Articles
What Standard of Authority Should We Follow in Religious Matters (1)
What Standard Of Authority Should We
Follow In Religious Matters (1)
By Greg King
Jesus once asked, “The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men” (Matthew 21:25). By posing such a question Jesus was actually showing that in religious affairs there are only two sources of authority for what men do. All religious teachings and practices come either “from heaven” (i.e. they come from God) or “from men” (they are man-made). There are no other choices.
Today as we look at the religious world around us we see division and confusion. Why is it that men are so divided in their religious practices? We suggest that one of the main causes of religious division can be summarized in this statement: men are divided because they actually follow different standards of authority.
Each of us understands the need to have certain absolute “standards” in various matters in society that are unrelated to religion. For example, we buy milk in gallon or ½ gallon containers. There are 12 inches in a foot. A cup is 8 fluid ounces. There are 8 cups in a half gallon and 16 cups in 1 gallon. All of these measurements are simply absolute, objective, unchanging standards. If there were no such standards in society and everybody just “did his own thing” when it came to measuring things, chaos would result.
It’s the same way in religion. When folks do not go by one absolute, unchanging standard in their teaching and practices, then confusion and division is unavoidable. It is always wise to ask this question: What Standard Of Authority Should We Follow In Matters Of Religion? Some want to follow their feelings. “If it feels right, do it.” This is a popular philosophy of our day. It has even become an accepted concept with many in the sphere of religion. But are feelings really a safe guide?
Adolf Hitler was a key figure in World War II. He considered the German race to be a superior one, and at the same time felt that the Jews were an inferior race, and as such ought to be exterminated. But Hitler’s ideas were not based on fact; they were simply his subjective feelings. Yes, Hitler possessed and followed strong feelings, yet his action in murdering some six million Jews was wrong, do you not agree? This shows that a person’s feelings can be wrong.
In the Bible we read about Saul of Tarsus persecuting the disciples of Jesus (Acts 9:1,2). Why did Saul, who is later known as the apostle Paul, do such wicked things? Because he felt in his heart that he should do them! Listen to what he said about his persecution of Christ’s followers: “I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth” (Acts 26:9). Paul did what he felt was right, but his actions were wrong! This plainly shows that even in religious matters, one’s feelings can be deceptive. Our feelings are not a safe guide or standard to follow. We must listen and follow God’s word. John 12:48, “The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.”
