Understanding the Church of Jesus Christ
Part 2 – Authority Of The Church

By William R. Cunningham
For Sunday October 22, 2006

Introduction

In part one of the series we discussed the definition of the church.  We answered the question, “What is church?”  We said that there are types of churches in a sense.  We said that there is the universal church, which is the body of Christ and there is the church local, which is the local congregation that many are so used to.

On important point that we brought out was that the true church of Jesus Christ is the universal church and it is the collection of all Christians for all times both dead and alive.  We said that the local church is the gathering of a group of people who have decided to work together in regards to ministries.  We noted that only those who are saved are part of the universal church and that the saved and unsaved could comprise a local church.  Please review part one of this series for more information on defining the church.

Now we are going to turn our attention on authority.  This is very important because we tend to follow those whom we perceive as being the one in authority.  People tend to do what the authority says or at least they know that they should.  The key is to understand what the authority of the church is so that we would properly place our allegiance.  This is an area that I find the most issues because many people place those in authority who are not really the authority.  Therefore we are going to spend this part in discussing the authority of the church.

Authority Defined

There has to be authority in any organization or group in order for that group to continue with any type of effectiveness.  Imagine if there were no governing authority.  Who would define what is legal and what is not legal?  Who would define our rights in regards to loans, goods and services, traffic rules, etc.  We would be a total mess if it were not some type of authority that we have to answer to and abide by.  So I’m sure you realize that there is a need for authority.

Before we continue, let’s first qualify the word “authority” in this context to ensure that you and I are on the same page so to speak.  The word “authority” means the following.

1. The power to determine, adjudicate, or otherwise settle issues or disputes; jurisdiction; the right to control, command, or determine.
2. A power or right delegated or given; authorization: Who has the authority to grant permission?
3. A person or body of persons in whom authority is vested, as a governmental agency.
4. Usually, authorities. persons having the legal power to make and enforce the law; government: (Ex: They finally persuaded the authorities that they were not involved in espionage.)
5. An accepted source of information, advice, etc.
6. A quotation or citation from such a source.
7. An expert on a subject: He is an authority on baseball.
8. Persuasive force; conviction: She spoke with authority.
9. Right to respect or acceptance of one's word, command, thought, etc.; commanding influence: the authority of a parent; the authority of a great writer.

We can say that in regards to the church that the one in authority is the one who has the power to make religious rules, inform us what is right and wrong in regards to God, the final say so in interpreting the scriptures (they tell us what the scriptures mean).

Authority in the Church

Now the question is, “Who has the authority in the church?”  Many people consider the pastor, bishop, minister, evangelist, etc. to be the one in authority in the church.  However, what does the Bible say about the one with authority in the church?

Jesus Christ and Authority

Matthew 28:18 (NKJV) -- {18} And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

Jesus Christ now has all authority in heaven and on earth.  This very fact is critical to your freedom to server the Lord God.  If you don’t realize that Jesus Christ has ALL authority then you could easily perceive someone else as having that authority and pledge your allegiance to that person instead of Jesus Christ.  Consider the following scriptures as well.

Ephesians 1:22-23 (NKJV) -- {22} And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, {23} which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Again we see that Jesus Christ is the authority, i.e., the head of the church.  Now headship is a little different than authority in some respects because the one who is head is the one who puts himself ahead of those who follow.  For example the head of an army could be the one who goes ahead of the army in battle.  The head of the army could also be the one who has the authority of that army.  Jesus Christ is both of these to us.  Jesus Christ has all authority as we previously read and he has gone ahead of us in that he died for us so that we would be saved.

The church is the fullness of Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ is therefore the head of the church, that is, the universal church.

Ephesians 5:23 (NKJV) -- {23} For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.

Again, Jesus Christ is the head of the church.

John 5:26-27 (NKJV) -- {26} For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, {27} and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.

Now it stands to reason that if Jesus was truly recognized as the authority of the Church then we would refer to him for any answers to questions we may have in regards to the Christian faith or the Christian lifestyle.  We would turn to Jesus if we wanted to know if some particular teaching is correct or if it was acceptable to God if we were to do something in particular.

However, we cannot go to Jesus Christ because He is no longer on the earth with us.  Now of course we can go to him in prayer and receive instruction from the Lord.  However, what we may receive or think we receive from God in prayer may be subjective at best to someone else.  After all, how can you prove that what you received in prayer is actually authoritative in that it came from God?  Even if God truly talked to you and answered your prayers in the way that you said then how can I know for sure that what he told you applies to me?  So we have the question now of accessible authority that would be objective in to others and remain authoritative.

The Authority of the ApostleS

John 13:20 (NKJV) -- {20} Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”

Jesus trained and sent out his apostles to make disciples of all nations and to teach them to observe what he taught them (See Matthew 28:18-19).  Jesus gave his disciples authority in regards to the church.  If we receive the apostles then we receive Jesus Christ.  We find that the early church followed the apostles’ doctrine.

Acts 2:42 (NKJV) -- {42} And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Matthew 10:40 (NKJV) -- {40} “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.

Let’s stop for a moment and define the word “apostle.”  The word apostle simply means, “one who is sent.”  The Nelson’s Bible Dictionary defines the word “apostle” as A special messenger of Jesus Christ; a person to whom Jesus delegated authority for certain tasks.  The word “apostle” is used of those twelve disciples whom Jesus sent out two by two, during His ministry in Galilee to expand His own ministry of preaching and healing.

One thing that you need to know and that is very important in regards to Jesus’ apostles is that all of the apostles of Jesus Christ are dead.  That may sound strange, but it is extremely important that you realize that or else you would consider someone else an apostle of Jesus Christ and think that he or she has direct authority in regards to Christian doctrine.  No he or she does not.  The authority is with Jesus Christ and Jesus gave authority to his apostles.  The apostles are those that Jesus directly called and sent out to preach the gospel.  The apostles included Paul.

Consider the following scripture.

Acts 1:21-22 (NKJV) -- {21} “Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, {22} beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”

Note the requirement for an apostle, when it came time for the apostles to replace Judas.  The requirement was that the person had to have been with them the whole time they were with Jesus Christ.  You should also realize that Jesus had more than twelve disciples (See Luke 10:1).

So anyone who claims to be an apostle of Jesus Christ now is very mistaken.  They may indeed feel as though Jesus sent them out to do a task and technically that would be considered an apostle.  However, the word “apostle” in the context of this discussion involves the original 12 disciples that were specifically commissioned by Jesus Christ to spread the gospel and to whom he gave authority in regards to the Christian faith.

What we find here is that Jesus gave the apostles authority in regards to the Christian church.  They were the final “say so” so to speak in regards to Christian doctrine.

The Holy Spirit

Jesus promised the Holy Spirit who would guide the apostles.

John 14:26 (NKJV) -- {26} But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

John 16:12-13 (NKJV) -- {12} “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. {13} However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

So even though Jesus Christ was no longer with the apostles on the earth they still had the Holy Spirit to guide them and remind them of what Jesus taught them.  So it is not mere men that Jesus entrusted the authority of the Church.  He also provided the Holy Spirit in addition to directly training them for about three years.

The Written Word

We have the same dilemma that we had with Jesus Christ in that the apostles are not with us on the earth now in the same way that Jesus isn’t.  So who do we go to when we have questions or need resolution in regards to the Christian faith and the Christian lifestyle?  Who on earth has authority that we could refer to?

We have the written word, the Holy Bible and in particular the New Testament.  The apostles wrote the doctrine that they taught and we now have a written record of it.  Any question that we may have in regards to the Christian faith can be answered by referring to the New Testament.  Consider an example from the Apostle Paul.

Ephesians 3:1-5 (NKJV) -- {1} For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles— {2} if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, {3} how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, {4} by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), {5} which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:

1 Corinthians 14:37 (NKJV) -- {37} If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.

Paul wrote things down so that people after him would understand what he taught.  Consider another example from the Apostle Peter.

2 Peter 1:12-15 (NKJV) -- {12} For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth. {13} Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, {14} knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. {15} Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease.

2 Peter 3:1-2 (NKJV) -- {1} Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), {2} that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior,

Peter wrote his epistles (letters) so that the people would have a reminder of the things that he taught them.  We have this and other reminders of the things that Jesus taught his apostles.  We also have a written record of the experiences of the apostles that we can apply even to our own lives.

We therefore now have the written word that we could refer to as the authority of the Christian faith.  Ultimately the authority is Jesus Christ and Jesus gave authority to the apostles who in turn wrote down the things that they were taught and were teaching.  We now have a record of Jesus’ teachings and the apostles’ teaching through the books of the New Testament.

This means that anything that anyone says to you in regards to the Christian faith must be weighed against the word of God, which is what the apostles taught, and therefore what Jesus taught.  If something is not consistent with the written word then we can say that it is not part of the Christian faith and is therefore something that we do not have to follow.

The New Testament is therefore our complete authority in regards to the Christian faith.

Other Forms of Authority

We have just concluded that the authority of the Christian church today is the New Testament.  That is because it contains the doctrine that the apostles of Jesus Christ taught (including their activities), which is what Jesus taught them.  Therefore, the authority of the Christian church can be traced directly back to Jesus Christ who sent his disciples who in turn wrote their doctrine down for future generations.

The apostles’ doctrine and therefore Jesus Christ is the final authority of the Christian Church.  However, many people perceive another authority besides Jesus Christ.  These include the following.

1. The Old Testament
2. Majority consensus
3. Parents
4. Preachers (pastors, bishops, etc.)
5. Creeds and traditions
6. Feelings
7. Conscience
8. Human wisdom

Many people rely on the majority consensus as the authority. Of course this cannot be reliable because the majority are mere people and we are corrupt at best and surely cannot have any authority in regards to the Christian faith. Our parents cannot be authority. We cannot depend on creeds and traditions, feelings, our conscience, or human wisdom. Nothing besides Jesus Christ is the authority of the Christian Church. Jesus gave the apostles authority and we have a written record of what they taught and what Jesus taught.

The Old Testament

Let me discuss the Old Testament for a moment.  The Old Testament is not the authority for the Christian church nor can it be.  The Old Testament was replaced by the New Testament with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  We are no longer under the law, but grace.  The Old Testament was not designed to be permanent. Paul said that it was a school teacher until Christ came.

Galatians 3:19 (NKJV) -- {19} What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.

Galatians 3:24-26 (NKJV) -- {24} Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. {25} But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. {26} For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Romans 7:4 (NKJV) -- {4} Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.

Hebrews 8:7-13 (NKJV) -- {7} For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. {8} Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— {9} not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. {10} For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. {11} None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. {12} For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” {13} In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

Conclusion

Jesus Christ is the authority of the Christian church. Jesus gave his disciples authority and the preached the Gospel wherever they went. The doctrine of the apostles are recorded in our New Testament. We have a written record of the authority of the Christian faith. We only need to go to the New Testament for resolution and confirmation of Christian doctrine.

The authority of the Christian faith is not your pastor, bishop, minister, or even the Pope. The authority of the Christian faith is Jesus Christ and he gave authority to the apostles. We only need to review and search the scriptures of the New Testament to get any information regarding the Christian faith.