What is Your Authority?
What is your authority? Some will be good protestants and say "Oh, definitely the Bible. It is our only rule of faith and practice." I must contest this statement. The Bible cannot be our only authority because too many people who claim this are at odds with one another.
For instance, when will the rapture happen? Will it be before the tribulation? During it? After it? All three seem to be the opinions of those who claim the Bible as their only authority. What about folks like me who don't believe in the rapture? How can we all possibly claim the Bible as our authority?
This is why we cannot, and do not, stop at the Bible. We read it, interpret it, and then we take our interpretation and validate it by comparing it to what our true authority claims, even if we don't realize it.
One major issue I have with the protestant reformation was that it overthrew the authority of the Catholic church and replaced it with the Bible only. This sounds like a good idea, but the biblical text can be interpreted in many different ways. How do we know if we've interpreted it correctly now that we no longer listen to the supreme authority of the Catholic Church? This is where personal opinion came in. The reformers, although agreeing on many points of doctrine, became at odds with one another over the finer points of doctrine, such as the Eucharist.
Fast forward to today and what we have is a terrible situation in biblical interpretation. It seems as though all we need is a Bible and our own minds, and whatever we come up with is good and right in the eyes of the masses. I have heard preachers say the most absurd things, but they always have a verse handy, as if that somehow validates their interpretation.
I have listened to people espouse the fact that in the parable of the sheep and goats, the sheep are not Christians - but only those who were sympathetic to Christians during their lifetimes. I have heard that Christ is actually going to come back and literally reign on a physical throne in Jerusalem while animal sacrifices are being offered in the new temple. And, of course, the absurdities only begin there (just read the Jehovah's Witness book on Revelation - it's audacious to say the least).
So, today you have two groups of people: those who are their own authorities, and those who submit their interpretations to a higher authority. The first are the source of doctrinal errors, and those who perpetuate these errors are part of the second. Where, when, and how will it ever stop?
I contend that it cannot stop. There is no other way to read the Scriptures. There is no third group of people. The church has been fighting doctrinal errors since its inception, and the sources of these errors have been folks in the first group. I believe we can protect ourselves, to some degree: choose our authority carefully - very carefully. An authority is not a bad thing in and of itself, for indeed, it is a necessity.
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"He who gives himself spiritual guidance has a fool for a spiritual father."
For instance, when will the rapture happen? Will it be before the tribulation? During it? After it? All three seem to be the opinions of those who claim the Bible as their only authority. What about folks like me who don't believe in the rapture? How can we all possibly claim the Bible as our authority?
This is why we cannot, and do not, stop at the Bible. We read it, interpret it, and then we take our interpretation and validate it by comparing it to what our true authority claims, even if we don't realize it.
One major issue I have with the protestant reformation was that it overthrew the authority of the Catholic church and replaced it with the Bible only. This sounds like a good idea, but the biblical text can be interpreted in many different ways. How do we know if we've interpreted it correctly now that we no longer listen to the supreme authority of the Catholic Church? This is where personal opinion came in. The reformers, although agreeing on many points of doctrine, became at odds with one another over the finer points of doctrine, such as the Eucharist.
Fast forward to today and what we have is a terrible situation in biblical interpretation. It seems as though all we need is a Bible and our own minds, and whatever we come up with is good and right in the eyes of the masses. I have heard preachers say the most absurd things, but they always have a verse handy, as if that somehow validates their interpretation.
I have listened to people espouse the fact that in the parable of the sheep and goats, the sheep are not Christians - but only those who were sympathetic to Christians during their lifetimes. I have heard that Christ is actually going to come back and literally reign on a physical throne in Jerusalem while animal sacrifices are being offered in the new temple. And, of course, the absurdities only begin there (just read the Jehovah's Witness book on Revelation - it's audacious to say the least).
So, today you have two groups of people: those who are their own authorities, and those who submit their interpretations to a higher authority. The first are the source of doctrinal errors, and those who perpetuate these errors are part of the second. Where, when, and how will it ever stop?
I contend that it cannot stop. There is no other way to read the Scriptures. There is no third group of people. The church has been fighting doctrinal errors since its inception, and the sources of these errors have been folks in the first group. I believe we can protect ourselves, to some degree: choose our authority carefully - very carefully. An authority is not a bad thing in and of itself, for indeed, it is a necessity.
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"He who gives himself spiritual guidance has a fool for a spiritual father."