The frustrating thing is that everyone understands what authority is. We do not go behind doors that say “Authorized Personnel Only” if we know we are not authorized to do so. If our doctor prescribes us medicine, we expect the pharmacy to fill that prescription and do nothing else, except perhaps make sure that it will not cause any problems with any other medicine we take. The simple fact is that authority is a very simple concept to understand. What makes this all frustrating is that it is easy to understand, and we all follow it (for the most part) – except when it comes to matters of religion. When it comes to matters of the Bible, we no longer need a “Thus says the Lord.” It has come to the point, even within the Lord’s church, that we are guided more by what we think, feel and want than what God has spoken. Brethren, God is a Spirit, and those who worship Him must do so in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). This means that there is a right way to do things and a wrong way to do things. There is only one way to know what that truth is, and it is His Word (John 17:17). The Bible, and the Bible alone, is our guide, and let anyone be cursed who teaches anything other than what has been written (Galatians 1:8-9; Revelation 22:18-19).
