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Related articles:
"Respect For God's Authority"
"Speaking With Authority"
"The Doctrine of Christ"

Related subtopics:
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Authority of the Bible
The Bible Is God's Word
We Are Not Under the 10 Commandments
We Must Study the Bible
We Must Understand the Bible
We Must Obey the Gospel
We Can't Trust Our Feelings
"Speaking With Authority"

Larry Ray Hafley


Jesus spoke and taught "as one having authority" (Matt. 7:29). Knowing him as we do, this does not surprise us, but those who first heard him were amazed and perplexed (Mk. 6:2).

First, do we take the Lord's authority for granted? Do we accept it without understanding what power his word should have over our lives? I suspect we often do. We are not troubled by his mighty claims, words, and deeds as the people of his day were. Are we indifferent to the meaning of who Jesus is? Are we negligent of his word? "No," we would reply, being offended by even the suggestion of such a thing.

But how are we better than those who rejected his power and authority, if, while we acknowledge it, we ignore and disobey him and his word? What makes us any better than they if we refuse his word, knowing its divine origin, while condemning them for rejecting his Deity and power?

Second, the power of his word must be spoken today. It must be preached, for it is stamped with the signs, seal, and signature of heaven (Heb. 2:1-4). Its majesty and authority is not determined by the preacher. We no longer have the "inspired" pen writing in the hands of "inspired" men, but we have the "inspired" word they left us (1 Cor. 14:37; 2 Thess. 2:15). His word has its own intrinsic power; hence, we speak of the power of his word. He himself has his own inherent power; thus, we speak of the word of his power (Heb. 1:3).

Neither he nor his word can be diminished or supplied by our response or reaction. He is the same. He abideth forever. So does his word (Mk. 13:31; Heb. 13:8). And "he that doeth the will of God abideth forever" (1 Jn. 2:17). That is spoken with the support and foundation of the word of his power and the power of his word. Let no man despise it (Titus 2:15).

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