The Ultimate Authority

During my devotion today, the Lord impressed on me the example of the Bereans in Acts 17:11. When Paul preached to them the gospel, the Bereans’ eagerness led them to examine “the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). As a result, many believed.

The Bereans has given to us a fine example to emulate. No matter how gifted or charismatic or well-trained and experienced our Bible teacher or pastor may be, we have to form the healthy habit of checking what is being said against the Scriptures.

As I was surfing through the net researching on a particular topic, I was surprised to see so many different viewpoints. Each of them purporting to speak the truth, to the extent that it degenerate to each calling the other "heresy". With so much information on the web, it has become a dangerous minefield for believers to know what is the truth.

So what to do? Go back to the Scriptures. Charles Swindoll commented that "the Scriptures are your measuring tool for making sure the teaching you receive is straight and true. Keep comparing. The teachings need to be congruent between what’s being said and what has been written in the Bible. If you can’t support it with the Scriptures, there’s something missing in the teaching. Don’t believe the teacher. Stay with the Scriptures. They remain your ultimate authority for faith and life."

AW Tozer wrote :

"Whatever it may be in our Christian experience that originates outside of Scriptures should, for that very reason, be suspect until it can be shown to be in accord with them.

If it should be found to be contrary to the Word of revealed truth no true Christian will accept it as being from God. However high the emotional content, no experience can be proved to be genuine unless we can find chapter and verse authority for it in Scriptures. "To the word and to the testimony" must always be the last and final proof.

Whatever is new or singular should also be viewed with caution until it can furnish scriptural proof of its validity. Thoughout the twentieth century quite a number of unscriptural notions have gained acceptance among Christians by claiming that they were among truths that were to be revealed in the last days.

The truth is that the Bible does not teach that there will be new light and advanced spiritual experiences in the latter days; it teaches the exact opposite! Nothing in Daniel or the New Testament epistles can be tortured into advocating the idea that we of the end of the Christian era shall enjoy light that was not known at its beginning.

Beware of any man who claims to be wiser than the apostles or holier than the martyrs of the Early Church. The best way to deal with him is to rise and leave his presence!"

The Scriptures remains the ultimate authority to discover truths. All others will be at best, an aid, not the final authority.