How Much Authority Does A Church Have?

Baptist DistinctivesGARBC

Biblical Authority

The Bible is the final authority in all matters of belief and practice because the Bible is inspired by God and bears the absolute authority of God Himself. Whatever the Bible affirms, Baptists accept as true. No human opinion or decree of any church group can override the Bible. Even creeds and confessions of faith, which attempt to articulate the theology of Scripture, do not carry Scripture’s inherent authority.
2 Timothy 3:15–17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:20, 21

 

The attempt at being less catholic as possible is too little too late,

Why do you use a KING JAMES authorized bible not a JESUS CHRIST authorized bible?

The King James is an ANGLICAN BIBLE.

Why don't you get off your seat, get Indiana Jones to get you the original manuscripts and compile the bible yourself?

You are already submitting to another authority by not having anyone in your own church verify that scripture is authentic.

You depend on a scholar, librarian, scientist, teacher ect. to even present the very inkling of considerations.


If I hand you a bible in Chinese, that is all you need? you can take it from there?

There is the language, the ancient language, the idioms and figures of speech.

Brother I can literally quote:

24You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

And believe me there is someone out there who concludes the exact backwards:

24You see that a man is justified by FAITH ALONE and not by WORKS.


The idea scripture is the ONLY authority is a joke, YOU don't even believe that. You just haven't thought it through.


An actual authority and guidance is necessary.


Im surprised these self proclaimed monergist or yourself don't say anything to the effect that well the holy spirit is my authority who explains the meanings of all these things. The lack there of hints to me a person's sincerity.

Scripture only is not the only authority, never has been and never will be.

The authority is the CHURCH by which without you would never identify scripture at all.

Ask your bible publisher how does know his gospel of Luke is completely accurate......

He's going to tell you, Of course its accurate!! look over here in this CATHOLIC VATICAN library.........see i got all the words right. How can that possibly fly with you?

Aim for the source. You can't pick up a KING JAMES say OH i did it all by myself and in the same breath you would accuse the Anglicans for being a bunch of heretics.
.

 

Still waiting for your OTHER AUTHORITY on earth besides Scripture.

many Scriptural truths are IMPLIED, such as the doctrine of the HOLY TRINITY. while that phrase does not appear in Scripture, it's implied, as Scripture calls Father, Son, & Holy Spirit each God in various places.

Same for the authority of Scripture. We see in 2 Kings 22 that King Josiah, when the long-unused scrolls of the law of God were read to him, tore his robes & humbled himself before God for having not obeyed them, as did most of the other jews as they heard the law. they didn't question its authority!

Same for Jesus, answering Satan with "It is WRITTEN..." He did not exercise His own authority as He coulda done!

His often quoting OT Scriptures while teaching shows even Jesus recognized its authority. And WE have the added authority of the New Testament.

Still waiting for YOUR earthly authority other than Scripture!

 

Let's see, there is the Bishop of Rome who is the earthly head of the Latin Church. I believe our Eastern Orthodox Church brothers have their leading Bishop, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and both have "real Christian authority" and have validly ordained Bishops with a direct lineage to the Apostles - their successors if you will. Only men wield authority, the Scriptures are merely authoritative.

 

I don't have a problem because orthodox Christianity has the mandate from Jesus Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ who believes that that orthodox teachings are the correct teachings that Jesus wanted his Church here on earth to proclaim. The sacramental way of Christianity makes great sense to me.

The Church does exactly that, it proclaims his death and resurrection for the forgiveness of our sins. As for his words, we interpret them one way and you another, so whose interpretation is correct? I'll take the Universal Church's interpretation over yours any day of the week.

 

Jesus sad: "WHATSOEVER you bind on earth shall be bound also in heaven.…..". He did not say this was to be limited by what was written. In fact, as the NT was being written, new ground was being broken all the time, so how could this be? Again, please tell in the NT where Jesus said to just write a book and let succeeding generations of Christians figure it all out by themselves.

 

The Bishop's, the Early Church Fathers of the One Universal Church brought the NT to it's present form. They decided which of the many writings that were circulating in the Christian world at that time were to be included or discarded in a properly constituted Council of the Church - and there wasn't a Baptist or Independent Christian among them. They were "Catholic" to the core and they truly believed in and taught these things called "sacraments".

 

The KJV? It's seen better days. Good grief, we don't talk like that anymore so why would I want to read one?

 

"Jesus Christ at that throne of grace has confirmed to me through the Holy Spirit in me that the KJV is the one to rely on because most modern Bibles have changed the message that directly or indirectly supports false teachings, false spirits, & apostasies."

Well you only got this idea after reading my post. So you lose points for sincerity.

As a mini-POPE / Prophet can't argue with that. God tells you something that/you is the highest authority.

That is why I asked if there is anyone in the world you has better understanding of christian teaching than you?.

Because self-proclaimed prophets come dime a dozen.




How about Examples? We know what Greek bibles the scholars of the KJV used to translate from.

There a good reason 90% of your Greeks are east orthodox Catholics, Just no fooling them to what scripture means.


King James is Anglican bible. If you got the holy spirit, God can have you re-write

"Now if you cannot see that truth still.. then you better ask Jesus Christ for help in seeing why you should only rely on the KJV."

So ask the holy spirit what is wrong with this:

Ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα συναντιλαμβάνεται ταῖς ἀσθενείαις ἡμῶν· τὸ γὰρ τί προσευξώμεθα καθὸ δεῖ οὐκ οἴδαμεν ἀλλ' αὐτὸ τὸ πνεῦμα ὑπερεντυγχάνει ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν στεναγμοῖς ἀλαλήτοις·

ὁ δὲ ἐρευνῶν τὰς καρδίας οἶδεν τί τὸ φρόνημα τοῦ πνεύματος ὅτι κατὰ θεὸν ἐντυγχάνει ὑπὲρ ἁγίων

ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ ἐκεῖνος τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας ὁδηγήσει ὑμᾶς εἰς πάσαν τὴν ἀληθείαν· οὐ γὰρ λαλήσει ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ ἀλλ' ὅσα ἂν ἀκούσῃ λαλήσει καὶ τὰ ἐρχόμενα ἀναγγελεῖ ὑμῖν

 

"Careful, brother. God sees all. You will be sorry for assuming that as fact. I know He knows I am sincere."

Sincere faithful of God are the most calm relax folks in the world.
FEARLESS.
And the last thing they would ever do is have to protect you from God.
Because they don't assume to be more merciful than God.
They hold too much reverence to use God as a mere tool of terror.



I asked multiple times before to give me the name of anyone (other than Jesus) in the world who has a better understanding of Christianity than you? Vanity and Pride dictates it goes from self to God.

Because self proclaimed prophets just like you always come in here try to boss folks around.

Could have saved us a lot of time. All these other prophets a false and you are the only true one, heard that before.


"Again... only if I say you have to listen to me. "
You have. You call all other scripture is false except the scripture GOD told you.

I got another twitchy eye prophet buddy who says God says follow the ESV.
Folks say he should take his meds.

God told you KJV only so you heard our prophet, everybody, we are using the wrong bibles.

 

So ask the holy spirit what is wrong with this:

Ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα συναντιλαμβάνεται ταῖς ἀσθενείαις ἡμῶν· τὸ γὰρ τί προσευξώμεθα καθὸ δεῖ οὐκ οἴδαμεν ἀλλ' αὐτὸ τὸ πνεῦμα ὑπερεντυγχάνει ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν στεναγμοῖς ἀλαλήτοις·

ὁ δὲ ἐρευνῶν τὰς καρδίας οἶδεν τί τὸ φρόνημα τοῦ πνεύματος ὅτι κατὰ θεὸν ἐντυγχάνει ὑπὲρ ἁγίων

ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ ἐκεῖνος τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας ὁδηγήσει ὑμᾶς εἰς πάσαν τὴν ἀληθείαν· οὐ γὰρ λαλήσει ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ ἀλλ' ὅσα ἂν ἀκούσῃ λαλήσει καὶ τὰ ἐρχόμενα ἀναγγελεῖ ὑμῖν

 

That's gotta hurt!

 

So, no men who came after the scripture authors were ever inspired by God? None of the Early Church Fathers? No theologian? Ever?

 

Merely?!?

 

Yes. Of course I could have used other words such as purely, simply, wholly, just or solely. Yes, perhaps I should have used the term "solely authoritative". Is that one better?