About Jesus - A Question Of Authority - August 22, 2021
Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2021 1:03 pm
John 3:22 After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. 23 And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. 24 For John was not yet cast into prison. 25 Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying. 26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. 27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. 28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. 29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease. 31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. 32 And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. 33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. 34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. 35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. 36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
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According to Luke (chapter 3), a multitude went to the country around Jordan to be baptized by John. The Hebrews wondered whether John might be the messiah they expected. The baptist responded to this expectation by saying “I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat in to his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.”
The Hebrew historian, Josehus, wrote about the baptist: “Herod feared that John’s so extensive influence over the people might lead to an uprising (for the people seemed likely to do everything he might counsel).” - Antiquities of the Jews (18.5.2)
After Jesus called his first disciples, changed water into wine, cleansed the temple and spoke with Nicodemus, Jesus went with his disciples into the Judean countryside and began to teach.
Soon, the disciples of John were concerned that Jesus was becoming more popular with the common people than John had been. In spite of what John had said about Jesus, John’s disciples’ implied question to John was whether it was appropriate for Jesus (or the disciples of Jesus) to baptize people in water as John had been doing.
John’s answer clearly indicated that he was delighted to know that people were listening to Jesus - who John described as “the bridegroom” while John described himself as merely a friend of the bridegroom.
In some ways, John’s answer to his disciples was similar to what Jesus had said to Nicodemus. (See John 3:1-21.)
John began preaching and baptizing without first going to the Sanhedrien to obtain authority from them. When the common people showed more interest in what John was teaching in the desert than in what was being taught by the Jerusalem rabbis, some of the members of the high council became jealous of John. When many of the common people began paying more attention to Jesus than to John, it aroused the jealousy of John’s disciples. John himself, however, showed no such jealousy.
One of the reasons some Christians don’t use the title of “priest” is because of the ways that title has sometimes been abused.
The priesthood of believers, however, has a long history. The tribe of Levi received the tithes of the other tribes of Israel and served as priests at the temple but the Lord told Moses “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.” Exodus 19:5 & 6
In his first general epistle to Christians, the apostle, Peter, wrote “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ... But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” I Peter 2:5, 9 & 10
It is true that not everyone who calls Jesus Lord is a true believer in the sense of continuing to learn to trust him but Christians receive authority directly from the Lord himself. To the extent that this principle is understood, members of Christian denominations have no reason to argue about who or which organization has spiritual authority.
Clergy may have administrative authority within their own denominations but the doctrine that clergy have more spiritual authority or some kind of spiritual authority that laity don’t have is a purely human construct. It flies in the face of the story of the Christian layman, Philip, who baptized an officer of the government of Ethiopia. (See Acts 8:26-39.)
****************************************************************************************************
According to Luke (chapter 3), a multitude went to the country around Jordan to be baptized by John. The Hebrews wondered whether John might be the messiah they expected. The baptist responded to this expectation by saying “I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat in to his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.”
The Hebrew historian, Josehus, wrote about the baptist: “Herod feared that John’s so extensive influence over the people might lead to an uprising (for the people seemed likely to do everything he might counsel).” - Antiquities of the Jews (18.5.2)
After Jesus called his first disciples, changed water into wine, cleansed the temple and spoke with Nicodemus, Jesus went with his disciples into the Judean countryside and began to teach.
Soon, the disciples of John were concerned that Jesus was becoming more popular with the common people than John had been. In spite of what John had said about Jesus, John’s disciples’ implied question to John was whether it was appropriate for Jesus (or the disciples of Jesus) to baptize people in water as John had been doing.
John’s answer clearly indicated that he was delighted to know that people were listening to Jesus - who John described as “the bridegroom” while John described himself as merely a friend of the bridegroom.
In some ways, John’s answer to his disciples was similar to what Jesus had said to Nicodemus. (See John 3:1-21.)
John began preaching and baptizing without first going to the Sanhedrien to obtain authority from them. When the common people showed more interest in what John was teaching in the desert than in what was being taught by the Jerusalem rabbis, some of the members of the high council became jealous of John. When many of the common people began paying more attention to Jesus than to John, it aroused the jealousy of John’s disciples. John himself, however, showed no such jealousy.
One of the reasons some Christians don’t use the title of “priest” is because of the ways that title has sometimes been abused.
The priesthood of believers, however, has a long history. The tribe of Levi received the tithes of the other tribes of Israel and served as priests at the temple but the Lord told Moses “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.” Exodus 19:5 & 6
In his first general epistle to Christians, the apostle, Peter, wrote “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ... But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” I Peter 2:5, 9 & 10
It is true that not everyone who calls Jesus Lord is a true believer in the sense of continuing to learn to trust him but Christians receive authority directly from the Lord himself. To the extent that this principle is understood, members of Christian denominations have no reason to argue about who or which organization has spiritual authority.
Clergy may have administrative authority within their own denominations but the doctrine that clergy have more spiritual authority or some kind of spiritual authority that laity don’t have is a purely human construct. It flies in the face of the story of the Christian layman, Philip, who baptized an officer of the government of Ethiopia. (See Acts 8:26-39.)