Men do not accept a common authority in religious matters. This is the basic cause of all religious division and dissension. Politically, men should have the right to believe anything or nothing religiously. Scripturally, men have no right to believe anything except what God has said. The belief of religious error will condemn men, not save them (Gal. 1:6-10; 2 Thess. 2:1-12). Only the truth of God to men, the New Testament, will make men free from sin and condemnation (John 1:17, 8:32, 17:17).
1. Personal Desire and Taste. People do what they like to do in religion. They think the voice of the people is the voice of God. Every man does what is right in his own eyes, and anarchy reigns (Judges 17:6, 21:25). Paul said, "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God" (Rom. 10:1-3). "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death" (Prov. 16:25). Men cannot be saved, cannot please God, by doing what they like to do and believe in religion.
2. Tradition. Many are the religious traditions believed and practiced in religion which have no basis in the New Testament. Examples are: tithing, burning incense, sprinkling or pouring water for baptism, religious titles, mechanical music in worship, prayers to the dead, clergy and laity, etc. Jesus said, "Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition... Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered" (Mark 7:1-13). If God's word does not authorize a belief or practice, it is or no value, no matter how long believed and practiced.
3. Conscience. Paul said, "Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day" and "Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men" (Acts 23:1, 24:16). Yet, in good conscience Paul had killed Christians, put them in prison, and persecuted them from city to city. He did these wrongs ignorantly, in unbelief, but in pure conscience (1 Tim. 1:12-16). Thus people can believe error, worship vainly, and sin against God - all in good conscience (Matt. 15:9). Our conscience is not our guide in religion.
4. Parents. People have an inherited religion. They know little or nothing of God's word, nor of their parent's religion. They have simply inherited a religious name and practice. Joshua told Israel, "Choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15). There would have been no nation of Israel, no savior, no apostles of Jesus, no Christians, had men always believed what their parents believed.
There are many other mistaken basis of authority such as human leadership, feelings, dreams and visions, religious councils and synods, majority vote, doing what is popular, etc.
There is only one true basis of religious authority - the word of God. "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God" (1 Pet. 4:11). "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him" (Matt. 17:5). "God... hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son" (Heb. 1:1-2). Please read also: Matthew 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 2:9-13, 4:1-6; 2 Peter 1:3-4, 20-21; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; John 1:17, 8:21, 24, 32, 17:17. Only by learning, believing and obeying the word of God can men please God and be saved. Only when men everywhere accept the word of God alone as the sole basis of all religious teaching and practice, will men be united as Jesus prayed: "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me" (John 17:20-21).
- The Knollwood Reminders, 12/8/1968