How to Establish Biblical Authority
by Heath Rogers
God is the proper source of authority in religious matters. Our authority must come from heaven and not from men (Matthew 21:25). God has given authority to His Son, Who gave the Holy Spirit to the apostles. These and other inspired men have written the New Testament. Consider, then, the proper way to understand how God is speaking to us today through the New Testament.
Communication from God
God reveals His wisdom and power through His creation (Psalms 19:1; Romans 1:20), but He has revealed His mind and will to us through the Scriptures. Some people have the idea that the Bible can't be understood by ordinary people. They mistakenly believe one must be gifted or specially trained to properly understand the Bible.
God created man and He created communication. He knows how we learn and comprehend, so He understands perfectly how to communicate His will to us. God's word is meant to be understood (Ephesians 3:4). We can understand the New Testament by following the rules we use to communicate with one another: we listen to what others say and watch what others do.
Direct Statements and Commands
God's word speaks to us through direct statements of truth to be believed and commands to be obeyed. When the New Testament says Jesus is the Son of God (John 20:31), we are to believe this truth. When it commands us to repent and be baptized for the remission of our sins (Acts 2:38), we know we must meet these conditions to receive this great blessing.
Approved Examples
Sometimes God's will can be understood by following the examples of those who were acting with His authority. The apostle Paul told the Philippians, "Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern" (Philippians 3:17). The apostles taught believers to observe all things commanded by the Lord (Matthew 28:20). Their obedient actions are a pattern for us to safely follow today.
Necessary Inference
Sometimes we communicate with one another by "filling in the gaps." An inference is when we aren't told something specifically but understand it must be true from what we are told. For example, if I told you that I attended the funeral of a friend, you would probably offer condolences for the passing of my friend. I didn't specifically say that my friend died, but you correctly understood this to be true from what I told you. God's word does this as well.
An Illustration: The Lord's Supper
All of these methods are used regarding the Lord's Supper. The observance of this memorial is a command "received from the Lord" (I Corinthians 11:23). He commands us to "do this in remembrance of Me" (I Corinthians 11:24-25). Through direct statements, we know the elements of the Supper are bread and fruit of the vine (Matthew 26:26-29). Following the approved example of the church in Troas, we assemble to partake of the Supper on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7). Using necessary inference, we know the bread must be unleavened because this was the only bread available as Jesus was instituting the Supper (Matthew 26:17, 26). The frequency of this memorial is also established using necessary inference. Every week has a first day (Sunday), so it is necessary for us to infer that the church in Troas assembled to partake of the Lord's Supper every first day of the week (Acts 20:7).
These basic rules of communication are how we can properly understand God's will from the New Testament.
