Lack of respect for spiritual authority is at the root of every major problem that faces God's people. Authority is the right to command or direct; to authorize a thing is to direct by authority. In spiritual matters, all authority inheres in God.

All authority -- legislative, executive, and judicial -- has been given to Christ. "All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18). Christ is "head over all things to the church, which is the body" (Ephesians 1:22-23). The church, the spiritual body of Christ, as well as the Christian individual, can act to the glory of God, only by acting within the authority of Christ. He is the head who controls, the king who reigns according to His own legislated law.

Christ gave binding and loosing authority only to his apostles. "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:19) is specifically addressed to Peter. However, in Matthew 18:18, a more general statement of the same dimension is applicable to all the disciples. That which the apostles bound and loosed by the word of the Spirit had already been bound in heaven. The finality of this is accepted when we realize that every obligation and privilege associated with being a Christian is circumscribed by apostolic teaching. There can be no going beyond their word, in either direction. Proper respect for Christ's authority is shown only by submission to apostolic teaching.

The authority Christ vested in the apostles is exercised completely in the New Testament. This furnishes the apostolic pattern to be followed today. Being perfect and complete, the scriptures admit no change or revision. Acceptance of this basic principle begets perfection within, and ensures unity among, those who follow the scriptures. The admonition, "let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing" (Philippians 3:16), followed successfully in New Testament times continues today as the divine formula in matters of dispute, and where followed, produces the same meeting of minds and unity of practice it did then. Significantly, during the days of the apostles, questions and problems were settled by appealing to them. Acts 15 is a classic illustration of the effectiveness of this process and authorizes no course but this in our own time.

New Testament authority is established in one of three ways. Command or precept involves a direct statement of instruction or direction. Approved example involves the practice in the New Testament, under guidance of the apostles, of what they had received of the Lord. Necessary inference relates to that which, though neither expressly stated nor specifically exemplified, is necessarily implied by the language.

Having made these initial observations, we turn our attention to this article's assignment, "kinds of authority." Immediately, we note that, even after establishing scriptural authority, there are two kinds of authority that must be recognized. These are generic and specific, which we propose to consider in that order by defining and illustrating. Generic means: "general, opposite to specific." Specific means: "precisely formulated or restricted: specifying or explicit." Recognition of these two kinds of authority is vital to proper application of scriptural authority.

Generic, or general, authority includes any thing, method, or means of execution that falls within the class or order of the precept, example, or necessary inference. It includes all, within the scope and class of the command, necessary to carry out the command. God gives the authority, but He leaves to man the choice as to the how of doing it. The action is set out, but the how is not spelled out.

Specific authority excludes every thing not particularly specified. God has made the choice, and man is left no option. Mark it! General authority includes; specific authority excludes. As we attempt to illustrate, we trust it will become readily apparent that these distinctions are not as technical as they may seem.

Jesus commanded, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:19). The command "go" is generic; the choice of how to go must be made. A number of options might be considered. A man might walk, ride, fly, or take a ship as he goes forth to preach the gospel. God did not specify the how of going; choice of the options is man's to make.

Within the same context (Matthew 28:19-20), we have the command to "teach." What is to be taught -- the gospel -- is certainly specified. This excludes everything else. However, the command to teach is generic, and one may teach in a number of ways. God did not specify how; the choice is with man, respecting the options open to him. We may teach publicly or privately, use a one-on-one approach, or the class method. Since God did not specify which, no man has the right to bind a specific method. Some make the mistake of trying to make the generic command "teach" specific, and forbid classes. This is a binding where God has not bound.

The command to assemble is generic. "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together" (Hebrews 10:25) necessitates a place. Where are we to assemble? Several options are open, and we must make a choice. Will we assemble in a home, a rented facility, or a meeting house bought and paid for by those who are to use the facility? Which is it to be? Again, God did not specify. He left it to man's judgment to select the most expedient of the options open to him. Some have argued there is no authority for the meeting house. Such fails to recognize the validity of general authority, which includes the means or method necessary to carry out the command. The underlying failure of such an assertion seems to admit only those things specifically authorized. Such erroneous reasoning argues that water coolers, bathrooms, and the like, are accepted facilities, but without authority. I conclude that any facility essential to the command to assemble is authorized. However, since the assembling is for the purpose of worship and spiritual edification, only those facilities conducive to this are authorized. Recreational facilities, fellowship halls, and all such are precluded, along with the use of any existing facilities for such purposes; because only that which is expedient to the furtherance of the gospel is so authorized.

We now turn our effort to specific authority in an attempt to illustrate and exemplify how specific authority excludes every thing not particularly specified. God's command to Noah to build an ark out of gopher wood (Gen. 6:14) continues to aptly illustrate. When God specified the kind of wood -- gopher -- this excluded every other wood. No circumstance, no amount of rationalizing on Noah's part, could have justified the use of pine, walnut, oak, or other wood. All except gopher was excluded! When God specified the kind of wood, no man had the right to add or substitute another, or in any wise change God's instruction.

The command to sing, "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:19), excludes every other kind of music. Instrumental music is excluded by the fact that God specified singing. Had God said "make music," the generic, man would have been at liberty to choose the kind of music -- instrumental or vocal. However, God specified vocal music -- singing -- and no man has the right to grant a liberty excluded by God's authority. The command to sing does include whatever is necessary to carry out the order -- words, whether in a book or from memory, a tuning fork or pitch pipe, a leader, and the like.

The elements of the Lord's Supper are specified by precept, example, and necessary inference (Matthew 26:17, 29; 1 Corinthians 11:23-28; Acts 20:7). When the Bible says "unleavened bread and fruit of the vine," it excludes every other element. The first day of the week implies every first day and, at the same time, excludes every other day of the week. Yeast bread, milk, meat, ice cream, or any other element would be without authority, and therefore sinful. The method of distributing the elements of the Lord's Supper is not specified. Using one container, or 100 containers, to distribute the fruit of the vine among the worshipers does not change the element, or in any way alter the observance of the communion. The container has no significance; it symbolizes and portrays nothing. The word "cup" in Matthew 26:28 is used figuratively and stands for the content.

God specified the congregation, the local church (Acts 14:23; Philippians 1:1), as the only organic entity with responsibility for accomplishing collective work. Here, the specific excludes every other organization from doing the work God assigned to the church. In the New Testament, nothing is larger or smaller, by way of organization, than the local congregation. There is nothing else. Failure to accept God's arrangement constitutes rebellion against divine authority. This is precisely what has occurred with respect to church support of human institutions in the work of benevolence. There is absolutely no authority for the benevolence society, or orphan home, through which the church presumes to work. No more so, in fact, than there was authority for the missionary society of more than a century ago. In the one, we envision doing the work of benevolence; in the other, the work of evangelism -- preaching the gospel -- and in the both, an organization, or arrangement, outside the realm of what is specified. Obviously, the support and endorsement of such is rebellion against God's authority.

In the examples of New Testament cooperation, the lesson is specific. Funds were never sent through, but always to, another congregation (Acts 11:27-30). The needy did not, by design, set up some sort of brotherhood agency and then call for help. In evangelism, funds were sent directly to the preacher who had the need (1 Corinthians 11:8; Philippians 4:15-16). Application of this example today eliminates the sponsoring-church arrangement, any shape or form of the missionary society, and any plan that does not give expression to the same New Testament practice.

Having elders in every church is clearly authorized and required (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2). God specified their jurisdiction when He said "feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof" (1 Peter 5:2). Whenever elders become overseers of anything but the work of the flock "which is among you" or the "flock over which the Holy Ghost made them overseers," they act without God's authority and stand condemned. This very principle clearly indicts every eldership that has assumed the oversight of a "brotherhood" project, such as Herald of Truth, World Radio, and any number of schemes and arrangements that presume to activate, through common administration, the church at large.

With respect to kinds of authority, there are two extremes that must be recognized and guarded against. One extreme is represented in the anti-class group of brethren who contend that in order for a thing to be scriptural, it must be specifically authorized. On this basis, they reject the class system of teaching, failing to recognize that such is but means and method within the general authority and command to teach. When one means or method inherent in a general instruction is bound to the exclusion of all others, the result is an extremist or crank. The other extreme is represented by those sometimes referred to as "digressives," among the Christian Church who contend that in order for a thing to be wrong, it must be specifically condemned. This number seems to continue to grow, even among us.

In summary, we emphasize that for a thing to be authorized, the New Testament must contain precept, approved example, or necessary inference. When the authority is general, anything included within the scope of the thing authorized is permissible. General authority then includes any means or method required to carry out the command. But if God specified the method of executing his will, there is no substitute; no addition is allowed, but everything of the same class or order is excluded. Thus, specific authority excludes.

May the Lord help us to recognize the need for abiding in the authority of the Scriptures and give us the wisdom and courage to apply such authority to all we teach and practice.

---

Scriptural Authority

Generic	Aids	Specific	Additions
1. Build an ark	Tools to prepare the wood.	Gopher wood (Genesis 6:14)	Oak, maple, cedar, walnut (Different types)
2. Lord's Supper	Containers Place-building, light, pews	First Day (Acts 20:7)Unleavened bread Fruit of the vine (Luke 22:18-20) In remembrance (1 Corinthians 11:23-29)	Cookies Coke Bread Water (Other emblems)
3. Baptism	Baptistery, pool, river	Immersion Burial (Romans 6:3,4)	Sprinkling, pouring (Another type of action)
4. Singing	Songs books, lights, pitch pipe	Sing (Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 5:19)	Playing any musical instruments (Another kind of music)

I have added this chart to brother Snell's excellent article. It helps to illustrate the principles discussed in his article. Many folks who try to get around simple plain Bible teaching try to mix these things up to show authority for their actions. Read the article carefully, and then study the chart. I think you will see the difficulty comes, not from the subject matter, but from misapplication of God's word as it relates to authority. (KMG)