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November 1, 2003, Vol.2, No.21. How Wide Is the Bowl?Keith Sharp I learned recently of a clever illustration another preacher uses in home Bible studies. As he is sitting at the kitchen table in the home of the family with whom he is studying, he looks at a bowl and asks the couple how wide it is. Whatever answer they give, he disagrees. He continues the disagreement until they get a tape measure or ruler to settle the argument. Then he refuses to accept the answer given by the standard. Finally, hopefully before they are angry enough to throw him out of the house, he makes his point. The Bible is our standard to know how to please God. We can argue all day about religion, but until we go to the standard, we will never settle our disagreement. And when we have seen what the Bible teaches, it doesn’t matter what we think, the question is answered. It is unreasonable and foolish to continue arguing for a position that contradicts the Bible. This illustration assumes that we have a standard in religion and that this standard is in the Bible. Is this correct? When Jesus taught in the temple the week of His crucifixion, the Jewish rulers confronted Him and demanded, "Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?" The Master replied, "I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me: "The baptism of John--was it from heaven or from men?" When they claimed they could not tell, the Lord also declined to answer their question (Luke 20:1-8). Their inquiry was legitimate, but, by refusing to answer the Master’s question about authority, the rulers demonstrated they were not competent to judge a question of authority. But in His question the Lord identified two possible sources of authority, "from heaven or from men." All authority is from one of these sources. What if our religion has no higher source than human authority? The Lord declared of the scribes and Pharisees, "And in vain they worship Me, Teaching [as] doctrines the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:9). If our religion has no higher authority than man, it is vain. We are just wasting our time; we might as well go fishing as to serve God by human authority rather than divine. In fact, in the Sermon on the Mount the Master warned , Many will say to Me in that day, `Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' "And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' (Matthew 7:22-23). We can shout, "Praise the Lord" and claim we are acting "in the name of Jesus," but if His law does not authorize our actions we are on the road to hell! The other source of authority is from heaven, i.e., from God. How can we know we are acting by His authority? The author of Hebrews wrote: God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by [His] Son (Hebrews 1:1-2). To learn God’s will for us, we must find out what His Son says. We must have authority from the Lord Jesus Christ for all we do (Colossians 3:17). How do we know what Christ desires us to do? The apostle Paul declared: But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught [it], but [it] [came] through the revelation of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:11-12). Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to the apostles, and the Spirit made known God’s will to them (Ephesians 3:1-7). Where can we find what the apostles taught? They wrote it down, so we can read and understand God’s will (Ibid). They wrote the New Testament (2 Corinthians 3:6). When we find authority for what we do in the New Testament, we know our authority is from God rather than man. Now, if your religious beliefs and practices are not authorized by the New Testament, or if they contradict the New Testament, what will you do about it? Will you stubbornly cling to a religion that has no authority higher than man? Will you reply, "I know the Bible says, but I think"? When the Lord tells us what He wants, what difference does it make what you and I think? Will that change the Lord’s will? If I refuse to accept what the tape measure says about the width of a bowl, does that alter the bowl?
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