- Disapproved authority: human and/or devilish
- James 3:15; Matthew 15:7-9; I Corinthians 1:18-26
- Approved authority: God’s wisdom
- I Corinthians 1:18-26; 2:10-12; II John 1:9-11
- Direct operation of the Holy Spirit on apostles and prophets: Ephesians 3:3-5
- Results in the Word of God being revealed
- Methods of authority:
- Direct authority:
- Command – I Corinthians 11:24
- Statement – I Corinthians 11:26; Mark 16:16
- Indirect authority:
- Necessary inference – Acts 20:7 (compare Exodus 20:8; I Corinthians 16:2 – every first day or every Sabbath was to be observed)
- Approved, limiting example – Just because Paul walked doesn’t mean we can’t drive or fly in an airplane.
- I Corinthians 16:1-2 – collection authorized and limited
- Acts 20:7 – Lord’s Supper authorized and limited
- When is an approved example limited and restricted?
- Restricted:
- Uniformity
- Harmony
- Universality
- Essentiality – Acts 20:7 – eating in the upper story is not essential (John 4:19-24)
- Limited application
- Competence
- The necessity of obedience
- Matthew 7:21
- Restricted:
- Direct authority:
LB
February 01, 2015
For further study, see also:
Questions or comments? Join our Discord server for further study.