Authority is Fundamental

Ralph “Babe” Pinelli was a major league baseball player in the early 20th century who later became an umpire.

It’s told that in 1935, Babe’s first year umpiring, he was the home plate umpire working a game in which Babe Ruth was playing. It’s was Ruth’s last year in the majors.

After swinging and missing at the first two pitches for strikes, Babe Ruth didn’t swing on the next pitch which he thought was a ball. Pinelli called, “Strike Three.”

Legend has it that Ruth turned to him and said: “There’s forty thousand people in this park that know that was a ball, tomato-head!”

Not one easily intimidated, even by the game’s biggest star, Pinelli kept his composure and calmly replied: “Perhaps—but mine is the only opinion that counts. You’re out!”

Religiously speaking, God’s opinion is the only one that matters, regardless of what we may believe to be true.

Too many people live their lives on the basis of their feelings, human creeds, church edicts, political correctness, or family traditions. When discussing religious matters you often hear the opinion expressed, “It doesn’t make any difference what you believe as long as you’re honest and sincere.” That opinion, However, does not meet with God’s approval.

Authority is fundamental to our faith. What God has decreed is the final Word on any issue. Psalm 119 exalts God’s Word as Truth. It is settled in heaven. And it is that which will direct our steps and lights our path. In Jesus’ prayer to the Father, He said, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth (Jn. 17:17).

I learned a long time ago the importance of establishing the issue of authority when studying with people. I always begin with three questions. (1) Do you believe in God? (2) Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God? (3) Do you believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God? A negative answer to any of these questions requires a study of Christian evidences before we can proceed to discuss any religious topic.

If you can answer “yes” to all three questions, then we can lay the foundation of authority based on these Biblical pronouncements.

1. God today speaks through His Son, Jesus Christ. And He gave Jesus “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Heb. 1:1-3; Matt. 28:18).

2. Jesus promised the apostles He would send them the Holy Spirit who would teach them, remind them of His Word, and Guide them into all Truth” (Jn. 14:26; 15:26; 16:13).

3. The apostle Paul said that by revelation the Holy Spirit inspired him to write ”in a few words” the very essence of “the mystery of Christ.” And it is written in such a way that we can read it and understand it (Eph. 3:3-5).

4. So, Paul would affirm that “all scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). It is literally “God breathed.” As a result the Scripture will help us in 5 ways.

• The Scripture shows you what is right.
• The Scripture shows you what is wrong.
• The Scripture helps you get right.
• The Scripture helps you stay right.
• The Scripture equips you for every God work.

Like Timothy, when we teach, preach, exhort or rebuke it must be based on God’s Word, the “Rule Book.” And we can do it with “all authority.”

In matters of religion, morals, ethics, and Christian living, we’ve not been given the prerogative to calls “balls and strikes,” based on our own opinion. Or ever changing societal trends. God’s opinion is the only one that counts.

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman