Good News from Stony Creek Church of Christ

Is authority from God or man?

In Mark 11:27-33, Jesus had just cleansed the temple by overturning tables of the money changers, driving out those buying and selling, and declaring His Father’s house to be a house of prayer.

The religious leaders were furious.

Now Jesus was back in the temple, and the Jewish leaders had questions for Him: “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?” In other words, “What gave You the right to come into our temple and tell us how to run things? Prove Your credentials!”

Honestly, it was a legitimate question, and Jesus would have answered it if they had sincerely asked it. Instead, He asked them a question: “The baptism of John – was it from heaven or from men?” If they answered His question, He would answer theirs. They knew the answer. John’s baptism was from heaven. But admitting that would force them to face an uncomfortable conclusion about Jesus.

So, they refused to answer. They were more concerned with the consequences of their answer than with the truth of it (thinking like a politician).

Jesus was not trying to show them up, but to lead them to the answer to their own question: Jesus has authority from God.

So, does authority come from Heaven or man? When it comes to authority, these are the only two options. Everything we do has a source of authority: God or man. We cannot simply say, “Authority doesn’t matter.” The moment we do, we make ourselves the source of authority.

Therefore, in everything we do and believe, we should ask: “Does this come from God’s authority or man’s authority?” When it comes to our worship, church practices, church organization and government, and everything we teach and preach – God or man? The decisions I make in my family and relationships – God or man? My life, my actions, and my words – God or man?

If something does not come from God, then ultimately, it comes from man.

We learn a couple of lessons from this:

No. 1: Authority Matters

What is authority? Merriam-Webster defines it as the “power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior.”

Who had authority in your home growing up? Dad? Mom? Both? Think about the influence they had on what you believe and do today. Yet even your parents should have recognized that there was someone above them.

Who has authority over the church? Is it your preacher? Is it the elders? Is it a denominational organization? Even those who lead a church must recognize that someone is over them. Yet, that is not always the case. Ephesians 1:22-23 says, “He put all things under [Jesus’] feet and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body.” Jesus is the Head of the church. The church is His body, and the Head has the right to direct every part of the body.

Have you ever watched a game on TV when the referee made a call you did not like? Suddenly, everyone on the couch becomes an expert referee. We may yell at the television and tell the official exactly what he should have done. But the game does not stop because we disagree. Why? Because our opinion does not carry any authority, unlike the referee. That is how authority works.

Yet authority is even more important when it comes to spiritual matters. Souls are on the line. The stakes are eternal. When we are talking about God and eternal life, authority is not something to play around with.

No. 2: The Source of Authority Matters

There are many different sources from which people claim authority. Yet, ultimately, the basis is either God or man. We will consider some of those in the columns that follow.

God is the Creator, Giver, Owner, and Ruler of all things. Jesus is the standard. He made us, and He knows what is best for us. He gave us the church. He paid for it. He owns it; that is, if we are part of a church that belongs to Him.

It makes sense, then, to go back to Him to find out how it all is supposed to work, how we should worship, what the structure of the church is, how we are to live, what He expects, and what pleases Him (Ephesians 5:10, 17). Jesus has the authority to tell us how His church and our lives should be (Matthew 28:18).

The question Jesus asked is still a relevant question we need to ask today: Is it from heaven or from men?

Visitors are welcome and valued. We meet at 15530 Herriman Blvd., Noblesville. Our phone number is (463) 287-0664. We meet for Sunday morning Bible Study at 10 a.m. and have classes for all ages. Worship begins at 11 a.m. and we have a Bible Study Wednesdays at 7 p.m. A warm welcome awaits!