Acts 17:2-3 As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said.
What is the source of our authority? When I served in uniform, my source of authority was the United States Constitution, and the Uniformed Code of Military Justice. I also served as a Chaplain and I had authority from my denomination to carry out my religious functions. Now as a Marriage and Family Therapist, I have authority from the State to practice.
We don’t often think about the source of our authority. At one point in my career I carried a credit card with which I made purchases on behalf of my organization. I couldn’t just buy anything I wanted, I had to only make the purchases I was supposed to make, the ones for which I had received authorization.
The early Christians had an authority to which they referred, on which they relied. That authority was the same authority that the Jewish community relied. They looked to the Scriptures when they wanted answers about their relationship with God and how that relationship should be lived out in everyday life.
As Paul is doing missions work, he reaches out to those who know the Scriptures the best, the Jewish community in each city. He started there, knowing that some would respond because they know the Scriptures. So Paul started by showing from their source of authority that Jesus was the promised Messiah.
They trusted the Scriptures. The quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament, because for them it was authoritative. And when they accepted what the Scriptures said, they became followers of Jesus. Their authority, the Scriptures, led them to the Truth.
This is one of the reasons I trust the Scriptures to direct my life. The Scriptures have guided the people of God, and I consider myself one of His people. But there are those who reject the authority of the Scriptures in today’s world.
When someone rejects the authority of the Scriptures, I always want to ask, “What is your authority now?” To what do you appeal when questions arise about God and the purpose of life here on this Earth.
I often hear in their answer an excuse. They want to follow the Scriptures “except for those difficult parts.” And there are difficult parts, messy parts, confusing parts. But isn’t life difficult, messy and confusing at times? Shouldn’t the history of God’s dealings with humanity have these same issues reflected in it?
Paul appealed again and again to the Scriptures when he spoke and shared the Good News of Jesus. But he also appealed to the eyewitness testimony of his own encounter with Jesus and those of the first Christians. He appealed to the miracles that the LORD did in response to His preaching as proof that the Gospel had authority in this world.
By what authority are you doing the things that you are doing? Does your company have policies and procedures that you follow? Are there certain ways that you do things around your home and on behalf of your family?
In the Army, we always knew who was in charge, who was above us in the Chain of Command. This chain went all the way to the President of the Untied States, the Commander in Chief. His authority rested on the Constitutions. And there were checks and balances to the execution of those powers built into system through Congress and the Courts.
Be a person who operates under authority. Conduct your life in such a way that the Authority of God is reflected well in your conduct and attitude. Do what pleases Him.
The Arnold Journey 