By Not Known
Who has authority to tell you what to do? Or whose authority would you rather submit yourself to? Is it to those with guns? Or those who claim to be experts? What and who is your authority?
The Pharisees in Mark 11:27ff seemed to be like lost people who had no idea what was or was not of God. Therefore they were unsure where the authority came from. A person with authority is respected for his sense of conviction, or a firm understanding about where to go and how to get there. When one is lost, this authority figure will get you out of the woods and get you back on track.
One of the problems of the church today is that we have lost our sense of authority of the Word of God. These are some who claim to be “biblical experts” and demand that others should follow them to take the Bible seriously yet just simply view the Bible as a historical document. For instance, a recent article in Newsweek (Jan 5) discredited the authority of the Bible in many aspects; yet some Christians seem to have no clue as to how damaging this article is in terms of the authority of the Bible.
Do we simply rationalise away things we are not sure of or ignorant of concerning our beliefs? Do we know the Scriptures enough to differentiate the valid from the irrelevant? Do we understand enough of what is meant by inerrancy and historical accuracy? Can we help others who are in doubt to come to an understanding of what is true and truthful from what is erroneous and irrelevant?
All these come down to not just a personal faith but an informed faith. Just as it was said before: faith is not simply a leap into the dark but rather a response to God who has taken the effort to reveal what is necessary for us to come to faith in Him. Do we know God’s revelation enough to submit ourselves in faith to Him?
This is why it is so important for us to not just come to church for worship but also to take the time to intentionally submit our hearts to hear as well as to listen, to study and to reflect, to understand and to apply the Word of God which is our final authority in all of life and in our relationship with Him.
Peter Poon