Last updated on 12/30/98

Part 2 of Viewpoint Brief Bible Study #076.
		JESUS calls US to be members of His church
The Christian religion is the worship and service of Jesus Christ. It’s not Mary we worship, but her Son. We worship neither saints, angels, a law code, nor even God’s Spirit. It’s JESUS who is to be honored. The Bible is our guide.

  More About Legalists  per Viewpoints #1, et al

I wrote in reply to this note. Reading it will help you to learn to like its author also, who feels we should love and serve Jesus faithfully!

> Date: Thu, 28 May 1998 ~
Subject: This article that I wrote.
From: carpecollum@juno.com (Nathan A Williams)

> Authority -- Where Do We Get It Today?

> INTRO: In modern times there is a swing towards DOING AWAY WITH ORGANIZED RELIGION, or doing away with LEGISLATION. In this study I will look at many scriptures that have to do with God's revealed and inspired will from which we will draw several conclusions about what GOD WILL HAVE US TO DO WITH HIS SCRIPTURES. ...

> B. NKJ 2 Timothy 2:24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel  but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient ~ If we are to be able to teach, there must be something for us TO teach! Correct? If there is no law then we have nothing to teach.

> Again, we are to keep His COMMANDMENTS and TEST the spirits, to see if they are from God. But how in the world are we to test spirits? Or know what His commandments are? Unless we have a standard. I believe that the Bible clearly tells us that IT is our standard-and we need nothing else!

> This is my faith: JESUS = GOD = HOLY SPIRIT = TRUTH = WORD = NEW LAW = SCRIPTURE = SALVATION! There is no other way except through Christ, who is the door (John 10:9). And Christ is the Word (John 1:1). And the word is scripture (2 Tim. 3:16). Everything in the New Testament is scripture, and we are under this New Law! Isn't it wonderful!?

> So, we have ALL revelation now? The Holy Spirit, who knows ALL things, guided the Apostles into ALL truth (John 16:13)! How else would we be able to TEST things to see if they are from God, unless we had ALL truth at our fingertips??

> We have all truth today, so we need no further revelation. I am extremely doubtful whenever I hear of new revelations now, because what would be the point in them? Prophecy is for Believers... not Unbelievers (1 Cor. 14:22). Therefore any new revelation would have to be an addition to our scriptures and would have to be completely and totally in harmony with what we already have laid out before us! May God watch over us to keep us from stepping outside our inspired authority!

> Love, ~ Nathan Williams  

From: "Ray Downen (outreach@sofnet.com)"
TO -- carpecollum@juno.com (Nathan A Williams)
Date sent: Fri, 29 May 1998

Nathan, ~ Thanks for sharing. I believe you've worked hard to present a good thought to help readers better understand the nature of our faith.

You ask where authority for religious faith and practice is today to be found, and correctly answer that it's in Jesus. Perhaps you hadn't thought enough about the origin of the Bible books however. The greatest growth of Christianity occured while the Bible books were being written, then recognized as apostolic, and gathered into the book we call the New Testament.

The great growth recorded in the New Testament was not AFTER the books were compiled and canonized, but rather at a time when gospel teaching was mainly oral, and when no authoritative books were to be found.

When Jesus said that authority had been given to Him, that's exactly what He meant. He did NOT say the authority was resident in books that were going to be written, but rather in Him, now alive from the dead. He still has all authority. The church has no authority of its own. The Bible has no authority of its own. The authority is in the resurrected Christ.

It's not the Holy Spirit with authority, nor the apostles (and their writings) with all authority, but rather it's Jesus who is the unique Son of God and author and finisher of our faith. The only "authority" elders have is in their example and understanding of the Lord Jesus. I'm commenting chiefly about your brief introduction, as you no doubt can tell.

"Organized" religion is seldom closely related to Christianity. Jesus is THE way. He invites us to join Him in that Way, and Christianity is a way of life where individuals strive to live as Jesus did. That's the heart of Christianity -- not any organization with authority, tradition, and axes to grind.

Jesus built a church. He still adds to that church those who "are being saved." The roll book of His church is in Heaven rather than on earth. No living person on earth knows exactly who belongs to God and who does not.But God knows. Our earthly organizations are NOT the body of Christ, and in fact they seldom work in concert WITH the organization founded and directed by Jesus. Human organizations simply are NOT divine organizations, and must be recognized as human rather than divine. Our loyalty must be given to Jesus, who has all authority rather than any man or men who now CLAIM authority. We sing, "Now I belong to Jesus," and should make sure that in fact HE is our Lord and guide.

As we study the written Word of God, we are apt to recognize that the Old Testament contains laws by which Jews were expected to live (or die if they broke them). The laws were specific, spelling out what WAS permitted and required and what was forbidden. We note that the Old Testament law was fulfilled, that it was nailed to the cross, that followers of the Way of Christ are not instructed to live according to that law of God.

The will of Christ is made known as a "law of love," as "commandments" of the Christ. But where are these regulations and directives? You'll search the Bible in vain for a law code like the Mosaic code given by God on Sinai. Principles of conduct and aims are freely shared. Specifics are NOT given. We're clearly told that we are not now under law, but live instead under the grace of God with much greater responsibilities for personal decisions than if we WERE under a law code formulated to relieve us of the necessity of personal decisions.

Jews didn't need to MAKE the law of God. It was given to them. So they made additions and amendments to it, which they then considered at least equal to what GOD had given. Many legislators today have added to and amended the principles given by Jesus, but they are not speaking for HIM when they do. WE are not speaking for Him when WE make laws in His name.

If people are opposing "organized religion" and "legislation" which do not come from God, that should be commended rather than condemned!

I think you must surely agree with this simple statement. So look again at your study with the fact in mind that the organizations of men and the traditions of men are in fact not from God, and ponder.

Realize that the books we recognize as the New Testament were not compiled into ONE set of books at any time in the first century of the existence and explosive growth of the church of Christ. The gospel WAS "once for all" delivered. But it was delivered by spoken words rather than written words.

In those early days, God often spoke to His church through inspired prophets (whose words may never have been written down, only condensed perhaps into the writings which were later recognized as the New Testament books). If there are prophets in later times, their words must not CONTRADICT those of the 1st-century prophets, obviously. But they might not have to be an exact parroting of the written word.

I suspect Carl Ketcherside spoke as a prophet of God. I hear Cecil Hook speaking and believe I hear God's voice once again calling to His people. Is it possible that Max Lucado, and Mike Cope, and Marvin Phillips just might have a message from God for THIS generation? How about "Theophilus?" And many more whose message derives from God's love and truth.

Prophets are not law-givers. Their words will not DIFFER from the truth once for all delivered to the saints. But is it not possible that even in our day God still sends prophets to those who will listen?

Which organized religion shall we defend? What law code are Christians to follow? In fact I enthusiastically oppose human religions and law codes. I think EVERY Christian should do so.

        Brief Bible Study #76-A from Ray Downen. For Ray's concluding remarks, click HERE.