4.  Violation of Bible Authority – Leviticus 10:1-2.

Most will agree that we must put a scripture with the things we do and most will appeal to passages such as I Peter 4:11 and Colossians 3:17 to argue their cases.  The issue is how to apply Bible Authority.  Here are some examples to get our minds working.  If I send my child to the grocery store and I tell him to get a loaf of bread and a gallon of 2% milk that is a direct command.  He must go to the store and get those things.  He may choose the brand of milk, but I specified the type when I said 2%.  The fact that I specified 2% is called specific authority.  He may choose on the bread what type, what brand, sliced or whole; because I did not specify a type.  I gave generic instructions, so he has generic authority to purchase the type of bread.  Now, if my son comes home with bread and no milk he has fallen short of fulfilling my direct command to him.  If he comes home with whole milk, a loaf of bread, and snicker bar he has failed to follow my command on the type of milk and he has added to the order I sent him after.  The only choices my son had wherein he would not have violated my authority were the things in which I did not specify.  Had he added to the order, broken the specific instructions I gave or failed to bring something home I ordered he would have gotten in trouble for sure.  Such is the case with commands of God and our strict adherence to them (Proverbs 30:5-6 and Mark 7:7-9).

Now, that we understand generic and specific authority we can learn more about the way we obtain authority.  The Bible teaches us that we must do all things by the authority of Christ (Colossians 3:17).  We can apply Bible Authority in three ways:

1. Direct Command
2. Approved Example
3. Necessary Inference

The marching cry of most who profess to be members of the body of Christ is: “we need book, chapter, and verse for all that we do.”  There is great nobility in that statement.  The Lord wants us to be a book, chapter, and verse kind of people (Deuteronomy 12:32, Luke 4:17-21, I Corinthians 4:6, Galatians 1:10-12, and I Peter 4:11).   However, so many are misusing the claim that they follow book, chapter, and verse.  Too many are only willing to attempt to provide scriptures for what they are doing in justification of something they’ve done already.  This is backwards!  Authority must come before we act (Colossians 3:17).

Those who’ve fallen into practicing things and have never sought out the Scriptural authority first are just as guilty as those who deny the Bible as the standard for authority.  The reason being is simple, if one does not seek out the Scriptures for what they are doing it is obvious that they do not believe they need to for whatever reason.  The Pharisees and certain of the scribes practiced vain worship for this very reason (Mark 7:1-9).  Though, of course, they would still proclaim being a people of the book just like the many in error do today, saying and doing not (Matthew 23:2-3).

While loudly proclaiming to be a people of the book, there are those “brethren” who often look to men to justify their practices.  How many times have you heard someone say “if you can do this, I can do that”?  Some will believe that if you are inconsistent (whether you are or not) that gives them a license to do as they so choose.  One cannot use himself or any others as our standard (II Corinthians 10:12).  The only time men are to be followed is if they are following Christ (I Corinthians 11:1).  What you or someone else does or does not do cannot equate to biblical authority for anything.

Then of course, you have those who say they are Scripture following folks, but when tested on a number of matters they will use their conscience as their guide.  Our conscience is to be guided by the word of God (Romans 14:22-23; cf. 10:17).  Our conscience alone, without guidance from God, will mislead us (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25).  It is the word of God that fully equips us to all good works (II Timothy 3:16-17), not what we “feel” is right!

If we shall be a people who walk according to all that God has said we must choose to leave behind our thoughts as we enter the Scriptures in our studies.  Our ideas mixed with God’s word will produce a perverted Gospel (Galatians 1:6-8).  If we will call ourselves a people of the book, let’s fit the description.  It will be the word of God that judges us in the end (John 12:48).  Though, there will be those content to try and tell God why He has it all wrong, I am sure.  Don’t be the one to challenge God and find out why He is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29).