From the cobwebs: Authority (a mini-article from 2009 or so)

Authority

There is a man from a website of which I am a member. He started a message

board war regarding biblical authority. He feels that a certain activity is acceptable

behavior in the sight of God and many others disagree with him and have written

responses to his posts trying to show him scriptures which prove their point.

He finally got to the point where he was tired of hearing the phrase "it is not

authorized in the Bible" so he began a new thread about the word "authorized".

What follows is his original post and then my response to it.

He says on 5/12/07 at 6:50 p.m.: "I hear people using the word Authorized on

the site alot and no where do I see it found in the new testament in alot of

different versions and specially not the way alot use it."
I said:
The idea of AUTHORITY is replete in the Bible. It has been this way since the

beginning of time. After all, God spoke the very world into existence. That is

the ultimate authority! Early on, it is clearly illustrated (Deut. 11: 26-28) that

God's word is something which we ought to follow AND that there are

consequences if we do not follow it. That is authority. Later on, authority is

shown to belong to Christ (Matthew 17:5; 28:18-20.) As I said, authority is

EVERYWHERE in the Bible.

Every Christian understands the concept of authority. If they don't understand it,

they would never have obeyed the Gospel. Why would anyone ever bother to

be baptized and make efforts to be obedient if he didn't believe in an Authority

who says that, without obedience, spiritual death is assured? You cannot continue

in Christianity without a commitment to submitting to the authority of God and

His word (the Bible.)

Here is my main point. You are allowed to believe (because of free will) whatever

you want about the acceptability of using musical instruments in worship,

whether you are right or wrong. However, you should know (before you try to

use this argument anymore) that the word authority is a NOUN and the word

authorized is an ADJECTIVE. But they are basically the SAME word. Therefore,

you will not be able to support (logically, anyway) your theology with the

argument that the word "authorized" is not present in the King James version of

the Bible. It may be true that the word is not physically printed in the pages of

your Bible, however, the concept of "authorized" is painted on every single page

of the 66 books of the Bible...and with bright colors that anyone can recognize.

Just some food for thought, y'all.