Articles
The Bible vs Something Else
"All authority in heaven and on earth" has been given to Christ. God made Him to be "head over all things" to the church. "No one comes to the Father, but by Me"...Matt 28:18, Eph 1:22, John 4:16
If we read and understand the NT, Christ is the sole authority in religion today, having been designated that by God who has Supreme authority. If Christ is the single authority, and scripture plainly says that He is, why do some people chose to submit to earthly authority?
If we were to compete in the Olympics, any given sport, there is a rule book that we would be required to follow. It sets the boundaries, it sets the do's and don'ts for the game, and it is the final say. Our Bible is all authoritative as it speaks the words of Christ. If we practice religion with rules determined by anyone other than Christ, whose religion are we practicing? Why does man, in many instances, insist that there is additional religious authority?
Does the Bible say all that needs to be said? Did Christ tell us all we needed to know through The Word? Can you re-create and/or identify the church simply with the Bible, and the Bible alone? Can you use the Bible alone to know the way to Christ, and subsequently to Heaven? Yes, is the answer to all these questions.
When mankind feels the need to assemble a convention to decide religions matters, God is no longer the recognized authority. When creed books are written by man, Christ is no longer the author of the document men follow. When there is a hierarchy established with the upper echelon dictating rule and authority in religious matters, Christ's authority is negated, and surrendered to human beings.
In Jude 3-4 we read, "...I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people." What does "once for all" mean? Was there something to come later? Was the faith taught by the Apostles, that faith instituted by Christ, to be changed down the road? When he says "the" faith, does that sound like it was part of what we need to know, or the full story? What about Paul saying, " But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!" Gal 1:8. Was Paul under the impression that there would be some future revelation to change what we read in the NT, or something necessary to make the Bible complete? Of course not!
God simply did not leave the Bible insufficient. "His divine power has given us everything we need for a Godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness." 2 Peter 1:3. If those who read these words in the first century church could obtain everything they needed to gain sufficient knowledge of Him for salvation, why does man continue to insist that things have changed, as if to say that we can't accomplish that today? What gives man the right to change, or even the impression that changes were to come when God says it was given once ("once for all")! One time for all time? He did not leave it undone or half complete, and we don't have any need or authority to change it. It is all we need!
Today, is your faith based on the Bible, and the Bible alone, or have you been lead to believe that you should supplement it with some man-made doctrine, some creed or book written by a man (or woman)? If so, why? Can anyone improve upon what God Himself established through Christ, and oversaw as the Apostles and holy men by inspiration, recorded those teachings for us to read? If you are going to believe in what man has written, which man are you going to believe?
God left us with all we need to know in His Holy Bible. To look elsewhere for anything more or less regarding religions authority or teaching, is to add to or take away from His Holy book, which He warns us in Revelation not to do under any circumstances. Re-affirm today that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that He has indeed given us everything we need for salvation in His word alone. His word says so! No person, group, no culture, no secular law, nor anything else has any authority to change what was "once for all delivered" for our understanding, obedience, and eternal salvation, and to choose such, is to abandon what Jesus taught.
