The Matter of Authority

by Bill Crews
 

On the question of the necessity of authority for religious practices there are but two positions that one can take.  Either we must have authority or we do not have to have authority for all that we do in religion.  Any position in between would be ridiculous and impossible.  If someone should insist that one must have authority for some things, but not for all things, by what standard could he possibly distinguish the things for which he must have authority from the things for which he does not need authority?  And how could he condemn anything merely because it was unauthorized in the Scriptures?

May God pity the man who calls himself a gospel preacher and who makes such statements as: "Why we do many things for which we do not have authority"; and "We do not have to have authority for everything we do in religion."  Such a preacher would have neither right nor grounds to condemn any of the religious practices around us, which, though without authority, are not expressly forbidden in the Scriptures.  On what basis would he show that instrumental music, infant baptism, choirs, missionary societies, quarterly or annual communion, etc., are wrong?

  Authority falls into two categories: general and specific.  Some things are specifically authorized: baptism, singing, Lord's Supper.  Other things are authorized because they are embraced in and necessary to the performance of things specifically authorized: (Some things may be used as "aids" in carrying out a command as long as no Scriptural principle is violated); a baptistry, songbooks, containers.

To say that one must have authority for all that he does in religion is a far cry from saying that one must have specific authority for all that he does in religion.  Some "gospel preachers" have offered this sort of quibble: "Why if one must have authority for everything, where did Noah get the authority for the tools he used in building the ark since God did not specify any tools."  This is nothing more than a dodge, a smoke screen to cover up the fact that many churches today are practicing things for which they have no authority--either general or specific.  Certainly Noah had authority in that tools were necessary to carry out the injunction to build the ark.  Had God specified the tools, he would have been limited to what God specified.

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