The Importance of Final Authority
If we were to query the number of distinct Christian groups in the world, we would get numbers into the tens of thousands. Some sources cite over 40,000. Three things make for a distinct group of Christians: doctrine (what they believe), practice (what they do), and membership (requirements to be in the group).
Christianity was birthed out of Judaism, the religion of the Jews, with the birth and death of one particular Jew named Jesus of Nazareth. It is a religion formed around the core tenet that Jesus, who is called Christ, was the Jewish Messiah. Before Jesus was born, the Jews considered a collection of thirty-nine manuscripts to be of divine origin. They are collectively known as the Old Testament. After the death of Jesus Christ, select followers of Christ penned twenty-six additional manuscripts collectively called the New Testament. While the Jews reject Jesus Christ as their Messiah and subsequently the Christian New Testament, Christians accept both the Old and New Testaments and call the complete collection by a single term, the Bible.
In Christianity, the Bible is recognized as the sacred words of God, which begs the question as to why there are so many groups with so many differences in faith and practice? It is because the Bible has over 450 different versions in print – and that is only considering the English versions. Go to any store selling Bibles and you will find perhaps dozens of varieties, each one promising to be the “best” and “most accurate” translation of the day. Translation has to do with taking the words of the Bible from one language and converting them into another language. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and Aramaic. The New Testament was written in Greek. Translation into other languages has occurred over hundreds of years. Today, the Bible has been translated into more than 700 languages out of many thousands of known languages. However, there are no surviving copies of any of the original Old Testament or New Testament manuscripts. The job of the scribe was to produce accurate copies of the original sacred texts. As generations passed, more and more scribes had to rely on the copies of their predecessors as the originals were lost to the sands of time. To some, this process of making copies of copies of copies leads them to conclude it is impossible to know what the original texts contained. Others take a more technical approach and focus on analysis to deduce what the original manuscripts must have stated. This process is known as textual criticism.
In a pure humanistic context, the purpose of textual criticism is to reproduce the original content and meaning of the now extant (extinct) original texts as much as humanely possible. The methodology used involves the comparison of all known hand-written texts to arrive at the most common readings across them all. As with any human effort, differences can exist when something is copied from generation to generation. But also, differences of interpretation and opinion of authority are also possible. Where differences are found, the textual critic is left to theorize why and conclude which differences are deemed more like what he believes the original contained. As additional copies are discovered over time, the process repeats to determine if any new differences are discovered which may weigh against the previous conclusions of the textual critics. Doubtless, there will be more archaeological discoveries yielding more manuscript fragments that will require this process to be repeated. It is an endless cycle. If this is all we have, it leaves Christians of every generation in history relying on what had been discovered, translated, accepted, and available up to that point in time. This is ultimately the root cause for so many different Bibles. The skeptics therefore conclude that we cannot know for certain what the Bible originally contained. We can only be reasonably certain as to what it probably contained.
If we were to stop right there, we would have to conclude there is no final authority on the subject of the accuracy of the Holy Scriptures apart from man himself. After all, man was responsible for receiving God’s original words, transcribing those words over hundreds of generations, translating those words into other languages while maintaining original intent and meaning, and reconciling all the differences between all the copies available to determine accuracy. But is that all there is to the giving and keeping of the Bible? Thankfully, it is not. All this human effort fails to account for the One who made it all possible. God had a role in not only the giving of His Word, but also the preserving of His Word.
2 Peter 1:20-21 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Psalm 68:11 The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.
When God gave His Word, man was the vessel but God was the author. This is why we say the Bible is God’s Word not man’s word. God gave the Word through men who were guided by His Spirit.
Psalm 12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
Psalm 12:7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
It is important to understand that God did not just give man His Word only to step back and let man attempt to keep it pure all by himself. No, God took upon Himself the role of author and keeper of His Word, just as He is the author and finisher of our faith. We do not have the Bible today because of the human efforts to keep it together through the many generations. No, we have the Bible today because God chose to oversee the preserving of His Word through all those generations of human effort.
Psalm 119:89 LAMED. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.
1 Peter 1:23-25 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
Man and all his glory is like grass that withers and fades away. But God’s Word endures forever. It is important to understand that God did not need man to provide or preserve His Word. He chose to use man, but only because it was God’s choice.
Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Mark 13:31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
Luke 21:33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
When God says something, it is important. When He says something more than once, it is even more important.
Another thing that makes God’s Word our final authority in life is faith. We must believe that God gave His Word and God kept His Word and we have His Word.
Hebrews 11:6-7 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Without faith we cannot please God. Faith is believing we have God’s Word as He wanted us to have it. Now I am going to write something that may not sit well with some readers, but here it goes.
Your faith in your Bible does not make your Bible my final authority. However, my faith in my Bible makes my Bible my final authority.
If you were to ask me which Bible is the infallible, inerrant Word of God in English, I would say without hesitation, the King James Bible. I have over 35 years worth of reasons why I believe that. It is a settled subject for me and as such is my Final Authority. Therefore, when I need to understand something about God, I go to that Bible. When I was a pastor, I preached and ministered from that Bible. When I led people to Christ, I read from that Bible. When I need to make sense of all the false religious doctrines and teachings, I turn to that Bible. Why is that important to me? It is important because one cannot defend one’s faith without something to rely on as the final authority. I refuse to rely on anything else. I am not the final authority, but I have access to it. Unless there is a final authority to cite from, I cannot properly defend my faith. For me, it is the King James Bible. Those who just use the King James Bible, but do not believe it is the final authority, are easy to spot. They will always, always, always turn to something else to either defend their faith, justify their accusations, or criticize the faith of others. They have no singular final authority but have the audacity to criticize those who do.
The only way to have a real conversation about the Bible and what it teaches is to first believe the Bible is the Word of God, and second, to have the Bible as the final authority that settles all matters. You may or may not agree with me that the King James Bible is the Word of God in English – and that is your right. I am fine with that. Believe what you want and I will believe what I want. Someone may call me ignorant for taking such a position, but at least I have a final authority to stand on. Without it, a person is left to the wolves.
Ephesians 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
If you don’t have a final authority in your Christian faith, you risk being carried about by the winds of doctrine blowing from the voices of cunning false teachers who are waiting to catch as many unwary Christians as they can find, to deceive them and turn them from the truth.
Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Matthew 7:15-20 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
We live in that day. There are so many so-called teachers of the Bible who lead people astray with false doctrines. They are cunning, organized, and crafty. They have done their research. But here is the problem. Their arguments are based on combinations of subjects like science, history, philosophy, tradition, reason, etc.. They use extra-biblical information to discredit core Bible teachings as if they have some knowledge no-one else has.
2 Peter 2:1-2 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
Notice Peter’s warning. They are “denying the Lord that bought them.” They speak evil of “the way of truth.”
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
The biggest red flag that someone is a false teacher is their attitude and teachings about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Mark 3:28-30 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.
They said that Jesus Christ had an unclean spirit. This was an attack upon the person of Christ.
Ask any group what they believe about the subject of Jesus Christ. This is the purest litmus test for false teachers. If Jesus Christ is anything less than God the Son, they are false teachers. I did not say that, the Bible, the Final Authority says that.
Matthew 16:13-17 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
John 10:32-34 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
Jesus Christ never once denied being deity. He did not tell the Jews they were wrong and He was not deity. No, he never did.
John 20:27-29 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
When Thomas called Christ, “my God” Jesus did not accuse him of blasphemy. And yet, the deity of Christ is the number one doctrine false teachers will attack. But, if the Bible is the final authority in your life, and you read these verses and believe what they say, the truth is instantly revealed to you.
When the Bible is your final authority, you are left with soul-satisfying answers to life’s questions, assurance of your faith, peace, happiness, joy, and confidence. You will know what to believe and what to reject because the Bible settles it for you, rather than human logic or history or science or tradition, which all change by the whims of man. You will know the truth and the truth will set you free from the bondage of religion. When the Bible is not your final authority, you will spend your days researching the truth, studying more about the Word of God than the Word of God itself, and striving to prove you are right and everyone else is wrong. You will vainly attempt to work your way to heaven and hope you make it. You will feel as though you are right and everyone else is wrong.
2 Timothy 3:5-7 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
What is truth? Where is truth? When did truth appear? These are questions of doubt, not positions of faith. This is why it is so important to have a final authority in your life and to let that authority determine what you believe.
Romans 3:3-4 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
What is the Final Authority in your life?