THE BIBLE THE ONLY AUTHORITY

By David J. Riggs

Intro.
   A. The Bible alone is the standard of authority in all matters of 
      faith and practice.
   B. When Jesus prayed that all might be united, he mentioned that
      believers would be made through the apostles' word.  John 
      17:20-21
      1. We cannot be united if we rely on modern apostles or
          successors to the apostles as a source of faith.
      2. Nor can we be united if we depend on modern prophets,
         miracle workers, or tongue speakers rather than the Bible
         alone.
   C. We are contending in this lesson that Christians today must be
      guided by the Bible alone and not, in addition to the Bible, by
      men claiming miraculous powers and revelations.

I. REVEALED SOLELY THROUGH CHRIST, THE APOSTLES, AND THE N.T.
   PROPHETS.
   A. In this age, God speaks to us through His Son, Jesus Christ.  
      Heb. 1:1-2
      1. Christ spoke the words and commandments given to Him from
         the Father.  John 12:49-50
      2. We are to hear Jesus, not Moses or Elijah.  Mark 9:2-8
      3. Christ is the mediator of the N.T.  Heb. 9:15-17
      4. Christ is that great prophet who was to come.  Deut. 
         18:15,19; Acts 3:22-23
      5. The name of Jesus is the only name by which we can be saved.
         Acts 4:12
      6. We cannot reject the Word of Christ and be guiltless.  John
         12:48
      7. God, therefore, makes known His will to us today through His
         Son, Jesus Christ.
   B. Jesus makes known God's will through His apostles and prophets.
      1. Christ gave to His twelve apostles the same words and
         commandments that He received from the Father.  John 
         17:6-8, 17-20
      2. He promised His apostles the Holy Spirit.  John 14:25-26;
         15:26-27; 16:13-15.
         a. Please notice that the promise was to the apostles only. 
         b. They were the ones to whom Jesus was speaking; they were
            the ones who had been with Him from the beginning.  John
            15:27
      3. The Holy Spirit would be in them and would enable them to
         teach all the truth concerning the will of God.
   C. The apostles were to wait in Jerusalem to receive the promise. 
      Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4,8
      1. This was in fulfillment of the O.T. prophecies.  Isa. 2:2-3;
         Micah 4:2
      2. The apostles received the Holy Spirit on the day of 
         Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2:1-4.
         a. Thus, they began to proclaim by inspiration the will or 
            law of God in accord with the words of Jesus.  Matt. 
            18:18
         b. The meaning is not that the binding and loosing would 
            come from their own devising--God alone is the lawgiver 
            (James 4:12)--but with the Holy Spirit guiding them they 
            would proclaim the things which God wanted bound and 
            loosed; e.g., Acts 2:38; Rom. 8:2
   D. Up to the point as recorded in Acts 2, only the twelve had 
      obtained the ability to speak by the inspiration of God.
      1. Verse 14 of Acts 2 shows that Peter, standing up with the
         eleven, declared that the gift which they had received was 
         in fulfillment of O.T. prophecy.
      2. Verse 43 says, "And fear came upon every soul: and many
         wonders and signs were done by the apostles."
      3. Consequently, the apostles up to this point were the only 
         ones who had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
      4. God worked with them by giving them miraculous powers. 
         Mark 16:20; Heb. 2:3-4
         a. The purpose and design of those powers was to "confirm
            the word"; that is, to truly demonstrate they were 
            speaking the Word of God.
   E. As we read a little farther in the book of Acts we see how N.T.
      prophets were made.
      1. The first account of someone besides an apostle working a
         miracle is that of Stephen.  Acts 6:8
      2. Stephen, as well as Philip, was of the seven on whom the
         apostles had laid their hands.  Acts 6:6
      3. As we read still farther, we see that Philip is the next 
         person who was able to work miracles.  Acts 8:6
         a. Although Philip was a N.T. prophet and could work
            miracles, he was unable to give the Holy Spirit to 
            others.
         b. Only the apostles were empowered with that ability.
   F. In Acts 8:14-19 we notice that the Spirit was given through the
      laying on of the apostles' hands.
      1. This is the only way N.T. prophets were made and the 
         prophets themselves were unable to give the Spirit to 
         others.
      2. Philip could not give the Holy Spirit to the people of 
         Samaria.
      3. Some apostles, Peter and John, had to be sent from Jerusalem
         before that could be done.
      4. When an apostle laid his hands on someone, he received
         miraculous powers.  Acts 19:6
      5. Cornelius and his household received the "like gift" as the
         apostles for the specific purpose of showing God's 
         acceptance of the Gentiles into the New Covenant.  Acts 
         11:14-18
   G. Thus, we have shown that the apostles were the only ones who
      were to receive the power and were to wait in Jerusalem for it.
      Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4,8
      1. This power enabled them to speak in tongues, prophesy and
         work miracles.  Acts 2:4,43
      2. Also, it gave them the ability to transmit the Holy Spirit 
         by laying their hands on others.
      3. N.T. prophets were made in this manner and they also could
         speak in tongues, prophesy and work miracles but could not
         pass on the power to others.  Acts 8:4-6, 14-19.
      4. There was only one exception where the Holy Spirit was given
         and it was to show that God was accepting the Gentiles.  
         Acts 11:14-18

II. GOD'S WORD MADE KNOWN THROUGH THE INSPIRED WRITINGS ONLY.
   A. The apostles and prophets made known God's will through their
      inspired writings.
      1. There was a time when all of the Word of God was given
         orally--by word of mouth of the inspired apostles and 
         prophets.
      2. Christians were at first guided solely by the inspired 
         teachers who were present with them.  1 Cor. 2:3-13; Acts 
         20:18-27
      3. There was a period when Christians were guided both by 
         having inspired men in their presence and by epistles 
         written by them.  2 Thess. 2:15
   B. When the apostles and prophets passed from the earth, their
      inspired writings became the only means by which we receive    
      God's will.  
      1. When the apostles and prophets approached their deaths, they
         did not direct us to other men who would have miraculous
         powers and revelations.
      2. Instead, they left their inspired writings and pointed us to
         them.  2 Tim. 3:15-17; 2 Pet. 3:1-2
      3. Thus, today we obtain a knowledge of God's will, not       
         through living spiritual men or prophets, but through the 
         written inspired Word.  1 Cor. 14:37; Eph. 3:2-5
   C. It is important for us to understand how the apostles witness 
      to us today.
      1. It is not through other men; it is impossible for a man in 
         our time to be a witness in the sense the apostles were.
      2. Instead, it is through their writings--the Holy Scriptures.
      3. The apostle John in his introduction to his first epistle 
         declared that he was bearing witness to those things which 
         they had heard, which they had seen with their eyes, which 
         they had touched with their hands, concerning the Word of 
         life.  
         a. He bore witness to those things by writing them for us.  
            1 John 1:1-4
      4. The apostles' testimony given in their writings was to 
         "...All that in every place call upon the name of Jesus 
         Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours."  1 Cor. 1:2; Eph. 
         1:1
      5. Thus, the apostles witness to us today through their 
         writings and this is the only way their unerring guidance is
         transmitted to the present age.
         a. It is the only way God's Word is delivered to us today.

III. NO MIRACULOUS POWERS AND REVELATIONS TODAY.
   A. There are no persons with miraculous powers today.
      1. The miraculous powers such as working miracles, speaking in
         tongues, and prophesying were given only through the laying 
         on of the apostles' hands.  Acts 8:4-19
      2. The apostles passed from this life many years ago and, thus,
         there is no way for men to have those powers today.
      3. No one in this age has received the powers to demonstrate
         God's acceptance of the Gentiles.  Acts 11:15-18
   B. The apostle Paul very plainly revealed that miraculous powers 
      were to be done away.  1 Cor. 13:8-10
      1. Notice that Paul did not say, "when he who is perfect is 
         come" but "when that which is perfect is come."
      2. The "perfect" to which he referred can only be the perfect 
         law of liberty.  James 1:25; 2:12
   C. Men do not have miraculous powers and revelations today because
      there is no need or purpose for them.
      1. They do not answer any purpose in the divine arrangement.
      2. There is no incompleteness or vacuum that needs to be filled
         by their appearance.
      3. Is there anything the so-called "tongue speakers" or 
         "miracle workers" can provide which was not already 
         furnished by the Scriptures?
      4. Chart: THE SCRIPTURES FURNISH:
         a. All necessary things which Jesus did - Acts 1:1-2
         b. Certainty of His actions and teaching - Luke 1:3-4
         c. Life in the name of Jesus - John 20:30-31
         d. Instructions to salvation - 2 Tim. 3:15
         e. Commands of the Lord - 1 Cor. 14:37
         f. The proper conduct - 1 Tim. 3:14-15
         g. Every good work - 2 Tim. 3:16-17
         h. Protection against sin - 1 John 2:1
         i. An assurance of eternal life - 1 John 5:13
         j. Standard by which teachers are tested - Acts 17:11
         k. Standard which we cannot go beyond - 1 Cor. 4:6
         l. Blessings from God - Rev. 1:3
         m. Joy that is complete - 1 John 1:3-4
         n. Standard of judgment - Rev. 20:12

Concl.
   A. There are no miraculous powers and revelations today because
      God's Word has already been delivered.
      1. There is nothing other men can supply which the apostles and
         prophets have not already delivered.  Jude 3
   B. God's will reached its perfection in Christ.
      1. The whole plan of God was "...According to the eternal
         purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Eph.
         3:11
      2. The complete revelation of God's will comes through Christ 
         and is recorded in the Scriptures.
      3. Remember Paul's warning.  Gal. 1:8
   C. The Bible is the sole standard of authority in all matters of 
      faith and practice.