Who Is the Authority in the Church?
As long as the earth spins, problems will exist in society and in the church. Satan made his presence known while Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden—and he got them thrown out of it through his lies (John 8:44). Many think the devil is behind most of the chaos in the world today (which is true) but are somehow reluctant to think he is behind the religious confusion we experience all around us. Take, for example, the church. Why, when Jesus established only one, do hundreds of denominations and cults exist?
Is it possible to prove that Jesus only established one church? The answer lies in recognizing that we can resolve any problem or question in Christianity if we all acknowledge the same authority. In the NFL, there is an official body who determines what the rules are for any given year, and all teams must play by them. In Law, the courts have the final say-so in determining whether or not a law was violated. We are accustomed to rulebooks, law books, protocols, and other kinds of authority, which tell us what may be done and what may not be done.
In Christianity the Bible is the Book which explains what authority the Christian is under. The Bible itself is authoritative. In particular, when it comes to learning about salvation, Christian character, the church, and acceptable worship, we must go to the New Testament, the better covenant, which was established upon better promises (Heb. 8:6-7). The Scriptures tell us several important truths about Jesus and the church.
First of all, Jesus built the church on the foundation of His own Deity (Matt. 16:15-19); He is the chief cornerstone (Eph. 2:20). Second, Jesus gave His blood to purchase the church, the body of believers (Acts 20:28). Third, He is head over the church (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18). Fourth, He only built one church. The singular was used in Matthew 16:18 when the Lord said “upon this rock I will build My church”—not churches. In Acts 20:28 we read of “the church”—not churches. We do not read in Ephesians 1:22-23: “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all the various church denominations, which comprise His body.” No, again we read of “the church, which is His body.” How many bodies are attached to most heads?
Fifth, the Bible explicitly says there is one church. In Ephesians 4:4, Paul says: “There is one body,” which he already identifies as the church in Ephesians 1:22-23. Later on Paul uses a parallelism involving the church and the body in Ephesians 5:23, where he writes: “For the husband is the head of the wife, as also Christ is the head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.” There may be additional considerations to show that there is one church, but these are more than sufficient to establish the principle. Where are the verses that authorize denominationalism?
“All Authority”
No one can go to the Scripture or appeal to anything Jesus or His apostles taught in order to say that denominations are acceptable in God’s sight. In the pages of the New Testament, no one can read of the Roman Catholic Church, the Lutheran Church, the Church of England (Anglican, Episcopal), the Presbyterian Church, the Baptist Church, the Methodist Church, the Mormon Church, or Jehovah’s Witnesses. They are not there because they came into existence later—most of them much later—1,500 years later. The Roman Catholic Church developed from about A.D. 300 to 606, when Boniface III declared himself to be the first universal pope.
Catholics claimed that Jesus was the Head of the church in heaven while the pope was His representative (vicar) here on earth. But in Matthew 28:18, Jesus told His disciples: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Sorry, Francis (and all of his predecessors), but you do not have the authority to exist in the office you claim. It is not in the New Testament and contradicts what Jesus said about Himself being the head of the church.
Since Jesus is the head of His body, the church, then only He and His Apostles, whom He said would be inspired of the Holy Spirit (John 16:12-13), have authority to supply the teaching regarding salvation, acceptable worship, and any other aspect of life and spirituality. “All authority” does not mean a little, some, or most. Regarding salvation, Peter taught the Lord’s will on the Day of Pentecost, which included repentance and baptism (Acts 2:38). Any teaching that promises salvation apart from these two elements is false.
Since Jesus is the head of the church, only He can say what is required for salvation. Furthermore, He is the One Who gave Himself for us, so it is appropriate that He be the only and highest authority in His church. When He gave the Great Commission, He included baptism (Mark 16:16; Matt. 28:18-20). Yet that is the one thing that almost every denomination wants to eliminate. If they do baptize people, they change the form of it from Immersion (which is what the word literally means) to sprinkling, or they say it has nothing to do with salvation, although Jesus required it.
It is almost predictable how fast various church “leaders” trip over themselves trying to deny the importance of baptism, which is the way one joins in with the death of Jesus (Rom. 6:3-5). It is the only way to contact the blood of Christ (Rev. 1:5; Acts 22:16). It is the means by which one calls upon the name of the Lord (Acts 2:21; 22:16). It is the means by which sins are removed (1 Cor. 6:9-11). It is the way we get into Christ and put on Christ (Gal. 3:27). It is the means by which we enter the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13).
Worship
Likewise, Jesus, since He is the head of the church, is the final authority concerning the way His body presents acceptable worship. He declared that true worshipers must worship the Father in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24). Most people recognize that the phrase, in spirit, refers to the manner, spirit, or attitude of the worshiper. What is offered to God must come from the heart and be sincere.
Worshiping in truth refers to offering up to God what He has required—no more and no less. Yet today we find many people engaging in worship as they desire it rather than as God commanded it. This problem has existed from the very beginning of time. Cain gave God what he desired instead of what God required (Gen. 4:1-5; Heb. 12:24). Nadab and Abihu did not think that the fire God specified to be used was all that important. They offered a profane fire, which God had not commanded them, and fire from the Lord went out from Him and devoured them (Lev. 10:1-2). These two instances illustrate that correct worship is far more important to God than it is to man. Yet man has never learned this truth.
Included in New Testament worship on the Lord’s day is the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:23-29), yet many denominations do not partake of it every week. Most of them also encourage tithing, but that practice is not taught in the New Testament. Their praying includes statements printed in a book, which they read. And much of what constitutes the “preaching” is the wisdom of men instead of the Word of God.
However, the singing that a congregation offers to God has been battered and bruised almost beyond recognition. Consider the following two verses written to churches:
Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord (Eph. 5:19).
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord (Col. 3:16).
Despite the fact that all are enjoined to sing, various groups have choirs; some have solos. What happened to the “one another” aspect of singing? But the worst change is the addition of musical instruments, which are not in these verses or any other verses in the New Testament. Never did Jesus or the apostles sing with musical accompaniment; nor did any of the churches of Christ in any locale. Absent is any command that would authorize the use of instruments; no example can be found of it; nor does any passage imply their use in New Testament worship. Furthermore, it is not an aid or expedient to singing; it adds an entirely different dimension.
Proof
Anyone who is familiar with the New Testament knows these facts. But some people have persuaded themselves that it just doesn’t matter—that it’s not that important. That’s the way Nadab and Abihu thought—wrongly. The question is not: “What do we like?”; rather it is, “What does God require?” Jesus is the head of the church; He is the authority—not those whom He saved. He did not then leave to our discretion the way in which we worship. He is the builder of His church, the purchaser of our salvation with His blood, and the head of the church. He has all authority, and the only thing that matters is what He authorizes, which is singing.
Some argue that it was used in the Old Testament. Yes, it was authorized to be used (2 Chron. 29:25). But no authority for its use today can be found. Some argue, “But the New Testament doesn’t say not to use it.” That was the argument of Martin Luther, but all the other Reformers disagreed (Zwingli, Calvin, et al.). Whether they knew it or not, they were following the ideology of Colossians 3:17: “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” What we teach and what we practice must have the authority of Jesus behind it. The question can never be, “Where is it forbidden?” but must be, “Where is it authorized?”
Some are prone to say that, “Oh, you people in the church of Christ—that’s just your thing.” Wrong! Truth is our thing; this is just one application. Some seem to think that we are the only ones to ever oppose the use of instruments of music in worship. We recommend that they buy a book written by a Baptist, John Price, published in 2005 and copyrighted again in 2007. He has put together a very scholarly and historical book: Old Light on New Worship. In it he quotes the church fathers and the Reformers. He examines the meanings of the words used in the New Testament. Not once does he refer to the churches of Christ! Not once does he quote from any of those in the Restoration movement. This book has nothing to do with us! In fact, below is one quote from John Calvin:
But when they frequent their sacred assemblies, musical instruments in celebrating the praises of God would be no more suitable than the burning of incense, the lighting up of lamps, and the restoration of the others shadows of the law. The Papists, therefore, have foolishly borrowed this as well as many other things from the Jews. Men who are fond of outward pomp may delight in that noise; but the simplicity which God recommends to us by the apostle is far more pleasing to him (94) (from Calvin’s comments on Psalm 33:2).
Dozens of quotations are provided. For over a thousand years, worshipers sang without the instrument. When Catholicism introduced it, most of the Reformers protested. Over time it became accepted in most denominations. But some are still asking the question, “What pleases Jesus, the head of the church?”