to what the Lord said when He sent out the 70 disciples.
Luke 10:7-8 (NKJV)
7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.
While this was a specific direction to these 70 disciples, the principle Jesus taught remains true for everyone at all times. The laborer is worthy of his wages. We find within this example, a principle being taught (the same as the principle from the Old Testament law about not muzzling the ox). But because we have Paul’s example of not using these things, we can also see that it is not required that a preacher or other worker in the kingdom accept payment from the people he is working with. We can follow his example (especially from the same reasons) and know that is approved by Christ also.
We have a different but connected example from Paul in this area also.
2 Corinthians 11:7-9 (NKJV)
7 Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge? 8 I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you. 9 And when I was present with you, and in need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself.
In this example, we find that Paul “robbed other churches” to preach to the Corinthians. If all we had was the principle of the laborer being worthy of his wages, I don’t think I would be confident in taking “wages” from churches for whom I am not laboring. Since we have Paul’s example of doing this, we can be confident that this is approved by Christ and He is happy if we are doing it for the right reasons.
Examples are very important to us understanding the will of Christ, but sometimes brethren get worried that we do not have a specific example for something. However, examples are not the primary way of knowing what Jesus wants. The foremost way to know what He wants is from what He directly says about what He wants.
Direct Statements and Instructions (Commands)
Jesus has told us many things directly so that there is no doubt about His will in the matter. Some of these are not actually worded as commands, but they carry the same weight as a command.
Matthew 5:27-28 (NKJV)
27 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Jesus does not say that we must not look at a woman to lust for her. However, nobody can read what He says without reaching the conclusion that He does not approve of doing this and so it is something we must avoid.
While we might think that direct statements are generally straightforward and easy to understand, we do need to be very careful to understand them (as with anything) in their proper context. Let us look at some examples where some have become confused about the will of Christ based on some of His direct statements.
Public Prayer
Matthew 6:6 (NKJV)
But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
I know a brother who read this and decided that any time he prayed, he needed to go into a room and shut the door first. What Jesus says here is certainly worded as a direct command and the way it is worded, it looks like it applies to any time we pray.
If, however, we look at the context, we see that he says this in relation to praying in public for others to see. The point is that if we don’t do any praying privately, we are not praying for the right reasons. He is directing those who like to pray to be seen by others to go into a room and shut the door so they can actually be praying to the Father rather than praying to be seen by men.
This is further understood through some examples in which we clearly see Jesus praying publicly and His disciples praying publicly, along with instructions regarding praying publicly. You can see some examples of these prayers in public in Matthew 15:36, Luke 3:21, Matthew 26:27, Acts 1:24, Acts 20:36, Acts 21:5, and Acts 27:35 among others. This is a case of examples helping us better understand a direct statement, although I believe in this case, we could have understood it completely from the context. 1 Corinthians 14:13-17 contains instructions regarding public prayer, which also supposes that it is approved by God to pray in the public assembly.
Women Asking Their Husbands at Home
1 Corinthians 14:34-35 (NKJV)
34 Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. 35 And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church.
There is a command here for the women to ask their own husbands at home if they want to learn something. Does that mean that only married women can learn anything? Does that mean that the only place they can ask questions is at home? We need to understand commands in their context and according to common expressions used.
Paul says something similar in the same letter regarding where you can eat.
1 Corinthians 11:34 (NKJV)
But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come.
According to this direct command, the only place we can eat anything for the purpose of satisfying hunger is at home. But we understand that he is simply contrasting home with the assembly of the church. It is not wrong to eat somewhere other than home. Otherwise, Paul would have been sinning every time he ate while traveling, and the same would be true of Jesus, who was rarely at home. The point is that it must be done outside of the assembly of the church.
What Paul says about women asking their husbands at home is the same kind of language. He is contrasting asking their husbands with asking the assembly and asking at home with asking in the assembly. The same idea applies equally well to unmarried women and does not restrict them to only asking questions when they are at home. It does restrict them from asking in an assembly of the kind that 1 Corinthians 14 is describing.
So, even while direct statements or commands may seem to be the easiest to understand, we still need to look carefully at the context, other teachings from Christ surrounding the topic, and even take note of figures of speech within the statements. Our goal is to understand these things the way Christ intended us to understand them.
Things That Must Be True Based on the Examples and Direct Statements
Necessary Conclusions
All of these things overlap. Examples give authority because we can be fully confident that if someone did something that Christ approved, we can do the same thing and Christ will approve of us doing it as well. If something is directly stated (and we understand it correctly), we can be sure that if we behave according to what Christ said, He approves of what we are doing.
Sometimes, we have to reason a little more because we have no examples of a particular thing and nothing is directly stated about it. Often, this means applying principles that are taught to a specific situation. Sometimes, we just learn something that is true about God from certain things that are written.
I have an entire article just on this topic, so for more, I would direct you there: Conclusions: Necessary, Unnecessary, and Impossible.