Authority

According to Dictionary.com, authority is defined as, “the power to determine, adjudicate, or otherwise settle issues or disputes; jurisdiction; the right to control, demand, or determine.” When it comes to matters of religion, from where do you derive authority? What is the precedent or source to which you look that governs how you worship? While the religious world will answer in various ways, there is only one answer for those who wish to be pleasing to God. Since Jesus is the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) and the Mediator of the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:6; 12:24), and since Jesus was given all authority (Matthew 28:19), our authority must come from Him. So, how can you know what Jesus expects or demands? Jesus told His apostles that the Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth (John 16:13), which they and other inspired writers wrote (2 Peter 3:2, 15)—the New Testament. This means that the New Testament is where we get our authority for matters of New Testament worship, rather than from visions and dreams, extra revelations or testaments, or tradition. When it comes to pleasing to God, we need to find what the New Testament says and do it.